Inquiring Minds

The Coyote Story

19 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to writer and historian Dan Flores about his book Coyote America: A Natural and Supernatural History.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com...

Up To Date | Do Apple's Health Claims Check Out?

18 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week: Kishore takes a closer look at some of the health claims made during the recent Apple Keynote.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/inq...

How Sloppy Science Creates Worthless Cures, Crushes Hope, and Wastes Billions

12 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to celebrated science journalist Richard Harris about the “reproducibility crisis” in science and his new book Rigor Mortis: How Sloppy Sc...

How Intuition and Reason Divide Our Politics

28 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to political scientist Eric Oliver about the surprisingly high percentage of people who believe in conspiracy theories and the reasons behind ...

Up To Date | Attention Is an Illusion; Ant Highways

26 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week: A new study shows we only focus on something a few milliseconds at a time, but we don’t notice because we’re pulsing that focus; and re...

A Pianist Rebuilds Her Brain

21 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to author Andrea J. Buchanan about her experience with a brain injury and how she used playing the piano to recover. Buchanan’s new book is ...

Up To Date | Monsanto Cancer Case and Kids Believe Lying Robots

19 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week: A jury decided that Monsanto’s Roundup caused a man’s cancer but the science is murky and a new study shows that children are susceptib...

The Material That Will Revolutionize the World

14 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to chemist Joseph Meany about his book Graphene: The Superstrong, Superthin, and Superversatile Material That Will Revolutionize the World.Sup...

Up To Date | Google Glass Lives! and Breaking Dog Urine News

12 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week: A Standford study used Google Glass to help kids with autism understand others people’s emotions; and breaking news regarding the way dog...

Up To Date | How Plants Tell Time, Lab-Grown Pig Lungs, Stolen Fields Medal

03 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week: A new study from the University of Bristol showing the way plants accumulate sugar helps them tell what time it is; scientists have success...

The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers

31 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ben Goldfarb is a writer covering wildlife conservation and fisheries management. We talk to him about his new book Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life...

Up To Date | A Lake on Mars, Dog Empathy, and TBI & the Military

28 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week: Italian scientists found a body of liquid water on mars using radar; a new study suggests that while dogs do feel empathy for us, training ...

Revisiting Flint: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope

24 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, the pediatrician who first proved that Flint’s kids were exposed to lead about her new book What the Eyes Don't S...

Up To Date | GMO Acceptance, Elle Macpherson, and Friendly Fish

21 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week: New research suggests labeling can increase GMO acceptance; Elle Macpherson’s terrible new boyfriend (it’s relevant, I swear); and rese...

How Neuroscience Is Redefining Athletic Genius

17 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to sports and business journalist Zach Schonbrun about his new book The Performance Cortex: How Neuroscience Is Redefining Athletic Genius.Sup...

Up To Date - Killing Cancer Cells and Exploring the Sunk Cost Fallacy (In Rats)

14 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week: New research into using CRISPR to destroy cancer cells with other cancer cells and a study suggesting rodents aren’t immune to the sunk c...

Nikola Tesla: Inventor of the Modern

10 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to author Richard Munson about his new Nikola Tesla biography Tesla: Inventor of the Modern.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquirin...

Up To Date | Air Pollution and Diabetes, Large Scale Microbiome Studies, and Why Driving Makes You Sleepy

07 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week: New research exploring the link between air pollution and diabetes; the huge potential of doing large scale microbiome studies; and a look ...

Aroused: The History of Hormones

03 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Randi Hutter Epstein, M.D, lecturer at Yale university, writer in residence at Yale Medical School, and author of the new book Aroused: The...

Up To Date | Longevity Pioneers, Leaky Methane, and Predicting Earthquakes

29 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week: New research shows mortality rates level off if you can reach a certain age; the problem of methane gas leaking from power plants; and a ne...

Motherhood in the Animal Kingdom

26 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to biologist and science writer Carin Bondar about her latest book Wild Moms: Motherhood in the Animal Kingdom.Support the show: https://www.p...

Up To Date | Mind Controlling Robots, Viral Alzheimer's Link, and Remembering Koko

23 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week: New research into controlling robot arms with your brain, a surprising link between a common virus and Alzheimer's Disease, and remembering...

Intelligent Machines Are Changing Everything

18 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

How do we create artificial intelligence that isn't bigoted? Can we teach machines to work exactly like our brains work? “You don’t program a mach...

Virtual Reality Is Changing Human Connection

12 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Peter Rubin, editor at Wired and author of Future Presence: How Virtual Reality Is Changing Human Connection, Intimacy, and the Limits of O...

Up To Date | Don’t Eat Clay, Do Eat Dark Chocolate

09 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week: New research shows a 6-month treatment for breast cancer is nearly as successful as the previously-standard 12-month course; the surprising...

