Best Sound Pollination Podcasts (2025)

1
What The Sigma Is Algospeak? 18:48

Play Pause

3m ago18:48

18:48

Gen Alpha slang can seem unintelligible to adults, but linguist and TikToker Adam Aleksic argues language development in the internet age is worth legitimate study. In a conversation from July, Adam talks to Host Flora Lichtman about how algorithms and social media are changing the way we speak, and discusses his new book, Algospeak: How Social Med…

1
Tangling With Entanglement And Other Big Ideas In Physics 35:52

3d ago35:52

35:52

What have we learned in recent years about black holes? Can entangled quantum particles really communicate faster than light? What’s the story behind Schrödinger’s Cat? And, in this weird liminal space between the holidays, what even IS time, really? Physicist Sean Carroll and Host Ira Flatow tackled those big questions and more at a recent event a…

1
The Science Of Thriving In Winter—By Embracing It 17:34

4d ago17:34

17:34

Health psychologist Dr. Kari Leibowitz traveled to some of the coldest, darkest places on earth to learn how people there don’t just survive, but thrive in winter. She says that one of the key ingredients is adopting a positive wintertime mindset by focusing on and celebrating the good parts of winter. In a conversation from January, Flora Lichtman…

1
A Neurologist Investigates His Own Musical Hallucinations 10:50

5d ago10:50

10:50

Imagine sitting at home and then all of a sudden you hear a men’s choir belting out “The Star Spangled Banner.” You check your phone, computer, radio. Nothing’s playing. You look outside, no one’s there. That’s what happened to neurologist Bruce Dobkin after he received a cochlear implant. He set out to learn everything he could about the condition…

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‘Prehistoric Planet’ Defrosts Strange Animals Of The Ice Age 17:56

6d ago17:56

17:56

Koalas with the bodies of lions. Elephants the size of your dog. Gigantic, 8-foot-tall sloths. These aren’t creatures found in science fiction: They walked our planet a million years ago, during the Ice Age. That’s the focus of the third season of the Apple TV series “Prehistoric Planet,” which uses the latest paleontology research and photorealist…

1
How Did Vaccine Policies Actually Change In 2025? 12:21

7d ago12:21

12:21

Since 1955, when Congress passed the Polio Vaccination Assistance Act, the federal government has been in the business of expanding access to vaccines. That is, until this year. 2025 has been filled with almost daily news stories about federal agencies, under the direction of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., casting doubts about vaccine safe…

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Why Astronomers Are Excited About Comet 3I/ATLAS’ Close Approach 18:33

10d ago18:33

18:33

This year, comet 3I/Atlas broke into our solar system, but also the zeitgeist. This dirty snowball is a visitor from another solar system, and it’s only the third interstellar object we’ve ever spotted. And today, it's closer to us than ever before—just 170 million miles away. Astronomy experts Stefanie Milam and Hakeem Oluseyi join Host Flora Lich…

1
This year’s biggest breakthrough and top news stories 33:58

7d ago33:58

33:58

First up on the podcast, Online News Editor David Grimm joins host Sarah Crespi to talk about this year’s best online news stories—top performers and staff picks alike. Together they journey the scientific gamut, from bird feeders’ influence on hummingbird beak evolution to the use of “artificial spacetimes” to guide tiny robots through their envir…

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‘Fire Amoeba’ Likes It Hot, And A Faraway Lava Planet 18:08

11d ago18:08

18:08

While on a sampling trip in California’s Lassen Volcanic National Park, researchers stopped to sample a rather boring stream on their hike to Boiling Springs Lake. But when they incubated that water sample back in the lab, they discovered an amoeba that could still move and divide at 145 F, a new record for a eukaryotic cell. Microbiologist Angela …

1
What’s The Reality Behind The Humanoid Robot Hype? 12:19

12d ago12:19

12:19

Videos of humanoid robots dancing, doing cartwheels, putting clothes in a washing machine, and serving drinks are all over social media. And tech CEOs are telling us to prepare for the forthcoming humanoid army that’s going to totally change our lives for the better. But what’s real? Where are we with this technology? Are these humanoids robots rea…

