Big Picture Science

Are we alone in the universe? Is there other intelligence out there? COSMIC, the most ambitious SETI search yet, hopes to answer that. We hear updates on this novel signal detection project being conducted on the Very Large Array in the desert of New Mexico and more.

Hear ship-to-shore conversations with two scientists aboard research vessels currently sailing in the Arctic Ocean – about how warmer temperatures affect life on land and sea.

We look at why mythical creatures continue to capture imaginations - as well as passions - of die-hard believers, despite no evidence for their existence.

This episode retells the story of the Chernobyl accident 40 yeas later - with the role that design flaws and human error played, and the futile attempts at radiation containment.

Over the last two decades, the tools used to search for extraterrestrials have been advancing mightily. Where we were once only monitoring with radio telescopes, we are now actively looking for bio and technosignatures on exoplanets.

The tiny bean-shaped structures in your cells – mitochondria – are little powerhouses. Recent research suggests your mitochondria may unlock overall good health, or, when they fail, cause diseases such as diabetes and Alzheimer’s. How strong is the science for these claims and what, if anything, should we be doing to improve our mitochondrial health?

What physical activity gives you joy? Whether it’s walking, running, dancing or swimming, your body evolved to do it. We are made for movement. But there’s a cost as anyone with a sore neck or aching back knows.

Whales are aliens on Earth; intelligent beings who have skills for complex problem-solving and their own language. Now in what’s being called a breakthrough, scientists have carried on an extended conversation with a humpback whale.

Are we alone in the universe? Is there other intelligence out there? COSMIC, the most ambitious SETI search yet, hopes to answer that.

Scientists have carried on an extended conversation with a humpback whale. In this episode, they share the story of this remarkable encounter.