The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity

05 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Carl Zimmer, New York Times columnist and author of 13 books about science about his latest book She Has Her Mother's Laugh: The Powers, Pe...

Up To Date | Where Happiness Comes From, and Why

01 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this mini-episode, Kishore talks to neuroscientist and author Dean Burnett about his new book Happy Brain: Where Happiness Comes From, and Why.Supp...

Why We're Addicted to Screens

28 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Adam Alter, author and marketing and psychology professor at NYU's Stern School of Business about his book Irresistible: The Rise of Addict...

Inside the Epic First Mission to Pluto

22 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to planetary scientist and New Horizons’ mission leader Alan Stern and astrobiologist David Grinspoon about their new book Chasing New Horiz...

Up To Date | Snail Memory Transplants, Eyes In The Back Of Your Head, and Treating Epilepsy with CBD

18 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week: There are reports that scientists have ‘transferred a memory' in snails—what does the research actually say?; we examine a study that s...

The Rise and Fall of the Cephalopods

14 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Danna Staaf, a science writer with a PhD in invertebrate biology from Stanford University, about her new book Squid Empire: The Rise and Fa...

Up To Date | Pre-pregnancy Genome Sequencing, Mass Prescribing Antibiotics, and the Trolley Problem

12 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week: A study looking at how much actionable information pre-pregnancy genome sequencing can actually give you; the benefits and consequences of ...

The Rise of Deep Brain Stimulation and Its Forgotten Inventor

07 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to science writer and neurobiologist Lone Frank about her latest book The Pleasure Shock: The Rise of Deep Brain Stimulation and Its Forgotten...

Up To Date | Genetically Editing Fat Tissue, A Turing Test For Water, and Another Mars Lander

05 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

University of Copenhagen scientists managed to genetically delete an enzyme in mice that made it impossible for them to get fat, even on a very fatty ...

Losing the Nobel Prize

01 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to astrophysicist Brian Keating about new his book Losing the Nobel Prize: A Story of Cosmology, Ambition, and the Perils of Science's Highest...

Up To Date | Anonymous Study Subjects, Genetically Engineered Livestock, and Asteroids Delivering Water

28 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week: Scott Pruitt’s fight against anonymous study subjects, a debate on should be regulating genetically engineered livestock, and new researc...

How We Evolved to Have Free Will

23 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to biologist Kenneth R. Miller about his new book The Human Instinct: How We Evolved to Have Reason, Consciousness, and Free Will.Support the ...

Up To Date | Night Owl Death, Space Launches, and Viagra’s Greater Purpose

20 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week: new research shows being a night owl might mean you’re at a greater risk of dying early, multiple interesting space launches are happenin...

Creating Empathy With Immersive Virtual Reality

16 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to the founding director of Stanford University's Virtual Human Interaction Lab, Jeremy Bailenson. Bailenson’s lab studies how virtual reali...

Up-To-Date | Does It Fart?: The Definitive Field Guide to Animal Flatulence

13 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Kishore talks to Nick Caruso and Dani Rabaiotti, authors of Does It Fart?: The Definitive Field Guide to Animal Flatulence.Support the show: https://w...

The Unfinished Quest for the Meaning of Quantum Physics

09 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to astrophysicist Adam Becker about his new book What Is Real? The Unfinished Quest for the Meaning of Quantum Physics.Support the show: https...

Up-To-Date | James Webb, Shrimp, and Chilled-Out Monkeys

07 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We're introducing a new, additional weekly episode! Every Friday, listen to Indre and Kishore do a quick recap of some of the week's most interesting ...

The Neuroscience of How We Think

02 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We have a big announcement! After 220 episodes, we are striking out on our own. Thanks to Mother Jones for being our home for the past 5 years. Look f...

Jellyfish Science

27 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to ocean scientist and science writer Juli Berwald about her new book Spineless: The Science of Jellyfish and the Art of Growing a Backbone.Su...

The Politics of Rainforests

20 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Rhett Butler, editor-in-chief and CEO of Mongabay, a nonprofit organization which seeks to raise interest in and appreciation of wild lands...

What We Really Know About Gun Violence

13 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Stanford law professor and economist John Donohue who for the better part of the last 20 years has been doing research into understanding g...

100% Renewable Energy by 2050

06 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Stanford professor of civil and environmental engineering Mark Jacobson about his research that shows it’s possible for the world to be u...

The Broad Potential of Psychoactive Drugs

27 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to journalist and science writer Hamilton Morris about his Viceland docuseries “Hamilton's Pharmacopeia” and the history and science of ps...

The Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance

19 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Alex Hutchinson, author of Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance.Support the show: https://www.patreon....

