Best Science Mixtape Podcasts (2024)

1
S3E15: Peter Boettke, Austrian Economics, George Mason University 1:41:14

1h ago1:41:14

1:41:14

This week’s guest on the Mixtape with Scott is someone I’ve admired for a very long time, even before I entered graduate school in 2002. Peter J. Boettke is the Distinguished University Professor of Economics and Philosophy, the Director of the F. A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics and Economics and the BB&T Professor for t…

1
"Don't get burnt out with your PhD, it gets better!" - Aara Patel 15:07

1h ago15:07

15:07

1
Grizzly bears are coming back to Washington after no sightings in almost 20 years 2:26

3h ago2:26

2:26

The federal government says it will restore grizzly bears to the North Cascades region in Washington state, where they have not been seen since 1996.By NPR

1
Climate Quickie: Why we’re all climate correspondents 6:29

1h ago6:29

6:29

How is climate covered on network news? Climate Curious speaks to the world’s Chief Climate Correspondent, Bill Weir, to understand why representing diverse climate stories across mainstream media is important. Tune in to hear his unusual journey into climate action (it started with letter writing), and why he believes climate stories need to be pa…

1
"If Not Us Then Who?” Why we need ancestral wisdom in all climate decision making 38:54

7h ago38:54

38:54

We need Indigenous, ancestral wisdom in all climate decision making, says filmmaker and founder of “If Not Us Then Who”, Paul Redman. Diversifying climate storytelling and creators has been Paul’s mission since growing up in Apartheid South Africa and this start in investigative documentary filmmaking in his 20s. Since then, he’s collaborated on bu…

1
Animals get stressed during eclipses. But not for the reason you think

1d ago

—

After studying various species earlier this month, some scientists now say they understand the origin of animal behavior during solar eclipses.By NPR

1
Coal and new gas power plants will have to meet climate pollution targets 3:51

1d ago3:51

3:51

Fifteen years after the EPA said greenhouse gasses are a danger to public health, the agency finalized rules to limit climate-warming pollution from existing coal and new gas power plants.By NPR

1
U.N. talks for a global treaty to reduce plastic waste are floundering 2:24

2d ago2:24

2:24

The talks in Canada are not going well,and scientists and civil society groups say the U.S. is largely to blame.By NPR

1
S3E14: Jesse Rothstein, Labor Economist, UC Berkeley 1:13:08

3d ago1:13:08

1:13:08

This week’s guest on the Mixtape with Scott is Jesse Rothstein, the Carmel P. Friesen Chair in Public Policy at UC-Berkeley and the Faculty Director of the California Policy Lab. Jesse has a long list of things to which he’s made meaningful contributions, ranging from labor economics, to discrimination, to education, to causal inference and more. H…

1
Massive thick seaweed patches are again drifting toward South Florida beaches

4d ago

—

Another huge patch of seaweed from the Sargasso Sea is floating towards Caribbean and South Florida beaches. Scientists are trying to predict where and when it will reach the shore.By NPR

1
How do you build without over polluting? That's the challenge of new Catan board game 3:35

4d ago3:35

3:35

A new version of the popular board game Catan aims to make players wrestle with a 21st-century problem: How do you develop and expand without overly polluting the planet?By NPR

1
Nature has a mixtape. The U.N. hopes young people will listen to it 2:28

4d ago2:28

2:28

The Museum for the United Nations has partnered with musicians to re-release some of their songs with added nature sounds to generate royalties for conservation efforts.By NPR

1
Ecologists in England are building rope bridges for dormice, its native rodents 4:03

5d ago4:03

4:03

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with area ecologist Kate Wollen about Forestry England's efforts to save dormice. And yes, the rodents are terrifically cute.By NPR

1
A giant patch of seaweed is heading towards Florida's beaches 2:58

5d ago2:58

2:58

Another huge patch of seaweed from the Sargasso Sea is floating towards Caribbean and South Florida beaches. Scientists are trying to predict where and when it will reach the shore.By NPR

1
Climate Mixtape: 2024 Earth Day joy 6:13

8d ago6:13

6:13

Happy Earth Day! This year, we’re celebrating joy. We speak to our Climate Curious experts about moments of joy that keep them going. Recorded live at TED 2024 in Vancouver, on the shared, unceded, ancestral territories of the səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), and Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) nations. Featuring: Jiaying Zhao Tzepora…

