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Science Talk

by Scientific American

Science Talk is a weekly science audio show covering the latest in the world of science and technology. Join Steve Mirsky each week as he explores cutting-edge breakthroughs and controversial issues with leading scientists and journalists. He is also an articles editor and columnist at Scientific American magazine and his column, "Antigravity", is one of science writing's rate venues for humor. Check our the new daily podcast from Scientific American: "60-Second Science." To view all of our archived podcasts please go to www.scientificamerican.com/podcast

Publisher-supplied feed metadata · PodParley refreshed Jul 14, 2025 · Source feed

Episodes

  1. The Man Who Wasn't Darwin: Alfred Russel Wallace on the Centenary of His Death

    Alfred Russel Wallace biographer Peter Raby of the University of Cambridge talks about the great naturalist and co-creator of the theory of evolution by natural selection on the 100th anniversary of Wallace's death Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  2. Perv-View: Jesse Bering's New Book <i>PERV</i>

    Psychologist Jesse Bering talks about his latest book PERV: The Sexual Deviant in All of Us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  3. The 2013 Nobel Prize in Chemistry: Karplus, Levitt and Warshel

    The 2013 Nobel Prize in Chemistry goes to Martin Karplus, Michael Levitt and Arieh Warshel for applying both quantum and classical physics to develop computer models of chemical systems that show details of chemical reactions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  4. The 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics: Englert and Higgs

    The 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics goes to François Englert and Peter Higgs for the theory of how particles acquire mass, requiring the existence of the Higgs Boson, experimentally confirmed to exist in 2012 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  5. The 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine: Rothman, Schekman and S&#252;dhof

    The 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine goes to James E. Rothman, Randy W. Schekman and Thomas C. Südhof for their discoveries of machinery regulating vesicle traffic, a major transport system in our cells Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  6. Alan Alda Communicates Science

    At the Learning in the Digital Age summit at Google's New York City offices, Scientific American editor in chief Mariette DiChristina talked with Alan Alda about communicating science to the general public. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  7. Ira Flatow and the Teachable Moment

    At the Learning in the Digital Age summit at Google's New York City offices, Scientific American Editor in Chief Mariette DiChristina talked with Science Friday host Ira Flatow about the "teachable moment in science and culture" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  8. Adam Rutherford's Creation Science (The Real Kind) Part 2

    Science journalist, author and Nature editor Adam Rutherford talks about new book Creation: How Science Is Reinventing Life Itself, which looks at the science of the origin of life and at the emerging science of synthetic biology. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  9. Kids JUMP for Math [John Mighton's Junior Undiscovered Math Prodigies]

    Mathematician John Mighton talks with Scientific American MIND editor Ingrid Wickelgren about getting math-shy kids interested, via JUMP: Junior Undiscovered Math Prodigies Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  10. Adam Rutherford's Creation Science (the Real Kind), Part 1

    Science journalist, author and Nature editor Adam Rutherford talks about new book Creation: How Science Is Reinventing Life Itself, which looks at the science of the origin of life and at the emerging science of synthetic biology Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  11. Nobel Laureate Harry Kroto: The Threatened Enlightenment

    Nobel laureate Harry Kroto, who shared the 1996 chemistry prize, talks with Scientific American Executive Editor Fred Guterl at the recent Lindau Nobel Laureates meeting, about the role of science in society Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  12. Penis Enlightenment: Bering Straight Talk

    Jesse Bering discusses his 2012 book Why Is the Penis Shaped Like That? (And Other Reflections on Being Human) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  13. Close Shave for Bill Nye the Science Guy

    Bill Nye the Science Guy ponders Superman's tonsorial travails, and science education Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  14. Is There a Doctor in the Spaceship?

    NASA astronaut and medical doctor Michael Barratt spoke to schoolkids at the Family Science Days event at this year's meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Boston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  15. Mary Roach Cruises the Alimentary Canal

    Mary Roach talks about her new book Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal, which traces what she calls "the whole food chute" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  16. Start Talking: Synthetic Biology and Conservation Biology Meet, Part 2

    Conservation biologist Kent Redford talks about the issues facing the intersection of synthetic biology and conservation biology and a conference that starts April 9th called "How will synthetic biology and conservation shape the future of nature?" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

  17. Start Talking: Synthetic Biology and Conservation Biology Meet, Part 1

    Conservation biologist Kent Redford talks about the issues facing the intersection of synthetic biology and conservation biology and a conference that starts April 9th called "How will synthetic biology and conservation shape the future of nature?" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

