Top Science Charts on Apple Podcasts

Hidden Brain

1

Hidden Brain

Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam
Curious Cases

2

Curious Cases

BBC Radio 4
MDS Podcast

3

MDS Podcast

International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Chemical Engineering Guy(s)

4

Chemical Engineering Guy(s)

Chemical Engineering Guy
Boring History for Sleep

5

Boring History for Sleep

Velvet
Wissen Weekly

6

Wissen Weekly

Spotify Studios
VoxDev Development Economics

7

VoxDev Development Economics

VoxDev.org

1 day ago

Why Am I Unhappy?

We often imagine that feelings of unhappiness come from outside us — in our circumstances or the difficult people in our lives. But what if the forces that erode our happiness come from within? Psychologist George Loewenstein joins us to explore why our minds nudge us toward the negative, even when we want to feel happy. He also offers ways to better understand these forces and lessen their power over us. And on Your Questions Answered, psychologist Alison Ledgerwood returns to respond to your questions about our tendency to focus on the negative. What if your emotions aren't reactions to the world, but predictions that your brain is making? We discuss this mind-bending idea on our YouTube channel. Check it out, and be sure to subscribe so you don't miss any of our upcoming videos! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
13 Jul

Changing Our Mental Maps

As we move through the world, it's easy to imagine we're processing everything that happens around us and then deciding how to respond. But psychologist and neuroscientist Norman Farb says our brains actually navigate the world by coming up with mental maps. These maps act like an autopilot system, allowing us to navigate our lives more efficiently. But sometimes, they can lead us astray, leaving us stuck on a path of negativity and unhappiness. This week, in a favorite episode from 2024, we talk with Norman Farb about how we can update our internal maps and see the world more clearly. Then, Dave Evans answers your questions about radical acceptance. If you love listening to Hidden Brain, you can now watch it as well! Check out our new YouTube channel, and be sure to subscribe so you don't miss any of our upcoming videos. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
11 Sept

What Was Life Really Like in Dark Age Britain? ⚔️🏰 | The World of King Arthur | Boring History for Sleep

After Roman rule disappeared from Britain, the island entered a mysterious and turbulent period often called the Dark Ages. Powerful kingdoms emerged, old Roman towns changed, and Britons faced migration, warfare, shifting alliances, and a rapidly changing world. What was everyday life really like in Arthur’s Britain? Where did ordinary people live, what did they eat, and how did they survive? Who were the warriors and rulers competing for control of the island? And how much of the world associated with King Arthur is rooted in historical reality? A calm journey into post-Roman Britain, exploring its kingdoms, warriors, villages, beliefs, daily life, and the uncertain historical world that may have inspired the legends of King Arthur. Boring History for Sleep — Soft stories about the mysterious worlds of the past.
28 Aug

Dolly Parton's America: Sad Ass Songs

The world lost a legend recently, and we wanted in some small way to pay tribute to the great Dolly Parton. So we’re playing you an episode from a series we had a small part in back in 2017, Dolly Parton’s America. The series kicked off with a simple question: How did the queen of the boob joke become a feminist icon? Helen Morales, author of “Pilgrimage to Dollywood,” gave us a stern directive – look at the lyrics! So we dive into Dolly’s discography, starting with the early period of what Dolly calls “sad ass songs” to find remarkably prescient words of female pain, slut-shaming, domestic violence, and women being locked away in asylums by cheating husbands. We explore how Dolly took the centuries-old tradition of the Appalachian “murder ballad”—an oral tradition of men singing songs about brutally killing women—and flipped the script, singing from the woman’s point of view. And as her career progresses, the songs expand beyond the pain to tell tales of leaving abuse behind. How can such pro-woman lyrics come from someone who despises the word feminism? Best to let Dolly tell you herself. EPISODE CREDITS: Reported by - Jad Abumrad and Shima Oliaee Produced by - Jad Abumrad with help from - W. Harry Fortuna Original music from - Alex Overington Sound design contributed by - Alex Overington and Edited by - Suzie Lechtenberg Signup for our newsletter!! It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Sign up (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)! Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab (https://members.radiolab.org/) today. Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing radiolab@wnyc.org. Leadership support for Radiolab’s science programming is provided by the Simons Foundation and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
21 Aug

Patient Zero

The greatest mysteries have a shadowy figure at the center—someone who sets things in motion and holds the key to how the story unfolds. In epidemiology, this central character is known as Patient Zero—the case at the heart of an outbreak. This hour, Radiolab digs up an episode we first produced in 2011 and hunts for Patient Zeroes from all over the map. We start with the story of perhaps the most iconic Patient Zero of all time: Typhoid Mary. Then, we dive into a molecular detective story to pinpoint the beginning of the AIDS, and we re-imagine the moment the virus that caused the global pandemic sprang to life. After that, we're left wondering if you can trace the spread of an idea the way you can trace the spread of a disease. In the end, we find ourselves faced with a choice between competing claims about the origin of the high five. Signup for our newsletter!! It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Sign up (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)! Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab (https://members.radiolab.org/) today. Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing radiolab@wnyc.org.Leadership support for Radiolab’s science programming is provided by the Simons Foundation and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
1 day ago

