In February 2021, Texas and wide swaths of North America were shut down by Winter Storm Uri, which caused massive blackouts and left millions of people without power for days. The winter storms exposed vulnerabilities in our country’s electrical grid, and underlined the pressing need for a more reliable energy system. Is a recent breakthrough in nuclear fusion a possible path forward?

In 1997, Captain Charles Moore discovered the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch,” the largest accumulation of plastic waste in the ocean. Since then, scientists have documented how plastic has permanently damaged marine ecosystems and even altered evolution. But marine biologist Danni Washington says it’s not all “doom and gloom" — scientists are already putting innovative solutions in motion to protect our oceans.

We tend to think of getting older as inevitable, but what if it’s actually something we can control? Researchers like David Sinclair and Nir Barzilai have discovered some of the secrets to reversing aging, found animals who defy our understandings of life, and turned old mice young again. But even if humans could live forever, should we?

The future is scary, but it doesn’t have to be! In a new podcast from KCUR Studios, host Kate Biberdorf (aka Kate the Chemist) is seeking scientists to guide us into the great unknown. From fungus zombies to feeling young forever, we’re puzzling out what our world could look like — and how we can get ready. Supported by The Stowers Institute For Medical Research.