A former CDC vaccine adviser has words for RFK Jr.
Last month, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired an influential committee of vaccine advisers to the CDC. What that decision could mean for vaccines and America’s public health.
How the Scopes ‘monkey’ trial echoes today
One hundred years ago, teacher John Scopes was arrested for teaching evolution in a Tennessee public school. His trial became a national sensation. Today, we’re still fighting over what should...
Are we thinking about AI the wrong way?
AI researcher Ethan Mollick says most public conversation focuses too much on potential AI catastrophes and not enough on making the technology work for people. Mollick says if we don’t...
The Jackpod: Action Completed This Day
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on the Federal Emergency Management Agency as a model of government inefficiency and the prospects for FEMA reform.
The new crisis in American kids' health
Mortality rates, mental health conditions, obesity and chronic disease rates are all up significantly in American children. Why are kids in the U.S. so unhealthy?
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What we know about the Epstein files
Miami Herald reporter Julie K. Brown knows more about the Jeffrey Epstein case than just about anyone. What does she think might be in the files the Trump administration hasn't...
How Trump cuts are causing a ‘brain drain’ in American science
The Trump administration is attacking American academic institutions on multiple fronts, including cutting grant funding and targeting foreign exchange programs. That gives other countries a chance to surpass the U.S....
How did being a sports fan get so expensive?
It can cost a fan up to $5,000 a year to follow major sports, between merchandise and game tickets and TV streaming access. Is the pursuit of profit harming sports...
Week of Wonder: Can we save the quietest places in the world?
Our planet’s rich nature sounds are disappearing, drowned out by human-made noise. Sound recordist Matt Mikkelsen travels the world, listening to and working to preserve our vanishing soundscapes.
Week of Wonder: Volcanologist Tamsin Mather on her 'adventures in volcanoland'
What's it like standing on the slopes of an active, erupting volcano? Volcanologist Tamsin Mather takes us on her journey to some of the world's biggest volcanoes.
Week of Wonder: The truth about your period
Menstruation is a definitive experience of a woman's life, and an indicator of her health. So why has period blood or menstrual fluid been largely under-researched?
Week of Wonder: 'Vivaldi smells like breakfast sausage'
Smell can trigger memories and influence emotions. New research is giving us insight into how that happens, including why some people can "smell" music and why losing the sense of...
Week of Wonder: The marvelous and misunderstood world of sharks
Sharks are full of secrets, despite being some of the oldest creatures on the planet. Marine biologist Jasmin Graham has spent a decade studying them — and trying to bring...
Week of Wonder
WBUR's On Point brings you a week of wonder: A curation of shows from the past year reveling in the wonder of the world we live in. Over the course...
The GENIUS Act and the Wild West of crypto
If Congress passes the GENIUS Act, banks will be allowed to issue their own cryptocurrency, as long as it’s tied to a stable asset like the dollar. But some economists...
The Jackpod: It's going to be everywhere
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on the rapid expansion of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency under the Trump administration.
The Democrats divided over populism
Zohran Mamdani won New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary. He's a self-declared Democratic Socialist with a populist's platform. That's made some Democrats across the country nervous. Is populism the party's...
How AI tools are transforming the lives of people with disabilities
For people with disabilities, artificial intelligence tools are helping them see, hear, experience, and move through the world in profound new ways.
Why American farmers rely on unauthorized workers
More than 40% of hired farm laborers in the U.S. are immigrants without legal status. President Trump campaigned on a plan for mass deportation. But even he admits -- the...
The power of the golden share
When President Trump approved the merger between Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel he demanded a so-called “golden share.” It gives the White House a say in key business decisions. So,...