1
'Just' A Blue Jay? Don't Overlook These Magnificent Common Birds 17:55

13d ago17:55

17:55

It’s that time of year: the Christmas Bird Count, when birders go out in flocks to record all the birds they see in a single day. The data collected during this annual tradition gets compiled by the National Audubon Society, and helps scientists understand bird population trends across the Americas. If you participate in the bird count, chances are…

1
Can We Just Throw Our Plastic Garbage Into A Volcano? 17:16

14d ago17:16

17:16

It’s winter, and the SciFri team is already dreaming of warmer weather. How about a mind vacation to one of the hottest places on earth, an erupting volcano? Tamsin Mather has trekked to volcanoes in Chile, Guatemala, Italy, and beyond to learn their secrets. She joins Host Flora Lichtman to field your burning volcano questions, like what’s the dea…

1
Reimagining online safety education through the eyes of young people. 10:19

13d ago10:19

10:19

In today’s world, the internet is more than a tool. It can be a place where friendships are built, identities are explored, and young people find connection. For teenagers, digital spaces are a huge component of their lives. However, the way we talk about online safety often feels like it belongs to another era, one rooted in adult fears rather tha…

1
How Did Ancient Humans Use The Acoustics Of Spaces Like Caves? 18:55

17d ago18:55

18:55

The sound of a choir performing in a cathedral is iconic for a reason. It’s this beautiful human experience: being side-by-side with other people, feeling the sound vibrate through you, reverberating around the space. But how long has that been a part of our culture? And what role did sound play in the lives of people who lived during the Ice Age o…

1
Hunting asteroids from space, and talking to pollinators with heat 27:59

14d ago27:59

27:59

First up on the podcast, we’ve likely only found about half the so-called city-killer asteroids (objects more than 140 meters in diameter). Freelance science journalist Robin George Andrews joins host Sarah Crespi to discuss the upcoming launch of NASA’s Near-Earth Object Surveyor, an asteroid hunter that will improve our ability to look for large …

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What The Sounds Of Melting Glaciers Can Tell Us 18:26

18d ago18:26

18:26

As the planet warms, the world’s glaciers are melting faster than snow can replenish the ice. That has implications for sea level rise, ocean currents, and global weather patterns. But collecting data at the edge of a melting glacier can be risky. Glaciologist Erin Pettit and her colleagues are listening to the sounds melting glaciers make—from the…

1
How A Fringe Idea Led To Lifesaving Cancer Treatments 30:08

19d ago30:08

30:08

In cancer research, the “seed and soil” hypothesis posits that the tumor is like a seed of misbehaving cells taking root in the body. Whether it grows—and where it grows—depends on the conditions, or soil. Since this hypothesis was proposed more than 100 years ago, most research and treatments have focused on the seed, or tumor. For nearly 50 years…

1
Why Is Bubonic Plague Still With Us? 12:24

20d ago12:24

12:24

For many people, bubonic plague is an illness that seems squarely situated in medieval times. But each year, a handful of human cases pop up in the western United States. Plague can be treated successfully with modern medicine. But why does it still exist, and how should we think about it both locally and globally? Plague researcher Viveka Vadyvalo…

1
How Should Judges Consider Cultural Concepts in International Criminal Law? 11:43

17d ago11:43

11:43

Research from Assistant Professor Ligeia Quackelbeen at Tilburg University examines how international criminal courts categorize cultural practices such as forced marriage, revealing issues with current legal approaches. Using a landmark case as a primary example, the analysis demonstrates how judges rely on rigid checklist-based reasoning that fai…

1
Don’t Let Their Name Fool You—Sea Slugs Are Awesome 23:31

21d ago23:31

23:31

Today we’re spotlighting an underappreciated group of marine creatures: sea slugs. Don’t let their humble name fool you. They come in vivid neon colors, with patterns that rival the most beautiful butterflies and feather-like external gills and tentacles. There are an estimated 10,000 species of sea slugs and they are incredibly diverse. Some are s…

