Unexplainable

About this podcast

Unexplainable is a science show about everything we don’t know. Host Noam Hassenfeld is joined by an array of experts and Vox reporters each week to look at the most fascinating unanswered questions in science and the mind-bending ways scientists are trying to answer them. New episodes drop every Wednesday starting March 10. From Vox and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Unexplainable

Episodes

2021
Is a ton of psychology just ... wrong?
A decade ago, psychologists realized much of their science was fatally flawed, calling untold numbers of studies into question. Now, some young psychologists are trying to rebuild the foundations of their field. Can they succeed? For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable It’s a great place to sign up for our newsletter, view show transcripts, and read more about the topics on our show. Also, email us! unexplainable@vox.com We read every email. Support Unexplainable by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
April 7, 2021
31 min
It’s ball lightning!
For millennia, people have been reporting stories of mysterious spheres of light that glow, crackle, and hover eerily during thunderstorms. They’ve been spotted in people’s homes, and are even said to be able to pass through windows. No one knows how ball lightning forms — but that’s not stopping scientists from attempting to recreate it in their labs. For further reading, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable It’s a great place to sign up for our newsletter, view show transcripts, and read more about the topics on our show. Also, email us! unexplainable@vox.com We read every email. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
March 31, 2021
28 min
Skeleton Lake
When scientists examined the DNA of ancient bones found near a Himalayan lake, they were forced to confront a seemingly impossible conclusion. For further reading, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable It’s a great place to sign up for our newsletter, view show transcripts, and read more about the topics on our show. Also, email us! unexplainable@vox.com We read every email. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
March 24, 2021
28 min
Journey Toward the Center of the Earth
Sixty years ago, geologists tried to drill down through the Earth’s crust to pull up a piece of the Earth’s mantle. Their mission didn’t go exactly as planned. But it sowed the seeds for a new field of science that’s helped us rewrite not only the history of the planet, but, potentially, our definitions of life itself. The documentaries featured in this episode are "The First Deep Ocean Drilling: Mohole, Phase 1" and "Project Mohole: Report No. 1." For further reading, sign up for our newsletter here: http://vox.com/unexplainable-newsletter Show transcript and articles at: http://vox.com/unexplainable Email us! unexplainable@vox.com We read every email. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
March 17, 2021
30 min
No one nose
Believe it or not, scientists still don't know how the sense of smell works. But they're looking at how powerful it is - dogs can actually sniff out cancer and many other diseases - and they're trying to figure out how to reverse engineer it. In fact, one MIT scientist may have built a robot nose ... without completely understanding how his invention works. For further reading, sign up for our newsletter here: http://vox.com/unexplainable-newsletter Show transcript and articles at: http://vox.com/unexplainable Article on quantum nose theory: https://bit.ly/3clurfs Email us! unexplainable@vox.com We read every email. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
March 10, 2021
31 min
Most of the universe is missing
Scientists all over the world are searching for dark matter: an invisible, untouchable substance that holds our universe together. But they haven't found it. Are they chasing a ghost? For further reading, sign up for our newsletter here: http://vox.com/unexplainable-newsletter Show transcript and articles (including one about why we made this show now): http://vox.com/unexplainable Email us! unexplainable@vox.com We read every email. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
March 10, 2021
35 min
Introducing Unexplainable
Scientists don’t know what 95% of the universe is made of. They don’t know how a bike stays up. They don’t even really know how the nose works. Join us every Wednesday on Unexplainable for deep dives into the unknown, because what we don’t know is awesome. New episodes March 10th.
February 19, 2021
3 min

Unexplainable

About this podcast

Categories

About this podcast

Categories

Unexplainable

Episodes

Is a ton of psychology just ... wrong?

It’s ball lightning!

Skeleton Lake

Journey Toward the Center of the Earth

No one nose

Most of the universe is missing

Introducing Unexplainable