Best Sound Pollination Podcasts (2026)

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‘The Kissing Bug’ And The Story Of A Neglected Disease 18:15

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14h ago18:15

18:15

Growing up, Daisy Hernández was told that her aunt had become ill from eating a bad apple. She watched as her aunt became sicker and sicker, and didn’t learn until years later that she was living with Chagas disease. It affects around 8 million people, mostly across the Americas, and yet many of us have never heard of it. Hernandez’s book, The Kiss…

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The real da Vinci code, and the world’s oldest poison arrows 27:31

2h ago27:31

27:31

First up on the podcast, scholars are on a quest to find Leonardo da Vinci’s DNA. With no direct descendants, the hunt involves sampling the famous polymath’s papers, paintings, and distant cousins. Contributing Correspondent Richard Stone talks with host Sarah Crespi about what researchers hope to learn from Leonardo’s genes and the new field of “…

1
Are Raccoons On The Road To Domestication? 18:10

1d ago18:10

18:10

What does it mean to be a wild animal in a world dominated by humans? A recent study found that city-dwelling raccoons’ snouts are getting shorter—a sign of domestication. Another study on dark-eyed juncos living on a Los Angeles college campus found that their beaks changed shape during the COVID-19 lockdown, when there wasn’t as much food and tra…

1
The Community Group Rethinking LA's Approach To Wildfires 14:18

3d ago14:18

14:18

A year ago this week, the Eaton and Palisades fires broke out in Los Angeles, and ultimately became one of the most destructive urban fire events in recent history. Today we’ll hear about a community brigade that is taking firefighting into its own hands through a technique called “home hardening.” Journalist Adriana Cargill, host of the new podcas…

1
What Should Astronauts Do First When They Reach Mars? 17:55

3d ago17:55

17:55

When humans finally land on Mars, what should they do? A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine lays out the science objectives for a crewed Mars mission. Planetary scientist Lindy Elkins-Tanton, who co-chaired the report committee, joins Host Flora Lichtman to talk about the plans to send people to Mars. We’l…

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Can The Rise In Solar Power Balance Out Clean Energy Cuts? 17:13

4d ago17:13

17:13

Since President Trump returned to office, his administration has been aggressive in rolling back clean energy initiatives. Trump’s “big beautiful bill” ended tax credits for solar panels and electric vehicles. And the EPA is moving to cancel $7 billion dollars in federal grants that were intended to help low- and middle-income families install sola…

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Are Ultramarathoners Just Built Different? 17:31

7d ago17:31

17:31

‘Tis the season for exercise resolutions. For a select few, an ultramarathon—a race of 50, 100, or even more miles—may be on the table for 2026. But is there a limit to what our bodies can endure? And what makes ultramarathoners capable of these tremendous feats? Joining Host Flora Lichtman are sports medicine expert Brandee Waite and biological an…

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Looking for continents on exoplanets, and math is hard for mathematicians, too 43:29

5d ago43:29

43:29

First up on the podcast, the best images of exoplanets right now are basically bright dots. We can’t see possible continents, potential oceans, or even varying colors. To improve our view, scientists are proposing a faraway fleet of telescopes that would use light bent by the Sun’s gravity to magnify a distant exoplanet. Staff Writer Daniel Clery j…

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Your Cells Are Always Building A Whole New You 18:04

9d ago18:04

18:04

In the last year, you’ve basically replaced your body weight in new cells. So yes, it’s a new year, new you. To ring in 2026, we’re talking about starting anew, and drawing inspiration from tiny worms that embody the ultimate growth mindset—they can regrow a whole body from just a tiny piece of their tail. In this festive episode, Host Flora Lichtm…

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A Look Back At 2025 In Science, From Federal Cuts To Space Junk 15:51

10d ago15:51

15:51

This has been a busy year in science, from government budget cuts and policy changes affecting research, to the record rise of renewables, to the surge in AI, and everything in between. Science journalists Sophie Bushwick and Maggie Koerth join Host Ira Flatow to unpack some of the year’s top stories, and some you might have missed. Guests: Sophie …

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How Death Metal Singers Make Their Extreme Vocalizations 13:42

11d ago13:42

13:42

Being able to belt out a tune like Adele or Pavarotti is not just about raw talent. The best singers in the world have to work on their technique—like how to control their breath and develop the stamina to hit note after note for a two-hour concert. But pop stars and opera singers aren’t the only vocalists who have figured out how to harness their …

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What The Sigma Is Algospeak? 18:48

12d 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…

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Tangling With Entanglement And Other Big Ideas In Physics 35:55

15d ago35:55

35:55

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…

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

16d 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…

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A Neurologist Investigates His Own Musical Hallucinations 10:50

17d 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

18d 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…

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

19d 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

22d 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…

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

21d 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

23d 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 …

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

24d 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…

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

25d 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…

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Twenty Somethings

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The Bad Movies Podcast

Sound Pollination

51
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
‘The Kissing Bug’ And The Story Of A Neglected Disease 18:15

1
The real da Vinci code, and the world’s oldest poison arrows 27:31

1
Are Raccoons On The Road To Domestication? 18:10

1
The Community Group Rethinking LA's Approach To Wildfires 14:18

1
What Should Astronauts Do First When They Reach Mars? 17:55

1
Can The Rise In Solar Power Balance Out Clean Energy Cuts? 17:13

1
Are Ultramarathoners Just Built Different? 17:31

1
Looking for continents on exoplanets, and math is hard for mathematicians, too 43:29

1
Your Cells Are Always Building A Whole New You 18:04

1
A Look Back At 2025 In Science, From Federal Cuts To Space Junk 15:51

1
How Death Metal Singers Make Their Extreme Vocalizations 13:42

1
What The Sigma Is Algospeak? 18:48

1
Tangling With Entanglement And Other Big Ideas In Physics 35:55

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