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As Companies Build Data Centers For AI, Communities Push Back 11:48

24d ago11:48

11:48

There’s an enormous buildout of data centers underway across the country to fuel the AI boom. Hundreds of billions of dollars have already been spent on data centers, with talk of spending trillions more. And these data centers use a lot of power: According to the Times Picuayune, Meta’s new data center under construction in Louisiana will require …

1
Grappling with declining populations, and the future of quantum mechanics 38:00

22d ago38:00

38:00

First up on the podcast, Science celebrates 100 years of quantum mechanics with a special issue covering the past, present, and future of the field. News Contributing Correspondent Zack Savitsky joins host Sarah Crespi to talk about a more philosophical approach to quantum physics and the mysterious measurement problem. Next on the show we have Ann…

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Bringing Dead Zoos to Life: Caring for Extinct Animals and Living Cultures 9:37

21d ago9:37

9:37

Step into a natural history museum, sometimes called a ‘dead zoo’, and you will find yourself surrounded by silence. Behind glass cases and inside drawers lie animals long gone: the Tasmanian tiger, the quagga, birds that no longer take flight, creatures whose skins and bones now carry only the weight of memory. These preserved remains are meant to…

1
A Toast To Bats That Pollinate Agave, And Tracking Monarchs 18:28

25d ago18:28

18:28

You might think about bats as flitting around in the dark and hunting insects, but some species feed on fruits or flowers—and play an important role as pollinators. One place that role is crucial is in the relationship between bats and agave plants. Bat conservationist Kristen Lear joins Host Ira Flatow to describe efforts to restore agaves in the …

Sound Pollination Podcasts

1
Twenty Somethings

Sound Pollination

1
Knowing Nothing

Sound Pollination

1
The Bad Movies Podcast

Sound Pollination

101
Science Friday

Science Friday and WNYC Studios

1
Science Magazine Podcast

Science Magazine

1
SciPod

SciPod

1
Sunday Coffee : Arts Design Architecture

Tricia Keffer

1
What The Sigma Is Algospeak? 18:48

1
Tangling With Entanglement And Other Big Ideas In Physics 35:52

1
The Science Of Thriving In Winter—By Embracing It 17:34

1
A Neurologist Investigates His Own Musical Hallucinations 10:50

1
‘Prehistoric Planet’ Defrosts Strange Animals Of The Ice Age 17:56

1
How Did Vaccine Policies Actually Change In 2025? 12:21

1
Why Astronomers Are Excited About Comet 3I/ATLAS’ Close Approach 18:33

1
This year’s biggest breakthrough and top news stories 33:58

1
‘Fire Amoeba’ Likes It Hot, And A Faraway Lava Planet 18:08

1
What’s The Reality Behind The Humanoid Robot Hype? 12:19

1
'Just' A Blue Jay? Don't Overlook These Magnificent Common Birds 17:55

1
Can We Just Throw Our Plastic Garbage Into A Volcano? 17:16

1
Reimagining online safety education through the eyes of young people. 10:19

1
How Did Ancient Humans Use The Acoustics Of Spaces Like Caves? 18:55

1
Hunting asteroids from space, and talking to pollinators with heat 27:59

1
What The Sounds Of Melting Glaciers Can Tell Us 18:26

1
How A Fringe Idea Led To Lifesaving Cancer Treatments 30:08

1
Why Is Bubonic Plague Still With Us? 12:24

1
How Should Judges Consider Cultural Concepts in International Criminal Law? 11:43

1
Don’t Let Their Name Fool You—Sea Slugs Are Awesome 23:31

1
As Companies Build Data Centers For AI, Communities Push Back 11:48

1
Grappling with declining populations, and the future of quantum mechanics 38:00

1
Bringing Dead Zoos to Life: Caring for Extinct Animals and Living Cultures 9:37

1
A Toast To Bats That Pollinate Agave, And Tracking Monarchs 18:28