1
Damage at Glen Canyon Dam has Colorado River users concerned 2:36

9d ago2:36

2:36

Newly discovered damage to part of the dam holding back America's second-largest reservoir has people who rely on the Colorado River worried about their ability to get the water they need.By Alex Hager

1
Coral reefs can't keep up with climate change. So scientists are speeding up evolution 4:58

9d ago4:58

4:58

Climate change is heating oceans faster than the world's coral reefs can handle. So scientists are breeding corals that can withstand hotter temperatures – but only to a point.By NPR

1
After catch and release, here's how to make sure reef fish survive 3:52

9d ago3:52

3:52

People who fish in Florida and in federal waters are required to have special gear on board to help ensure groupers, snappers and other reef fish survive when they're returned to the water.By NPR

1
S3E13: Martin Gaynor, Health Economist, Carnegie Mellon/DOJ 1:37:29

14d ago1:37:29

1:37:29

Welcome to the Mixtape with Scott! We are getting closer to the hundredth episode! This is our 91st interview if I include Adam Smith (played by ChatGPT-4), which I absolutely will be counting. And the guest is someone I have admired for a long time — Martin Gaynor, or “Marty”. Marty is the J. Barone University Professor of Economics and Public Pol…

1
Researchers have been trying to breed fungus-resistant chestnut trees for 100 years 2:20

11d ago2:20

2:20

We visit an orchard where researchers are breeding Chestnut trees they hope will one day fight off a fungus that's been killing the iconic American tree for more than a century.By NPR

1
What biologists see from the shores of the drying Great Salt Lake 4:58

13d ago4:58

4:58

Half of the Great Salt Lake in Utah has now dried up but scientists say there's still some time left to reverse its decline.By NPR

1
Climate Quickie: The app tackling air pollution on the London Underground 5:37

14d ago5:37

5:37

Climate Curious alumni Tanya Beri returns to share the latest updates about her work to improve air quality on the London Underground; CAIR London. Starting the journey four years ago whilst at University, Tanya has now launched the app, and expanded it to include sound pollution data, too! Listen to Tanya’s previous episode, Which London tube has …

101
The balance between tourism and conservation at a Rwandan national park 4:24

15d ago4:24

4:24

Akagera National Park in eastern Rwanda was hard hit by the violence of the country's genocide. For a time, the park floundered — but it's now flourishing.By NPR

1
S3E12: Daniel Chen, Political Economy, Toulouse 1:14:02

17d ago1:14:02

1:14:02

Welcome to the 12th episode of the third season of the Mixtape with Scott, a podcast devoted to listening to the stories of living economists. This week's guest is Daniel Chen, an economist at the Toulouse School of Economics. I had a chance to meet Daniel when he came to Baylor and presented to use a tour de force of his body of scholarship, and I…

1
S3E11: Peter Klein, Entrepreneurship, Baylor 1:27:49

25d ago1:27:49

1:27:49

Welcome to the Mixtape with Scott! To set up this week’s guest, let me just share real quick a personal anecdote. When I graduated college, I got a job as a qualitative research analyst doing focus groups and in-depth interviews. I had majored in literature, so this was my first exposure to anything related to the social sciences. I loved the freed…

1
Crafting Genes: Introducing Genetics at ISF with Chandana Basu 34:25

27d ago34:25

34:25

Episode 3 of ISFXIBS is LIVE! Join us on "Crafting Genes: Introducing Genetics at ISF with Chandana Basu" as we explore Chandana's scicom journey, the innovative world of DNA bracelets, and their impact on public engagement with genetics. Hear about memorable moments from the India Science Festival booth, Chandana's collaboration with BHU scientist…

1
S3E10: Richard Blundell, Labor Economist, University of College London 1:04:02

1M ago1:04:02

1:04:02

This week’s guest on the Mixtape with Scott is famed labor economist, Richard Blundell, the David Ricardo Professor of Political Economy at the University of College at London. Dr. Blundell’s accolades are extensive: a Fellow of the Econometric Association, Fell of the American Academy of Arts and Science, former President of SOLE, of the Royal eco…

1
Why the insurance industry could be the key to ending fossil fuels 9:30

1M ago9:30

9:30

Insurance. Yes, it’s geeky, it’s niche. But it’s the secret lever we never knew we needed. The insurance world holds the keys to halt new fossil fuel projects in their tracks. That’s because if you can’t insure the work, it can’t go ahead. TEDxLondon’s Climate Curious speaks to two campaigners from Insure our Future, Isabelle L'Héritier and Hilda F…

