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.

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 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.

Ending a pandemic is no small feat. In part one of our series, Leading epidemiologist Larry Brilliant, who helped eradicate smallpox, talks about what it takes to put an end to disease. Time is of the essence, but so is patience: There’s a long road ahead before we can conquer COVID-19.

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.

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.’

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.

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.

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.

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.’

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.

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.

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.’

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.

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.

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.’

Science Rules explains where coronavirus came from, how it is spreading, who it will affect most, and what you can do about it. Infectious disease specialist and epidemiologist Dr Celine Gounder takes calls from listeners across the US who are trying to navigate conflicting advice and information on the pandemic.

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.’

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.’

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.’

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.’

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.’

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.’

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.’

As the world changes, we've got some big things to consider. But, where do we begin as individuals? Bioethicist Travis Rieder is confronting some big questions himself, including whether we should procreate in the age of climate change. He joins us to talk about that and takes your phone calls! Listen to ad-free episodes of Science Rules! only on Stitcher Premium. For a free month of Stitcher Premium, go to stitcherpremium.com and use promo code ‘SCIENCE.’

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.

This week on Science Rules! Bill and Corey talk through why exploring space has created so much progress for many fields of science and for humanity at large. Plus, they take listener calls about, you guessed it...SPACE! 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.’

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.’

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.’

We use energy in its various forms everyday. But what is it? This week, it’s back to basics. Bill and Corey teach us about the fundamentals of energy and answer caller questions including one from Renee from Kansas, who asks, "How much energy is being wasted when my kids leave the lights on?"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.’

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?”.

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.’

This episode is sponsored by The Great Courses (www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/SCIENCERULES) and Stamps.com (www.stamps.com code: SCIENCERULES).

There are teeny-tiny organisms living at the depths of our oceans, which can tell us a lot about the possibility of life beyond Earth. Real life deep sea explorer Dr. Julie Huber from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution joins us to talk about the clues the deep water gives us about alien life. And as usual, we go to the phones to answer your questions, like one from Patrick, who asks, "how close to an alien environment are our oceans near the underwater volcanic vents?"

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 episode is sponsored by Bayer, KiwiCo (www.kiwico.com/SCIENCERULES), Invitae (www.invitae.com), and HelloFresh (www.hellofresh.com/SCIENCERULES9 code: SCIENCERULES9).

It’s Halloween and the perfect time to get apocalyptic. Eschatology expert and Science Rules! co-host Corey S. Powell brings us his insights this week on all the scientifically plausible and not-so-plausible ways the world could end.

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This episode is sponsored by The Great Courses (www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/SCIENCERULES), DoorDash (promo code: SCIENCERULES), and Proactiv (www.proactiv.com/science).

Fusion Power! CEO of TAE Technologies Michl Binderbauer believes he can bring safe and sustainable fusion power to the market in a couple short decades. He, Bill, and Corey take your calls, including one from Anne who asks Bill why he’s opposed to nuclear energy.

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 episode is sponsored by Quality Logo Products (www.qualitylogo.com code: SCIENCERULES), KiwiCo (www.kiwico.com/SCIENCERULES), and The Great Courses (www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/SCIENCERULES).

There’s a lot to human sexuality. That’s why we’re joined by comedian & actress Margaret Cho and by Dr. Lisa Rubin, associate professor of psychology at the New School for Social Research. They’ll help us piece together what makes up a person’s sexuality. Plus, Margaret Cho takes a couple listener phone calls and conquers the lightning round.

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 episode is sponsored by Airbnb (www.airbnb.com/animals), Ministry of Supply (www.ministryofsupply.com code: SCIENCERULES), Helix Sleep (www.helixsleep.com/SCIENCERULES), Quality Logo Products (www.qualitylogo.com code: SCIENCERULES), and Bayer.

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.

Everyone you’ll ever meet knows something you don’t. Especially if you meet John Hodgman— he’s an expert in expertise. John, Bill and Corey give expert advice to callers, including Kevin, who wants to know how he should propose to his girlfriend, and to Laurel calling from Ms. Cann’s 10th grade class, who wants an idea for her science project.

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 episode is sponsored by Invitae (www.invitae.com), AirBnB (www.airbnb.com/animals), Proactiv (www.proactiv.com/science), DoorDash (code: SCIENCERULES), and Quality Logo Products (www.qualitylogo.com code: SCIENCERULES).

Ever wonder why your skin is the color it is? Decades ago, Dr. Nina Jablonski wondered the same thing. She’s here to tell us the science behind the story of our skin and to break down some of the deeply entrenched myths about race and color.

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 episode is sponsored by Ministry of Supply (www.ministryofsupply.com code: SCIENCERULES), HelloFresh (www.hellofresh.com/sciencerules80 code: SCIENCERULES80), KiwiCo (www.kiwico.com/SCIENCERULES), and Quality Logo Products (www.qualitylogo.com code: SCIENCERULES).

Check out Lost at the Smithsonian, a new podcast from Stitcher! Comedian and pop culture fanatic Aasif Mandvi gets up close and personal with the most iconic artifacts at the National Museum of American History. Join Aasif and his guests as they explore how vintage clothing, ratty furniture, and mismatched shoes transformed into Fonzie's leather jacket, Archie Bunker's chair, and Dorothy's ruby slippers and became defining symbols of American culture along the way. Lost at the Smithsonian is out NOW - listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Subscribe to Lost at the Smithsonian in Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lost-at-the-smithsonian-with-aasif-mandvi/id1478968631

The world population is approaching 8 billion people and it's not stopping there. So how will we address the needs of everyone on earth? Our guest this week Dr. Susan Hockfield says we out to look to biology for answers.

