Best Simplified Science News Podcasts (2025)

1
Building the Internet of Agents with Vijoy Pandey - #737 56:13

4h ago56:13

56:13

Today, we're joined by Vijoy Pandey, SVP and general manager at Outshift by Cisco to discuss a foundational challenge for the enterprise: how do we make specialized agents from different vendors collaborate effectively? As companies like Salesforce, Workday, and Microsoft all develop their own agentic systems, integrating them creates a complex, pr…

1
Many students want to learn to use artificial intelligence responsibly. But their professors are struggling to meet that need. 8:23

1d ago8:23

8:23

Effectively teaching students how to employ AI in their writing assignments requires clear guidelines-and detailed, case-specific examples.

1
The big idea with Diego Bohórquez 13:42

5d ago13:42

13:42

His theories around the neuropod have challenged the boundaries of classic ideas regarding gut-brain communication.

1
Genetic background steers PTEN syndrome traits 5:21

6d ago5:21

5:21

People with the syndrome, caused by variants in the gene PTEN, often have autism or cancer, or both, but it depends on the genetic diversity encoded in the components of distinct cell signaling pathways, according to a new study.

1
The tape that led to a fusion breakthrough 50:41

6d ago50:41

50:41

In 2021, Commonwealth Fusion Systems proved it had built the most powerful magnet in the world. The breakthrough was based on a specific material - a tape - that conducts massive amounts of current with very little loss. Rick Needham, Chief Commercial Officer for CFS, says the breakthrough led to a $1.8 billion Series B fundraising round. Since the…

1
Star-responsive neurons steer moths' long-distance migration 5:15

6d ago5:15

5:15

Cells in the bogong moth brain respond to astral landmarks to orient the insects in the direction they need to go.

1
LLMs for Equities Feature Forecasting at Two Sigma with Ben Wellington - #736 59:31

7d ago59:31

59:31

Today, we're joined by Ben Wellington, deputy head of feature forecasting at Two Sigma. We dig into the team’s end-to-end approach to leveraging AI in equities feature forecasting, covering how they identify and create features, collect and quantify historical data, and build predictive models to forecast market behavior and asset prices for tradin…

1
This paper changed my life: Bradley Dickerson on how a 1940s fly neuroanatomy paper influences his research to this day 5:25

8d ago5:25

5:25

This classic paper by zoologist John Pringle describes the haltere-a small structure in flies that plays a crucial role in flight control. It taught me to think about circuits and behavior as greater than the sum of their parts.

1
Gazing at a location from afar activates place cells in chickadees 5:53

12d ago5:53

5:53

The results help explain how the hippocampus can recall information about a place without an animal physically revisiting it.

1
Frontier Forum: Fixing distributed energy's finance gap 41:55

12d ago41:55

41:55

Clean energy attracts nearly $3 trillion in investment annually, but most of that capital flows to massive utility-scale projects through the world's biggest banks and large-scale asset managers. Meanwhile, smaller distributed projects — rooftop solar, batteries, microgrids — face a structural financing challenge that Amanda Li calls "death by a th…

1
TAE Technologies raises $150m, Fusion Supply Chain spending almost doubles in 2024, Wendelstein 7-X sets new performance records 9:51

13d ago9:51

9:51

Mechanical design engineer Jasmine Mund gives this week's global fusion news update, summarizing behind all of the major headlines. Links to all of the stories mentioned are included below. 1. TAE Technologies raises $150m in funding for fusion energy development https://www.power-technology.com/news/tae-technologies-fusion-energy-development/ 2. F…

1
Some dopamine neurons signal default behaviors to reinforce habits 4:54

14d ago4:54

4:54

Movement-sensing neurons that target the striatum influence a mouse's choice of action by favoring routine.

1
Zero-Shot Auto-Labeling: The End of Annotation for Computer Vision with Jason Corso - #735 56:45

14d ago56:45

56:45

Today, we're joined by Jason Corso, co-founder of Voxel51 and professor at the University of Michigan, to explore automated labeling in computer vision. Jason introduces FiftyOne, an open-source platform for visualizing datasets, analyzing models, and improving data quality. We focus on Voxel51’s recent research report, “Zero-shot auto-labeling riv…

1
On the importance of reading (just not too much) 8:43

16d ago8:43

8:43

The real fun of being a neuroscientist, and maybe the key to asking and answering new questions, is to think big and take intellectual risks.

1
How developing neurons simplify their search for a synaptic mate 6:52

19d ago6:52

6:52

Streamlining the problem from 3D to 1D eases the expedition-a strategy the study investigators deployed to rewire an olfactory circuit in flies.

