PodcastsEarth SciencesAsk Us Anything by Popular Science

Ask Us Anything by Popular Science

Popular Science
Ask Us Anything by Popular Science
Latest episode

55 episodes

  • Ask Us Anything by Popular Science

    How come some birds talk like people?

    04/30/2026 | 15 mins.
    So many shouting and singing birds in this episode, as PopSci Editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sarah Durn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Editor-in-Chief ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Annie Colbert⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ flap their way to an explanation for why birds learn to mimic human speech.

    Read the Popular Science story that inspired the episode: ⁠https://www.popsci.com/environment/why-birds-talk/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Learn more about how parrots use names to talk to each other: ⁠https://www.popsci.com/environment/parrots-using-names/⁠

    If you have a question for a future episode, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://popsci.com/ask⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
  • Ask Us Anything by Popular Science

    Why can't we remember being babies?

    04/16/2026 | 18 mins.
    Plumbing the depths of their childhood memories, PopSci Editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sarah Durn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Editor-in-Chief ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Annie Colbert⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ explain why almost no humans remember infancy or early childhood.

    Read the Popular Science story that inspired this episode: https://www.popsci.com/science/why-dont-i-remember-being-a-baby-study/⁠⁠

    If you have a question for a future episode, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://popsci.com/ask⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
  • Ask Us Anything by Popular Science

    How come only modern humans need braces?

    03/31/2026 | 17 mins.
    Chomping right through the history of orthodontics and human bone development, PopSci Editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sarah Durn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Editor-in-Chief ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Annie Colbert⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ investigate why human ancestors never needed braces, but so many modern humans do.

    Read the Popular Science story that inspired this episode: ⁠https://www.popsci.com/science/why-need-braces/⁠

    And make sure you check out our guests Erin & Erin on their show This Podcast Will Kill You: ⁠https://thispodcastwillkillyou.com⁠

    If you have a question for a future episode, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://popsci.com/ask⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
  • Ask Us Anything by Popular Science

    Did any dinosaurs actually spit venom?

    03/18/2026 | 18 mins.
    Digging deep into the fossil record, PopSci Editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sarah Durn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Editor-in-Chief ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Annie Colbert⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ investigate whether there really were venomous dinosaurs, like the Dilophosaurus depicted in the first Jurassic Park movie.

    Read the Popular Science story that inspired this episode: https://www.popsci.com/science/venomous-dinosaurs/

    And make sure you check out the I Know Dino podcast, co-hosted by our special guest Garret Kruger: https://iknowdino.com/

    If you have a question for a future episode, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://popsci.com/ask⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
  • Ask Us Anything by Popular Science

    What's the most eco-friendly burial option?

    03/04/2026 | 16 mins.
    After a lifetime of trying to put things in the right bin, we all eventually arrive at the ultimate recycling dilemma: what to do with our bodies after we die? PopSci Editors ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sarah Durn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠Laura Baisas⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ go on exploration to find out what is the most environmentally friendly option for handling human remains? Despite all the new technology, experts say there’s one clear answer, and it’s surprisingly old-school.

    Read the full story that inspired this episode: https://www.popsci.com/technology/cremation-burial-most-eco-friendly/

    If you have a question for a future episode, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://popsci.com/ask⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More Earth Sciences podcasts

About Ask Us Anything by Popular Science

Popular Science answers your most outlandish, mind-burning questions—from the everyday things you’ve always wondered to the bizarre things you never thought to ask. Join our editors as they explain it all, with new episodes every other Wednesday. Submit a question for a future episode at https://popsci.com/ask
Podcast website

Listen to Ask Us Anything by Popular Science, Real Organic Podcast and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app

Get the free radio.net app

  • Stations and podcasts to bookmark
  • Stream via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
  • Supports Carplay & Android Auto
  • Many other app features

Ask Us Anything by Popular Science: Podcasts in Family

Social
v8.8.13| © 2007-2026 radio.de GmbH
Generated: 5/1/2026 - 5:39:48 PM