Science

Science Quickly

Scientific American

Host Rachel Feltman, alongside leading science and tech journalists, dives into the rich world of scientific discovery in this bite-size science variety show.

300 episodes

You’re probably walking past edible plants every day 2 Oct 2026 · 19 min In this episode of Science Quickly, Rachel Feltman speaks with Alexis Nikole Nelson, better known as Black Forager, about her new book Happy Snacking, Don’t Die! Nelson shares how…

Can you spot a romance scam? 30 Sept 2026 · 18 min In this episode of Science Quickly, Rachel Feltman speaks with criminologist Fangzhou Wang about how romance scams have evolved from simple online deception into sophisticated, ar…

Navigating Science and Health Misinformation [Sponsored] 29 Sept 2026 · 20 min As health misinformation surges online, Morgan McSweeney—known online as Dr. Noc, a science communicator and immunology expert whose videos reach millions each month across TikTok…

Fire amoebas, fossilized vomit and AI energy demands 28 Sept 2026 · 11 min In this episode of Science Quickly, we cover discoveries both big and small, from the supersized particle collider needed to find the next subatomic specimen to tropical sea turtl…

Unexplainable: Dark matter and the end of answers 25 Sept 2026 · 34 min In this episode of Science Quickly, we share part two of our crossover with Vox’s Unexplainable in which we explore one of the universe’s biggest mysteries: dark matter. Host Noam…

Rethinking Age-Related Vision Loss [Sponsored] 24 Sept 2026 · 20 min Treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration has advanced significantly with anti-VEGF therapies, but the need for frequent injections remains a challenge. A new, longer-las…

Should you be ‘poop maxxing’? 23 Sept 2026 · 16 min As colon cancer rates rise in younger adults, more and more people are paying attention to their poop and talking about it on social media, where such “poop maxxing” has become a…

Space weapons are here, and AI experts are sounding alarms 21 Sept 2026 · 15 min In this episode of Science Quickly, we discuss newly revealed U.S. space weapons, growing artificial intelligence safety concerns and the Environmental Protection Agency’s rollbac…

Can you hear a forest disappear? 18 Sept 2026 · 20 min In this episode of Science Quickly, filmmaker and journalist Leah Varjacques takes us to a Bornean rainforest area, where centuries-old patterns of human and wildlife behavior are…

Unexplainable: What happened before the big bang? 16 Sept 2026 · 26 min In this special crossover episode, Science Quickly shares an appearance by host Rachel Feltman on Vox’s Unexplainable. Together with host Noam Hassenfeld, she explores Scientific…

From 9/11’s lasting legacy to AI’s disruptive future 14 Sept 2026 · 13 min In this episode of Science Quickly, we explore newly released 9/11 records and their revelations about the attacks’ lasting health impacts, unpack a controversial artificial intel…

Is AI making us less human? 11 Sept 2026 · 26 min Can an artificial intelligence really be a friend? In this episode of Science Quickly, Scientific American books and culture lead Bri Kane sits down with Massachusetts Institute o…

The surprising science of friendship 9 Sept 2026 · 18 min Friendships are key to our well-being, but what kind of friendships do we really want? Despite being such a foundational part of the human experience, the science of friendship is…

What if a dating app matched you with a dead body? 4 Sept 2026 · 16 min What if a dating app could optimize human connection, even after death? In this episode of Science Quickly, books and culture editor Bri Kane speaks with author Sarah Pierce about…

The hackers fighting to keep our water safe 2 Sept 2026 · 15 min Across the U.S., the digital infrastructure that runs our utilities is quickly aging, becoming more vulnerable to cyber attacks. Recently at least a dozen states reported attacks…

NASA’s Roman Space Telescope launches 31 Aug 2026 · 14 min In this episode of Science Quickly, NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope begins its mission to probe dark energy, hunt for distant worlds and map the cosmos in unprecedented d…

Is Trump abandoning endangered species? 28 Aug 2026 · 19 min In July the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced changes to how key parts of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) will be implemented, including a new definition of what it means…

Could damaged sperm be causing miscarriages? 26 Aug 2026 · 12 min Miscarriage is often treated as a problem rooted in the pregnant partner, but emerging research suggests sperm may play a bigger role than many people realize. Science journalist…

What happens when Arctic ice melts and forests lose protection? 24 Aug 2026 · 12 min In this episode of Science Quickly, we examine a proposal to roll back protections for millions of acres of U.S. roadless forests, explore how climate change is opening a new Arct…

Can magic mushrooms help treat anorexia? 21 Aug 2026 · 24 min A small clinical trial suggests that psilocybin, the psychedelic compound in magic mushrooms, may help some people with anorexia when combined with intensive therapy. Science Quic…

Is AI making the creativity crisis worse? 19 Aug 2026 · 16 min Astrophysicist, folklorist and author Moiya McTier joins Science Quickly to discuss her new book Mothers of Invention, a sweeping look at the history of human creativity. From the…

A stunning solar eclipse, a vaccine shake-up and coffee’s big win 17 Aug 2026 · 12 min In this episode of Science Quickly, we explore the awe of a rare total solar eclipse, examine renewed controversy around childhood vaccines, look at the aftermath of Colombia’s ma…

How AI helped a nonspeaking opera star find his voice 14 Aug 2026 · 25 min In this episode of Science Quickly, we meet Jakob Jordan, an autistic performer with apraxia, who stars in the groundbreaking opera Sensorium Ex. Host Rachel Feltman talks with Jo…

Could humans learn to speak in music? 12 Aug 2026 · 24 min What would it take to create a language made entirely of music? In this episode of Science Quickly, Scientific American’s Allison Parshall explores the science and linguistics beh…

A moon crash, water hacks and a new mRNA flu shot 10 Aug 2026 · 14 min A wayward SpaceX rocket crashes into the moon, offering scientists a rare chance to study a lunar impact, while cyberattacks targeting U.S. water utilities raise concerns about cr…

Is Gen Z making smoking cool again? 7 Aug 2026 · 14 min In this episode of Science Quickly, Scientific American’s Adam Kovac joins host Rachel Feltman to explore why some experts worry cigarettes may be making a comeback among Generati…

Getting to YouTube science stardom by building $#!%ty robots 5 Aug 2026 · 25 min In this episode of Science Quickly, we talk with Simone Giertz, YouTube maker extraordinaire, about her life in science and the influencer spotlight. She started making, in her wo…

Explosive diarrhea, ‘protein maxxing’ and the science of burnout 3 Aug 2026 · 13 min In this episode of Science Quickly, we unpack a major outbreak of Cyclospora infections linked to contaminated produce, explore new research that suggests that “protein maxxing” m…

Lewis, Clark and America’s first great science mission 31 Jul 2026 · 26 min In this episode of Science Quickly, Scientific American’s books and culture lead Bri Kane talks with historian Craig Fehrman about This Vast Enterprise, his fresh take on the Lewi…

How to beat rogue antibodies at their own game [Sponsored] 30 Jul 2026 · 8 min Almost all of us know someone who suffers from an autoimmune disease. Or maybe you do yourself. Autoimmune diseases are common: only cancer and cardiovascular diseases are more pr…