  18. Imagine All the People Turning Blue and Green

    Science writer Dennis Meredith talks about his new science fiction book The Rainbow Virus, in which a bioterror plot turns people all the colors of the rainbow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  19. Biotech's Brave New Beasts, Part 2

    Journalist and author Emily Anthes talks about her new book, Frankenstein's Cat: Cuddling Up to Biotech's Brave New Beasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  20. Biotech's Brave New Beasts, Part 1

    Journalist and author Emily Anthes talks about her new book, Frankenstein's Cat: Cuddling Up to Biotech's Brave New Beasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  21. CSI: 19th-Century France and the Birth of Forensic Science

    Reporter and storyteller Steven Berkowitz talks to science journalist and author Douglas Starr about his book The Killer of Little Shepherds: A True Crime Story and the Birth of Forensic Science Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  22. John Rennie Hacks the Planet

    Former Scientific American editor in chief John Rennie talks about his new six-episode Weather Channel TV Show, Hacking the Planet, which debuts February 28 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  23. Inside Isaac: A Discussion of Newton, Part 2

    A panel of physicists, science historians and playwright Lucas Hnath discuss Newton following a performance of Hnath's play about Newton, called Isaac's Eye, at the Ensemble Studio Theater in New York City on February 20th. The play runs through March 10, 2013 Learn more about your ad choices....

  24. Inside Isaac: A Discussion of Newton, Part 1

    A panel of physicists, science historians and playwright Lucas Hnath discuss Newton following a performance of Hnath's play about Newton, called Isaac's Eye, at the Ensemble Studio Theater in New York City on February 20th. The play runs through March 10, 2013 Learn more about your ad choices....

  25. <i>Extinction</i>: New Sci-Fi from Mark Alpert

    Mark Alpert is a former editor at Scientific American who has gone on to become a best-selling science fiction writer. We talk about his latest book, Extinction, an apocalyptic tale hinging on brain-machine interfaces. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  26. Science and Tech in President Obama's SOTU

    In his 2013 State of the Union address, Pres. Obama talked about climate change, energy and manufacturing technology innovation, and STEM education—that is, science, technology, engineering and math Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  27. Michael C. Hall Analyzes His Dexter's Mind, Part 2

    Actor Michael C. Hall, TV's Dexter, talks with psychologist Kevin Dutton, author of The Wisdom of Psychopaths, at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  28. Michael C. Hall Analyzes His Dexter's Mind, Part 1

    Actor Michael C. Hall, TV's Dexter, talks with psychologist Kevin Dutton, author of The Wisdom of Psychopaths, at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  29. Psychopathy's Bright Side: Kevin Dutton on the Benefits of Being a Bit Psychopathic, Part 2

    Kevin Dutton is a psychologist at the University of Oxford. He talks about his latest book, The Wisdom of Psychopaths: What Saints, Spies, and Serial Killers Can Teach Us about Success Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  30. Psychopathy's Bright Side: Kevin Dutton on the Benefits of Being a Bit Psychopathic, Part 1

    Kevin Dutton is a psychologist at the University of Oxford. He talks about his latest book, The Wisdom of Psychopaths: What Saints, Spies, and Serial Killers Can Teach Us about Success Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  31. Creativity's Dark Side: Dan Ariely on Creativity, Rationalization and Dishonesty

    Dan Ariely is professor of behavioral economics at Duke University. He talks about the subject of his most recent book, The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty: How We Lie to Everyone--Especially Ourselves. Also see: Unveiling the Real Evil Genius Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

  32. Darwin in Space: How Multigenerational Missions Could Shape Human Evolution

    Portland State University anthropologist Cameron Smith talks with Scientific American's John Matson about how multigenerational space exploration missions and colonization might change the human genome and thus shape human evolution Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  33. David Quammen: The Spillover of Animal Infections to Humans

    David Quammen talks about his latest book, Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic. From his Web site: "The next big and murderous human pandemic, the one that kills us in millions, will be caused by a new disease--new to humans, anyway. The bug that's responsible will be…

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  34. Scientific American after Sandy

    Scientific American Editor in Chief Mariette DiChristina brings us up to date on the state of our New York City-based operation after Sandy. Recorded October 31 at 2:30 P.M Eastern time Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  35. The 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

    The 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded jointly to Robert J. Lefkowitz and Brian Kobilka for studies of G-protein-coupled receptors, which are the portals by which information about the environment reaches the interior of cells and leads to their responses. About half of all drugs work by...

