Big Picture Science

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

Claims that the government has alien technology are obviously tantalizing. So tantalizing, in fact, that it’s easy to overlook logical fallacies in how these claims are presented. But what would convince you that the government is aware of alien visitation?

In this extended conversation with an expert on the psychology of risk, find out about our exaggerated fears, as well as risks we don’t take seriously enough.

It’s remarkable how little we know about female physiology. Find out what studies have been overlooked by science, and what has been recently learned.

As a major Antarctic ice sheet shows signs of collapse, it’s no wonder we feel some “climate anxiety.” Can we leverage this emotion to spur action? That, and where hope lies, in this episode.

Experts in social media, cults, and the history of science join us for a discussion about how these alternative realities formed, why people are drawn to them, and the benefits of a shared reality.

Finding Endurance, the ship that took Ernest Shackleton to the Antarctic, that was slowly crushed and sank.

They’re cute and cuddly. But they can also be obnoxious. Science writer Mary Roach has numerous tales about how our animal friends don’t always bow to their human overlords and behave the way we’d want.