Popular Science Podcasts

Popular Science podcasts unearth the universe’s strangest histories. They answer your most mind-burning questions. They tell spin yarns about scam artists and celebrity diets and video games and poodle haircuts. PopSci’s shows are simply the best science and tech podcasting: shamelessly entertaining, painfully smart, and fiercely fascinating.

Looking for a visual we mentioned on Weirdest Thing? Every single one of our episodes has a corresponding write-up published on the same day—that’s where you’ll find photos, videos, cited sources, and more. Check them out here!

The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week

The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is where PopSci editors go to unleash the most bizarre stories they can find. You’ll be shocked, delighted, and ready to fill awkward silences for the rest of your life.

Ask Us Anything

Popular Science answers your most outlandish, mind-burning questions—from what the universe is made of to why not everyone can touch their toes. Join Popular Science staff as they work through questions big and small.

This aerial view shows the Shedd Aquarium on Lake Michigan in Chicago, Illinois, on August 1, 2024.
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week

Chicago’s pollution could be keeping river monsters at bay

Plus other weird things we learned this week.

hockey closeup
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week

Scientists are trying to figure out why hockey players all sound Canadian

Plus other weird things we learned this week.

Silkworm.
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week

This worm got into some hot water and changed the course of history

Plus other weird things we learned this week.

Mattoon Daily Journal-Gazette headlines as they appeared on the front-page.
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week

The ‘Mad Gasser of Mattoon’ is one of history’s most bizarre unsolved mysteries

Plus other weird things we learned this week.

marbled crayfish
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week

These self-cloning crayfish ladies could take over the world

Plus other weird things we learned this week.

Lasius emarginatus
Insects

This immigrant ant is taking New York City by storm

Plus other weird things we learned this week.

Legend of the linguistic experiment by Psamtik I.
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week

The ‘forbidden experiment’ is an infamously evil chapter in scientific history

Plus other weird things we learned this week.

Giraffes are a lot gayer than most people give them credit for
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week

Giraffes are a lot gayer than most people give them credit for

Plus other weird things we learned this week.

Bornean Orangutan
Cats

These orangutans indulge in a spa-like skincare routine

Plus other weird things we learned this week.