Big Picture Science
@bipisci.bsky.social
A weekly science radio show hosted by astronomer Seth Shostak and journalist Molly Bentley | Linktree: http://bit.ly/3GAzFVo
Which one delivers more electrical voltage to the body - a lightning strike or an overhead powerline? The answer to that and which one you’re more likely to survive after (regrettably) making contact: bigpicturescience.org/episodes/lik...
February 4, 2026 at 4:28 PM
Which one delivers more electrical voltage to the body - a lightning strike or an overhead powerline? The answer to that and which one you’re more likely to survive after (regrettably) making contact: bigpicturescience.org/episodes/lik...
Some people see St. Elmo’s Fire, a blue haze around objects, in the moments before lightning strikes. What produces it, and why people often describe smelling ozone, hearing a ringing in their ears, and see sparks fly off zippers before being struck: bigpicturescience.org/episodes/lik...
February 3, 2026 at 10:13 PM
Some people see St. Elmo’s Fire, a blue haze around objects, in the moments before lightning strikes. What produces it, and why people often describe smelling ozone, hearing a ringing in their ears, and see sparks fly off zippers before being struck: bigpicturescience.org/episodes/lik...
Lightning strikes somewhere on Earth in excess of 50 times a second, and is also common in the solar system. Why might the frequency of lightning strikes be increasing in the Arctic? It’s “Like Lightning” bigpicturescience.org/episodes/lik...
February 3, 2026 at 7:46 PM
Lightning strikes somewhere on Earth in excess of 50 times a second, and is also common in the solar system. Why might the frequency of lightning strikes be increasing in the Arctic? It’s “Like Lightning” bigpicturescience.org/episodes/lik...
Lightning strikes somewhere on Earth more than 50 times a second. Why the frequency of lightning strikes is increasing in the Arctic, and what to do if you come across a lightning victim. It’s “Like Lightning” bigpicturescience.org/episodes/lik...
February 2, 2026 at 7:46 PM
Lightning strikes somewhere on Earth more than 50 times a second. Why the frequency of lightning strikes is increasing in the Arctic, and what to do if you come across a lightning victim. It’s “Like Lightning” bigpicturescience.org/episodes/lik...
A federal proposal to dismantle NCAR, one of the world's premier climate and weather research centers, shocked climate scientists when it was announced in December. Alan Seals, president of the @ametsoc.org, joins us to discuss the latest updates. bigpicturescience.org/episodes/col...
January 30, 2026 at 4:28 PM
A federal proposal to dismantle NCAR, one of the world's premier climate and weather research centers, shocked climate scientists when it was announced in December. Alan Seals, president of the @ametsoc.org, joins us to discuss the latest updates. bigpicturescience.org/episodes/col...
During #AGU25, news broke about the Trump Administration's plans to dismantle NCAR, the National Center for Atmospheric Research. We report on scientist's reactions as the news rippled through the conference, prompting an emergency session. bigpicturescience.org/episodes/col...
January 30, 2026 at 1:29 AM
During #AGU25, news broke about the Trump Administration's plans to dismantle NCAR, the National Center for Atmospheric Research. We report on scientist's reactions as the news rippled through the conference, prompting an emergency session. bigpicturescience.org/episodes/col...
You may be surprised to learn that scientists track changes in the Greenland ice sheet by tracing satellite images by hand. Machine learning models could make mapping ice loss faster and more precise. Learn more on this week's episode, as we go from Cold to Hot bigpicturescience.org/episodes/col...
January 29, 2026 at 4:28 PM
You may be surprised to learn that scientists track changes in the Greenland ice sheet by tracing satellite images by hand. Machine learning models could make mapping ice loss faster and more precise. Learn more on this week's episode, as we go from Cold to Hot bigpicturescience.org/episodes/col...
What happens in the Arctic doesn't stay in the Arctic, says glaciologist Twyla Moon. The loss of sea ice, snow, and land ice cover due to climate change affects the entire global ecosystem. This week, we're going Cold to Hot. bigpicturescience.org/episodes/col...
January 28, 2026 at 10:13 PM
What happens in the Arctic doesn't stay in the Arctic, says glaciologist Twyla Moon. The loss of sea ice, snow, and land ice cover due to climate change affects the entire global ecosystem. This week, we're going Cold to Hot. bigpicturescience.org/episodes/col...
