Distillations podcast

Mütter Museum historical curator Jane E. Boyd discusses the parallels between the 1918–1919 flu pandemic and the coronavirus.

The way the city tackled its water pollution problems has made it an unexpected pioneer.  

The virus that made America talk about abortion.

Thirty years of research have failed to solve the Alzheimer’s riddle. Is the problem a blind embrace of scientific dogma?

Historian of science and media Ingrid Ockert discusses the exact moment Carl Sagan began wearing turtlenecks, how NOVA changed television, and the key to any successful show: respect the audience.

Rare earth elements are essential to modern life. Luckily the world has plenty of them; unfortunately, getting them out of the ground leaves behind massive environmental damage.

The blaze that sparked the modern environmental movement . . . or did it?

When the United States and Mexico resolved their beef.

Harnessing nature to deliver us from drought.

This is not just another sappy love story from science’s past.

We know migraines have afflicted people for at least three thousand years. Still, the condition continues to mystify us today.

A tiny animal with a big story.

Part 3: Searching for Meaning in Kensington.

Part 2: Synanon and the Tunnel Back to the Human Race.

Part 1: The Narcotic Farm and the Promise of Salvation.

And how California’s car emission standards continue to influence the rest of the country.

It’s complicated.

An environmental success story.