FULL EPISODE: The Air Force Is Curious About Killer Flies - August 5, 2026

For science news, professor Jesse Rogerson covers the following: Hell-world Venus may have once had oceans across 90% of its hot, dry surface; California's drought has now caused irreversible damage to a crucial aquifer; An erratic aerial approach enables survival during mating in the cannibalistic killer fly; and The reverse Flynn effect: Are people actually getting dumber? Reporter Emily Stewart explains how our obsession with online reviews might be ruining our lives. Reading, literacy, and education researcher Laura Rhinehart outlines how kids who own cellphones have poorer reading comprehension scores than those who don't. Addressing the common misconception that seeing a mental health professional will make you happy, for Therapy Thursdays on a Wednesday, social worker and therapist Gary Direnfeld joins David to tackle the deceptively simple question of why people go into therapy. Social psychology researcher Michael Prinzing discusses how a certain form of intellectual humility (or open-mindedness) is linked to lower well-being. Psychology professor Adar Eisenbruch reveals the evolutionary reasons behind who we choose as friends. Segments: (00:00) Introduction (01:06) Jesse Rogerson pt. 1 (10:00) Jesse Rogerson pt. 2 (20:00) Emily Stewart (30:00) Laura Rhinehart (39:50) Gary Direnfeld pt. 1 (49:50) Gary Direnfeld pt. 2 (59:50) Michael Prinzing (1:09:50) Adar Eisenbruch (1:19:08) Sign-off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices