Science Rules! with Bill Nye (Stitcher & Bill Nye)

What type of test should you get, and when? How much can you trust the results? And could rapid screening tests really help us reopen businesses and schools?

Science Rules! Presents is a series of science-focused episodes from some of our favorite shows. This week we’re featuring This Podcast Might Kill You’s episode on Coccidioidomycosis, also known as Valley fever.

This isn’t the first pandemic humanity has faced. From the black death to Spanish flu, from AIDS to Ebola; we’ve been here before. But historian Mark Honigsbaum, author of The Pandemic Century, says that the complacency and hubris of scientific experts keep preventing us from learning from the past.

Shopping for food is one of the few reasons we can leave the house these days. But advice has been swirling online about the risks of shopping and bringing items back into your home. Associate Professor of Global Health at Boston University Christopher Gill helps us assess the real risks when shopping and bringing food home.

A brief update from your friends at Science Rules! Coronavirus Edition.

In the first Coronavirus Edition of Science Rules, Bill Nye takes on the topic of testing: the barriers, the breakthroughs and the big picture, with Harvard epidemiologist Dr Michael J Mina. Send Bill a voicemail about your experience in the pandemic, at (201) 472-0785.

It’s a 4/20 special! The head of one of the few labs doing placebo-controlled research on cannabis joins us to blow up everything you thought you knew about weed withdrawal, medical marijuana, the munchies, and why there will never be a breathalyzer for bud.

Dr. Arturo Casadevall has been promoting “convalescent plasma” as a treatment for disease since before the pandemic took hold in the U.S. He explains what it is, how it helps with COVID-19, and why we need much, much more.

David Wallace-Wells has rung the alarm about climate change in the pages of New York Magazine and his book, The Uninhabitable Earth. Now he’s trained his sights on our latest all-encompassing challenge, covid19. Wallace-Wells tells us why climate change and pandemics are related, and he’ll examine humanity’s ability to solve existential crises.

A leader of NASA's Mars Perseverance rover team explains what we've learned about the red planet since the rover landed and lays out the mission to find — and return — evidence of life. Plus, acronyms galore!

Science Rules! Presents is a series of science-focused episodes from some of our favorite shows. This week we’re featuring Planetary Radio from the Planetary Society.

The Planetary Society has awarded more than 60 Shoemaker near-Earth object grants to astronomers around the world, enabling them to discover, track, and characterize thousands of asteroids. We’ll hear from two of these dedicated observers. The Society’s Rae Paoletta takes us to Venus where three new spacecraft will help answer big questions. Senior space policy adviser Casey Dreier helps us think about UFO claims. Chief scientist Bruce Betts offers a new What’s Up space trivia contest. Discover more at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/shoemaker-neo-awardees-venus missions

What happens when you try to develop a vaccine for a brand new disease at “warp speed”? Where do the various trials stand today, and what are the safety concerns associated with emergency use authorizations? Dr. Eric Topol has the answers.

When it comes to things that give us the heebie-jeebies, parasites reign supreme. But according to this week's guest, ecosystems couldn't exist without them. Chelsea Wood explains what makes them so creepy, how to prevent them from killing us, and why she keeps digging around in decades-old cans of salmon.

When it comes to vitamins and health supplements, we’re often told that the more we take, the healthier we’ll be, but journalists Elah Feder & Annie Minoff find that the research tells a different story. This week, they join us to answer questions from callers like Olivia who asks, “Does hair, skin, and nail vitamins such as biotin actually do anything to make your hair, skin and nails healthier?” You can listen to ad-free new episodes of Science Rules! only on Stitcher Premium. For a free month of Stitcher Premium, go to stitcherpremium.com and use promo code ‘SCIENCE.’

This year's unprecedented Australian bushfires are barely out, but the news has moved on. Now is the time to take a serious look at how fires are related to climate change, and the warning they carry for California, and beyond.

You can listen to ad-free new episodes of Science Rules! only on Stitcher Premium. For a free month of Stitcher Premium, go to stitcherpremium.com and use promo code ‘SCIENCE.’