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.'

The word “psychopath" can be thrown around rather flippantly— but what does it really mean to be a psychopath? Psychopathy expert Dr. Arielle Baskin-Sommers of Yale University joins us to explain this anti-social trait a little more clearly. And answers some caller questions, including one from Nora who calls in to ask, “Can psychopaths have real relationships?” Plus, Arielle gets “dorky” science on us with a deep dive into the role of empathy in psychopathy.

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 episode is sponsored by American Dental Association (www.ADA.org/sciencerules), Invitae (www.invitae.com), Quality Logo Products (www.qualitylogo.com code: SCIENCERULES), KiwiCo (www.kiwico.com/SCIENCERULES), and DoorDash (code: SCIENCERULES).

If we're going to embrace nuclear energy, we want to understand the effects of radiation and how to handle them. And that’s just the sort of work Dr. Lauren Jackson does! She joins us to talk about how radiation affects people, and what steps are being taken to protect the public in the event of a nuclear incident. Plus, she answers some caller questions, including one from Tiffany in Detroit who wonders: Should I be as scared of nuclear radiation as I am!?

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 episode is sponsored by American Dental Association (ADA.org/sciencerules), Credo Mobile (www.credo.com/science), DoorDash (code: SCIENCERULES), MagellanTV (www.magellantv.com/sciencerules), and Quality Logo Products (www.qualitylogo.com code: SCIENCERULES).

What's intelligence? Ashley Llorens, Chief of the Intelligent Systems Center at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab, has a good idea. He joins us to talk about intelligence of the human-type and the machine-type, and what it will take for machines to get up to speed. We'll take some caller questions, including one from Ahmed, who wants to know: will AI eventually take away our motivation to learn? Plus, Ashley talks about the connection between being a hip hop artist and a machine learning engineer.

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 episode is sponsored by Credo Mobile (www.credo.com/science), KiwiCo (www.kiwico.com/SCIENCERULES), Quality Logo Products (www.qualitylogo.com code: SCIENCERULES), and Honeybook (www.honeybook.com code: SCIENCERULES).

Combining consciousness and technology leaves us with some big questions. Questions that philosopher and cognitive scientist Dr. David Chalmers thinks about (someone's got to!). Caller Keith wants to know if consciousness can be manufactured, and Elizabeth asks if we will ever garner true emotion from AI? Chalmers gives his thoughts on those big questions, and experiments on Bill and Corey by kicking them in the shin!

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 episode is sponsored by Starbucks, Credo Mobile (www.credo.com/science), The Great Courses (www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/SCIENCERULES), Quality Logo Products (www.qualitylogo.com code: SCIENCERULES), and Progressive Insurance (www.progressive.com).

Evolution doesn't want anything. You just have to be good enough to survive! Geologist, paleontologist, and author Dr. Don Prothero joins us to talk evolution, creationism and Big Foot! Plus, he gives listener Jacob some tactics to respectfully talk with creationists about evolution, and he answers Stephanie's burning question: Could mermaids have ever existed?

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This episode is sponsored by Credo Mobile (www.credo.com/science), Starbucks, KiwiCo (www.kiwico.com/SCIENCERULES), Progressive Insurance (www.progressive.com), and Quality Logo Products (www.qualitylogo.com code: SCIENCERULES).

To solve any problem, you must be optimistic that you can find a solution. The problem of climate change is no different. We're joined by Dr. Michael Mann of Penn State, who's been studying climate science for decades, to talk the climate reality we're dealing with and to answer some calls. Mann gives caller Jacob some strategies for conversing with climate change skeptics, and he answers Emma's critical question: What is the single most important thing we can do right now to alleviate the pressures from climate change?

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 episode is sponsored by Progressive Insurance (www.progressive.com), The Great Courses (www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/SCIENCERULES), WGU (www.wgu.edu/sciencerules), and KiwiCo (www.kiwico.com/SCIENCERULES).

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.”

What do you think about when you eat? When Bill Nye eats, he thinks about the science behind every bite. Expert eater and host of the Sporkful Dan Pashman joins us to talk about food and give his eater perspective to caller questions, including from Nicole who wants to know whether adding salt to water really makes it boiler faster, and from Derek who wonders what is it about ketchup that makes it a non-Newtonian fluid. Plus, Dan gives his hot take on Evan’s question— what will be the next food fad?

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 episode is sponsored by WGU (www.wgu.edu/sciencerules), Honeybook (www.honeybook.com code: SCIENCERULES), Progressive Insurance (www.progressive.com), and DoorDash (code: SCIENCERULES).

To be scientifically literate, you first have to be literate. That’s why loving reading is so important and why LeVar Burton is here to take your questions! Matthew calls in to ask why he can’t remember anything without a story, Karina wonders how she can make reading feel less like a chore, and Giusseppe asks if listening to audiobooks is like cheating. LeVar will answer those questions and remind us that it’s reading and stories that make us human.

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.'

To understand our role in the universe, we have to explore the cosmos. Astrophysicist and author Dr. Janna Levin guides us in exploring the origins of the cosmos, black holes, string theory, and more! Plus, Dr. Levin answers a question from Hailey, who asks how we can measure a constantly-expanding universe, and from Victoria who’s been wondering if we’re living a holographic universe.

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.'