Cool Science Radio

Author Alex Pentland discusses how modern technology often overlooks community, why shared stories drive human behavior and how AI can be redesigned to strengthen collective understanding instead of eroding it.

Acclaimed author Simon Winchester discusses “The Breath of the Gods,” his sweeping new book on the power, mystery and history of wind, and how it continues to shape civilization, climate and conflict.

Monterey Technologies’ Todd Cloutier and Tom Sharkey explain how human-centered design and human engineering shape everything from submarines to software, ensuring complex systems help people make better, safer decisions rather than overwhelm them.

Science journalist Asher Elbein explores a radical new theory that life’s complexity may have emerged more than once on Earth. New evidence from billion-year-old Gabonese fossils could rewrite evolutionary history. Then, long-time tech industry insider and Park City resident Don Stanger discusses the growing reliance on microchips throughout just about every major industry in the U.S. He tackles the evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the U.S. and how it is interconnected with the microchip industry.

Geoscientist Gabriel Bowen discusses new research revealing that human activity has pushed Utah’s Great Salt Lake into a state unseen for at least 2,000 years. Then, astrobiologist Caleb Scharf discusses his new book, "The Giant Leap: Why Space Is the Next Frontier in the Evolution of Life," exploring how humanity’s expansion into space represents a profound new phase in the story of evolution itself.

A new blood test may drastically change how doctors treat depression. NeuroKaire’s chief medical officer, Dr. Justin Coffey, explains how their BrightKaire test can identify the right antidepressant for each patient in weeks rather than months. Then Dr. Cathleen Jones from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory reveals how NASA’s NISAR satellite can now scan the Earth in incredible detail, allowing us to see it breathe and shift in real time.

Physicist and futurist Michio Kaku discusses string theory, quantum computing and how the next wave of scientific breakthroughs could transform life and technology. Then, writer and business strategist Lee Malcher explores the surprising parallels between human relationships and quantum entanglement, uncovering how science and spirituality intersect in our search for authentic connection.

Adventure Scientists’ Becky Schnekser talks about the Plastic-Free Parks TrashBlitz, a nationwide effort empowering volunteers to track and clean up plastic waste across U.S. national parks and federal lands. Then, NASA Sagan Fellow Margaret Thompson discusses her groundbreaking research on rocky exoplanets. Using laboratory experiments and theoretical models, she explores how these distant “magma worlds” form, evolve and develop atmospheres that may one day reveal signs of life.

Robotics expert James Bellingham talks about how marine robots are reshaping our understanding of the ocean. From shipwreck recovery to climate research, these technologies are transforming how we study and protect Earth’s last frontier. Then, John Green, bestselling author and advocate, discusses his new book, “Everything Is Tuberculosis,” a work of history, memoir and urgent call to action about the world’s deadliest infection.

Science writer Stephanie Pappas explores recent research showing that the H5N1 bird flu may spread through the air on dairy farms. She discusses how the virus appears in milk, equipment, wastewater and the air, and what this means for farm safety and public health.Then, Mary Roach, the best-selling author of "Stiff and Fuzz," discusses her latest book, "Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy." She explores the extraordinary history and emerging science of replacing and repairing the body, from prosthetics to organ transplants.