1
Grokking, Generalization Collapse, and the Dynamics of Training Deep Neural Networks with Charles Martin - #734 1:25:21

20d ago1:25:21

1:25:21

Today, we're joined by Charles Martin, founder of Calculation Consulting, to discuss Weight Watcher, an open-source tool for analyzing and improving Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) based on principles from theoretical physics. We explore the foundations of the Heavy-Tailed Self-Regularization (HTSR) theory that underpins it, which combines random matri…

1
FOAK tales 52:55

19d ago52:55

52:55

This week, we're bringing you a special episode of Catalyst with Shayle Kann, a show about how to decarbonize the planet. In this episode: what it takes to secure investments for first-of-a-kind infrastructure projects. First-of-a-kind projects need infrastructure investment, the kind of money that costs less than venture capital and usually comes …

1
'Understudied secret' in brain dampens nicotine drive in mice 4:31

21d ago4:31

4:31

The interpeduncular nucleus produces an aversion to nicotine, even at low doses, and helps moderate how rewarding mice find the drug.

1
Rethinking how neural activity sculpts critical periods 6:20

22d ago6:20

6:20

New findings on the role of neural activity in developing circuits are challenging our prior notions about the rules that govern critical periods.

1
To understand the brain as a network organ, we must image cortical layers 6:38

23d ago6:38

6:38

Human neuroscience research has largely overlooked this spatial scale—which bridges cells and brain areas. But new advances in functional MRI technology are changing that.

1
Amina Abubakar translates autism research and care for Kenya 8:04

27d ago8:04

8:04

First an educator and now an internationally recognized researcher, the Kenyan psychologist is changing autism science and services in sub-Saharan Africa.

1
Google I/O 2025 Special Edition - #733 26:21

27d ago26:21

26:21

Today, I’m excited to share a special crossover edition of the podcast recorded live from Google I/O 2025! In this episode, I join Shawn Wang aka Swyx from the Latent Space Podcast, to interview Logan Kilpatrick and Shrestha Basu Mallick, PMs at Google DeepMind working on AI Studio and the Gemini API, along with Kwindla Kramer, CEO of Daily and cre…

1
Laser-powered fusion, World's most powerful laser, Realta Fusion raises $36M 7:18

27d ago7:18

7:18

A summary of recent fusion energy news stories presented by Jeff Peachman, a graduate student of plasma physics at the University of Washington. Links to all of the stories mentioned are included below. 1. Laser-powered fusion experiment more than doubles its power output. https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/17/laser-powered-fusion-experiment-more-than-…

1
Learning in living mice defies classic synaptic plasticity rule 5:42

28d ago5:42

5:42

Donald Hebb’s theory—memorably summarized as “cells that fire together, wire together”—does not explain the shifting hippocampal connections in mice learning to navigate a virtual environment, according to a new study.

1
Cephalopods, vision's next frontier 14:23

29d ago14:23

14:23

For decades, scientists have been teased by the strange but inaccessible cephalopod visual system. Now, thanks to a technological breakthrough from a lab in Oregon, data are finally coming straight from the octopus brain.

1
Escaping groupthink: What animals' behavioral quirks reveal about the brain 10:05

1M ago10:05

10:05

Neuroscientists have long ignored the variability in animals’ behavioral responses in favor of studying differences across groups. But work on the brain differences that underlie that variability is beginning to pay off.

1
Immune cells block pain in female mice only 5:30

1M ago5:30

5:30

Regulatory T cells in the spinal meninges release endogenous opioids in a sex-specific manner, new work shows.

1
RAG Risks: Why Retrieval-Augmented LLMs are Not Safer with Sebastian Gehrmann - #732 57:09

1M ago57:09

57:09

Today, we're joined by Sebastian Gehrmann, head of responsible AI in the Office of the CTO at Bloomberg, to discuss AI safety in retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systems and generative AI in high-stakes domains like financial services. We explore how RAG, contrary to some expectations, can inadvertently degrade model safety. We cover examples o…

1
Building Fervo's geothermal giant 42:38

1M ago42:38

42:38

In 2023, Sarah Jewett was on her honeymoon in France when she received a life-changing text: steam was flowing from Fervo Energy's first commercial geothermal project in Nevada. That moment confirmed their revolutionary approach—applying horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing from the oil and gas industry to tap heat resources previously cons…

1
The BabyLM Challenge: In search of more efficient learning algorithms, researchers look to infants 8:31

1M ago8:31

8:31

A competition that trains language models on relatively small datasets of words, closer in size to what a child hears up to age 13, seeks solutions to some of the major challenges of today’s large language models.

1
Reporter's notebook: Highlights from INSAR 2025 6:12

1M ago6:12

6:12

The annual meeting brought autism researchers, advocates and clinicians to Seattle to discuss the latest research, including attempts to define subgroups, a potential new CHD8 macaque model and life expectancy gaps.

1
ITER completes super magnet; University of Texas solves fusion challenge; Fusion collaboration in Germany; Is China pulling ahead in fusion? 9:05

1M ago9:05

9:05

Mechanical design engineer Jasmine Mund gives this week's global fusion news update, summarizing behind all of the major headlines. Links to all of the stories mentioned are included below. 1. ITER completes fusion super magnethttps://www.neimagazine.com/news/iter-completes-fusion-super-magnet/ 2. University of Texas-led team solves a big problem f…

1
NIDA shutters diversity fellowship program, axes active awards 4:53

1M ago4:53

4:53

It’s unclear if the cancellation at the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse extends to the fellowships awarded by other institutes within the National Institutes of Health.

