Unexplainable

4.7 (272)
LIFE SCIENCES
UPDATED WEEKLY

Unexplainable takes listeners right up to the edge of what we know … and then keeps on going. Host Noam Hassenfeld and an all-star team of reporters — Byrd Pinkerton, Meradith Hoddinott, and Mandy Nguyen — tackle scientific mysteries, unanswered questions, and everything we learn by diving into the unknown. New episodes drop every Wednesday.

2 DAYS AGO

Dark oxygen could rewrite Earth’s history

Scientists just discovered oxygen being produced without sunlight — without photosynthesis — at the bottom of the ocean. This “dark oxygen” could fundamentally change the story we tell of life on Earth and in the rest of the universe. For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts For more, go to vox.com/unexplainable And please email us! unexplainable@vox.com We read every email. Support Unexplainable by becoming a Vox Member today: vox.com/members Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

25 min
AUG 28

You're lost in the wilderness. Now what?

For decades, search and rescue teams followed an accepted playbook. Now, scientists are helping them reimagine how to find lost people. Guests: Robert Koester, author of Lost Person Behavior, and Paul Doherty, search and rescue researcher For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts For more, go to vox.com/unexplainable And please email us! unexplainable@vox.com We read every email. Support Unexplainable by becoming a Vox Member today: vox.com/members Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

24 min
AUG 21

Viral dark matter

With antibiotic resistance on the rise, some scientists are turning to viruses as a medical tool. But we barely know anything about the bacteria-eating viruses all around us. (First published in 2021) Guest: Nicola Twilley, host of Gastropod For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts For more, go to vox.com/unexplainable And please email us! unexplainable@vox.com We read every email. Support Unexplainable by becoming a Vox Member today: vox.com/members Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

26 min
AUG 14

The good virus

Our bodies are teeming with viruses. But some of them, called phages, might play a really important role in keeping us healthy. Guest: Tom Ireland, author of The Good Virus For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts For more, go to vox.com/unexplainable And please email us! unexplainable@vox.com We read every email. Support Unexplainable by becoming a Vox Member today: vox.com/members Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

22 min
AUG 7

Ecstasy therapy

The FDA is about to announce whether it’s going to approve MDMA as a treatment for PTSD. Our friends at Today, Explained explore what this kind of therapy looks like, and why it’s so controversial. For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts For more, go to vox.com/unexplainable And please email us! unexplainable@vox.com We read every email. Support Unexplainable by becoming a Vox Member today: vox.com/members Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

32 min
JUL 31

What did dinosaurs sound like?

They probably didn’t roar like lions. Their real voices were likely much, much weirder. We asked scientists to help us re-create these strange, extinct sounds. (First published in 2022) Guests: Michael Habib, professor at UCLA, Julia Clarke, professor at the University of Texas at Austin, and Jonny Crew, sound designer at Wounded Buffalo For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts For more, go to vox.com/unexplainable And please email us! unexplainable@vox.com We read every email. Support Unexplainable by becoming a Vox Member today: vox.com/members Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

41 min
JUL 24

Do we live inside an enormous black hole?

It’s possible that the entire observable universe is inside a black hole. All we need to do to find out is … build a gigantic particle collider around the moon. Guest: James Beacham, particle physicist at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts For more, go to vox.com/unexplainable And please email us! unexplainable@vox.com We read every email. Support Unexplainable by becoming a Vox Member today: vox.com/members Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

25 min
JUL 17

Is good posture actually good?

Send this episode to the person who constantly hounds you not to slouch. Guest: Beth Linker, author of “Slouch: Posture Panic in Modern America” For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts For more, go to vox.com/unexplainable And please email us! unexplainable@vox.com We read every email. Support Unexplainable by becoming a Vox Member today: vox.com/members Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

21 min

See All (165)

2021-02-19

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2021-02-19

•

3 min

4.7

out of 5

272 Ratings

Glad I found you

Sept 1

Ray Opeongo

I have been looking for years for a podcast to keep my mind engaged while doing ‘mindless’ tasks: cutting the grass; walking the dog; cleaning the house; etc. I was stymied at every turn. Nothing fit. I would listen to a handful of episodes, and then, ‘meh’. Then I found Unexplainable. I was hooked. Just to make things easier, I went to the very first episode and just automatically started working forward through the catalog. Love it! Interesting subjects, engaging hosts, well written, well presented. Keep up the good work.
Thank You!

Jul 3

Katie PT

Amazing podcast that gives you interesting information to think about and all in a bite-sized and easy to listen to podcast. I look forward to listening to every episode each week. Thank you for making this happen.
Interesting range of topics

Jun 22

Rebecca mac

I always learn a lot.
Unbearable

Jun 29

OkieDonkie

Try to be radiolab… doesn’t work Too USA centric

Unexplainable takes listeners right up to the edge of what we know … and then keeps on going. Host Noam Hassenfeld and an all-star team of reporters — Byrd Pinkerton, Meradith Hoddinott, and Mandy Nguyen — tackle scientific mysteries, unanswered questions, and everything we learn by diving into the unknown. New episodes drop every Wednesday.

Channel

Vox Media Podcast Network
Creator

Vox
Years Active

2021 - 2024
Episodes

165
Rating

Clean

Unexplainable

Dark oxygen could rewrite Earth’s history

You're lost in the wilderness. Now what?

Viral dark matter

The good virus

Ecstasy therapy

What did dinosaurs sound like?

Do we live inside an enormous black hole?

Is good posture actually good?

Trailer

Introducing Unexplainable

Hosts & Guests

Noam Hassenfeld

Dr. James Beacham

Beth Linker

Andrew Gallup

Ferris Jabr

Glad I found you

Thank You!

Interesting range of topics

Unbearable

About

Information

More From Vox Media Podcast Network

You Might Also Like

Unexplainable

Episodes

Dark oxygen could rewrite Earth’s history

You're lost in the wilderness. Now what?

Viral dark matter

The good virus

Ecstasy therapy

What did dinosaurs sound like?

Do we live inside an enormous black hole?

Is good posture actually good?

Trailer

Introducing Unexplainable

Hosts & Guests

Noam Hassenfeld

Dr. James Beacham

Beth Linker

Andrew Gallup

Ferris Jabr

Ratings & Reviews

Glad I found you

Thank You!

Interesting range of topics

Unbearable

About

Information

More From Vox Media Podcast Network

You Might Also Like