Unexplainable

Vox

Unexplainable takes listeners right up to the edge of what we know…and then keeps on going. The Unexplainable team — Noam Hassenfeld, Julia Longoria, Byrd Pinkerton, and Meradith Hoddinott — tackles scientific mysteries, unanswered questions, and everything we learn diving into the unknown. New episodes Mondays and Wednesdays.

From Vox and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

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299 episodes
Updated Wednesday

Episodes299

Newest first

May 11 · 28 min
The hunt for a lost species
One of the world’s most biodiverse aquifers is full of strange, blind creatures that have evolved in isolation for millions of years. But one is missing.
April 29 · 33 min
Dark matter music
Pioneering musicians Beatie Wolfe and Brian Eno released their latest album Liminal by broadcasting it from a 50-foot microwave antenna.
April 27 · 27 min
I glow, therefore I am
Today on the show: a double feature — two mysteries in one episode.
April 22 · 32 min
Is everything inflammation?
To hear some people tell it — especially people on TikTok — inflammation is the root of all disease.
April 20 · 27 min
A show about nothing
A few months ago, we put out an episode about what silence sounds like, and it caught the attention of Rob Rosenthal, who hosts a podcast called Sound School about the craft of audio storytelling.
April 15 · 26 min
The Hitchhiking Microbe’s Guide to the Galaxy
Can microbes travel through space on meteorites?
April 13 · 31 min
Why did we go back to the moon?
For the first time in over 50 years, humans have gone to the moon and back.
April 1 · 27 min
Is male birth control finally here?
Typically, the burden of birth control falls on whomever has a uterus, but it seems like that might change — and soon!
March 30 · 19 min
Mi Vickicito
Host Julia Longoria signs off from Unexplainable with one final question: Why does her grandma love Vicks VapoRub so much?
March 25 · 37 min
Casey gets his voice back
Casey Harrell is a goofy, lighthearted chatterbox whose love for language helped him become an accomplished environmental activist.
March 23 · 30 min
Oliver Sacks's not quite nonfiction
Oliver Sacks was once crowned “the poet laureate of medicine."
March 18 · 29 min
The accidental rise of Botox
One of the deadliest poisons known to man is now used to treat wrinkles, migraines, and even, maybe, depression. How did that happen?
March 16 · 31 min
Who are we to fight the alchemy?
Many alchemical texts are full of bizarre, metaphorical language. But what if there's interesting science hiding behind some of those metaphors?
March 11 · 28 min
Snow day!
Grab some hot cocoa and a warm blanket and let’s talk about the tiny crystals that fall from the sky.
March 9 · 27 min
My brain made me do it
A man committed a crime. He admitted it. Then something alarming showed up on an image of his brain.
February 25 · 39 min
The Codfather
How many fish are in the sea? It's a question that has had enormous consequences for the fishing community in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
February 23 · 14 min
Stress ages us on a cellular level
It's no secret that stress isn't good for you… But just how bad is it?
February 11 · 26 min
The Amazing Extremophiles
In the dark depths of the Gowanus canal, strange lifeforms lurk...
February 9 · 39 min
Everyone does it. Why can’t I?
I’m about to burst.
February 4 · 26 min
Mysterious objects near the beginning of time
Astronomers are putting together a new picture of the early universe.

Unexplainable

The hunt for a lost species

Dark matter music

I glow, therefore I am

Is everything inflammation?

A show about nothing

The Hitchhiking Microbe’s Guide to the Galaxy

Why did we go back to the moon?

Is male birth control finally here?

Mi Vickicito

Casey gets his voice back

Oliver Sacks's not quite nonfiction

The accidental rise of Botox

Who are we to fight the alchemy?

Snow day!

My brain made me do it

The Codfather

Stress ages us on a cellular level

The Amazing Extremophiles

Everyone does it. Why can’t I?

Mysterious objects near the beginning of time