The Life Scientific: Edith Heard

Imagine looking at a map of a city you thought you knew inside-out, only to discover a collection of tightly knit neighbourhoods that nobody had ever realised existed... Edith Heard has achieved something rather similar with DNA. Edith is a leading expert in epigenetics: put simply, the science around how our bodies can turn particular genes on or off without actually altering our DNA. She’s spent her career studying the mechanisms that make us who we are and transforming our understanding of how X chromosomes are expressed; notably, how female cells turn off the spare X chromosome. Talking to Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Edith discusses her journey from a shy and introverted youngster to the cutting edge of European science - including her latest role as Director of London’s prestigious Francis Crick Institute.
5 days ago

Identical(ish)

Ever wondered how close nature can get to making a human clone? And what happens if identical twin brothers marry identical twin sisters and have babies - how similar are they? Our listener Chris has been pondering this very issue, and his question takes Hannah and Dara down another scientific rabbit hole. Our intrepid duo consider how one fertilised egg can somehow become two babies, why those babies aren’t quite genetic photocopies, and why even identical twins gradually become more different as they grow up. They also find out how studying twins is helping scientists learn lessons about how all of us age - and explore the classic, movie-perpetuated mystery of “twin telepathy”… could there maybe, possibly, be something to it?! There’s also just time to address the tricky issue of cloning. From Dolly the sheep to regenerative medicine, cloning science has paved the way for some serious breakthroughs; but could we ever clone a human? And more to the point, should we? Expect sheep, sci-fi, identical cousins, and a dash of disproven twin mythology, as Curious Cases makes its return! If you have an everyday mystery for the team to investigate, contact them on curiouscases@bbc.co.uk. Contributors: Xand van Tulleken - Doctor, broadcaster and Honorary Associate Professor of Infection and Population Health at University College London Kevin Sinclair - Professor of Developmental Biology and Head of Animal Sciences at the University of Nottingham Claire Steves - Principal Investigator at TwinsUK and Professor of Ageing and Health at King’s College London Chris van Tulleken - Doctor, broadcaster and Professor of Infection and Global Health at University College London Producer: Lucy Taylor Executive Producer: Sasha Feachem A BBC Studios Production
1 day ago

Peut-on apprendre à voir avec ses oreilles comme les chauves-souris ?

Cette faculté porte un nom : c'est l’écholocalisation. Et son principe est relativement simple. Lorsqu’une chauve-souris émet un son, celui-ci rebondit sur les objets environnants avant de revenir vers elle. En analysant ces échos, l’animal peut déterminer la position, la distance et parfois même la forme des obstacles. Or, certains humains savent également utiliser cette technique, notamment des personnes aveugles qui produisent de petits claquements avec leur langue. Les échos leur permettent de percevoir leur environnement sans le voir. Mais une question intriguait les scientifiques : cette capacité nécessite-t-elle des années de pratique ? Et surtout, peut-elle être acquise par des personnes qui voient normalement ? Pour le savoir, des chercheurs britanniques ont entraîné 26 adultes, dont 12 personnes aveugles et 14 voyantes, pendant dix semaines. Au cours de vingt séances, les participants ont appris à reconnaître la taille d’objets, leur orientation et à se déplacer grâce aux échos produits par leurs propres claquements de langue. Les résultats sont remarquables : tous les participants ont progressé, qu’ils soient voyants ou non-voyants. Mais le plus surprenant est apparu lorsque les chercheurs ont examiné leur cerveau grâce à l’imagerie par résonance magnétique. Après l’entraînement, les échos provoquaient une activité plus importante dans une région appelée cortex visuel primaire. Autrement dit, une zone du cerveau normalement associée à la vision participait désormais davantage au traitement d’informations sonores. Et ce phénomène concernait aussi les personnes voyantes ! Cette découverte est importante, car on pensait que de telles réorganisations concernaient surtout les cerveaux privés de vision depuis longtemps. Elle illustre donc ce que les scientifiques appellent la neuroplasticité : la capacité du cerveau à modifier son fonctionnement en réponse à l’apprentissage et à l’expérience. Mais attention hein, cela ne signifie pas que les participants voyaient réellement avec leurs oreilles. Mais leur cerveau apprenait à exploiter autrement les informations sonores pour mieux comprendre l’espace. À terme, cette technique pourrait notamment aider les personnes aveugles à gagner en autonomie dans leurs déplacements. Voila. Finalement, cette expérience nous rappelle une chose fascinante : même à l’âge adulte, notre cerveau possède des capacités d’adaptation bien plus importantes qu’on ne l'imaginait. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.
3 Oct

Rain and Thunder Storms: Autumn Night Drift

Soft thunder rolls across the sky while each drop falls like whispered secrets in an autumn evening, creating a tranquil, enveloping soundscape. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1 day ago

Machiavelli — The Art of Power in the Modern World 👑🦊 | The Mind Behind The Prince | Boring History for Sleep

Niccolò Machiavelli has become almost synonymous with political power, manipulation, ambition, and ruthless strategy. But behind the familiar idea of “Machiavellian” behavior was a Renaissance thinker trying to understand why rulers succeed, why states collapse, and what power really demands. This episode explores Machiavelli’s life and the turbulent world of Renaissance Italy, where rival city-states, powerful families, wars, alliances, and political betrayals shaped his thinking. From his diplomatic missions to his years of political exile, every experience influenced the ideas that would eventually make The Prince one of history’s most controversial books. What did Machiavelli actually believe about morality and leadership? Why did he argue that rulers sometimes have to make difficult choices? And why do his ideas still appear whenever people discuss politics, leadership, ambition, and power? Settle in for a journey through Renaissance Italy and the complicated mind of the man whose name became a synonym for political cunning. Boring History for Sleep — Soft stories about power, ambition, and the people who shaped history.

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