Planetary Scientist Dr. Zibi Turtle is leading NASA’s Dragonfly mission to Saturn’s moon Titan! She joins us to discuss how by 2034 the Dragonfly dual-quadcopter will explore Titan, and what clues the mission might give us about how life on our own planet came about. Plus, she takes your calls about space exploration! You can listen to ad-free new episodes of Science Rules! only on Stitcher Premium. For a free month of Stitcher Premium, go to stitcherpremium.com and use promo code ‘SCIENCE.’

We are definitely not out of the woods yet with COVID-19, but communities across the world have either eased their lockdowns already or are planning to do so within the next few weeks. Michael Osterholm, a professor of public health advising the state of New York on its reopening plan, explains how this pandemic will play out.

Arne Duncan — former Secretary of Education under President Obama — walks us through what needs to be done for schools to reopen safely in the fall.

Sociologist Zeynep Tufekci takes news outlets to task for how our coverage has hindered the response to COVID-19 and explains why no matter what variant is going around your community, you should still get a vaccine — any of them — as soon as you are eligible.

By day, Clifford Johnson is a mild-mannered physicist searching for a Theory of Everything. But in his secret life, he helps slip real science into movies like Avengers: Endgame.

There are just eight species of bear on Earth — and when they do well, we do well, according to conservation ecologist Chris Morgan, host of The Wild.

NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft has spent four years stalking Bennu, an asteroid that could one day collide with Earth. We speak with Dante Lauretta, the mission's leader, as the probe is about to grab a pebbly sample of Bennu and bring it home.

If you don't believe the government can prevent climate change, then maybe you hope the market can. Columbia economics professor and architect of the Kyoto Protocol's carbon market Dr Graciela Chichilnisky is working on a tech-based solution for climate change. Can her carbon capture and resale scheme save us all? You can listen to ad-free new episodes of Science Rules! only on Stitcher Premium. For a free month of Stitcher Premium, go to stitcherpremium.com and use promo code ‘SCIENCE.’

We may think of ourselves as outside of nature, but humans are evolving just like everything else. Genetics and evolution expert Dr. Molly Przeworkski fields questions on whether humans are influencing our own evolution, and if the study of genetics might help reduce disease. You can listen to ad-free new episodes of Science Rules! only on Stitcher Premium. For a free month of Stitcher Premium, go to stitcherpremium.com and use promo code ‘SCIENCE.’

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) often gets a bad rap, but farmers have been using them for decades to feed the world. Former CTO of Monsanto Dr. Robb Fraley who helped develop the very first genetically modified seeds joins us to discuss the science behind GMOs and he answers questions from listeners, including one from Emma who asks, “Do GMOs have the ability to alter the DNA of the organisms that consume them?”.

You can listen to ad-free new episodes of Science Rules! only on Stitcher Premium. For a free month of Stitcher Premium, go to stitcherpremium.com and use promo code ‘SCIENCE.’

Researchers are moving at unprecedented speed, but they’re still struggling to understand this pandemic. What does the novel coronavirus do to our bodies? Virologist Dr. Angela Rasmussen answers questions about what happens when we get COVID-19, the role immunity and how small scientific discoveries will be the key to understanding this disease.

Greetings, Science Rules! listeners! Have you ever wondered about the future of lab grown meat? Or what the deal is with GMOs? What about the science behind salting your pasta water? Today, we are sharing a special episode of the food podcast The Sporkful where Bill Nye and Corey S. Powell tackle your food science questions, and talk about their own food quirks. It turns out that Bill is very particular about his Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich, and there’s one thing he won’t tolerate in PB&J preparation. 

If you want to check out more episodes of The Sporkful, follow us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Spotify. 

We talk to master watchmaker Rebecca Struthers about how people learned to measure time and the twisted way that clocks came to control the way we eat, sleep, work, and relax (if we relax at all).

Jacqueline Faherty from the American Museum of Natural History explains the mysteries of brown dwarfs — bigger than planets, smaller than stars — and reveals how she's improving STEM by making it more diverse.

Jennifer Doudna co-discovered CRISPR, a revolutionary tool for editing DNA and changing our genes. She joins us to talk about what her innovation means for health, medicine, and — for better or worse — the ability to redesign ourselves.

