Amid the latest Playstation-Xbox console wars and “review bombing” controversies, Inverse’s Jen Glennon offers a look at the key issues shaping the future of video game culture.

On the heels of San Diego Comic-Con’s first-ever Comic-Con@Home event, Inverse’s Dais Johnston and Mae Abdulbaki discuss the future of fan communities, as well as what’s in store for LGBTQ superheroes.

As researchers work around the clock to develop a vaccine for Covid-19, Inverse’s Ali Pattillo and Emma Betuel discuss how ”smart ring” technology and “human challenge trials” can emerge as key scientific tools.

With the mental health effects of the Covid-19 pandemic hitting people of all ages, Inverse’s Ali Pattillo and Emma Betuel explain what newly identified patterns of brain activity says about why some people are more prone to anxiety and loneliness.

As researchers catch a glimpse of eye-opening realization of Americans' sex lives, Inverse’s Ali Pattillo and Emma Betuel explain what the latest research says about the strange evolution of the male sex drive.

With the discovery of the first Antarctic egg belonging to an ancient sea creature, and evidence of a mythical shark vs. squid fight, Inverse’s Nina Pullano discusses how the latest scientific discoveries have reignited the hunt for sea monsters.

From a new way to reset the body clock, to rejuvenating old stem cells, scientific research reveals new methods to stay healthy and reverse aging. Inverse’s Ali Pattillo and Emma Betuel discuss the latest body hacks breaking new ground in the health industry.

As quarantine life forces Americans to face new truths, Inverse’s Emma Betuel explains how lockdown became the perfect time to quit smoking and turn dreams into new realities.

From your financial success to your morning cup of coffee, the factors that determine your physical health are endless. Inverse’s Ali Pattillo discusses what the latest science has to say about how healthy you are.

The ever-expanding universe keeps getting bigger and new surprises baffle scientists every day.   The more astronomers probe strange corners of the galaxies, the more one thing becomes clear — what we don’t know about the universe could fill it.

From eye-opening images of how a planet is born to discoveries of black holes we didn’t think were possible, scientists continue to stumble upon revelations, hidden like Easter eggs, all throughout the Milky Way — and completely by accident.  

Welcome to the Abstract podcast from Inverse. I’m Tanya Bustos, your host. 

Our first story is about the newly discovered images that reveal how a baby planet is born.  Thanks to the European Southern Observatory's very large telescope, astronomers were able to see a newly born planet coo its way into the universe.

Our second story is about the nearest black hole to Earth. Of the billions of black holes that could be lurking in space, astronomers spotted a new black one that is just 1,000 light-years away. The discovery of the nearby black hole poses the question: Are there other black holes in the Milky Way galaxy?

Read more at Inverse.com:

Find links to all the stories discussed in today’s episode at inverse.com/the-abstract

BABY PLANET: https://www.inverse.com/science/baby-planet-formation-study

NEAREST BLACK HOLE: https://www.inverse.com/science/astronomers-find-nearest-black-hole-to-earth

Subscribe to Inverse Daily, our free weekday email with the latest science and innovation news at inverse.com/newsletter

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We're hosted and produced by Tanya Bustos https://twitter.com/tanyapodcasts

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