Unexplainable
Episodes
Should you be eating poison oak?
18 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Probably not. But Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz decided to try anyway, putting his body — and specifically his butt — on the line to a...
Dark oxygen could rewrite Earth’s history
11 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Scientists just discovered oxygen being produced without sunlight — without photosynthesis — at the bottom of the ocean. This “dark oxygen” co...
You're lost in the wilderness. Now what?
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For decades, search and rescue teams followed an accepted playbook. Now, scientists are helping them reimagine how to find lost people. Guests: Robert...
Viral dark matter
21 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With antibiotic resistance on the rise, some scientists are turning to viruses as a medical tool. But we barely know anything about the bacteria-eatin...
The good virus
14 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our bodies are teeming with viruses. But some of them, called phages, might play a really important role in keeping us healthy. Guest: Tom Ireland, au...
Ecstasy therapy
07 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The FDA is about to announce whether it’s going to approve MDMA as a treatment for PTSD. Our friends at Today, Explained explore what this kind of t...
What did dinosaurs sound like?
31 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
They probably didn’t roar like lions. Their real voices were likely much, much weirder. We asked scientists to help us re-create these strange, exti...
Do we live inside an enormous black hole?
24 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s possible that the entire observable universe is inside a black hole. All we need to do to find out is … build a gigantic particle collider ar...
Is good posture actually good?
17 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Send this episode to the person who constantly hounds you not to slouch. Guest: Beth Linker, author of “Slouch: Posture Panic in Modern America” F...
Why do we yawn?
10 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
People yawn when they’re bored, right? So then why do athletes yawn before races? And why do so many animals yawn? … And why does reading this par...
Embracing economic chaos
03 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Can a physicist predict our messy economy by building an enormous simulation of the entire world? For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts F...
We still don’t really know how inflation works
26 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Inflation is one of the most significant issues shaping the 2024 election. But how much can we actually do to control it? For show transcripts, go to ...
Can you put a price on nature?
19 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s hard to figure out the economic value of a wild bat or any other part of the natural world, but some scientists argue that this kind of calcula...
The deepest spot in the ocean
12 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Seventy-five percent of the seafloor remains unmapped and unexplored, but the first few glimpses scientists have gotten of the ocean’s depths have c...
What’s the tallest mountain in the world?
05 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you just stood up and shouted, “It’s Mount Everest, duh!” then take a seat. Not only is Everest’s official height constantly changing, but ...
Did trees kill the world?
22 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Way back when forests first evolved on Earth … they might have triggered one of the biggest mass extinctions in the history of the planet. What can ...
Can we stop aging?
15 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
From blood transfusions to enzyme boosters, our friends at Science Vs dive into the latest research on the search for the fountain of youth. For show ...
Who's the daddy? There isn't one.
08 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A snake. A shark. They got pregnant with no male involved. In fact, scientists are finding more and more species that can reproduce on their own. What...
Itch hunt
01 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Itch used to be understood as a mild form of pain, but scientists are learning this sense is more than just skin deep. How deep does it go? For show t...
How did Earth get its water?
24 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Life as we know it needs water, but scientists can’t figure out where Earth’s water came from. Answering that question is just one piece of an eve...
Is Earth alive?
17 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A cell is alive. So is a leaf and so is a tree. But what about the forest they’re a part of? Is that forest alive? And what about the planet that fo...
The alpha myth
10 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The researcher who popularized the idea of the alpha wolf has spent decades trying to take it back. Our friends over at Pablo Torre Finds Out try to u...
The eclipse chasers
03 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Solar storms can wreak havoc on power grids, satellites, even astronauts — but scientists still struggle to predict them. One possible way forward? ...
The Yips
27 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Think about the thing you’ve practiced more than anything else in the world. Maybe it’s painting. Or writing. Or playing the piano. Now imagine yo...
The bleeding edge, part two
20 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Diagnosing diseases such as endometriosis can require difficult steps, like surgery. But researchers are hoping to use menstrual fluid to make detecti...
