Podcasts by Transistor

No Inoculation without Representation! from 2017-11-13T05:00

Vaccinations, in one form or another, have been around longer than the United States. In fact, during the Revolutionary War in 1776, future first lady Abigail Adams pursued the controversial sci...

Cosmic Ray Catchers from 2017-10-30T04:00

Cosmic rays from outer space sound like science fiction. They’re not—invisible particles flung from outer space pass through our bodies every minute. But not all cosmic rays are equal; Some are ...

Three Letters on Broom Bridge from 2017-10-16T04:00

Every October 16th hundreds of people gather in Dublin to celebrate Ireland's greatest mathematician, William Rowan Hamilton. And get this – It was his act of vandalism on Broom Bridge in 1843 t...

After A Flood from 2017-10-02T04:00

Hurricanes Harvey and Irma left devastation in their wake all across the southern United States as unimaginable quantities of water swallowed up small towns and cities alike. But what happens to...

Bowl Tastes Delicious from 2017-09-18T04:00

What if the size of our dinner plate, its color, the material of our cutlery - even background sounds - all affect how our food tastes? In other words, what if it’s not just about what we cooked...

Hurry Up and Listen from 2017-09-04T04:00

Underneath our vrooms, beeps, and rumbles, natural sound may be more important than we think.

A Job for the Bee Team from 2017-08-21T04:00

On May 2, 2015, beekeepers Pam Arnold and Kristy Allen got hit with a pesticide. They couldn't see it or smell it, but when they saw their bees writhing on the ground and dying they knew somethi...

An Ovarian Transplant Between Twins from 2017-08-08T16:34:13

Thirty-six-year-old twins Carol and Katy are physically identical in every way but one: Katy was born without ovaries, and wanted to start a family. The science and ethics behind ovarian transpl...

Tick Tock Biological Clock from 2017-05-17T02:45:40

The headlines are often full of advice for women about when they should have children. Marnie Chesterton goes digging into the fertility stats and myths for modern women. Prepare to be surprised...

Owning the Clouds from 2017-04-28T13:08:43

Humans have always been interested in controlling the weather. In the past we used raindances and sacrifices; today we turn to science. Cloud seeding is practiced all over the world, but there's...

Spotting Fake Art -- with Math from 2017-04-03T20:54:10

Visual stylometry is a branch of mathematics that can determine the style of a particular artist’s body of work.

Engineering NYC from Below from 2017-03-09T22:51:37

Head underground to hear how some of the first subways were built, and how they are ...

700 Fathoms Under the Sea from 2017-02-07T21:13:54

Listen

Sidedoor from the Smithsonian: Shake it Up from 2017-01-20T03:04:12

For the next few episodes, we’re featuring the Smithsonian’s new series, Sidedoor, about where science, art, history, and humanity unexpectedly overlap — just like in their museums.

Sidedoor from the Smithsonian: Butting Heads from 2016-12-09T21:41:18

For the next few episodes, we’re featuring the Smithsonian’s new series, Sidedoor, about where science, art, history, and humanity unexpectedly overlap — just like in their museums.

Sidedoor from the Smithsonian: Masters of Disguise from 2016-12-01T04:07:47

For the next few episodes, we’re featuring select episodes from the Smithson...

Dance: It’s Only Human from 2016-11-11T03:59:37

Bronwyn Tarr with Carimbó dancers.

...

The Words are a Jumble from 2016-10-20T16:37:15

Vissarion Shebalin was not a great composer. But his music could unlock an important truth about how the brain processes music and language.

This story was produced by Tobin Low in 2015 ...

The Art and Science of Polynesian Wayfinding from 2016-09-21T14:09:58

Ancient navigators traveled across the P...

Remaking the Science Fair from 2016-09-02T17:35:38

This episode is brought to you by… science fair memories. I (your host Genevieve) remember being inspired...

Peeing in Your Pants… In Your 30s from 2016-08-06T07:02:39

Some studies suggest that one out of 10 women in her 30s is peeing herself. Others say the numbers could be much much higher. But it’s tough to talk about. Producer Listen

The Ghost in the MP3 from 2016-07-21T14:31:33

What’s lost when a song is compressed into an MP3? To the untrained ear, perhaps nothing. But to one composer, these “lost sounds” are a source for his stunning and ghostly musical compositions....

Outside Podcast: Devil’s Highway, Part 2 from 2016-06-21T15:07:24

Transistor’s mothership PRX has partnered with Outside Magazine to produce four special podcast episodes on the Science of Survival. You’ll receive them in Transistor’s podcast feed, and for eve...

Outside Podcast: Devil’s Highway, Part 1 from 2016-06-02T19:50:11

Transistor’s mothership PRX has partnered with Outside magazine to produce four special podcast episodes on the Science of Survival. You’ll receive them in Transistor’s podcast feed, and for eve...

Outside Podcast: Struck by Lightning from 2016-05-19T20:43:30

Transistor’s mothership PRX has partnered with Outside magazine to produce four special podcast episodes on the Science of Survival. You’ll receive them in Transistor’s podcast feed, and for eve...

