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Ask us Anything by Popular Science

Ask us Anything by Popular Science

Popular Science

  • 21 minutes 23 seconds
    Is real-life storm chasing like the movies?

    You've seen Twister AND Twisters, now let PopSci Editors ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sarah Durn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Laura Baisas⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ clue you into what storm chasing is life in the real world, through an eye-opening conversation with meteorologist, storm chaser and author Cyrena Arnold, who's also host of the Storm Front Freaks Podcast.

    Read the full story that inspired this episode: https://www.popsci.com/science/real-storm-chasers-tornadoes/

    If you have a question for a future episode, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://popsci.com/ask⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    28 May 2026, 7:03 am
  • 15 minutes 38 seconds
    How do airplane toilets work?

    There's more than a little bathroom talk in this episode, as PopSci Editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sarah Durn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and News Editor Laura Baisas⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ laugh and learn all the ins, outs, and ugly secrets of airplane toilets.

    Read the Popular Science story that inspired the episode: ⁠https://www.popsci.com/science/how-do-airplane-toilets-work/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    If you have a question for a future episode, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://popsci.com/ask⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    13 May 2026, 12:21 pm
  • 15 minutes 20 seconds
    How come some birds talk like people?

    So many shouting and singing birds in this episode, as PopSci Editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sarah Durn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Editor-in-Chief ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Annie Colbert⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ flap their way to an explanation for why birds learn to mimic human speech.


    Read the Popular Science story that inspired the episode: ⁠https://www.popsci.com/environment/why-birds-talk/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Learn more about how parrots use names to talk to each other: ⁠https://www.popsci.com/environment/parrots-using-names/⁠


    If you have a question for a future episode, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://popsci.com/ask⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    30 April 2026, 7:01 am
  • 18 minutes 23 seconds
    Why can't we remember being babies?

    Plumbing the depths of their childhood memories, PopSci Editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sarah Durn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Editor-in-Chief ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Annie Colbert⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ explain why almost no humans remember infancy or early childhood.

    Read the Popular Science story that inspired this episode: https://www.popsci.com/science/why-dont-i-remember-being-a-baby-study/⁠⁠

    If you have a question for a future episode, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://popsci.com/ask⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    16 April 2026, 7:03 am
  • 17 minutes 24 seconds
    How come only modern humans need braces?

    Chomping right through the history of orthodontics and human bone development, PopSci Editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sarah Durn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Editor-in-Chief ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Annie Colbert⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ investigate why human ancestors never needed braces, but so many modern humans do.

    Read the Popular Science story that inspired this episode: ⁠https://www.popsci.com/science/why-need-braces/⁠

    And make sure you check out our guests Erin & Erin on their show This Podcast Will Kill You: ⁠https://thispodcastwillkillyou.com⁠

    If you have a question for a future episode, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://popsci.com/ask⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    31 March 2026, 7:01 am
  • 18 minutes 38 seconds
    Did any dinosaurs actually spit venom?

    Digging deep into the fossil record, PopSci Editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sarah Durn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Editor-in-Chief ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Annie Colbert⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ investigate whether there really were venomous dinosaurs, like the Dilophosaurus depicted in the first Jurassic Park movie.

    Read the Popular Science story that inspired this episode: https://www.popsci.com/science/venomous-dinosaurs/

    And make sure you check out the I Know Dino podcast, co-hosted by our special guest Garret Kruger: https://iknowdino.com/

    If you have a question for a future episode, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://popsci.com/ask⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    18 March 2026, 7:01 am
  • 16 minutes
    What's the most eco-friendly burial option?

    After a lifetime of trying to put things in the right bin, we all eventually arrive at the ultimate recycling dilemma: what to do with our bodies after we die? PopSci Editors ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sarah Durn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠Laura Baisas⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ go on exploration to find out what is the most environmentally friendly option for handling human remains? Despite all the new technology, experts say there’s one clear answer, and it’s surprisingly old-school.

    Read the full story that inspired this episode: https://www.popsci.com/technology/cremation-burial-most-eco-friendly/

    If you have a question for a future episode, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://popsci.com/ask⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    4 March 2026, 8:03 am
  • 15 minutes 53 seconds
    Why do (most) cats hate water?

    From ancient deserts to kittenhood lessons, PopSci Editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sarah Durn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Editor-in-Chief ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Annie Colbert⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (PLUS SPECIAL FELINE GUESTS) dive into why most cats are so averse to water.

    Read Sarah's story that inspired this episode: https://www.popsci.com/science/why-cats-hate-water/

    And make sure you read all about Simon the cat, heroic member of the British Navy: https://www.popsci.com/environment/navy-cat-simon/

    If you have a question for a future episode, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://popsci.com/ask⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    18 February 2026, 8:03 am
  • 14 minutes 15 seconds
    Surviving freezing temperatures: How low can humans go?

    Humans are homeotherms, meaning that our core body temperature stays roughly constant, but what happens when conditions drive that body temp down? PopSci Editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sarah Durn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Editor-in-Chief ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Annie Colbert⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ bundle up to get to the bottom of just how cold humans can get and still survive.

    Read the full story that inspired this episode: https://www.popsci.com/science/coldest-temperature-humans-can-survive/

    If you have a question for a future episode, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://popsci.com/ask⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    5 February 2026, 8:03 am
  • 14 minutes 29 seconds
    Decoding wintery precipitation: What causes snow, sleet and freezing rain?

    Are you as tired as we are of winter weather? Well, at least it helps to know how it works! PopSci Editors ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sarah Durn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Laura Baisas⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ go on a wintry expedition through all our least favorite types of precipitation.

    Read the full story that inspired this episode: https://www.popsci.com/environment/chance-of-precipitation-explained/

    If you have a question for a future episode, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://popsci.com/ask⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    21 January 2026, 8:02 am
  • 20 minutes 46 seconds
    How fast would NYC crumble without people? Featuring 'Survivorman' Les Stroud

    In a world without people, how fast would NYC fall apart and nature take over? PopSci Editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠Sarah Durn⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Editor-in-Chief ⁠⁠⁠⁠Annie Colbert⁠⁠⁠⁠ go through the timeline for re-wilding America's densest city.

    Read the full story that inspired this episode: https://www.popsci.com/environment/abandoned-nyc-what-would-happen/

    If you have a question for a future episode, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://popsci.com/ask⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    8 January 2026, 8:02 am
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