The bleeding edge
13 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Periods and menstrual fluid have long been overlooked by scientists. Now, researchers are starting to suspect they might be sources of medical treasur...
Aliens from Earth?
06 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Was there a technologically advanced species living on Earth long before humans? And if one had existed, how would we know? (Updated from 2022) For mo...
How scientists are searching for aliens
28 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
They’re not looking for UFOs or decoding government secrets. They’re doing something much simpler. For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable It...
A universal virus-killer?
21 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Airborne diseases kill millions of people a year, despite available antibiotics and vaccines. But scientists think there might be another solution to ...
Why do we cry?
14 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Humans seem to be the only animals that cry from emotion. This Valentine’s Day, we’re wondering: What makes our tears so special? (Updated from 20...
Should you quit Diet Coke?
07 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Safety questions have haunted aspartame — the no-calorie sweetener used in many diet soft drinks and other low-calorie products — since its invent...
The case for cursing
31 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Can swearing make you stronger? For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable It’s a great place to view show transcripts and read more about the top...
The math problem that could break the internet
24 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today's internet is built on a series of locks and keys that protect your private information as it travels through cyberspace. But could all these lo...
Garbage patch kids
17 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Scientists didn’t think it was possible for life to thrive in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Then, they found some anemones ... and some huge ques...
A stethoscope for the rainforest
10 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers planted microphones in a forest and walked away. Listening back could help heal rainforest ecosystems. For show transcripts, go to bit.ly/...
Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
03 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What’s up with the weird golden egg at the bottom of the ocean? How do eggs actually choose sperm? Hit sports podcast host Pablo Torre tries to gues...
Something weird near the beginning of time
20 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The James Webb Space Telescope launched two years ago, giving scientists a new view into the early universe. Now, it's revealed a big new cosmic myste...
The tallest mountains on Earth are ... underground?
13 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
An expedition to Antarctica. Strange seismic readings. Clues to uncover a hidden part of our planet. For show transcripts, go to bit.ly/unx-transcript...
Weaponizing uncertainty
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our show celebrates uncertainty. But as environmental reporter Amy Westervelt explains, the concept also has a dark side. For show transcripts, go to ...
Can we live in space?
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
NASA is planning for humans to live on the moon by 2040. But how much space can the human body handle? (Updated from 2022) For show transcripts, go to...
The ice cream effect
15 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Decades of studies suggest that eating ice cream reduces diabetes risk. Could ice cream be ... good for you? And what does “good for you” mean? Fo...
The data vigilantes
08 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Data sleuths are working outside the system to keep science honest. But is there a better way to prevent scientific misconduct and fraud? For show tra...
Trouble on Pickles Reef
01 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Coral reefs are an essential ecosystem undeniably threatened by climate change. Can scientists breed a stronger coral for the future? For show transcr...
Redefining death
25 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This Halloween, we look at how technology is forcing us to ask: When is someone actually dead? And we look into research that is raising a further que...
The Orcanizing
18 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Over the last few years, orcas have been targeting boats, often leaving them stranded at sea. Are these orcas trying to attack humans, or is there som...
Unexplainable or Not with Wyatt Cenac
04 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our game show is back! This time, comedian Wyatt Cenac is in the hot seat in front of a live audience. Can he guess which climate mystery has been sol...
Rogue waves
27 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Towering walls of water sometimes appear in the ocean without warning or apparent cause. What drives their terrifying power? For more, go to http://vo...
Does garlic break magnets?
20 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What would an episode of Unexplainable have sounded like if it had been made in 100 CE? For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable It’s a great pl...
How to decode a thought
13 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Can researchers decipher what people are thinking about just by looking at brain scans? With AI, they're getting closer. How far can they go, and what...
It’s getting harder to see
30 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Something about modern life is leading to higher rates of nearsightedness across the world. What is it? To buy tickets to our upcoming live show in Ne...
