Big Picture Science

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Big Picture Science is a one-hour radio show and podcast that connects ideas in surprising and humorous ways to illuminate the origins, the behavior, and the future of life—and  technology—on Earth.

What came before the Big Bang?  How does the brain work? Will our descendents be human or machine?  What’s the origin of humor?  We ponder these questions daily... and expound on them weekly.

But, wait!  There’s more!

Are you a doubting Thomas?  Good.  Join us as we separate science from pseudoscience—and facts from the phony—in Skeptic Check, our monthly episode devoted to critical thinking.

Whether it’s astrology, Bigfoot, or just the incessant onslaught of UFOs, we take it all on, wielding the skeptical scalpel of solid science.

It’s Skeptic Check... but don’t take our word for it!

 

 

 

Series

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339 Pieces

Big Picture Science is a weekly one-hour science magazine that connects ideas in surprising and humorous ways to illuminate the origins and evolution of life and technology on this planet… and beyond.


Pieces

Caption: Cold Comfort, Credit: Seth Shostak
Air conditioning and refrigeration may beat the heat, but they also present a dilemma. The more we use them, the more greenhouse gases we emit, the...

Bought by KMUN, KBBI Alaska, WHCP-LP Cambridge, KMRE-LP Bellingham, Wash., KIYU-FM and more


  • Added: Sep 16, 2024
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 8
Caption: Shipwrecks, Credit: Seth Shostak
Shipwrecks are scenes of tragedy, but they are also bits of history frozen in time that can provide insights into events and ideas from long ago. T...

Bought by WRGY, Cove Mountain Educational Broadcasting, WHCP-LP Cambridge, WCAI / WNAN Cape & Islands, Mass., KZUM and more


  • Added: Sep 09, 2024
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 15
Caption: Calling All Aliens, Credit: Seth Shostak
Are we alone in the universe? Is there other intelligence out there? COSMIC, the most ambitious SETI search yet, hopes to answer that. We hear upda...

Bought by Cove Mountain Educational Broadcasting, WHCP-LP Cambridge, KBBI Alaska, KZUM, KCNP and more


  • Added: Sep 02, 2024
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 13
Caption: Life in the Solar System, Credit: Seth Shostak
Spewing lava and belching noxious fumes, volcanoes seem hostile to biology. But the search for life off-Earth includes the hunt for these hotheads ...

Bought by CHSR-FM 97.9, WVTF, KTXK, WCAI / WNAN Cape & Islands, Mass., Cove Mountain Educational Broadcasting and more


  • Added: Aug 26, 2024
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 15
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We have too much “bad fire.” Not only destructive wildfires, but the combustion that powers our cars and provides electricity has generated a worry...

Bought by KTXK, CHSR-FM 97.9, WRGY, Cove Mountain Educational Broadcasting, KZUM and more


  • Added: Aug 19, 2024
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 15
Caption: Not Just a Phage, Credit: Seth Shostak
We’re hurtling towards a post-antibiotic world, as the overuse of antibiotics has given rise to dangerous drug-resistant bacteria. Can we fight bac...

Bought by WVTF, KTXK, CHSR-FM 97.9, Cove Mountain Educational Broadcasting, KZUM and more


  • Added: Aug 12, 2024
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 16
Caption: Is Social Media Harming Kids?, Credit: Gary Niederhoff
Social media use among teens has risen alongside rates of anxiety and depression. Addressing what he calls a mental health crisis, the Surgeon Gene...

Bought by WVTF, CHSR-FM 97.9, Cove Mountain Educational Broadcasting, KTXK, KBBI Alaska and more


  • Added: Aug 05, 2024
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 16
Caption: Animal Alphabets, Credit: Seth Shostak
Have scientists discovered an alphabet in whale calls? As researchers try to decipher the series of clicks made by sperm whales, we ask whether the...

Bought by KTXK, CHSR-FM 97.9, Cove Mountain Educational Broadcasting, KBBI Alaska, KZUM and more


  • Added: Jul 29, 2024
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 15
Caption: Allergy Reason, Credit: Seth Shostak
Runny nose. Itchy, watery eyes. Sneezing. If you don’t have allergies, you probably know someone who does. The number of people with allergies, inc...

Bought by KTXK, CHSR-FM 97.9, Cove Mountain Educational Broadcasting, KBBI Alaska, KZUM and more


  • Added: Jul 22, 2024
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 14
Caption: CRISPR Mosquitoes, Credit: Seth Shostak
The powerful gene editing tool CRISPR is already being tested on animal and plant cells. It has even been used on humans. How might this revolution...

Bought by KTXK, CHSR-FM 97.9, Cove Mountain Educational Broadcasting, KZUM, KBBI Alaska and more


  • Added: Jul 15, 2024
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 15