For more than 30 years, the scientists at the SETI Institute have been looking and listening for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence. And recently, some of them decided to get a bit more proactive. To find out how, Doug Gordon tracked down SETI’s senior astronomer, Seth Shostak. More
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
Science and Technology
Neil deGrasse Tyson makes the case for why constantly searching for answers doesn't have to dispel our sense of awe and wonder faced with the seemingly unknowable universe.More
How do you go from producing riveting stories about real people for "This American Life" to writing surreal short stories? Diane Cook is the person to ask.More
There’s a lot of scientific debate about the future of climate change. But have you ever considered the worst case scenario? David Wallace-Wells gives us one terrifying glimpse into the future.More
Wolf biologist Rick McIntyre took a moment from his own wolf watching to explain the lives of Yellowstone wolves, one he's observed first hand almost every day for 22 years.More
Merrill Markoe loves dogs. She’s written two novels and many comic essays about our furry friends. Doug Gordon sat down to talk with her about how dogs became our besties. More
Bioethicist Julian Savulescu says we have a moral obligation to use new technology to create the best possible children.
Rock climber Alex Honnold burst onto the scene a few years ago with some breathtaking solo climbs in Zion and Yosemite, and he’s pushed the limits for what climbers thought possible.More
Computer scientist Filippo Menczer has evidence of a bot campaign targeting one of Twitter's biggest power users: President Trump.More
2016 marked the 100th anniversary of America’s beloved National Park system. I could think of no one better to reflect on the importance...More
Writer Benjamin Kunkel bookmarks Herman Daly's "Steady-State Economics."More
Neuroscientist John Krakauer blasts the “dumb jock” stereotype with research on the cognitive brilliance of athletes.More
So you’re a serious runner? Consider the Self-Transcendence Race, running around the same half-mile loop for 3,100 miles.More
Tommy Caldwell talks about his lifelong obsession with climbing.More
How Ethan Smith overcame OCD and a crippling fear of self harm.More
Science writer Sharon Begley on how anxiety drives modern day compulsions.More
Physicist Freeman Dyson reflects on what he learned from Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr and Richard Feynman.More
Despite pining for landline telephones, writer Virginia Heffernan sees magic in the potential of the internet.More