  36. The 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics

    The 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded jointly to Serge Haroche and David J. Wineland for experimental methods that enable measuring and manipulation of individual quantum systems Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  37. The 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

    The 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded jointly to John B. Gurdon and Shinya Yamanaka for the discovery that mature cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  38. The Climate of Climate Science

    James McCarthy, Alexander Agassiz professor of biological oceanography at Harvard, talks about climate science and testifying before Congress, and the collaborations between climate scientists and the national security community as well as with evangelicals. And the Union of Concerned Scientists...

  39. The Flynn Effect: Modernity Made Us Smarter

    James Flynn studies intelligence at the University of Otago in New Zealand. And he features prominently in an article called “Can We Keep Getting Smarter?” in the September issue of Scientific American magazine. Back on July 10, Flynn visited the SA offices, where he chatted with a group of…

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  40. What's Next for Curiosity on Mars

    Scientific American contributor David Appell talks with Mars Science Lab Project leader John Grotzinger, professor of geology at Caltech, about the plans for the rover on the Martian surface Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  41. Curiosity Lands on Mars

    Less than an hour after NASA received confirmation that the Curiosity rover was safely on the Martian surface, some principal members of the mission briefed the press. This is an edited presentation of that briefing, which started at about 11:20 P.M, Pacific time on August 5th. Learn more about...

  42. Plants Know Stuff

    Daniel Chamovitz, director of the Manna Center for Plant Biosciences at Tel Aviv University, talks about his new book What a Plant Knows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  43. Super-Earths: Bigger, and Maybe Better

    Dimitar Sasselov, professor of astronomy at Harvard University and the founder and director of the Harvard Origins of Life Initiative, talks about his new book The Life of Super-Earths: How the Hunt for Alien Worlds and Artificial Cells Will Revolutionize Life on Our Planet Learn more about your…

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  44. The Transit of Venus, Part 2

    Mark Anderson, author of the book The Day The World Discovered the Sun, talks about the transit of Venus coming up on June 5th or 6th in different parts of the world and how it will be of use to astronomers searching for exoplanets Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  45. The Transit of Venus, Part 1

    With a transit of Venus coming up on June 5th or 6th in different parts of the world, Mark Anderson, author of the book The Day The World Discovered the Sun, talks about the great efforts to track the transits of Venus in the 1760s and the science they would produce Learn more about your ad...

  46. Virus Victors: People Who Control HIV

    Bruce Walker, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of the Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, M.I.T. and Harvard, talks about his article in the July issue of Scientific American magazine called "Controlling HIV," about rare individuals who never develop…

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  47. The Football Concussion Crisis

    NFL Hall of Famer Harry Carson joins former NBC anchor Stone Phillips and pathologist Bennet Omalu for a discussion of chronic traumatic encephalopathy among football players. Recorded May 12th at the Ensemblestudiotheatre.org, site of the new play Headstrong about the brain injury issue Learn…

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  48. Killer Chimps and Funny Feet: Report from the AAPA Conference

    Scientific American editor Kate Wong talks about the recent conference of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists in Portland, Ore., where subjects included killer chimps, unprecedented fossil sharing among researchers and divergent hominid foot forms Learn more about your ad…

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  49. Getting Guinea Worm Gone: Report from the AHCJ Conference

    Scientific American editor Christine Gorman talks about the recent conference of the Association of Health Care Journalists, including Jimmy Carter's efforts against guinea worm and trachoma, and Rosalynn Carter's mental health initiatives Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

  50. Food Poisoning's Lasting Legacy

    Scientific American Science of Health columnist Maryn McKenna talks about the new understanding that food poisoning can have long-lasting negative health effects Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

Science Talk is a weekly science audio show covering the latest in the world of science and technology. Join Steve Mirsky each week as he explores cutting-edge breakthroughs and controversial issues with leading scientists and journalists. He is also an articles editor and columnist at Scientific American magazine and his column, "Antigravity", is one of science writing's rate venues for humor. Check our the new daily podcast from Scientific American: "60-Second Science." To view all of our archived podcasts please go to www.scientificamerican.com/podcast

HOSTED BY

Scientific American

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Science Talk have?

Science Talk currently has 222 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Science Talk about?

Science Talk is a weekly science audio show covering the latest in the world of science and technology. Join Steve Mirsky each week as he explores cutting-edge breakthroughs and controversial issues with leading scientists and journalists. He is also an articles editor and columnist at Scientific...

How often does Science Talk release new episodes?

Science Talk publishes regularly with 222 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.

Where can I listen to Science Talk?

You can listen to Science Talk on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts Science Talk?

Science Talk is created and hosted by Scientific American.
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