Parsing Science: The unpublished stories behind the world’s most compelling science, as told by the
Latest Episodes
The Minds of Single-celled Organisms – Jeremy Gunawardena
Can even a single-celled organism truly learn? In Episode 70, Jeremy Gunawardena with the Department of Systems Biology at Harvard Medical School talks with us about his replication of an experiment originally conducted over a century ago,
Cuttlefish in 3D Glasses – Trevor Wardill
Why Velcro 3D glasses onto cuttlefish? In Episode 69, Trevor Wardill from the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior at the University of Minnesota discusses his research into the previously unknown ability of the cephalopod to see in stereo vis...
Undergraduates Formerly in Foster Care – Royel Johnson
What factors best predict success at college among youth formerly in foster care? Royel Johnsondiscusses his systematic literature review of research on the college success of this historically under
Ivory Towers and Abattoirs – Temple Grandin
How can research improve the lives of livestock, even as they're on their way to slaughter? In episode 67, Temple Grandin from the Colorado State University's College of Agricultural Sciences talks with us about her work on promoting improved communica...
Hiding in Plain Sight – Katherine Wood
Did you catch that? In episode 66, Katherine Wood from the University of Illinois discusses her research with the scientist behind the famous “Invisible Gorilla” experiments, Daniel Simons, into if and when people notice unexpected objects in inattenti...
Transmitting Placebo Effects – Luke Chang
Can your doctors' beliefs about the efficacy of a treatment affect how you experience pain? In episode 65, we’re joined by Luke Chang from the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences at Dartmouth College.
Global Decline of Homicide – Mateus Rennó Santos
The global decline of births from 1990 and 2015 has to a reduction in the proportion of people aged 15-29. So might this explain why the world’s homicide rate has dropped by nearly 20%? In episode 64, we’re joined by Mateus Rennó Santos from the Univer...
Extraordinary Claims, Ordinary Evidence – Susan Gelman
Why are bold, broad, and terse depictions of science perceived as more important, robust and generalizable than nuanced ones? In episode 63, we're joined by Susan Gelman from the University of Michigan, who talks with us about her research into the use...
Ritual Pain for Social Gain – Dimitris Xygalatas
Sure, you might have a tongue piercing. But would you consider something far more extreme for a bump on the social ladder? In episode 62, we're joined by Dimitris Xygalatas from the University of Connecticut,
Hearing Better than a Barn Owl – Saptarshi Das
How can what engineers learn from how barn owls pinpoint the location of the faintest sounds apply to their development of nanotechnologies capable of doing even better? In episode 61, we're joined by Saptarshi Das,