SETI: Science and Skepticism Podcast
Seth Shostak of the SETI Institute, and guests, ponder the nature and prevalence of life in the Universe…and other topics.
Calling All Aliens
17 Aug 2026 at 4:05amAre we alone in the universe? Is there other intelligence out there? COSMIC, the most ambitious SETI search yet, hopes to answer that. We hear updates on this novel signal detection project being conducted on the Very Large Array in the desert of New Mexico. Also, we chat with award-winning scien... Read more...
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Skeptic Check: The Body Electric
3 Aug 2026 at 4:05amElectricity plays an important role in our everyday lives, including allowing our bodies to communicate internally. But some research claims electricity may be used to diagnose and treat disease? Could electric pulses one day replace medications? We speak with experts about the growing field of ... Read more...
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Worms of Endearment
27 Jul 2026 at 4:05amEarthworms may be small, limbless, and blind but, as Darwin observed nearly 150 years ago, they play a critical role in soil ecology. Darwin’s 19th century insights about the slimy invertebrates are far-reaching, serving as the backbone of modern ecology as a whole. In recent years, scientists ar... Read more...
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Arctic Dispatch
20 Jul 2026 at 4:05amThe Arctic serves as the world’s refrigerator, keeping the planet cool. But temperatures in the Arctic are rising nearly four times faster than the rest of the world and its sea ice is near a historic low. We put out a call to scientists aboard research vessels currently sailing in the Arctic Oce... Read more...
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Cold Comfort
13 Jul 2026 at 4:05amAnother scorching summer has us blasting the AC and grabbing a chilled drink. Air conditioning and refrigeration may beat the heat, but they also present a dilemma. The more we use them, the more greenhouse gases we emit, the hotter the planet becomes, and the more we require artificial cooling. ... Read more...
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CRISPR Mosquitoes
6 Jul 2026 at 4:05amThe powerful gene editing tool CRISPR is already being tested on animal and plant cells. It has even been used on humans. How might this revolutionary tool change our lives? On the one hand, it could cure inherited diseases and rid the world of malaria-spreading mosquitoes. On the other hand, sci... Read more...
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Skeptic Check: Blue Light Special
29 Jun 2026 at 4:05amMany of us know the feeling: we intend to go to bed but pull out our phones for one last scroll. Setting them aside hours later, we’re wide awake, unable to fall asleep. For years, scientists have singled out blue light emitted from our devices as the key culprit behind our post-scrolling insomni... Read more...
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Make Space for Animals
22 Jun 2026 at 4:12amLong before Yuri Gagarin became the first human to go into space, Laika, a stray dog, crossed the final frontier. Find out what other surprising species were drafted into the astronaut corps. They may be our best friends, but we still balk at giving other creatures moral standing. And why are hu... Read more...
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Skeptic Check: Disclosure Day
15 Jun 2026 at 4:05amThe latest Hollywood romp through the world of aliens has landed in theaters. Steven Spielberg’s movie Disclosure Day suggests that our government has been hiding a cache of evidence about alien visitation that spans decades. It’s fun fiction but does it mesh with reality? Officials have made a s... Read more...
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Vroom!
8 Jun 2026 at 4:05amSelf-driving cars, once a thing of science fiction, have become a reality in a handful of cities across the country. As our vehicles gain autonomy, they may provoke a profound shift not unlike the introduction of the first car in the late1800s and raise the question of whether the human driver wi... Read more...
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