Rephonic
Artwork for Unexplainable

Unexplainable

Vox
Diabetes
Ice Cream
Climate Change
Nutrition Science
Dairy
Eggs
Health Studies
Public Health
Hard-Shelled Eggs
Crying
Scientific Misconduct
Data Integrity
James Webb Space Telescope
Evolution
Golden Orb
Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Swearing
Pain Tolerance
Aspartame
Emotions

Unexplainable takes listeners right up to the edge of what we know…and then keeps on going. The Unexplainable team — Noam Hassenfeld, Julia Longoria, Byrd Pinkerton, and Meradith Hoddinott — tackles scientific mysteries, unanswered questions, and everything we learn diving into the unknown. New episodes Mondays and Wednesdays. From Vox and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes232Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Natural SciencesLife SciencesScience

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Unexplainable

Latest Episodes

The centuries-old international battle over the real sound of a musical note.

Guest: Fanny Gribenski, historical musicologist and author of Tuning the World: The Rise of 440 Hertz in Music, Science, and Politics, 1859–1955

Reported for Unexplainabl... more

NASA found a Martian rock that might have traces of ancient life. It's perhaps the most tantalizing revelation in the century-long search for Martian life. (Updated from 2022)

Guests: Katie Stack Morgan, project scientist for the Perseverance rover;... more

Recent research — and one surprising season of The Biggest Loser — has scientists wondering whether some of the most basic things they know about metabolism are wrong.

Guest: Julia Belluz, author of Food Intelligence

For show transcripts, go to ⁠⁠⁠... more

Join our friends at The Longest Shortest Time for a deep dive into the misunderstood world of vaginas. We’ll learn about orgasm-chasing royalty, clitoral wingspans, vagina lollipops, wandering wombs, and why we still know so little about the anatomy ... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Recent Guests

Kevin Hall
Nutrition scientist and co-author of Food Intelligence
Vox Media
Episode: The metabolism myth
Rachel Gross
Science writer and author of 'Vagina Obscura, An Anatomical Voyage'
Episode: The Vagina Voyages
Liz Alter
Evolutionary biologist who spoke about giant praying mantises
Episode: Animals in the year 20202025
Jingmai O'Connor
Biologist who talked about whale rats
Episode: Animals in the year 20202025
Sharlene Santana
Expert who discussed sailing bats
Episode: Animals in the year 20202025
Tiffany Taylor
Scientist who speculated about slime molds on Mars
Episode: Animals in the year 20202025
Julia Sigwart
Biologist who shared reflections on evolution
Episode: Animals in the year 20202025
Adam Riess
Astrophysicist known for his work on the accelerating expansion of the universe.
Episode: Nightmare at the end of the universe
Nathalie Palanque-Delabrouille
Cosmologist working with the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument.
Kitt Peak National Observatory
Episode: Nightmare at the end of the universe

Hosts

Noam Hassenfeld
Host and Producer with a focus on unraveling scientific mysteries and providing insightful narratives.
Byrd Pinkerton
Co-host and Producer recognized for bringing interesting perspectives on scientific issues.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 8.4k ratings
  • Aninimals in the BIG 25 is crazy

    💀💀💀

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    TSuli…
    United Statesa month ago
  • Informational and Entertaining!

    Thanks to the Unexplainable team for creating a podcast that is thoughtful, engaging, educational, and just plain fun! I love that you bring in interesting experts to help to explain the episode’s unexplainable! I love all of the science that bring to the show! As a former science teacher, I think that you do a great job of clarifying and giving great real world examples to help listeners to understand science concepts that can be confusing or that many people have misconceptions about! If I was... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Burbet
    United Statesa month ago
  • Superficial, no counter points and politically motivated (normal, it's Vox)

    Podcast Addict
    2
    MOOP
    2 months ago
  • Good news

    Thanks so much for your recent article on good news.

    Make it a regular feature of the show and I’m subscribing!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    1No nickname is available8
    United States2 months ago
  • Ridiculous

    Sooo much affected, immature, over-woke garbage…and I’m a Dem scientist. Well annoying and yet another example of why we lost the White House.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Shuwanbo
    United States2 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners appreciate the show's thought-provoking topics and engaging expert interviews.
Overall, the reviews highlight a strong affection for the engaging storytelling and informative discussions.
There are some critiques regarding excessive commercialization and political undertones in certain episodes.
Many find the content educational and clear, making complex scientific concepts more accessible.
Some listeners express a desire for episodes to have less repetitive themes and more original content.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Did we find signs of life on Mars?
Q: What challenges face NASA in getting the Mars rocks back to Earth?
The sample return mission needs to be planned and executed, and it requires collecting the rocks and deciding where to place them for retrieval.
The metabolism myth
Q: What does it mean when some people say they have a slow metabolism?
It may not be as deterministic as people think; it often doesn't dictate one's weight struggles.
Is a little alcohol bad for you?
Q: Why is the data on alcohol's health effects not reliable?
High-quality data would require controlled trials which are difficult to conduct; many studies rely on observational data that can be flawed.
Is a little alcohol bad for you?
Q: What are the health effects of drinking moderate amounts of alcohol?
It's complicated. While there's some belief that moderate drinking might have benefits, overall evidence suggests that heavy drinking is especially harmful and that there's growing skepticism about the benefits of moderate consumption.
Animals in the year 20202025
Q: So if it's happening during an animal's lifetime, such as with frogs, that definitely can come with some serious consequences.
If the shrinking is due to immediate responses to temperature changes rather than evolution, it may pose serious risks to the species.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Unexplainable

What is Unexplainable about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show engages listeners with a compelling exploration of scientific mysteries and the unanswered questions that arise from our quest for knowledge. Each episode tackles a variety of topics spanning the natural and life sciences, often featuring expert guests who provide insights into complex subjects ranging from health and nutrition to environmental issues and cosmic phenomena. The unique storytelling approach helps demystify challenging concepts, making science accessible and engaging for a broad audience. Listeners can expect a mix of thought-provoking discussions and intriguing narratives that illuminate the unknown, inviting curiosity about the world around us.

Where can I find podcast stats for Unexplainable?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Unexplainable. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Unexplainable and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Unexplainable get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Unexplainable, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Unexplainable?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Unexplainable, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Unexplainable have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Unexplainable has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Unexplainable?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Unexplainable:

1. Science Vs
2. Explain It to Me
3. Today, Explained
4. Radiolab
5. The Gray Area with Sean Illing

How many episodes of Unexplainable are there?

Unexplainable launched 5 years ago and published 232 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Unexplainable?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Unexplainable?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Unexplainable from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Unexplainable?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Unexplainable. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Unexplainable?

Recent guests on Unexplainable include:

1. Kevin Hall
2. Rachel Gross
3. Liz Alter
4. Jingmai O'Connor
5. Sharlene Santana
6. Tiffany Taylor
7. Julia Sigwart
8. Adam Riess

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days