The sound of a choir performing in a cathedral is iconic for a reason. It’s this beautiful human experience: being side-by-side with other people, feeling the sound vibrate through you, reverberating around the space.But how long has that been a part of our culture? And what role did sound play in the lives of people who lived during the Ice Age or the Stone Age? That’s the focus of a growing field of archaeology called <a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/archaeoacoustics-ancient-caves-sound/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank">archaeoacoustics,</a> where researchers use the scientific tools of today to investigate the role of sound and music in the past.To learn more, Host Flora Lichtman is joined by Margarita Díaz-Andreu, principal investigator of the Art Soundscapes project, and Rupert Till, head of the department of humanities at the University of Huddersfield in the UK.Guests: Dr. Margarita Díaz-Andreu is an ICREA professor at the University of Barcelona in Spain and principal investigator of the Art Soundscapes project.  Dr. Rupert Till is a professor of music and head of the department humanities at the University of Huddersfield in the UK.Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at <a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/archaeoacoustics-ancient-caves-sound/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank">sciencefriday.com.</a>
<a href="https://pod.link/73329284" target="_blank">Subscribe to this podcast.</a> Plus, to stay updated on all things science,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/newsletters/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank">sign up for Science Friday's newsletters</a>.

<description>&lt;p&gt;The sound of a choir performing in a cathedral is iconic for a reason. It’s this beautiful human experience: being side-by-side with other people, feeling the sound vibrate through you, reverberating around the space.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;But how long has that been a part of our culture? And what role did sound play in the lives of people who lived during the Ice Age or the Stone Age? That’s the focus of a growing field of archaeology called &lt;a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/archaeoacoustics-ancient-caves-sound/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank"&gt;archaeoacoustics,&lt;/a&gt; where researchers use the scientific tools of today to investigate the role of sound and music in the past.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To learn more, Host Flora Lichtman is joined by Margarita Díaz-Andreu, principal investigator of the Art Soundscapes project, and Rupert Till, head of the department of humanities at the University of Huddersfield in the UK.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Guests: Dr. Margarita Díaz-Andreu is an ICREA professor at the University of Barcelona in Spain and principal investigator of the Art Soundscapes project. &lt;br /&gt;Dr. Rupert Till is a professor of music and head of the department humanities at the University of Huddersfield in the UK.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at &lt;a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/archaeoacoustics-ancient-caves-sound/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank"&gt;sciencefriday.com.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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What did a vulture-bone flute sound like inside a cave? How about singing inside a tomb? Researchers are bringing ancient sounds back to life.

How Did Ancient Humans Use The Acoustics Of Spaces Like Caves?

As the planet warms, the world’s glaciers are melting faster than snow can replenish the ice. That has implications for sea level rise, ocean currents, and global weather patterns. But collecting data at the edge of a melting glacier can be risky.Glaciologist Erin Pettit and her colleagues are listening to <a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/melting-glacier-sounds/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank">the sounds melting glaciers make</a>—from the sizzling of trapped air bubbles bursting, to the deep rumbles of underwater calving of icebergs. She joins Host Flora Lichtman to share some glacial sounds, and describe the multi-stage robot tools she uses to monitor melting ice.Guest: Dr. Erin Pettit is a professor of geophysics and glaciology at Oregon State University.Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at <a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/melting-glacier-sounds/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank">sciencefriday.com.</a>
<a href="https://pod.link/73329284" target="_blank">Subscribe to this podcast.</a> Plus, to stay updated on all things science,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/newsletters/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank">sign up for Science Friday's newsletters</a>.

<description>&lt;p&gt;As the planet warms, the world’s glaciers are melting faster than snow can replenish the ice. That has implications for sea level rise, ocean currents, and global weather patterns. But collecting data at the edge of a melting glacier can be risky.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Glaciologist Erin Pettit and her colleagues are listening to &lt;a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/melting-glacier-sounds/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank"&gt;the sounds melting glaciers make&lt;/a&gt;—from the sizzling of trapped air bubbles bursting, to the deep rumbles of underwater calving of icebergs. She joins Host Flora Lichtman to share some glacial sounds, and describe the multi-stage robot tools she uses to monitor melting ice.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Guest: Dr. Erin Pettit is a professor of geophysics and glaciology at Oregon State University.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at &lt;/i&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/melting-glacier-sounds/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;i&gt;sciencefriday.com.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://pod.link/73329284" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Subscribe to this podcast.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;i&gt; Plus, to stay updated on all things science,&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/newsletters/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;strong&gt;sign up for Science Friday's newsletters&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;i&gt;.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

A glacier’s edge can be a dangerous place to do research. This team is using robots and sound samples to monitor the melting ice.

What The Sounds Of Melting Glaciers Can Tell Us

In cancer research, the “seed and soil” hypothesis posits that the tumor is like a seed of misbehaving cells taking root in the body. Whether it grows—and where it grows—depends on the conditions, or soil. Since <a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/tumors-cancer-seed-and-soil/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank">this hypothesis</a> was proposed more than 100 years ago, most research and treatments have focused on the seed, or tumor. For nearly 50 years, Rakesh Jain has been studying the soil. But in a seed-focused field, his work was seen as wasteful and radical. Now, that very same research has led to seven FDA-approved treatments for diseases including lung and liver cancer, and earned him a National Medal of Science in 2016. Host Flora Lichtman talks with Jain about how his fringe idea led to lifesaving cancer treatments. Guest: Dr. Rakesh K. Jain studies the biology of tumors at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital as a professor of radiation oncology.Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at <a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/tumors-cancer-seed-and-soil/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank">sciencefriday.com.</a>
<a href="https://pod.link/73329284" target="_blank">Subscribe to this podcast.</a> Plus, to stay updated on all things science,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/newsletters/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank">sign up for Science Friday's newsletters</a>.

