At last year’s World Athletics Championships, sprinter TyNia Gaither was disqualified for false starting... after the gun went off. Officials said she started faster than humanly possible. How can that be?

This episode originally ran on June 15, 2022.
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Jumping the gun

Unexplainable takes listeners right up to the edge of what we know ... and then keeps right on going. This Vox podcast explores scientific mysteries, unanswered questions, and all the things we learn by diving into the unknown. New episodes every Wednesday.

Natural Sciences

Science & Medicine

Science

Life Sciences

A snake. A ray. A shark. They each got pregnant with no male involved. In fact, scientists are finding more and more species that can reproduce on their own. What’s going on?
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For more, go to vox.com/unexplainable
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Who's the daddy? There isn't one.

Itch used to be understood as a mild form of pain, but scientists are learning this sense is more than just skin deep. How deep does it go?
For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts
For more, go to vox.com/unexplainable
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Itch hunt

Life as we know it needs water, but scientists can’t figure out where Earth’s water came from. Answering that question is just one piece of an even bigger mystery: “Why are we here?” (Updated from 2023)
For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts
For more, go to vox.com/unexplainable
Vox is also currently running a series called Home Planet, which is all about celebrating Earth in the face of climate change: vox.com/homeplanet
And please email us! unexplainable@vox.com
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How did Earth get its water?

A cell is alive. So is a leaf and so is a tree. But what about the forest they’re a part of? Is that forest alive? And what about the planet that forest grows on? Is Earth alive? Science writer Ferris Jabr says: Yes.
For show transcripts, go to bit.ly/unx-transcripts
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
Vox is also currently running a series called Home Planet, which is all about celebrating Earth in the face of climate change: http://vox.com/homeplanet
And please email us! unexplainable@vox.com
We read every email.
Support Unexplainable by making a financial contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts
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Is Earth alive?

The researcher who popularized the idea of the alpha wolf has spent decades trying to take it back. Our friends over at Pablo Torre Finds Out try to uncover how science got it wrong.
For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable
It’s a great place to view show transcripts and read more about the topics on our show.
Also, email us! unexplainable@vox.com
We read every email.
Support Unexplainable by making a financial contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts
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Jumping the gun

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