Best Undark Podcasts (2024)

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Ep. 63: For Deep Ocean Mining, Questions Abound 35:29

2y ago35:29

35:29

This month: Some regions of the deep ocean contain vast amounts of key minerals, like cobalt and nickel, that are needed to power clean energy technologies. But some scientists warn that mining them could have tremendous consequences, not just for underwater ecosystems, but for the planet as a whole.…

1
Ep. 63: For Deep Ocean Mining, Questions Abound 35:29

2y ago35:29

35:29

This month: Some regions of the deep ocean contain vast amounts of key minerals, like cobalt and nickel, that are needed to power clean energy technologies. But some scientists warn that mining them could have tremendous consequences, not just for underwater ecosystems, but for the planet as a whole.…

1
Ep. 62: Restoring Landscapes and Livelihoods in Western Bosnia 31:50

2y ago31:50

31:50

This month: Twenty-six years after the end of the Bosnian War, farmers in Livno are once again making cheese the traditional way, grazing herds of sheep on the wide-open plains. The animals' return is restoring natural wetlands, leading to cascading impacts on the environment and the economy.By Undark Magazine

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Ep. 62: Restoring Landscapes and Livelihoods in Western Bosnia 31:50

2y ago31:50

31:50

This month: Twenty-six years after the end of the Bosnian War, farmers in Livno are once again making cheese the traditional way, grazing herds of sheep on the wide-open plains. The animals' return is restoring natural wetlands, leading to cascading impacts on the environment and the economy.By Undark

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Ep. 61: When Accents Speak Louder Than Words 35:25

2y ago35:25

35:25

For scientists who come from abroad to live and work in America, accents can be personal. It's discouraging to be misunderstood, even when they think they’re speaking clearly. Sometimes, it could even be a career liability. Is the problem the accent, or those on the receiving end?By Undark Magazine

1
Ep. 61: When Accents Speak Louder Than Words 35:25

2y ago35:25

35:25

For scientists who come from abroad to live and work in America, accents can be personal. It's discouraging to be misunderstood, even when they think they’re speaking clearly. Sometimes, it could even be a career liability. Is the problem the accent, or those on the receiving end?By Undark

1
Ep. 60: Shifting Blame Over Water Pollution 37:39

2y ago37:39

37:39

Residents of Lebanon's Beqaa Valley say pollution in the Litani River is responsible for a host of chronic health problems. While a causal link is hard to prove, cleanup efforts are precarious amid the country's economic crisis and shifting blame between refugees and government inaction.By Undark Magazine

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Ep. 60: Cascading Effects of Pollution in Lebanon’s Litani River 37:39

2y ago37:39

37:39

Residents of Lebanon's Beqaa Valley say pollution in the Litani River is responsible for a host of chronic health problems. While a causal link is hard to prove, cleanup efforts are precarious amid the country's economic crisis and shifting blame between refugees and government inaction.By Undark

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Ep. 59: Water Cremation Ignites Debate Over Dignified Death 29:32

2+ y ago29:32

29:32

Alkaline hydrolysis is an end-of-life option that’s gaining popularity in Canada and the U.S. It’s marketed as a greener form of cremation — a way to still end up with ashes, but without sending harmful emissions into the air. But getting the technology approved by lawmakers has proven difficult.By Undark Magazine

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Ep. 59: Water Cremation Ignites Debate Over Dignified Death 29:32

2+ y ago29:32

29:32

Alkaline hydrolysis is an end-of-life option that’s gaining popularity in Canada and the U.S. It’s marketed as a greener form of cremation — a way to still end up with ashes, but without sending harmful emissions into the air. But getting the technology approved by lawmakers has proven difficult.By Undark

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Ep. 58: When an Intellectual Disability Means Life or Death 37:41

2+ y ago37:41

37:41

When Pervis Payne was sentenced to death more than three decades ago, it was permissible to execute someone with an intellectual disability. A Supreme Court decision changed that in 2002, but Payne's disability was acknowledged only last year. Why did it take so long to remove him from The Row?By Undark

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Ep. 57: In Lagos, Vulnerable Communities Buried by Urbanization 32:49

2+ y ago32:49

32:49

Urbanization in Lagos, Nigeria, is moving at a rapid clip — burying mangrove forests and wetlands under mounds of sand to make way for wealthy subdivisions. Without strong regulations around how that sand is harvested, the social, economic, and environmental consequences are vast.By Undark

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Ep. 56: Understanding a Terrorist's Brain 31:57

3y ago31:57

31:57

Scientists and counterterrorism experts believe understanding the underlying motivations of radical extremists will help them deradicalize people. Now, one group has studied the brain activity of active extremists after asking them to contemplate the values they are willing to fight and die for.By Undark