1
'We still exist': How four neuroscience advocacy groups are navigating federal DEI funding cuts 17:57

1M ago17:57

17:57

Trainees from underrepresented backgrounds are losing pillars of support in the current funding climate. Grassroots mentorship organizations are stepping in to continue championing early-career researchers.

1
From Prompts to Policies: How RL Builds Better AI Agents with Mahesh Sathiamoorthy - #731 1:01:25

1M ago1:01:25

1:01:25

Today, we're joined by Mahesh Sathiamoorthy, co-founder and CEO of Bespoke Labs, to discuss how reinforcement learning (RL) is reshaping the way we build custom agents on top of foundation models. Mahesh highlights the crucial role of data curation, evaluation, and error analysis in model performance, and explains why RL offers a more robust altern…

1
This paper changed my life: Marino Pagan recalls a decision-making study from four titans in the field 6:49

1M ago6:49

6:49

Valerio Mante and David Sussillo, along with their mentors Krishna Shenoy and Bill Newsome, revealed the complexity of neural population dynamics and the power of recurrent neural networks.

1
Exclusive: Recruitment issues jeopardize ambitious plan for human brain atlas 6:28

2M ago6:28

6:28

A lack of six new brain donors may stop the project from meeting its goal to pair molecular and cellular data with the functional organization of the cortex.

1
How pragmatism and passion drive Fred Volkmar-even after retirement 10:15

2M ago10:15

10:15

Whether looking back at his career highlights or forward to his latest projects, the psychiatrist is committed to supporting autistic people at every age.

1
Terawatt Infrastructure’s billion-dollar strategy 33:43

2M ago33:43

33:43

In 2021, Neha Palmer co-founced Terawatt Infrastructure with a bold mission: create the backbone for America's electric trucking revolution. Within its first year, Terawatt secured a billion-dollar investment. But as the company developed plans for a nationwide charging network, it confronted the daunting challenge of building infrastructure for an…

1
How OpenAI Builds AI Agents That Think and Act with Josh Tobin - #730 1:07:27

2M ago1:07:27

1:07:27

Today, we're joined by Josh Tobin, member of technical staff at OpenAI, to discuss the company’s approach to building AI agents. We cover OpenAI's three agentic offerings—Deep Research for comprehensive web research, Operator for website navigation, and Codex CLI for local code execution. We explore OpenAI’s shift from simple LLM workflows to reaso…

1
Sleep doesn't just consolidate memories; it actively shapes them 5:52

2M ago5:52

5:52

The rapid eye movement (REM) phase preserves newly acquired memories, but deeper non-REM sleep helps to adapt and update them, according to “heroic” day-long electrode recordings in rats.

1
Matt Krumins - Simplifying Photography For Everyone 1:20:29

2M ago1:20:29

1:20:29

Today I’m joined by the incredibly talented Matt Krumins - a Melbourne-based professional photographer with over 15 years of experience across landscapes, wildlife, events, and underwater photography. A keen diver, he commenced his underwater journey over 2 decades ago and I’ve admired Matt’s work for several years, particularly his striking big an…

1
Thinking about thinking: AI offers theoretical insights into human memory 8:13

2M ago8:13

8:13

We need a new conceptual framework for understanding cognitive functions—particularly how globally distributed brain states are formed and maintained for hours.

1
CTIBench: Evaluating LLMs in Cyber Threat Intelligence with Nidhi Rastogi - #729 56:18

2M ago56:18

56:18

Today, we're joined by Nidhi Rastogi, assistant professor at Rochester Institute of Technology to discuss Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI), focusing on her recent project CTIBench—a benchmark for evaluating LLMs on real-world CTI tasks. Nidhi explains the evolution of AI in cybersecurity, from rule-based systems to LLMs that accelerate analysis by p…

1
Mitochondrial 'landscape' shifts across human brain 6:41

2M ago6:41

6:41

Evolutionarily newer regions sport mitochondria with a higher capacity for energy production than older regions, according to the first detailed map of the organelles in a tissue slice, adding to mounting evidence that the brain features a metabolic gradient.

1
Generative Benchmarking with Kelly Hong - #728 54:17

2M ago54:17

54:17

In this episode, Kelly Hong, a researcher at Chroma, joins us to discuss "Generative Benchmarking," a novel approach to evaluating retrieval systems, like RAG applications, using synthetic data. Kelly explains how traditional benchmarks like MTEB fail to represent real-world query patterns and how embedding models that perform well on public benchm…

1
The scrappy beginning of Tesla’s energy business 35:40

2M ago35:40

35:40

In 2014, Drew Baglino was helping build Tesla's energy division with a passionate, scrappy team. Using parts from Tesla's vehicles, they created the first Powerwall home battery. But as demand grew, they hit a critical bottleneck: cell shortages. Customers across multiple markets were already excited about the new product, but Drew’s team struggled…

1
This paper changed my life: Shane Liddelow on two papers that upended astrocyte research 6:37

2M ago6:37

6:37

A game-changing cell culture method developed in Ben Barres’ lab completely transformed the way we study astrocytes and helped me build a career studying their reactive substates.