It's Time to Rethink Ocean Conservation

06 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to marine biologist, policy expert, and conservation strategist Ayana Elizabeth Johnson about why we need to rethink ocean conservation.Suppor...

Science Got Women Wrong

23 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to science journalist and author Angela Saini about her latest book Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong and the New Research That's Rewritin...

A Volcano Scientist Runs for Congress

16 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Jess Phoenix, a volcanologist, geologist, and 2018 Democratic candidate seeking election to California's 25th Congressional District.Suppor...

Mapping Human Brains

09 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to neuroscientist Lucina Uddin about her work mapping human brains.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds Hosted by Simpleca...

Losing Genes but Gaining Music | [BONUS EP] Cadence | S02 Episode 01

01 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Happy new year! It’s a bonus podcast: episode one of the second season of Indre’s other podcast, Cadence. Subscribe to Cadence here:iTunes: https:...

How One Emotion Connects Altruists and Psychopaths

25 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to professor of psychology & neuroscience Abigail Marsh about her new book The Fear Factor: How One Emotion Connects Altruists, Psychopaths, a...

Lessons in Investigating Death

19 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Ken Holmes, who worked in the Marin County Coroner’s Office for thirty-six years, starting as a death investigator and ending as the thre...

Lost Einsteins: Left Behind by the Innovation Economy

12 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to celebrated Stanford economist Raj Chetty about his work focusing on using empirical evidence—often big data—to inform the design of mor...

Getting Politicians to Talk About Science

05 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Sheril Kirshenbaum, executive director of Science Debate (sciencedebate.org), a nonpartisan organization that asks candidates, elected offi...

Black Hole Blues

28 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to theoretical astrophysicist Janna Levin about her book Black Hole Blues and Other Songs from Outer Space.Support the show: https://www.patre...

Why Dinosaurs Matter

21 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to paleontologist, professor, expeditioner, and science communicator Ken Lacovara about his recent book Why Dinosaurs Matter.Support the show:...

What's Going on in the Brain of a Fetus?

14 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to pediatric neuroscientist Moriah Thomason about her research into what we can learn by imaging the brains of fetuses before they're born.Sup...

How Science Built One of the Greatest Basketball Teams in History

07 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to sports writer Erik Malinowski about his new book Betaball: How Silicon Valley and Science Built One of the Greatest Basketball Teams in His...

A Paid Climate Change Skeptic Switches Sides

30 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In a joint production with Stevie Lepp and the Reckonings podcast we hear from Jerry Taylor, a former professional climate change skeptic who switched...

Ten Emerging Technologies That'll Improve and/or Ruin Everything

24 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to cartoonist and author Zach Weinersmith about his latest book, Soonish: Ten Emerging Technologies That'll Improve and/or Ruin Everything, co...

A Psychiatrist Analyzes the Age of Trump

17 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to renowned psychiatrist Allen Frances about his latest book Twilight of American Sanity: A Psychiatrist Analyzes the Age of Trump.Support the...

Molecules From Caesar's Last Breath Are Inside You

03 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to science writer Sam Kean about his latest book Caesar's Last Breath: Decoding the Secrets of the Air Around Us.Support the show: https://www...

Where the Animals Go: Tracking Wildlife with Technology

27 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Oliver Uberti and James Cheshire, authors of the new book Where the Animals Go: Tracking Wildlife with Technology in 50 Maps and Graphics.S...

Why Buddhism is True

18 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to journalist, scholar, and prize-winning author Robert Wright about his latest book Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Medit...

The Psychology of Hate

12 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to clinical psychologist Ali Mattu about the psychology of dehumanization and hate.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds Ho...

Jonathan Lynn on Why US Healthcare Is Worthy of Ridicule

31 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to award winning writer and director Jonathan Lynn about his latest novel, Samaritans, which is a satirical look at the US healthcare system. ...

The Great American Solar Eclipse

15 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to astronomer Andrew Fraknoi about the upcoming total solar eclipse—the first total solar eclipse over North America in decades—on August ...

The Science of Game of Thrones

07 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to English comedian and writer Helen Keen about her new book The Science of Game of Thrones: A myth-busting, mind-blowing, jaw-dropping and fu...

Why Are We Curious?

31 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to acclaimed astrophysicist Mario Livio about his new book Why?: What Makes Us Curious.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringmind...

We've Got to Start Eating Insects

24 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to entomologist Brian Fisher about his his research on ants in Mozambique and his new initiative to get entomologists more directly involved i...

186 Jason Silva - Origins: The Journey of Humankind

17 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Jason Silva, host of National Geographic Channel’s new show Origins: The Journey of Humankind.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/i...

185 Jennifer Latson - A True Story of Pathological Friendliness

03 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to journalist Jennifer Latson about Williams syndrome and her new book The Boy Who Loved Too Much: A True Story of Pathological Friendliness.S...