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Ep. 55: In Pursuit of Climate-Friendly Refrigerants 23:40

3y ago23:40

23:40

In December of last year, Congress passed legislation that gives the Environmental Protection Agency authority to phase out most hydrofluorocarbons — potent greenhouse gases that keep refrigerators cool — over the next 15 years. But there's no perfect alternative to replace them.By Undark

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Ep. 54: Translating Portugal’s Approach to Drugs and Addiction 29:19

3+ y ago29:19

29:19

Twenty years ago Portugal decriminalized all drugs as part of a bigger national strategy to fight addiction. Last month Oregon became the first U.S. state to do the same, in a policy modeled off Portugal’s approach — but many questions about how success may translate remain unanswered.By Undark

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Ep. 53: ‘Mainstreaming’ Psychedelic Drugs to Treat Mental Health 30:43

3+ y ago30:43

30:43

Amid a worldwide mental health emergency, the discovery of new pharmaceuticals to treat conditions like depression has stalled. But researchers and therapists are showing that when paired with therapy, psychedelic drugs like LSD and magic mushrooms are a new class of promising treatments.By Undark

1
Ep. 52: In India, Mismanaging the Monkey Menace 31:48

3+ y ago31:48

31:48

In India, macaque monkeys are a menace — attacking people for food, breaking into offices, and in one state, damaging at least 54 million dollars worth of crops. A sterilization program aimed to curb the population, but some experts and locals question if it’s working or even the right approach.By Undark

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Ep. 51: A Scramble to Define ‘Habitat’ — and the Future of Conservation 30:49

3+ y ago30:49

30:49

A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision on the dusky gopher frog now has conservationists and developers squaring off over the legal definition of the term ‘habitat.’ The accepted meaning will guide American lawmakers in designating protected areas for endangered species across the country.By Undark

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Ep. 50: Studying and Surviving the Pandemic's Collective Trauma 28:43

3+ y ago28:43

28:43

In South Africa, trauma researchers are studying — and working to ease — the psychological toll of Covid-19, while trying to endure the pandemic themselves. They warn the widespread and long-lasting impacts of this collective trauma could span generations and cross national borders.By Undark

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Ep. 49: When Wildfires and a Pandemic Collide 25:39

3+ y ago25:39

25:39

As smoky summers resulting from wildfires have become the new normal across much of the West Coast, communities have tried to put better systems in place protect their most vulnerable residents. But this year, they didn’t plan on dealing with a smoke wave in the middle of a pandemic. How are they coping?…

1
Ep. 48: Capturing the Songs of a Changing Climate 26:48

4y ago26:48

26:48

This month: Acoustic ecologists are racing to record Earth’s shifting soundscapes before they disappear. Some researchers are using their recordings to answer questions about how the environment and its inhabitants are changing, while others are sounding the alarm on pressing conservation issues.By Undark

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Ep. 47: The Toll of the Culture of Silence in Animal Research 26:00

4y ago26:00

26:00

This month: Communicating about animal research with the public can open early career scientists up to social stigma and even campaigns that threaten careers. But working with animals can be an emotionally taxing job — and the silence could isolate scientists further and strengthen public misconceptions.…

1
Ep. 46: A Debate on the Dregs of Asbestos Mining 26:42

4y ago26:42

26:42

This month: Ground-up waste leftover from asbestos mining still lines the landscape of Quebec. Now, a number of companies are eager to transform that waste into profitable product — but health officials worry this new industry might reawaken an old problem the province finally seemed to be moving away from.…

1
Ep. 45: Making Precision Medicine a Reality 31:24

4+ y ago31:24

31:24

This month: Tailoring medicine to each individual patient could make health care more affordable and effective. But that reality won’t come to fruition unless researchers, industry, the government, and the public reach a consensus on issues like patient privacy, data bias, and sharing of medical records.…

1
Ep. 44: Confronting Knowledge Gaps in Intersex Health Care 30:19

4+ y ago30:19

30:19

This month: The impulse to “fix” intersex infants with invasive surgeries is facing increased and, some would argue, long overdue scrutiny. As doctors, parents, and intersex people face decisions that may affect their long-term health, researchers grapple with defining and measuring outcomes.By Undark

1
Ep. 43: A Reality Check on Regenerative Agriculture 28:38

4+ y ago28:38

28:38

This month: A new farming method has been touted as better for the earth and for struggling farmers. Some are putting these claims to the test.By Undark

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Ep. 42: Screening Illicit Drugs to Prevent Fentanyl Deaths 35:16

4+ y ago35:16

35:16

This month: Harm reduction organizations take a controversial step in checking illicit drugs for fentanyl.By Undark

1
Ep. 41: India's Battle to Control Forest Fires 26:57

4+ y ago26:57

26:57

This month: The story of a devastating wildfire in India reveals how a complex tangle of law, policy, and science are hindering the country's efforts to contain and prevent forest fires.By Undark