Randall Munroe, creator of the sciency webcomic, offers ridiculously complex ways to do simple things and indulges all our scientific “what-ifs.”

As different as we humans are from each other — politically and otherwise — we’re all part of the same species. We explore the history of Homo Sapiens and who (or what) might eventually replace us as kings of the forest.

More on where this show is going — and when it will come back!

In the time of COVID social-distancing, loneliness is all around us. Julianne Holt-Lunstad explains how isolation can make the pandemic worse, and how good relationships can protect our health.

Microbial ecologist Peg Riley of University of Massachusetts Amherst returns to Science Rules to counsel listeners on their relationship with their microbiome. You can listen to ad-free new episodes of Science Rules! only on Stitcher Premium. For a free month of Stitcher Premium, go to stitcherpremium.com and use promo code ‘SCIENCE.’

Former NFL lineman (and current math whiz) John Urschel and materials scientist Ainissa Ramirez highlight all the science you can see on display at the Super Bowl, from the mechanics of blocking to the psychology of play-calling.

The head veterinarian of the Wildlife Conservation Society explains how animals infect humans — and vice versa.

Changing the world requires breaking down the persistent barriers between researchers and the public. Science communicator and beloved television personality Alan Alda shares his advice and experiences on reaching people to connect science to everyday life, and challenge mindsets. For a free month of Stitcher Premium, go to stitcherpremium.com [stitcherpremium.com] and use promo code ‘SCIENCE.’

African Americans are dying at higher rates despite only being a segment of the population. There’s a constellation of factors that can lead to increased risk, but what makes COVID-19 unique reaches far beyond the current moment. Dr. Lisa Cooper joins to discuss what these contributing factors are and how some disproportionate effects continue to exist.

Even geniuses have blind spots. This week, author of Proving Einstein Right, Dr Jim Gates, joins Bill and Corey to wrestle with Einstein’s work and legacy. Plus, the next frontier in understanding the mechanics of the universe: string theory.

You can listen to ad-free new episodes of Science Rules! only on Stitcher Premium. For a free month of Stitcher Premium, go to stitcherpremium.com and use promo code ‘SCIENCE.’

It turns out being happy, or becoming happier is possible with a bit of effort. We’re joined by happiness expert and host of The Happiness Lab, Dr. Laurie Santos to talk about her research into human happiness and to take your calls, including one from Mike from Colorado who asks, “Is there a genetic component to happiness?”

How we distinguish between real risks and fake fears is a complicated, but universal human challenge. Author David Ropeik gives listeners the tools to assess their own fears, and the risks they face. You can listen to ad-free new episodes of Science Rules! only on Stitcher Premium. For a free month of Stitcher Premium, go to stitcherpremium.com and use promo code ‘SCIENCE.’

How we can help bring about the best-case scenario for the future of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci.

It’s the most famous mass extinction of all time, but we’re only just starting to understand the impact that killed the (ancient) dinosaurs. Geophysicist Joanna Morgan takes us to the crater to imagine the day the asteroid hit and the nightmarish aftermath.

For decades, William McDonough has been leading the movement toward sustainable architecture. His goal is to create a garbage-free society through what he calls “cradle to cradle” design.

From the depths of the ocean to the voids of outer space, maps matter. That's the motto of Kathryn Sullivan — astronaut, oceanographer, and former head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Jack Dangermond, founder of the mapping software company Esri, joins her to explain the science of “where.”

Gillian Jacobs (Community, Love) and Diona Reasonover (NCIS) get back in touch with their science roots and turn the tables on us in a new segment, Grill Bill and Query Corey! Check out Gillian and Diona's new podcast Periodic Talks and subscribe here: https://link.chtbl.com/PeriodicTalks

Last week on SR! Coronavirus Edition we talked about what it takes to end a pandemic on a global scale. In the second half of this series, we look inward. When could the economy potentially reopen and what does the U.S. look like afterward?

For more on the report we reference: https://www.aei.org/research-products/report/national-coronavirus-response-a-road-map-to-reopening/

If humans want to explore the solar system (and beyond), we'll have to learn to do something inconceivable for most of us pre-pandemic — exist with each other in tiny quarters for months. Kim Binsted's HI-SEAS program is trying to teach us how to do just that.