<description>&lt;p&gt;In cancer research, the “seed and soil” hypothesis posits that the tumor is like a seed of misbehaving cells taking root in the body. Whether it grows—and where it grows—depends on the conditions, or soil. Since &lt;a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/tumors-cancer-seed-and-soil/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank"&gt;this hypothesis&lt;/a&gt; was proposed more than 100 years ago, most research and treatments have focused on the seed, or tumor. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;For nearly 50 years, Rakesh Jain has been studying the soil. But in a seed-focused field, his work was seen as wasteful and radical. Now, that very same research has led to seven FDA-approved treatments for diseases including lung and liver cancer, and earned him a National Medal of Science in 2016. Host Flora Lichtman talks with Jain about how his fringe idea led to lifesaving cancer treatments. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Guest: Dr. Rakesh K. Jain studies the biology of tumors at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital as a professor of radiation oncology.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at &lt;a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/tumors-cancer-seed-and-soil/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank"&gt;sciencefriday.com.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://pod.link/73329284" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Subscribe to this podcast.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;i&gt; Plus, to stay updated on all things science,&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/newsletters/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;strong&gt;sign up for Science Friday's newsletters&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;i&gt;.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Over the past century, most cancer research has focused on the tumor itself. Rakesh Jain focused on the tumor's environment instead.

How A Fringe Idea Led To Lifesaving Cancer Treatments

For many people, <a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/bubonic-plague-spread/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri?" target="_blank">bubonic plague</a> is an illness that seems squarely situated in medieval times. But each year, a handful of human cases pop up in the western United States. Plague can be treated successfully with modern medicine. But <a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/bubonic-plague-spread/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri?" target="_blank">why does it still exist</a>, and how should we think about it both locally and globally? Plague researcher Viveka Vadyvaloo joins Host Flora Lichtman to talk all things spread and containment.Guest: Dr. Viveka Vadyvaloo is a plague researcher and director of the Allen School for Global Health at Washington State University.Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at <a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/bubonic-plague-spread/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri?" target="_blank">sciencefriday.com.</a> 
<a href="https://pod.link/73329284" target="_blank">Subscribe to this podcast.</a> Plus, to stay updated on all things science,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/newsletters/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank">sign up for Science Friday's newsletters</a>.

<description>&lt;p&gt;For many people, &lt;a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/bubonic-plague-spread/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=scifri?" target="_blank"&gt;bubonic plague&lt;/a&gt; is an illness that seems squarely situated in medieval times. But each year, a handful of human cases pop up in the western United States. Plague can be treated successfully with modern medicine. But &lt;a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/bubonic-plague-spread/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=scifri?" target="_blank"&gt;why does it still exist&lt;/a&gt;, and how should we think about it both locally and globally? &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Plague researcher Viveka Vadyvaloo joins Host Flora Lichtman to talk all things spread and containment.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Guest: Dr. Viveka Vadyvaloo is a plague researcher and director of the Allen School for Global Health at Washington State University.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at &lt;/i&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/bubonic-plague-spread/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=scifri?" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;i&gt;sciencefriday.com.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://pod.link/73329284" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Subscribe to this podcast.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;i&gt; Plus, to stay updated on all things science,&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/newsletters/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;strong&gt;sign up for Science Friday's newsletters&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;i&gt;.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

When cases of plague pop up in the US, it can feel straight up medieval. It's treatable, but how and why does it persist?

Why Is Bubonic Plague Still With Us?

Today we’re spotlighting an underappreciated group of marine creatures: <a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/science-of-sea-slugs/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank">sea slugs.</a> Don’t let their humble name fool you. They come in vivid neon colors, with patterns that rival the most beautiful butterflies and feather-like external gills and tentacles.There are an estimated 10,000 species of sea slugs and they are incredibly diverse. Some are smaller than a quarter. And one species can weigh more than a terrier, up to 30 pounds. Not to mention their contributions to brain research—understanding their neural networks was the basis for a Nobel Prize in 2000.  Marine biologist Patrick Krug joins Host Ira Flatow to dive into the slimy science of sea slugs. Guest: Dr. Patrick Krug is a sea slug researcher and professor of biological sciences at Cal State LA.Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at <a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/science-of-sea-slugs/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank">sciencefriday.com.</a>
<a href="https://pod.link/73329284" target="_blank">Subscribe to this podcast.</a> Plus, to stay updated on all things science,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/newsletters/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank">sign up for Science Friday's newsletters</a>.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Today we’re spotlighting an underappreciated group of marine creatures: &lt;a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/science-of-sea-slugs/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank"&gt;sea slugs.&lt;/a&gt; Don’t let their humble name fool you. They come in vivid neon colors, with patterns that rival the most beautiful butterflies and feather-like external gills and tentacles.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;There are an estimated 10,000 species of sea slugs and they are incredibly diverse. Some are smaller than a quarter. And one species can weigh more than a terrier, up to 30 pounds. Not to mention their contributions to brain research—understanding their neural networks was the basis for a Nobel Prize in 2000.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Marine biologist Patrick Krug joins Host Ira Flatow to dive into the slimy science of sea slugs. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Guest: Dr. Patrick Krug is a sea slug researcher and professor of biological sciences at Cal State LA.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at &lt;a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/science-of-sea-slugs/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank"&gt;sciencefriday.com.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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Across their 10,000 species, sea slugs sport striking colors, external gills, and even the ability to regrow a body from a severed head.

Don’t Let Their Name Fool You—Sea Slugs Are Awesome

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