1
Ep. 40: The Struggle to Change an HIV Narrative 34:09

4+ y ago34:09

34:09

This month: The history of a destigmatizing message about HIV transmission and how it finally made it to the public.By Undark

1
Ep. 39: Solving the Deadly Transplantable Organ Shortage 23:57

5y ago23:57

23:57

This month: A penetrating look at the trials of patients with kidney failure, and the doctors working to make more lifesaving transplants possible.By Undark

1
Ep. 36: Fighting the Flu, Green Burials, and Teen Vaccinations 36:24

5y ago36:24

36:24

This month: the quest for a universal flu shot, the trend of low-carbon burials, and understanding medical consent laws for minors.By Undark

1
Ep 37: Crisis Mapping, Tracking Citations, and Sexual Harassment in Science 36:04

5y ago36:04

36:04

This month: using social media in search and rescue, developing a more accurate way to track citations, and tackling sexual harassment in science.By Undark

1
Ep. 38: Mosquito Music, Wildlife Poaching, and Imaging a Black Hole 39:02

5y ago39:02

39:02

This month: testing the effect of Skrillex on mosquitos, addressing poaching in Uganda, and public response to the first image of a black hole.By Undark

1
Ep. 35: Listening to Glaciers, Overcoming Addiction, and Saving a ‘Marine Serengeti’ 39:25

5+ y ago39:25

39:25

This month: using audio data to track sea ice loss, the efficacy of medication-assisted treatment, and fighting for a national underwater monument.By Undark

1
Ep. 34: The Tree of Life, Science in the White House, and the Year at Undark 46:31

5+ y ago46:31

46:31

By Undark

1
Ep. 33: Fecal Transplants, Encounters With Cadavers, and Ordinary People Shaping Science 43:25

5+ y ago43:25

43:25

By Undark

1
Ep. 32: Decentralized Internet, a Trip into Space, and a Roiling Debate Among Science Writers 38:37

5+ y ago38:37

38:37

Ep. 32: Decentralized Internet, a Trip into Space, and a Roiling Debate Among Science Writers byBy Undark

1
Ep. 31: Urban Heat Islands, Hardwired Trees, and America's Disjointed System of Medical Records 25:49

6y ago25:49

25:49

By Undark

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Ep. 31: Urban Heat Islands, Hardwired Trees, and America's Disjointed System of Medical Records 44:49

6y ago44:49

44:49

This month: building a heat map with the help of citizen scientists, monitoring an Estonian forest, and the heartbreaking cost of fragmented care.By Undark

1
Ep. 30: Wildfires, Snake Rescues, and the Devastating Effects of Air Pollution 32:01

6y ago32:01

32:01

This month: the toll of human-caused wildfires, rescuing snakes to prevent human-animal conflict, and capturing the impacts of an ambient killer.Transcript and individual segments available at https://undark.org/article/podcast-30-wildfires-snakes-air-pollutionUpdate: An earlier version of this podcast and transcript provided an incorrect descripti…

1
Ep. 29: CBD for Dogs, Plastic Pollution, and the History of Heredity 37:16

6y ago37:16

37:16

Join former NYT Science Times editor David Corcoran for a discussion with popular science writer and prolific book author Carl Zimmer about the history of heredity, and why you can’t boil down something as complex as intelligence to a couple of genes. Also, podcast host Kasha Patel talks with Undark’s Matters of Fact and Tracker columnist Michael S…

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Ep. 28: Capturing Carbon Dioxide, Chasing Tornadoes, and Communicating Climate Impacts 37:17

6y ago37:17

37:17

David Corcoran talks with former EPA administrator Gina McCarthy about bridging the gap between science and the public. Also: an airplane ride-along with a group of tornado chasers from the NOAA, a closer look a carbon dioxide study with big implications, and game of Two Truths and Lie.By Undark

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Ep. 27: The Bees of Bandelier, Snail Memories, Is Science Really Broken? 42:39

6y ago42:39

42:39

Our latest podcast looks at the resilience of bees; a study in memory transfer; and an attack on science.By Undark

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Ep. 26 The Fate of the Delta Smelt 35:58

6y ago35:58

35:58

A tiny fish is fast disappearing from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Many ecologists consider it a sign that both the local ecosystem and the nation’s approach to conservation are in crisis.By Undark

1
Ep. 25 Lead and Kids 38:54

6+ y ago38:54

38:54

In this episode of the Undark podcast, we talk with reporter Charles Schmidt about his article on a misguided U.S. crackdown on lead poisoning. Also, Vanessa Schipani on media violence and Garrett Tiedemann on the personal toll of a genetic disorder.By Undark

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