Ordinarily pristine streams are turning murky and orange in the Arctic as metals leach out of the rapidly melting ground, killing off local wildlife. We hear from scientists at the #AGU25 meeting about the latest changes to the health of the Arctic region. bigpicturescience.org/episodes/col...
January 28, 2026 at 7:46 PM
Ordinarily pristine streams are turning murky and orange in the Arctic as metals leach out of the rapidly melting ground, killing off local wildlife. We hear from scientists at the #AGU25 meeting about the latest changes to the health of the Arctic region. bigpicturescience.org/episodes/col...
Colorful - and concerning - changes are occurring in the Arctic. As the permafrost melts, plant growth is turning the icy landscape green. Metals like iron are leaching into the water, turning rivers orange. bit.ly/3ZxzkuF
January 28, 2026 at 4:28 PM
Colorful - and concerning - changes are occurring in the Arctic. As the permafrost melts, plant growth is turning the icy landscape green. Metals like iron are leaching into the water, turning rivers orange. bit.ly/3ZxzkuF
Entering the Permafrost Research Tunnel is like walking through a time machine, says microbiologist @tacaro.bsky.social. Surrounded by mammoth bones, ancient vegetation, and 40,000 year old permafrost, researchers study the effects of thaw on our planet. bigpicturescience.org/episodes/col...
January 28, 2026 at 1:29 AM
Entering the Permafrost Research Tunnel is like walking through a time machine, says microbiologist @tacaro.bsky.social. Surrounded by mammoth bones, ancient vegetation, and 40,000 year old permafrost, researchers study the effects of thaw on our planet. bigpicturescience.org/episodes/col...
Rapid warming in the Arctic is causing thousands of years old permafrost to melt. Frozen microbes, which have been guarded by the ice since the age of mammoths, are thawing along with it. How will these ancient, awakened microbes affect ecology? bigpicturescience.org/episodes/col...
January 27, 2026 at 10:13 PM
Rapid warming in the Arctic is causing thousands of years old permafrost to melt. Frozen microbes, which have been guarded by the ice since the age of mammoths, are thawing along with it. How will these ancient, awakened microbes affect ecology? bigpicturescience.org/episodes/col...
The Arctic is warming faster than the rest of the world, and the consequences extend far beyond the icy north. What happens when the world's refrigerator heats up? This week, it's "Cold to Hot" bigpicturescience.org/episodes/col...
January 27, 2026 at 7:46 PM
The Arctic is warming faster than the rest of the world, and the consequences extend far beyond the icy north. What happens when the world's refrigerator heats up? This week, it's "Cold to Hot" bigpicturescience.org/episodes/col...
Studies show that microbes locked in permafrost since the age of mammoths can be revived when they thaw. The microbes then spew greenhouse gases as they break down organic matter in the soil. We look at this feedback loop and more when we go Cold to Hot. bigpicturescience.org/episodes/col...
January 26, 2026 at 10:13 PM
Studies show that microbes locked in permafrost since the age of mammoths can be revived when they thaw. The microbes then spew greenhouse gases as they break down organic matter in the soil. We look at this feedback loop and more when we go Cold to Hot. bigpicturescience.org/episodes/col...
Colorful changes are unfolding in the Arctic. As permafrost melts, plant growth turns the glacial north green while metals like iron leach into hundreds of rivers, turning them orange. This episode explores what happens when we go Cold to Hot. bigpicturescience.org/episodes/col...
January 26, 2026 at 7:46 PM
Colorful changes are unfolding in the Arctic. As permafrost melts, plant growth turns the glacial north green while metals like iron leach into hundreds of rivers, turning them orange. This episode explores what happens when we go Cold to Hot. bigpicturescience.org/episodes/col...
Why do Earth and Mars have wind, while the Moon has none? We sail through the patterns of moving air on other worlds, as well as our own, on this week’s new episode. bigpicturescience.org/episodes/whe...
January 23, 2026 at 4:28 PM
Why do Earth and Mars have wind, while the Moon has none? We sail through the patterns of moving air on other worlds, as well as our own, on this week’s new episode. bigpicturescience.org/episodes/whe...
While we might struggle against strong winds, birds are well adapted to them. Owls, for example, navigate sudden gusts without losing control. On this week’s episode, find out what scientists learned when they put owls in a wind tunnel. bigpicturescience.org/episodes/whe...