Trace Elements: The Musical from 2016-05-05T21:04:57

Ta-da! Our fifth special episode with Cristina Quinn and Alison Bruzek of Listen

Trace Elements: Mystery at the Lake from 2016-04-21T21:38:36

Lake Oneida on April 24, 2016. Photo by Carl Hagmann

Special episode #4 featuring Listen

Trace Elements: Upgrade from 2016-04-07T20:53:45

It’s here! Episode three of our special five-part series called Trace Elements with hosts Cristina Quinn and Alis...

Outside Podcast: Frozen Alive from 2016-03-30T15:16:11

We are interrupting your regularly scheduled podcast feed with a special new episode on the science of sur...

Trace Elements: Fooled Ya from 2016-03-24T22:19:27

Cristina & Marco hanging out with EDI

Episode two of our Listen

Trace Elements: The Reset from 2016-03-10T16:41:35

Two hosts, one adventure: This episode marks the beginning of five special Transisto...

The Invention of the Home Pregnancy Test from 2016-02-29T05:39:14

We love a good backstory to a scientific invention that is ubiquitous today. Meet the women who got pregnancy tests out of labs and into homes.

In the episode:

Listen

Rodney Learns to Fly from 2016-02-12T22:04:35

Rodney Stotts and Mr. Hoots, a Eurasian eagle owl.

“Biophilia” refers to the instinctive affection humans h...

Imagine All the People from 2016-01-26T19:44:43

Casey draws his imaginary grandson, Georgie. Photo by Pien Huang.

Casey is just four, but he alre...

Disease Detectives On the Case from 2016-01-07T22:46:55

Ebola, salmonella, even measles. All of these have a source, and disease detectives trained at the CDC know how...

Orbital Path: Must Be Aliens from 2015-12-17T16:29:42

Loyal Transistor listeners will remember astronomer Michelle Thaller, who hosted three episodes for ...

Bluegrass…for Wolves? from 2015-12-07T04:11:50

What kind of music do animals like? A woman who studies how non-human creatures go mad throws concerts for captive animals to try and enrich their lives, and researchers weigh in on how we can u...

All By Myself…Maybe from 2015-11-20T21:46:40

“52 Hz” is the name given to a mysterious whale that vocalizes at a different frequency than other ...

Nautilus special: “To Save California, Read Dune” from 2015-11-05T19:16:18

The sci-fi epic of Dune takes place on a desert planet. There, the water in even a single tear is precious. Can Dune offer lessons for drought-stricken California of 2015?

The Indiana Jones of Math from 2015-10-05T21:15:49

Ken Golden isn’t your typical mathematician. He’s the Indiana Jones o...

Forensics in Flames from 2015-08-18T20:43:10

Over the past 20 years, there’s been a revolution in the science of arson...

That Crime of the Month from 2015-07-16T17:25:38

What does it mean when a woman commits a crime and attributes her actions to PMS? We revisit the cou...

The Last of the Iron Lungs from 2015-07-06T20:14:20

As storms raged through Oklahoma in 2013, Martha Lillard waited them out from inside her iron lung. She is one...

Where Math and Mime Meet from 2015-06-29T04:26:35

Tim and Tanya Chartier present a

classic mime stance

Some th...

This is Crohn’s Disease from 2015-06-11T19:52:09

Producer/reporter Jack Rodolico and his wife, Christina.

Told by the c...

Finding the Elusive Digital Stradivarius from 2015-05-29T21:52:22

A hammer tap ...

Totally Cerebral: Exercise and Your Brain from 2015-05-22T15:53:05

A story of movement, memory, and mentors. Dr. Wendy Suzuki introduces us to Listen

Science’s Blind Spots from 2015-05-14T18:51:49

One of the things we assign to science is that there are true, absolute facts. But scientists are human and, it turns out, as prone to blind spots in their thinking as the rest of us, especially...

Early Bloom from 2015-05-07T15:55:31

When University of Washington researcher David Rhoades discovered that plants could communicate with ...

The Next Generation of Galapagos Scientists from 2015-04-23T19:27:10

What motivates young people to become scientists? Meet Maricruz Jaramillo and Samoa Asigau, two young women scientists from opposite sides of the Pacific Ocean, whose professional aspirations ha...

Totally Cerebral: What’s That Smell? from 2015-04-16T21:09:10

Scents and tastes are powerfully evocative — one whiff of perfume or cooking aromas can transport you back to a...

The Skinny on Your Skin from 2015-04-09T21:33:51

Art by Noa Kaplan. Photo by...

The Ultimate Wayback Machine from 2015-04-02T16:09:55

Looking through a telescope is like being inside a time machine — you are seeing lig...

The Poison Squad: A Chemist’s Quest for Pure Food from 2015-03-26T17:37:43

In the fall of 1902, twelve young men in suits regularly gathered for dinners in the base...

Totally Cerebral: Think Pop Culture Gets Amnesia Right? Forgetaboutit! from 2015-03-19T11:39:41

Many depictions of amnesia in TV, movies, and cartoons are just plain wrong — some laughably so.

Futurama...