Cool Science Radio

Former CIA senior executive Steve Hirsch discusses how intelligence professionals assess emerging threats, from biological risks and food security to cyberattacks and artificial intelligence. He explores how leaders can make sound decisions amid uncertainty and prepare for crises that could affect national security.

University of Utah astrophysicist Grace Telford discusses new Hubble Space Telescope findings that reveal unexpectedly weak stellar winds in some of the universe's most metal-poor stars. The research could help explain how the earliest galaxies formed and evolved.

Orthopedic spine surgeon Dr. Stefano Sinicropi explores how physicians weigh new evidence, medical imaging and emerging technologies when making decisions about patient care. He discusses chronic pain, AI, regenerative medicine and the challenge of separating promising innovations from technologies that are ready for clinical use.

Mark Shelhamer, former chief scientist of NASA's Human Research Program, explores the physical, psychological and engineering challenges of sending humans to Mars. He discusses what we still need to learn about long-duration spaceflight and how preparing for the journey could improve healthcare on Earth.

RC Mowers co-founder and CEO Michael Brandt discusses how remote-operated and autonomous mowing technology is helping workers tackle dangerous terrain. He explains how GPS, LiDAR and robotics are being used to improve safety, address labor shortages and make difficult jobs more efficient.

Marc Abrahams, founder and editor of the Annals of Improbable Research, discusses the 2026 Ig Nobel Prizes, which celebrate scientific research that first makes people laugh and then makes them think. He shares some of this year's unusual discoveries and the story behind the annual ceremony.

Jeffrey Cole, founding director of the Center for the Digital Future at USC Annenberg, explores how technological change reshapes society, why established institutions can be caught off guard and what decades of internet research reveal about America's changing relationship with technology.

Carleton University biologists Jennifer Bruin and Myriam Hoyeck discuss new research finding persistent environmental pollutants in the human pancreas and explore how these chemicals may affect insulin secretion and metabolic health.

Dr. Alexander Mossbrucker discusses how bioacoustics, artificial intelligence and digital monitoring tools are helping conservationists track endangered wildlife. From detecting Asian elephants by their vocalizations to training rangers in Sumatra, Mossbrucker explores how better data can strengthen efforts to protect animals and their habitats.

Caltech physicist and engineer Gabriele Vajente explains how LIGO detects the faint ripples in spacetime known as gravitational waves. He explores the engineering behind the world's most sensitive measuring instruments, what we've learned from black hole collisions and neutron stars, and what future observations could reveal.