Cool Science Radio

Physicist and futurist Michio Kaku discusses string theory, quantum computing and how the next wave of scientific breakthroughs could transform life and technology. Then, writer and business strategist Lee Malcher explores the surprising parallels between human relationships and quantum entanglement, uncovering how science and spirituality intersect in our search for authentic connection.

Adventure Scientists’ Becky Schnekser talks about the Plastic-Free Parks TrashBlitz, a nationwide effort empowering volunteers to track and clean up plastic waste across U.S. national parks and federal lands. Then, NASA Sagan Fellow Margaret Thompson discusses her groundbreaking research on rocky exoplanets. Using laboratory experiments and theoretical models, she explores how these distant “magma worlds” form, evolve and develop atmospheres that may one day reveal signs of life.

Robotics expert James Bellingham talks about how marine robots are reshaping our understanding of the ocean. From shipwreck recovery to climate research, these technologies are transforming how we study and protect Earth’s last frontier. Then, John Green, bestselling author and advocate, discusses his new book, “Everything Is Tuberculosis,” a work of history, memoir and urgent call to action about the world’s deadliest infection.

Science writer Stephanie Pappas explores recent research showing that the H5N1 bird flu may spread through the air on dairy farms. She discusses how the virus appears in milk, equipment, wastewater and the air, and what this means for farm safety and public health.Then, Mary Roach, the best-selling author of "Stiff and Fuzz," discusses her latest book, "Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy." She explores the extraordinary history and emerging science of replacing and repairing the body, from prosthetics to organ transplants.

Author and digital restoration expert Andy Saunders takes us inside "Gemini and Mercury Remastered," his new book that brings NASA’s earliest human spaceflights vividly back to life with newly recovered images and stories that capture both the triumphs and the dangers of America’s first steps into space. Then, radiation therapy has been a cornerstone of cancer treatment for more than a century, but researchers at Carleton University are working to make it safer and more effective. Physicists Sangeeta Murugkar and Rowan Thomson share how their team is combining physics, health sciences and bioinformatics to create more precise, personalized trea...

Scientific American senior editor Jen Schwartz discusses “Upended,” a new collection marking the magazine’s 180th anniversary. The series highlights moments when science reversed itself, from the promise of plastic to debates over life in the universe. Then, mathematician and author Eugenia Cheng explains why equality is never as absolute as it seems, not even in math, and how rethinking sameness can transform the way we approach fairness in everyday life.

Local artist Anna Evans and Natural History Museum of Utah’s community engagement manager Katie Worthen preview Community Science Night in Park City on Sept. 12, a free public event that blends art, ecology, and hands-on science exploration for all ages. Then, author and journalist David Baron discusses his new book "The Martians: The True Story of an Alien Craze that Captured Turn-of-the-Century America," exploring how a generation became convinced Mars was teeming with life and how that belief shaped science and culture.

Journalist and author Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow explores the surprising bipartisan support for nuclear power, its ties to nuclear weapons and how environmentalists are rethinking their stance on the technology. And energy attorney Jeff Merrifield, former Nuclear Regulatory Commissioner, explains how next-generation nuclear technologies are being designed for everything from powering data centers and military bases to fueling space exploration.

Climate activist and author Bill McKibben explains why the rapid rise of solar and wind power may be our best and last chance to slow global warming, how communities worldwide are leading the way and why he is helping launch Sun Day, a global celebration of clean energy on September 21, 2025. Then, Pearl Sandick, interim dean of the College of Science and professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Utah, discusses the newly completed Crocker Science Complex, a $97 million project that blends cutting-edge research facilities with historic architecture to transform science education and research on campus.

Ecologist and author Rob Dunn reveals the surprising ways humans and other species shape each other’s lives, from the puppy eyes that melt our hearts to the yeast that has been domesticating us for centuries, and why these hidden partnerships might hold the key to our future. Then, Johns Hopkins researcher Natalia Trayanova shares how artificial intelligence is being used to predict and prevent sudden cardiac death, offering new hope for patients most at risk.

Jason Cryan, executive director and entomologist at the Natural History Museum of Utah, highlights the upcoming BugFest, a big celebration of some of Utah’s tiniest residents. Then, University of Utah professor of physics and astronomy Anil Seth shares the remarkable discovery he and his team made using two decades of imaging from the Hubble Space Telescope.

Blaise Agüera y Arcas, a Vice President and Fellow at Google, explores the concept of intelligence in his new book, “What Is Intelligence? Lessons from AI About Evolution, Computing, and Minds.” Then, Richard Herbert, a machine learning and artificial intelligence engineer for the past 10 years, shares his insights with respect to the future of AI and how it will become a colleague and not a competitor.

Award-winning winemaker Lisa Bishop Forbes reveals the science behind what makes a wine truly exceptional. She discusses grape quality, fermentation techniques, her fresh approach to Chardonnay, and the challenge she faces in shipping and making great alcohol-free wines. (1:04)Then, local tech entrepreneur Steven Boal, CEO of Salt Lake City based company Matia Mobility, breaks down how they're dedicated to creating innovative robotic mobility devices for those with walking disabilities. (28:43)

Ferris Jabr shares his bestselling book “Becoming Earth,” which explores the interconnectedness between the Earth and everything that lives on the planet. Then, Elliot Lichtman talks about his new book, “The Computer Always Wins.” In it, he teaches powerful computer science concepts by using common games like tic-tac-toe.

Lee Billings, the senior science editor for Scientific American, talks about the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in northern Chile that has recently released its first images of the southern sky. Then, demographic planner Dean Spears talks about the science of depopulation, the possible start of a global population decline in the next 50 years, and it potential for detrimental effects.

As the polar ice melts, biologist and paleontologist Neil Shubin explores the contents within and uncovers mysteries in his book, "Ends of the Earth: Journeys to the Polar Regions in Search of Life, the Cosmos, and Our Future." Then, science journalist Olivia Campbell shares how four women physicists escaped Nazi Germany and made scientific history in her new book, "Sisters in Science."

Animal behaviorist and physiologist Carly Anne York shows how unappreciated, overlooked, and simply curiosity-driven science has led to breakthroughs big and small. Then, Sai Krupa Das, a senior scientist in nutrition and aging at Tufts University, and Reyna Gobel, a nutritionist and science journalist, discuss precision medicine and nutrition and an 8,000-person study by the Nutrition for Precision Health that examines how individuals respond to different foods.

Author Richard Simon, who went all-in to discover what would happen without his smartphone, for a whole year, shares his story of digital detox in his new book, "Unplug: How to Break Up with Your Phone and Reclaim Your Life." Then, researchers have found that most spring runoff heading to our reservoirs is actually several years old, indicating that most mountain snowfall has a years-long invisible journey as groundwater before it leaves the mountains. Paul Brooks, a professor of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Utah, tells us more about this study and our water’s trajectory.

Wisdom 2.0 founder Soren Gordhamer talks about bridging modern technology with ancient wisdom. He writes on the topic in his new book, "The Essential: Discovering What Really Matters in an Age of Distraction." Then, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Safa Kassab highlights a new augmented reality device that's making total knee replacements more precise and accurate.

Willem Marx, author of a new article in Scientific American titled “Suddenly Miners Are Tearing Up the Seafloor for Critical Metals,” talks about the ramifications of seafloor mining. Then, McKenzie Skiles, director of the Snow HydRO Lab at the University of Utah, talks about the effects of dust on mountain snowpack melting rates and how the increased runoff is reshaping the future of water in the Southwest.