Are robots coming for our jobs? (Probably not.) If we could remove cancer from our genome, should we? (Probably.) Can our codes of ethics keep pace with innovation? (Let's do our best.) Biotech entrepreneur Juan Enriquez is here to prepare us for tomorrow.

The author of Moneyball, The Blind Side, and The Big Short explains why a country with so many experts was so unprepared for this pandemic.

(This interview was recorded May 24.)

Memory expert and Professor of Psychology at Penn, Dr. Michael Kahana doesn’t think we forget anything. He thinks there are just some memories we can’t access. He joins us to talk about his memory research and take your questions about the mysteries of remembering. You can listen to ad-free new episodes of Science Rules! only on Stitcher Premium. For a free month of Stitcher Premium, go to stitcherpremium.com and use promo code ‘SCIENCE.’

Are we in a recession? What does this stimulus package actually mean? Annie Lowrey, who writes about politics and economics for The Atlantic, talks about the government's response to this pandemic and what financial recovery could look like.

The legendary filmmaker teams up with British geoscientist Clive Oppenheimer to explain how meteorites — what they call ”visitors from darker worlds” — have shaped societies throughout history.

Atul Gawande is a member of President-elect Joe Biden’s COVID task force. He helps us dig through the latest coronavirus news including vaccine trial results, mask mandates, and how to manage risks over the holidays.

Hospitalization rates, exponential growth and flattening the curve – all these concepts are now part of our daily vocabulary. But understanding them properly takes some expertise. Bio-statistician Adam Kucharski joins Bill Nye to make sense of the data on COVID-19, and what to watch out for.

By reprogramming your body’s cells, medical engineers may soon be able to heal a diseased heart or kidney. Biologist and pioneer in the science of aging, Dr. Michael West, discusses the potential for regrowing lost limbs, and even reversing the aging process.

For a free month of Stitcher Premium, go to stitcherpremium.com and use promo code ‘SCIENCE.’

A key to staying safe from COVID-19 is contact tracing — breaking the chain of transmission from person to person. Kelly Driscoll, head of the Community Tracing Collaborative in Massachusetts, explains how contact tracing works and what it can do to block the spread of the virus.

Dr. Priyamvada Natarajan is an expert on the strangest things in physics: warped space, dark matter, dark energy, and even questions from our listeners.

Science Rules! Presents is a series of science-focused episodes from some of our favorite shows. This week we’re featuring 99% Invisible’s “Their Dark Materials.” Vantablack is a pigment that reaches a level of darkness that’s so intense, it’s kind of upsetting. It’s so black it’s like looking at a hole cut out of the universe. If it looks unreal, it’s because Vantablack isn’t actually a color, it’s a form of nanotechnology. It was created by the tech industry for the tech industry, but this strange dark material would also go on to turn the art world on its head.

Who should wear masks? Do they even work? Epidemiologist Dr Celine Gounder returns to Science Rules to take questions from Bill Nye's listener mailbox, and to share her experience from the frontline at Bellevue Hospital in New York.

Misinformation about COVID-19 is spreading as fast as the virus itself. NYU’s Dr. Celine Gounder is back on the show, this time to dispel the most virulent myths that threaten society’s efforts to flatten the curve.

WHO's Myth Busting document: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/myth-busters

It seems like every day brings a different prediction for how bad this pandemic will get. We set out to find what the data really say.

Psychologist Angela Duckworth studies the ways some people muster grit — passion and perseverance — to overcome adversity. She joins Bill and Corey to answer your questions about how the same psychological techniques could change your own behavior ... for good.

With the CDC recommending all Americans wear face masks, scientists are in a race to understand how COVID-19 travels through the air. As an expert on the fluid dynamics of disease, MIT associate professor Lydia Bourouiba discusses the implications of airborne transmission.

Erich Jarvis studies songbirds to understand how humans evolved speech. Along the way, he’s made discoveries about why we stutter, which animals can dance, and how to thrive as an underrepresented minority scientist. His research can be seen in the Netflix docuseries Babies.

The basketball legend is teaching kids from all over Los Angeles a different kind of hook-then-look shot. He wants students to get hooked on science, then come to camp and observe their environment both in the forest and in the sky.

