The Age of Aquaticus

25 April 2025 - 43 mins
Podcast Series Radiolab

For years, scientists thought nothing could live above 73℃/163℉.  At that temperature, everything boiled to death. But scientists Tom Brock and Hudson Freeze weren’t convinced. What began as their simple quest to trawl for life in some of the hottest natural springs on Earth would, decades later, change the trajectory of biological science forever, saving millions of lives—possibly even yours.

This seismic, totally unpredictable discovery, was funded by the U.S. government. This week, as the Trump administration slashes scientific research budgets en masse, we tell one story, a parable about the unforeseeable miracles that basic research can yield. After that, a familiar voice raises some e...

43 mins

Series Episodes

Octomom Playing

Octomom

A mile under the ocean, we get to watch an octopus perform a heroic act of heart and determination.

34 mins

23 October Finished

The Smell of Hell Playing

The Smell of Hell

What if the smell of death is actually the smell of life?

43 mins

16 October Finished

Math Vs Machine Playing

Math Vs Machine

explicit

Machines are answering our hardest problems... Does it matter if we don’t understand how?

31 mins

9 October Finished

A 4-Track Mind Playing

A 4-Track Mind

A neurologist issues a dare to a ragtime piano player and a famous conductor, then the impossible happens.

21 mins

2 October Finished

Grass Apes Playing

Grass Apes

A tiny ode to grass, for its epic role in human history.

22 mins

25 September Finished

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