January 22, 2026 at 10:13 PM
While we might struggle against strong winds, birds are well adapted to them. Owls, for example, navigate sudden gusts without losing control. On this week’s episode, find out what scientists learned when they put owls in a wind tunnel. bigpicturescience.org/episodes/whe...
“The wind is the great unseen actor in human history,” says author Simon Winchester who joins us to trace wind’s role in shaping history including how a subtle shift in an April breeze in 1986 alerted the world to a nuclear disaster. bigpicturescience.org/episodes/whe...
January 22, 2026 at 4:28 PM
“The wind is the great unseen actor in human history,” says author Simon Winchester who joins us to trace wind’s role in shaping history including how a subtle shift in an April breeze in 1986 alerted the world to a nuclear disaster. bigpicturescience.org/episodes/whe...
Long before coal-burning drove engines or electric grids, wind drove the growth of civilization. Mastery of sailing reshaped trade routes, accelerated migration, and enabled the rise of empires. bigpicturescience.org/episodes/whe...
January 22, 2026 at 1:29 AM
Long before coal-burning drove engines or electric grids, wind drove the growth of civilization. Mastery of sailing reshaped trade routes, accelerated migration, and enabled the rise of empires. bigpicturescience.org/episodes/whe...
The Santa Ana winds are reputed to spark madness as well as wildfires. On this week's episode, author of “The Breath of the Gods,” Simon Winchester, separates myth from science with regards to this invisible force. bigpicturescience.org/episodes/whe...
January 21, 2026 at 7:46 PM
The Santa Ana winds are reputed to spark madness as well as wildfires. On this week's episode, author of “The Breath of the Gods,” Simon Winchester, separates myth from science with regards to this invisible force. bigpicturescience.org/episodes/whe...
In this episode, we ask a deceptively simple question: what is wind? From Aristotle’s first explanation to modern climate science, we examine how differences in air temperature and pressure drive events around us. bigpicturescience.org/episodes/whe...
January 21, 2026 at 1:29 AM
In this episode, we ask a deceptively simple question: what is wind? From Aristotle’s first explanation to modern climate science, we examine how differences in air temperature and pressure drive events around us. bigpicturescience.org/episodes/whe...
D-Day was scheduled for June 5, 1944. Eisenhower delayed it after a weather forecast for that day in France. Author Simon Winchester describes how the strength and direction of wind shaped the Allied landing in Normandy. bigpicturescience.org/episodes/whe...
January 20, 2026 at 10:13 PM
D-Day was scheduled for June 5, 1944. Eisenhower delayed it after a weather forecast for that day in France. Author Simon Winchester describes how the strength and direction of wind shaped the Allied landing in Normandy. bigpicturescience.org/episodes/whe...
From kite strings to boat sails to turbine blades, we ask how wind has steered human activity in extraordinary ways. Let the invisible force be with you on this week’s episode. bigpicturescience.org/episodes/whe...
January 20, 2026 at 7:46 PM
From kite strings to boat sails to turbine blades, we ask how wind has steered human activity in extraordinary ways. Let the invisible force be with you on this week’s episode. bigpicturescience.org/episodes/whe...
It’s omnipresent on Earth and absent on the Moon. We may curse it when it’s blowing sand in our eyes or frigid air down our necks, but living on a planet without wind would be stultifying. We consider Where the Wind Blows on this week's episode: bigpicturescience.org/episodes/whe...
January 19, 2026 at 10:13 PM
It’s omnipresent on Earth and absent on the Moon. We may curse it when it’s blowing sand in our eyes or frigid air down our necks, but living on a planet without wind would be stultifying. We consider Where the Wind Blows on this week's episode: bigpicturescience.org/episodes/whe...
A wind forecast for the French coast on June 5, 1944, prompted General Eisenhower to postpone D-Day. Author Simon Winchester describes how that delay may have saved his dad’s life and other ways wind has shaped history. bigpicturescience.org/episodes/whe...
January 19, 2026 at 7:46 PM
A wind forecast for the French coast on June 5, 1944, prompted General Eisenhower to postpone D-Day. Author Simon Winchester describes how that delay may have saved his dad’s life and other ways wind has shaped history. bigpicturescience.org/episodes/whe...