Pain is powerful — and when it becomes chronic, it can be all-consuming. It takes over our minds, saps our energy, and becomes the focus of our existence. And yet, pain is also invisible. We can try to describe it — stabbing, nagging, dull, achy; we can rate it on a number scale from one to 10, or point to a smiley or frowny face to define it, but it’s not something we can ever fully communicate. Our pain is ours — to feel, to bear, to live with.

Millions of Americans live with chronic pain, and yet it can be a profoundly lonely experience. The individual nature of pain, the mysterious way it often sneaks into our lives, without a definitive source, can make it hard to deal with — and even harder to treat.

On this episode, we explore the nature of chronic pain — what causes it, how it affects us, and the ongoing fight to stop it. We talk with physician Haider Warraich, who wants to change the way medicine thinks about pain, people who’ve spent years trying to treat their pain, and a reporter who’s tracking the newest developments in pain medicine.

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The bottom of the ocean seems like an unlikely place to be teeming with life — it’s dark, freezing cold, and subject to enormous pressure. And yet, in recent years, scientists have discovered that these depths are a rich ecosystem, boasting more species than you’d find just about anywhere else in the world. Most of the deep ocean remains unexplored, but we’re learning more about this mysterious place — including how its inhabitants have adapted to not only survive but thrive in such extreme conditions.

On this episode, we hear about some of the secrets that scientists are unlocking about the depths of the sea. We hear stories about some of the weirdest and most interesting creatures living deep in the ocean, one man’s epic battle against a very persistent predator, and the chase to uncover centuries-old shipwrecks.

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What we eat — and how our food is produced — is always changing. Over the past few decades, we’ve seen attempts to go from industrial farming to eating local, from factory farms to pasture-raised, anti-fat to anti-carb, wheat to quinoa, dairy milk to soy milk, bacon and eggs to avocado toast, and the list goes on. There’s a lot that goes into these changes — market forces, innovation, supply chain issues and increasingly, climate change.

In fact, food may be the single most direct way that most of us will experience the impact of global warming. It will change how food is produced, what we eat, and how much we pay for it. Farmers and food producers are adapting to a warming planet and expanding population. On this episode, we’ll look at the forces that are shaping and changing the way we eat, along with some of the foods that may become far more common in the decades to come. We’ll hear about how vertical farming is making the most of our space, why kelp could be the new soy, and the innovative solutions making their way on to our plates.

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Hurricanes. Tornadoes. Blizzards. Flooding. Over the past 20 years, we’ve seen a staggering increase in extreme weather events, resulting in millions of deaths and trillions of dollars of damage around the globe.

This increase has made the stakes for precise and accurate forecasts higher than ever — but the best forecast is useless if people don’t act on the information.

On this episode, we explore what scientists are learning, not only about predicting extreme weather, but also about how to deliver their message in a way that will compel people to heed their warnings. Then we’ll look into the aftermath of storms, how communities attempt to recover — and be better prepared for the next storm.

We hear stories about a storm-chaser’s mission to understand tornadoes, how the blizzard of 1993 settled a long debate over meteorological predictions, what happens when storms keep patients from life-saving treatments, and how communities rebuild — or don’t — after being ravaged by severe weather events.

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There are 19 million veterans in the U.S. who have served in the armed forces. For many, the military gave them a sense of shared purpose, a strong connection to their comrades. But that community often disappears when they get out of the service, leaving many feeling alone, or misunderstood. On top of that, many veterans suffer with lingering health challenges, both visible and invisible. On this episode, we talk to veterans about what they experienced, and what they want other people to know. We hear stories about one woman’s struggle to get help for her PTSD, how Shakespeare is helping veterans transition back to civilian life, and some of the health effects that come with combat.

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It's that time of year when we celebrate something we usually hate: fear. We visit haunted houses and corn mazes or binge-watch the scariest horror movies. But our relationship with fear is complicated. In its most primitive form, fear is about survival — it raises our heart rates, redirects our blood flow, makes us faster and fiercer, all so we can face — or escape — serious threats. In other settings — where there's no real danger — fear can feel exhilarating, fun, and exciting. It can serve as a form of entertainment, or even help us focus and perform better. On this episode, we look at fear and how it overlaps with other emotions. We hear stories about why we love scary movies, overcoming paralyzing stage fright, and what happened to one man who completely lost his sense of fear.

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There’s a lot to love about grasslands — the sound of the wind blowing through them, the way the colors change with the seasons, how the sun lights up the valley, and the flowers that bloom in the spring and summer.

But in many ways, we’ve taken these open spaces for granted, using them for our own purposes, from building houses to grazing livestock and planting crops. And in terms of conservation efforts, grasslands have been a bit neglected, compared to ecosystems like tropical rainforests.

But increasingly, scientists are paying more attention to grasslands as spaces that have to be protected. On this episode, we look at the role of grasslands as habitats, their importance to preserving biodiversity, and how they can help fight climate change.

We hear stories about how scientists came to appreciate the value of grasslands — and their attempts to protect what’s left, a spicy effort by researchers in Montana to fight a small but mighty opponent, a recent effort to reintroduce cheetahs into India’s grasslands, and how exactly you go about growing a lush green soccer field in a place where grass is definitely not native.

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In the early days of the pandemic, life on the streets changed. Traffic was clear, and the roads felt nearly deserted. Bumper-to-bumper commutes gave way to free and easy drives. So it came as a shock when it turned out that motor vehicle deaths had surged to nearly 40,000 people in 2020 — a jump of more than 20% per mile driven. How could this happen with far fewer drivers on the road? 

On this episode, we take a look at road safety, and what researchers are learning about it. What are the factors — besides human error — that contribute to greater safety or danger on the roadways? Can we design our way to safer streets? And if so, what does that look like? We’ll hear stories about subtle cues that can get drivers to slow down, finding a safer way to merge, and what’s really at the bottom of potholes.

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When Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) first emerged on the national stage, it was hailed as a ray of hope. It was an intensive, interactive therapy that seemed to have positive results with kids on the autism spectrum, teaching them valuable skills while eliminating unwanted behaviors. It was expensive and time-consuming — so parents lobbied to have it covered by insurance or schools. By the 2010s, they’d largely achieved that goal, and ABA became a standard treatment for kids with autism.

But over the past few years, that first generation of kids to receive intensive ABA has grown up — and they’re telling a different story. Many have criticized ABA as harmful and even abusive, calling it “conversion therapy for autistic people.”

On this episode, we explore the battle over ABA. We hear from a young man who received it as a kid, autistic self-advocates, experts, and parents — all of whom have a different perspective on ABA, its benefits, and whether or not the approach should be revamped or scrapped altogether.

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A smile, clean socks, a sandwich, a wound care kit, a heartfelt “how are you feeling today?” All of these things can be part of a public health approach called harm reduction, and many believe it’s the best way to help those who’re living with opioid addiction. The approach is to meet people where they’re at, gaining their trust, and paving a path toward treatment and recovery.

Journalist Beth Macy has covered the devastating impact of the opioid epidemic for years — including in her best-selling book “Dopesick,” which was turned into a Hulu limited series. In her latest book, she pivots to solutions. In “Raising Lazarus” she introduces audiences to the people on the frontlines of the opioid crisis, who are trying to save lives — one person at a time. We talk to Macy about her book and hear from people who are trying new ways to keep people alive and get them into treatment.

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