The star of The Big Bang Theory, Blossom, and the new show Call Me Kat explains how she balances her love of science with her career in acting, and we put her neuroscience Ph.D. to use answering your questions about cognitive disabilities and disorders.

There are billions and billions of planets out there. What could they be like? Could any of them be alive? Exoplanet-hunter and undergraduate MIT student Charlotte Minsky is helping to vet discoveries of possible planets outside our solar system. She tells us what she finds, and how she finds them.

The World Health Organization has a long to-do list: address outbreaks in India and South America, distribute vaccines around the globe, and prevent the emergence of the next pandemic. Dr. Bruce Aylward explains how they intend to do it all.

When there's a deadly virus to worry about, how do you also look after your mental health? Queensland University of Technology mental health researcher Dr Olivia Fisher explains what's really driving the anxiety we're feeling through the pandemic, and how to respond to it.

The world’s greatest observatory has not just delivered jaw-dropping images of distant galaxies and nebulas. It has deepened our intimate relationship to the universe. On the telescope's 30th birthday this week, NASA's senior project scientist for Hubble, Dr. Jennifer Wiseman, shares the Hubble's secrets with Science Rules. You can listen to ad-free new episodes of Science Rules! only on Stitcher Premium. For a free month of Stitcher Premium, go to stitcherpremium.com [stitcherpremium.com] and use promo code ‘SCIENCE.’

Octopuses are clever, playful and full of surprises. They're also endangered in many places. Biodiversity scientist Dr Samantha Cheng explains why these creatures – often depicted in mythology and popular culture – are such a source of fascination. And, why they're worth protecting. You can listen to ad-free new episodes of Science Rules! only on Stitcher Premium. For a free month of Stitcher Premium, go to stitcherpremium.com and use promo code ‘SCIENCE.’

Neil Shubin reveals how he discovered Tiktaalik — a long-sought fossil link between swimming fish and walking land animals — and shares other remarkable tales about life's evolution.

Nathan Myhrvold, the company's former Chief Technology Officer, has a plan to rebuild the electrical grid, re-engineer the climate, and ... make a scientifically perfect pizza.

Science Rules! Presents is a series of science-focused episodes from some of our favorite shows. This week we’re featuring Hidden Brain's “Humor Us.”

Hahaha! The average four-year-old child laughs 300 times a day. By contrast, it takes more than two months for the average 40-year-old adult to laugh that many times. This week, we talk with behavioral scientist Jennifer Aaker of Stanford University about why so many of us fall off a “humor cliff” as we become adults. Plus, how we can inject more laughter into our lives, even during the most difficult of times.

It’s a highly controversial and unlikely hypothesis. But, as Dr. David Relman explains, we can't rule it out, because we still don't know the original source of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

How does exercise work? Should all runners go barefoot? And is sitting really the new smoking? Daniel Lieberman shines some science on common exercise myths.

Dr. Karl Linden explains how ultraviolet light can be used to destroy the coronavirus as if by magic — but it’s not magic, it’s science!

If we want to achieve herd immunity to COVID-19, is the shortcut just to mingle without wearing masks, get a lot of us sick — and let a lot of people die?

How do you measure immunity with the novel coronavirus? Antibody tests are supposed to tackle this question- but it seems they might have fallen short of expectation. James Hamblin is a journalist who joins to talk about the false promise of these tests, why some people get sick and why.

What do gerrymandering and autism have in common? Neuroscientist Sam Wang is using giant datasets to help understand the way we think, the way we vote, and the way we focus our efforts to change the world. You can listen to ad-free new episodes of Science Rules! only on Stitcher Premium. For a free month of Stitcher Premium, go to stitcherpremium.com and use promo code ‘SCIENCE.’

We ask Brian Deese — head of the White House National Economic Council — to survey the economic impact of the pandemic and explain how President Biden can make good on his promise to Build Back Better.

She’s famous for her science fiction movies (the “Star Wars” prequels, Thor, Annihilation), but hard science runs through Natalie Portman’s veins. We discuss her early research in chemistry and psychology, her environmental activism, and her strategies to keep her kids’ curiosity alive during the pandemic.