184 Zeynep Tufekci - Twitter and Tear Gas

26 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Zeynep Tufekci, writer and associate professor at the University of North Carolina School of Information and Library Science, about her boo...

183 Dean Buonomano - The Neuroscience and Physics of Time

19 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to neuroscientist Dean Buonomano about his new book “Your Brain Is a Time Machine: The Neuroscience and Physics of Time.”Support the show:...

182 Ty Tashiro - The Science of Being Awkward

06 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to psychologist Ty Tashiro about his new book “Awkward: The Science of Why We're Socially Awkward & Why That's Awesome.”Support the sh...

181 Mike Drucker - How to Write Science Into Comedy

29 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Mike Drucker, co-head writer for Bill Nye Saves the World, writer for Adam Ruins Everything, the Tonight Show, and much more about incorpor...

180 The Unique Challenge of Being a Woman in Engineering [Collaboration with Cited]

22 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In this second and final special collaborative episode with the Cited podcast, Indre and guest host Alexander B. Kim focus on women in engineering and...

179 The Leaky Pipeline of Women in Science [Collaboration with Cited]

15 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In this special collaborative episode with the Cited podcast, Indre and guest host Alexander B. Kim look into the “leaky pipeline” of women in sci...

178 Teresa Zimmers - The Murky Science of Lethal Injection

09 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to associate professor of surgery at Indiana University Teresa Zimmers about her work on whether or not lethal injection drugs actually provid...

177 Bill Nye - Let’s Change the World

05 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Bill Nye about his approach to communicating climate change and what he hopes will change in the future.Support the show: https://www.patre...

176 Paul Doherty - The Actual Science Behind Outlandish Deaths

25 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Paul Doherty, senior staff scientist at San Francisco’s famed Exploratorium Museum about his new book “And Then You're Dead: What Reall...

175 Sharon Begley - Can't Just Stop: An Investigation of Compulsions

17 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to science writer Sharon Begley about her new book “Can't Just Stop: An Investigation of Compulsions.”Support the show: https://www.patreo...

174 James Beacham - The Exciting World of Particle Hunters

10 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to James Beacham, particle physicist with the ATLAS Experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN about what it’s like to hunt for strange...

[BONUS EP] Cadence | Episode 01: What Is Music?

04 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

It's the first episode of Indre's new podcast, Cadence! (Don’t worry, she’s not leaving Inquiring Minds.) Cadence is a podcast about music and how...

173 Mary Roach - Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal

04 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to science writer Mary Roach about the science of your guts and her book “Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal.”Support the show: http...

172 Dan Ariely - The Surprising Science of What Motivates Us

27 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Dan Ariely, the James B Duke Professor of Psychology and Behavioral Economics at Duke University about what actually motivates us to get th...

171 Siddhartha Roy - The Science Behind the Flint Water Crisis

20 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Siddhartha Roy, a PhD student and graduate researcher in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech. Roy is a f...

170 Steven Hatch - Inferno: A Doctor's Ebola Story

13 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Dr. Steven Hatch, a specialist in infectious diseases and immunology about his latest book “Inferno: A Doctor's Ebola Story,” an accoun...

169 Daniel Levitin - The Emerging Epidemic of the Silent Home

06 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to neuroscientist, music producer, and best-selling author Daniel Levitin about his recent research into how playing music in the home affects...

168 Alison Van Eenennaam - Gene Editing Livestock

27 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to researcher in Animal Genomics and Biotechnology at UC Davis Alison Van Eenennaam about the science of gene editing livestock.Support the sh...

167 Haider Warraich - Modern Death: How Medicine Changed the End of Life

20 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to physician, writer, and clinical researcher Haider Warraich about his most recent book "Modern Death: How Medicine Changed the End of L...

166 Alan Burdick - Why Time Flies: A Mostly Scientific Investigation

13 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Alan Burdick, staff writer and former senior editor for The New Yorker, about his most recent book "Why Time Flies: A Mostly Scientifi...

165 Nate Allen - Why Science Is Huge on Reddit

06 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Nate Allen, chemist and head moderator of one of the internet’s largest science communities: Reddit’s r/science subreddit.Support the s...

164 Alexandra Wolfe - Valley of the Gods: A Silicon Valley Story

23 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to author and Wall Street Journal reporter Alexandra Wolfe about her new book Valley of the Gods: A Silicon Valley Story.Support the show: htt...

163 Dave Levitan - The Return Of "I'm Not a Scientist”

16 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week, as we near the inauguration of Donald Trump, we revisit a conversation with science journalist Dave Levitan about his book Not a Scientist:...

162 Paul Bloom - Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion

09 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We welcome back cognitive scientist Paul Bloom to talk about his new book Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion.Support the show: https://...