1
[Reposting S1E14]: Interview with Petra Todd, Econometrician, University of Pennsylvania 59:31

1M ago59:31

59:31

Welcome to the Mixtape with Scott! Due to a technical difficulty with my producer’s computer, this week’s interview was not ready in time. So we are going to do another repeat from season one. This is with Petra Todd, a labor economist, econometrician and author of a new book on causal inference entitled, Impact Evaluation in International Developm…

1
SciTalks: Artful Explorations and Festival Chronicles 32:36

1M ago32:36

32:36

Episode 2 of ISFXIBS is LIVE! Join us on "SciTalks: Artful Explorations and Festival Chronicles" as we delve into the highlights of ISF 2024. From workshops like "Fantastic Mutations and Where to Find Them" to discussions on DNA and inclusivity, it's a must-listen for science enthusiasts!

1
Climate Quickie: Why city birdwatching is still having a moment 8:21

2M ago8:21

8:21

“The beauty of birding is even if you don't see anything, it's just about getting outside with your mates and having a good time,” says Nadeem Perera, birdwatcher and co-founder of global birdwatching community, Flock Together, on TEDxLondon’s Climate Curious. Nadeem shares why black and brown representation in nature is old news, and instead, why …

1
[Reposting] S1E27: Interview with Kyle Kretschman, head of economics at Spotify 1:11:49

2M ago1:11:49

1:11:49

I’m still recovering from my travels over spring break, so I decided to repost an old interview I did in August 2022. This was my 27th podcast interview at the time and part of my “Economists in Tech” series, which has died down somewhat. The guest was Kyle Kretschman whose title at Spotify reads “Head of Economics”. This was a popular interview wh…

1
Why pollution hits women and girls hardest 4:43

2M ago4:43

4:43

Understand the drivers behind why climate change is increasing the incidence of child marriage with the CEO of Girls Not Brides, Dr Faith Mwangi-Powell, on the latest Climate Curious. Climate change is increasing the incidence of child marriages, shares this week’s quickie expert Dr Faith Mwangi-Powell the CEO of Girls Not Brides. Tune in to discov…

1
S3E9: Pierre Chiappori, Micro Theorist, Columbia University 1:04:20

2M ago1:04:20

1:04:20

This week’s guest on the Mixtape is Pierre Chiappori, a micro theorist at Columbia University. While Pierre is not technically a student of Gary Becker’s, there are many people who counted Becker as a colleague that probably at times did consider them also Becker’s student, and I suspect Pierre is one such person. I learned of Dr. Chiappori in grad…

1
Speaking Science to all : Insights from Lewis Hou 29:40

2M ago29:40

29:40

Episode 2 of ISFXIBS is LIVE! Join us in the insightful conversation with Lewis Hou on "Speaking Science to All: Insights from Lewis Hou." Don't miss out on the Hindi from Lewis! Dive into the world of effective science communication and discover strategies to engage diverse audiences.

1
Climate Quickie: Why a hotter planet means more malaria. Here’s the solution. 8:15

2M ago8:15

8:15

What does malaria have to do with climate change? In short, a hotter planet means more bugs. And more extreme weather events means more flood water, which mosquitos adore. But thanks to incredible efforts, lots of solutions are in action to help right the historic injustice of malaria, which sits right at the intersection of climate and health. Uni…

1
S3E8: Marianne Bitler, Public Economist, UC Davis 56:36

2M ago56:36

56:36

Welcome to this week’s episode of the Mixtape with Scott. One of the new themes I’m hoping to pursue is the students of the 2021 winners of the Nobel Prize. And today’s interview is with Marianne Bitler, professor of economics at University of California Davis. Dr. Bitler was in the first cohort of Josh Angrist’s PhD advisees at MIT. She graduated …

1
Our mixtape of journeys and insights! 25:10

2M ago25:10

25:10

This is the final episode of the "Podcast Inception" series. We dive into the fascinating journeys of science podcasters, featuring snippets from all episodes! It's a mixtape of inspiration and insights.