Every year, another 11 million tons of plastic trash ends up in the ocean. Winnie Lau, senior manager of the “Preventing Ocean Plastics” project, explains why recycling isn't helping — and what we should be doing instead.

LeVar Burton presents SOUND DETECTIVES – a funny, engaging, and thought-provoking podcast that invites elementary school-aged kids to explore the magic and mystery of sound.

Breaking News – Across the globe, sounds are mysteriously going missing! Waves aren’t crashing, crickets aren’t chirping, and the familiar jingle of the ice cream truck is a distant memory. Follow Detective Hunch (Vinny Thomas) and his new sidekick Audie the Ear (Jess McKenna) as they solve sound mysteries and track down the nefarious Sound Swindler … all with a little help from LeVar Burton himself!

Equal parts fun and informative, SOUND DETECTIVES encourages listeners to engage with the sound mysteries that surround us, while unlocking the door to people and cultures around the globe. Join the team on this semi-improvised comedy caper and help return the mystery sounds before the world falls silent!

Listen to SOUND DETECTIVES on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

It's not just the development of a COVID-19 vaccine that the world needs. There are also huge manufacturing and delivery challenges to plan for. Until we can immunize against it, we need alternatives to fight the virus: drugs and therapies. President of global immunization at the Sabin Vaccine Institute, Dr Bruce Gellin, walks us through it all.

Dr. Igor Koralnik explains his research on the neurological impacts of Covid-19, especially with non-severe cases.

The food industry is a wasteland for innovation, or so says Pat Brown. The founder of Impossible Foods explains how animal agriculture wrecks our environment, how chemistry can trick our taste buds, and when we might see Impossible Bacon on our breakfast tables.

We get a look inside the mind of Tal Zaks, the Chief Medical Officer at Moderna, as the company develops and tests what it hopes will become the first successful vaccine against the coronavirus. For more episodes like this, subscribe to If I Don’t See You on Stitcher Premium.

Dr. Dorothy Roberts explains the long history of racism in science and medicine — and where we go from here.

We’re constantly being sold the "latest" and "best" when it comes to food, but Dr. Marion Nestle doesn’t believe much has changed when it comes to what we need in our diets. She joins us to talk food production and public health, plus she answers some phone calls like this one from Samuel in Indianapolis who asks, “Is it more important to be cutting out the bad things, or introducing healthier things into my diet?”. You can listen to ad-free new episodes of Science Rules! only on Stitcher Premium. For a free month of Stitcher Premium, go to stitcherpremium.com [stitcherpremium.com] and use promo code ‘SCIENCE.’

Francis Collins is the director of the National Institutes of Health. He gives us a prognosis for the next few months and diagnoses the future of health research in the U.S.

Tennessee is one of several states turning away from efforts to keep people at home. But is it happening too soon? Dr. James Hildreth, President/CEO of Meharry Medical College is in the group of medical professionals advising the mayor of Nashville on covid19 response. He'll describe the process of opening Tennessee and the consequences of moving too soon.

Pia Sorensen has a kitchen laboratory where she demonstrates how pans of denatured proteins and hot fats can create a delicious meal — or a big ol’ mess.

In most cases, the danger of transmitting COVID-19 makes avoiding large gatherings a no-brainer. Could the social changes the protestors are demanding lead to long-term health benefits that are worth the short-term risks?

Eric Haseltine reveals how he used neuroscience to create best-selling toys and to protect U.S. troops from roadside explosives. He also shares some tips to help you (yes, you!) fix your suboptimal behaviors.

Harold McGee changed the culinary world in the ’80s with his book on the science of cooking. His new book moves up the face to the nose, breaking down the molecules that make up all the smells around us. He explains why some scents echo each other, how dogs can sniff out cancer, and what happens when a coronavirus takes away your sense of smell.

The famed actress and activist says she’s learned a lot from getting arrested at her own climate rallies in D.C. last year. She fills us in on the need to address injustice while we fight global warming, how the COVID pandemic has changed her activism, and how individuals can step up when governments fail them.

* But didn't know to ask. Rebecca Wragg Sykes will also tell us about the art, language, and mysterious extinction of our brawny cousins.