Jumping the gun
23 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
At last year’s World Athletics Championships, sprinter TyNia Gaither was disqualified for false starting... after the gun went off. Officials said s...
Can we talk to animals?
16 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Two scientists explain how AI might help us translate animal communication, and what we might learn from their squawks, chirps, songs, and chatter. Th...
Unexplainable or Not: Beach day!
09 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sam Sanders, host of Vulture’s Into It podcast, is in the hot seat for a new episode of our game show. Can he guess which sandy mystery has been sol...
Who let the wolves in?
02 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dogs were the first domesticated animal in history, emerging from wolves some 20,000 years ago. But how did wolves become dogs? To find the answer, sc...
Why do we have a moon?
26 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In all our searching of the universe, we’ve never seen another moon like ours. It's big, it's weird, and it has played a huge role in shaping our pl...
The Black Box: In AI we trust?
19 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
AI can often solve problems in unexpected, undesirable ways. So how can we make sure it does what we want, the way we want? And what happens if we can...
The Black Box: Even AI’s creators don’t understand it
12 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
AI has the potential to impact our society in dramatic ways, but researchers can’t explain precisely how it works or how it might evolve. Will they ...
Do animals grieve?
28 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A dog on its owner’s grave. A killer whale carrying around its dead calf. A goose that isolates when its mate dies. These behaviors in animals may l...
Why do we dream?
21 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dreams are weird, but can they be a scientific tool? Can they teach us anything about humanity? About ourselves? This episode originally ran on April...
Cracking the Indus code
14 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Indus Valley civilization was one of the largest, most advanced civilizations in the ancient world. But we barely know anything about them, in lar...
Awestruck
07 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Awe is what takes our breath away when we face a sky full of stars or listen to a moving piece of music. But scientists are still trying to pin down w...
Expecting: Weed and pregnancy
24 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Many states have extremely punitive policies around cannabis and pregnancy. But researchers don't actually have great data on cannabis's harms. For mo...
Expecting: Baby brain
17 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Caring for a child seems to change parents’ brains. But what does that actually mean for how parents think and experience the world? For more, go to...
Expecting: Pregnancy souvenirs
10 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Fetuses leave cells behind in their parents' bodies, where they braid themselves into tissues, and remain, for years. What are they doing in there? Fo...
The tornado problem
03 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
2023 has been a record-setting year for tornadoes, and these storms came with barely any warning. So to better understand tornadoes, scientists might ...
How to resurrect a mammoth
26 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Scientists are hard at work trying to bring back woolly mammoths (and dodos). But should they? And what would they actually be bringing back? For more...
Live show, dead dinosaurs
19 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We did a live show! We talked about how one of our favorite episodes came together and how we went about creating (somewhat) accurate dinosaur sounds....
Talking trees
12 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Studies suggesting trees communicate through an elaborate underground fungal network have captured imaginations. It’s a beautiful idea, but the fant...
Your questions, unexplained
05 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we tackle three listener questions — on sleepwalking, deja vu, and Earth’s magnetic field. Next time, we could be (not) answering yours...
What's so funny?
22 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Scientists are digging into what makes something funny. We compare their notes with comedians — including Atsuko Okatsuka, Josh Johnson, Dulcé Sloa...
Origins: The meaning of “life”
15 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For every definition of life, there’s a creature that sends us right back to the drawing board. This is the third episode in our three-part series, ...
Origins: The first living thing
08 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How did life on Earth start? To help answer that, researchers are trying to create some life for themselves. This is the second episode in our three-p...
Origins: How did Earth get its water?
01 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Life as we know it needs water, but scientists can’t figure out where Earth’s water came from. Answering that question is just one piece of an eve...
What is love?
15 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Can science help us predict whether a relationship will succeed? Or is it all just chaos? This episode originally ran on February 9, 2022. For more, g...
Why we hiccup
08 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Listeners told us that eating baby carrots or telling lies can bring on the hiccups. Burping or kissing can make them stop. Um, what? For more, go to...
