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Unexplainable

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

PublishesDailyEpisodes243Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
ScienceLife SciencesNatural Sciences

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Latest Episodes

A scientist asked people to sit in a silent room for 15 minutes. Almost half of them decided to give themselves a painful electric shock instead. What is it about our brains that makes our relationship with silence so strange? And should we learn ho... more

Almost 15% of adults suffer from a persistent, often intolerable sound... that is literally just in their heads. Why does the brain do this to us? We help one of our listeners get some answers.

This is the second episode of our new four-part series,... more

Just like optical illusions trick our eyes, audio illusions can trick our ears. It makes scientists wonder: What exactly are we hearing, when we're hearing?

This is the first episode of our new four-part series, The Sound Barrier.

Guests: Diana Deu... more

This week on Unexplainable or Not, Sally Helm, the newest member of our team, tries to figure out what's killing mussels, why rivers suddenly change course, and what the longest river in the world is.

Guests: ⁠Douglas Edmonds⁠, professor at Indiana ... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Diana Deutsch
Psychology professor and researcher on auditory illusions
UC San Diego
Episode: The Sound Barrier #1: The myth of hearing
Mike Chorost
Science writer with severe hearing loss
Episode: The Sound Barrier #1: The myth of hearing
Sally Helm
Host of History This Week from the History Channel and reporter for Planet Money
History Channel, Planet Money
Episode: Solve me a river
Andres Jimenez-Zuría
Co-founder of Shrimp Welfare Project
Shrimp Welfare Project
Episode: Consider the shrimp
Sally Akehurst
A sports psychologist in London
Episode: When talent vanishes overnight
Evan Ziporyn
Clarinetist and composer who produced a favorite version of 'In C'
Bang on a Can Ensemble
Episode: Composing chaos
Mindy Weisberger
Science writer and author of 'Rise of the Zombie Bugs'
Episode: Real-life zombies
Olga Khazan
Staff writer at The Atlantic and author of the book Me, But Better, The Science and Promise of Personality Change
The Atlantic
Episode: How to change your personality
Fanny Gribenski
Music historian and author of 'Tuning the World'
Episode: What’s A

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 8.5k ratings
  • My go-to podcast for science. And great for keeping the kids interested too. Regularly download several episodes at a time for family road trips.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    vasil
    9 days ago
  • One of my favorite podcasts - great energy and topics. Super interesting.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    Kebeseler
    12 days ago
  • Our favorite Vox show, and in our top 10 for all podcasts!

    Unexplainable has been a family and personal favorite for years now, and we appreciate and love everything that you guys have done! Definitely our very favorite science/curiosity show, and almost incomparable to anything else! (Our top 10 is very eclectic; Unexplainable is by far our favorite of its genre!) The work you all put into making very episode special, and the love that you must have for contributing to such a beautifully produced, magical, truly wonderful series does not go unnoticed ... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    nicemank
    United States17 days ago
  • Thank You!

    My brain itch is always scratched in the right way when I listen to an episode.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    BussyBajaBlast
    United States20 days ago
  • In C

    Thank you so much for introducing me to this piece!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Maques
    Canadaa month 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.

Solve me a river
Q: Why do rivers change course sometimes by hundreds of miles?
One reason is that when water finds a steeper slope, it will follow that direction; another involves sediment build-up causing rivers to elevate.
Solve me a river
Q: What is killing freshwater mussels?
It's currently unclear; researchers are investigating pathogens and other environmental factors affecting their health.
When talent vanishes overnight
Q: What could cause people at the absolute peak of their profession to suddenly and often permanently lose their superpowers?
The episode explores various reasons, including psychological factors like choking under pressure and physiological conditions such as Focal Dystonia.
Composing chaos
Q: What do you discover when you listen to it now, having played it for decades?
Ziporyn signifies the power of rhythmic empathy with other musicians, highlighting the organic communication that happens during performance.
Composing chaos
Q: How do you actually create chaos?
Hassenfeld expresses the idea that creating musical chaos involves using the pre-written patterns and allowing performers to interact freely, making it feel alive and dynamic.

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.

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How many listeners does Unexplainable get?

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What are the audience demographics for Unexplainable?

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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. Radiolab
4. Today, Explained
5. 99% Invisible

How many episodes of Unexplainable are there?

Unexplainable launched 5 years ago and published 243 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.

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What guests have appeared on Unexplainable?

Recent guests on Unexplainable include:

1. Diana Deutsch
2. Mike Chorost
3. Sally Helm
4. Andres Jimenez-Zuría
5. Sally Akehurst
6. Evan Ziporyn
7. Mindy Weisberger
8. Olga Khazan

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.

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