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Ask Us Anything by Popular Science

Ask Us Anything by Popular Science

Popular Science 59 Episodes Aug 19, 2026

Popular Science answers your most outlandish, mind-burning questions—from everyday things you've always wondered to bizarre things you never thought to ask. Join our editors as they explain it all, with new episodes every other Wednesday. Submit a question for a future episode at popsci.com/ask.

Episodes

How scary is Yellowstone's supervolcano?
How scary is Yellowstone's supervolcano? Aug 19, 2026 1176 It's volcano time, as PopSci Editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sarah Durn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Editor-in-Chief ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Annie Colbert⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ dig deep into the structure of the Yellowstone Caldera to figure out what's brewing beneath it, and just how much devastation it could unleash if it ever woke up.. Read the Popular Science stories that inspired the episode: https://www.popsci.com/e
What are the most common sunscreen myths
What are the most common sunscreen myths Aug 5, 2026 1062 It's time to separate facts from fiction about sunscreen, as PopSci Editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sarah Durn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and News Editor ⁠Laura Baisas⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ take us through the four most common misconceptions people have about suncreen and how it should be used. Plus, did you know that e.coli bacteria has been created that can manufacture organic sunscreen???? Read the Popular Scienc
How did airplane seats get SO small?
How did airplane seats get SO small? Jul 22, 2026 1100 Welcome back to our show! PopSci Editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sarah Durn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Editor-in-Chief ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Annie Colbert⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ had a little time off, but they return to figure out just how passengers ended up with barely enough room on airplanes for bodies to fit, and what it might mean for passenger safety. Read the Popular Science story that inspired the episode: ⁠h
Why are most people right handed?
Why are most people right handed? Jun 25, 2026 989 We're talking hands, and that's no jive, as PopSci Editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sarah Durn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Editor-in-Chief ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Annie Colbert⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ gesture wildly through a conversation about why roughly 90% of humans have right-hand dominance. Also a special conversation with archaeologist Dr. Anna Goldfield about right and left-handedness in humanity's ancient ancestors. Rea
What makes childhood summers last forever?
What makes childhood summers last forever? Jun 10, 2026 1061 It's summer and the days are just packed, as PopSci Editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sarah Durn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Editor-in-Chief ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Annie Colbert⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ dig deep through their memories to figure out why summers stretched seemingly forever as kids, but go by in a flash as adults. Read the Popular Science story that inspired the episode: https://www.popsci.com/science/why-childhood-summers
Is real-life storm chasing like the movies?
Is real-life storm chasing like the movies? May 28, 2026 1283 You've seen Twister AND Twisters, now let PopSci Editors ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sarah Durn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Laura Baisas⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ clue you into what storm chasing is life in the real world, through an eye-opening conversation with meteorologist, storm chaser and author Cyrena Arnold, who's also host of the Storm Front Freaks Podcast. Read the full story that inspired this episode: https://www.popsci.com/science
How do airplane toilets work?
How do airplane toilets work? May 13, 2026 938 There's more than a little bathroom talk in this episode, as PopSci Editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sarah Durn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and News Editor Laura Baisas⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ laugh and learn all the ins, outs, and ugly secrets of airplane toilets. Read the Popular Science story that inspired the episode: ⁠https://www.popsci.com/science/how-do-airplane-toilets-work/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you have a question for a future
How come some birds talk like people?
How come some birds talk like people? Apr 30, 2026 920 So many shouting and singing birds in this episode, as PopSci Editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sarah Durn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Editor-in-Chief ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Annie Colbert⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ flap their way to an explanation for why birds learn to mimic human speech. Read the Popular Science story that inspired the episode: ⁠https://www.popsci.com/environment/why-birds-talk/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about how parrots use names
Why can't we remember being babies?
Why can't we remember being babies? Apr 16, 2026 1103 Plumbing the depths of their childhood memories, PopSci Editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sarah Durn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Editor-in-Chief ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Annie Colbert⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ explain why almost no humans remember infancy or early childhood. Read the Popular Science story that inspired this episode: https://www.popsci.com/science/why-dont-i-remember-being-a-baby-study/⁠⁠ If you have a question for a future episode, g
How come only modern humans need braces?
How come only modern humans need braces? Mar 31, 2026 1044 Chomping right through the history of orthodontics and human bone development, PopSci Editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sarah Durn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Editor-in-Chief ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Annie Colbert⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ investigate why human ancestors never needed braces, but so many modern humans do. Read the Popular Science story that inspired this episode: ⁠https://www.popsci.com/science/why-need-braces/⁠ And make sure you check out
Did any dinosaurs actually spit venom?
Did any dinosaurs actually spit venom? Mar 18, 2026 1118 Digging deep into the fossil record, PopSci Editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sarah Durn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Editor-in-Chief ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Annie Colbert⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ investigate whether there really were venomous dinosaurs, like the Dilophosaurus depicted in the first Jurassic Park movie. Read the Popular Science story that inspired this episode: https://www.popsci.com/science/venomous-dinosaurs/ And make sure you check out the
What's the most eco-friendly burial option?
What's the most eco-friendly burial option? Mar 4, 2026 960 After a lifetime of trying to put things in the right bin, we all eventually arrive at the ultimate recycling dilemma: what to do with our bodies after we die? PopSci Editors ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sarah Durn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠Laura Baisas⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ go on exploration to find out what is the most environmentally friendly option for handling human remains? Despite all the new technology, experts say there’s one clear answe

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