- 21 minutes 23 secondsIs 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
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28 May 2026, 7:03 am - 15 minutes 38 secondsHow 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
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13 May 2026, 12:21 pm - 15 minutes 20 secondsHow 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
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30 April 2026, 7:01 am - 18 minutes 23 secondsWhy 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
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16 April 2026, 7:03 am - 17 minutes 24 secondsHow 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
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31 March 2026, 7:01 am - 18 minutes 38 secondsDid 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
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18 March 2026, 7:01 am - 16 minutesWhat'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
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4 March 2026, 8:03 am - 15 minutes 53 secondsWhy 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
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18 February 2026, 8:03 am - 14 minutes 15 secondsSurviving 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
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5 February 2026, 8:03 am - 14 minutes 29 secondsDecoding 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
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21 January 2026, 8:02 am - 20 minutes 46 secondsHow 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
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