1
Climate Quickie: How do you photograph air pollution? 6:59

2M ago6:59

6:59

Photos can convey a message in an instant. But how do you photograph something which day-to-day is invisible to see: air pollution? A new stunning collection of photography on air pollution is compelling action on climate change. From the bustling streets of Indonesia to the industrial heartlands of Poland, these photos capture the stark effects of…

1
S3E7: Wilbert van der Klaauw, Research Economist, NY Federal Reserve 54:37

2M ago54:37

54:37

Welcome to season three of the Mixtape with Scott — a podcast devoted to listening to the stories of living economists and creating an oral history of the last 50 years of the profession. This week’s interview is with Wilbert van der Klaauw, economic research advisor in the Household and Public Policy Research Division and the director of the Cente…

1
Climate Quickie: Live, love, laugh climate change? 9:35

2M ago9:35

9:35

We’re all living through climate change. So who says we can’t laugh through it, too? Humour is one of the healthiest ways to process the collective tragedy of the pollution of our planet, says the comedian-in-residence at Generation180 and co-creator of the Climate Comedy Cohort, Esteban Gast, on Climate Curious. In conversation with Ben Hurst and …

1
Is there anything funny about climate change? 52:47

2M ago52:47

52:47

Short answer: no. Long answer: maybe? Humour is one of the healthiest ways to process the collective tragedy of the pollution of our planet, says the comedian-in-residence at Generation180 and co-creator of the Climate Comedy Cohort, Esteban Gast, on Climate Curious. In conversation with Ben Hurst and Maryam Pasha, Esteban shares how he’s building …

1
S3E6: Bruce Hansen, Econometrician, Univ of Wisconsin 1:09:13

3M ago1:09:13

1:09:13

Welcome to the Mixtape with Scott! A podcast devoted to the personal stories of living economists and relaying an oral history of the profession (or at least a selected oral history of a selected part of the profession). Still working on an easy to say phrase that combines those two ideas of the micro and the macro. Anyway, today is part of the lon…

1
Exploring Breaking the Facts journey! 32:28

3M ago32:28

32:28

Episode 5 of our Podcast Inception Series is with Mahima Samraik from Cactus - Impact Science! Listen to the episode for insights, inspiration, and understanding the impact of science communication on our lives.

1
Climate Quickie: The furry creature breathing life back into London’s wetlands 7:45

3M ago7:45

7:45

Beavers are back in London, baby! Climate Curious speaks to vet and conservationist Sean McCormack about the Ealing Beaver Project – which has seen beavers reintroduced into the wild in London after a 400 year hiatus. Tune in to learn about how these furry (but mighty!) ecosystem engineers have already made a positive climate impact in London, and …

1
S3E5: Chris Taber, Labor Economist, Wisconsin 1:05:04

3M ago1:05:04

1:05:04

This week’s guest on the Mixtape with Scott is Christopher Taber. Chris is a professor of economics at the University of Wisconsin where he is department chair, the James Heckman professor of economics and the Walker Family chair. Chris is a labor economist and econometrician who has made numerous contributions to both areas such as the returns to …

1
BOSS Series: How solar distillation farms are improving Pacific Islanders’ water security 6:57

3M ago6:57

6:57

Reliable, clean water is an essential part of life. But what would you do if your community was hit by a storm, damaging essential infrastructure? Or shifting rainfall patterns or longer droughts meant water was more scarce? That’s why Pacific Islanders in Tuvalu are trialling solar distillation farms that can produce 75 litres of drinking water pe…

1
S3E4: Andrew Baker, Professor, UC Berkeley Law 1:17:57

3M ago1:17:57

1:17:57

Welcome to another episode of the Mixtape with Scott! This week I have a guest who some of you know, and some of you don’t know (I suppose making them no different than anyone else) — Andrew Baker. Andrew is now an assistant professor in the law school at the University of California Berkeley. He specializes in topics at the intersection of law, po…

1
Exploring Nature India's journey! 26:39

3M ago26:39

26:39

The fourth episode of our Podcast Inception Series, features the incredible Subhra Priyadarshini from Nature India Podcasts! Join us as we delve into the realms of scientific exploration, innovation, and podcasting with Subhra, a true trailblazer in science communication. Tune in to unravel the stories behind her journey and struggles into podcasti…

1
BOSS Series: How super corals have potential to revive coral reefs 8:21

3M ago8:21

8:21

Surprisingly hardy corals called “super corals” show great promise in helping communities in the Pacific Islands rebuild coral reefs, says Dr. Austin Bowden-Kerby, a Fijian marine biologist. Super corals are able to withstand much hotter water temperatures, and some can even survive in water up to 35 degrees celsius! Meaning they are much more resi…

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