We booped an asteroid
01 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Last fall, a NASA spacecraft slammed into an asteroid to test a way to avert a disaster on Earth. So are we safe now? For more, go to http://vox.com/...
Your creepy, crawly roommates
25 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our houses are homes to hidden worlds of bugs. And the more ecologists explore those worlds, the more they realize that some of our tiny roommates act...
Henrietta Leavitt and the end of the universe
18 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the early 1900s, Henrietta Leavitt made one of the most important discoveries in the history of astronomy: a yardstick to measure distances to fara...
Plants with eyes?
11 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the temperate rainforests of Chile, there is a vine that can shapeshift to copy the look of other plants. But how? Can it... see them? Or is someth...
Unexplainable or Not: Bikes, planes, ice skates
04 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our game show is back! This week, Avery Trufelman, host of the Articles of Interest podcast, tries to guess which of these three mysteries of movement...
Your gut's feelings
21 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How we feel emotionally may be influenced by unseen troves of microbial life that live inside us. Is it possible to harness this gut power? For more,...
Nuclear fusion breaks through
14 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Back in January, we spoke to a scientist at the National Ignition Facility about how close they were to achieving what’s been called “one of the m...
Basic instinct
07 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How do animals know how to do things like spin a web or build a dam? A neuroscientist argues it's not “instinct.” Something bigger is going on. Fo...
Why we cry
30 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Humans seem to be the only animals that cry from emotion. What makes our tears so special? For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable It’s a great...
Can we live in space?
16 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
NASA just launched the Artemis program, a series of missions that will eventually take humans back to the moon, and beyond. But can humans actually su...
Holding on to power
09 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A mountain, a tower, a thermos full of molten salt: These are the batteries that could power our renewable future. For more, go to http://vox.com/unex...
Redefining death
02 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Death used to be fairly self-evident, but new technologies have forced us to ask: When is someone actually dead? And now, new research is raising a fu...
Talking to ghosts
26 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Why do so many people think they can see and hear ghosts, and what does that say about our conscious experience of the world? This episode originally ...
Why is everyone getting food allergies?
19 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the past few decades, the rate of food allergies in both children and adults has dramatically increased. What’s causing this rise, and what can w...
Introducing The Gray Area
15 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On the first episode of Vox’s new podcast, The Gray Area, host Sean Illing talks with Neil deGrasse Tyson about the limits of both politics and scie...
Let’s play Unexplainable or Not
05 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For the first time, we get some answers. For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable It’s a great place to view show transcripts and read more abo...
The math problem that could break the internet
28 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today's internet is built on a series of locks and keys that protect your private information as it travels through cyberspace. But could all these lo...
Jumping the gun
21 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
At the 2022 World Athletics Championships, sprinter TyNia Gaither was disqualified for false starting ... after the gun went off. Officials said she s...
An Alzheimer's uproar
14 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This past July, a bombshell report in Science magazine suggested that a key Alzheimer’s study might have contained manipulated evidence. What does t...
Salamander search party
31 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One of the world’s most biodiverse aquifers is full of strange, blind creatures that have evolved in isolation for millions of years. But one is mis...
What did dinosaurs sound like?
24 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
They probably didn’t roar like lions. Their real voices were likely much, much weirder. We asked scientists to help us recreate these strange, extin...
Can ovaries make new eggs?
17 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There's an old story scientists tell about human ovaries: that they are ticking clocks that only lose eggs, never gain them. Now that story might be c...
Will the eel (slim, shady) please have sex?
10 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Where eels come from is a surprisingly difficult question to answer, in large part because scientists have never actually seen them reproduce in the w...
Yawn baby yawn
27 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
People yawn when they’re bored, right? So then why do athletes yawn before races? And why do so many animals yawn? … And why does reading this par...
What’s the James Webb telescope searching for?
20 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A lava planet, life on other worlds, the very first starlight in the universe — the most powerful space telescope ever built is ready to reveal many...