Marc Abrahams, founder and editor of the Annals of Improbable Research, discusses the 2026 Ig Nobel Prizes, celebrating scientific research that first makes people laugh and then makes them think. Then, RC Mowers co-founder and CEO Michael Brandt discusses how remote-operated and autonomous mowing technology is helping workers tackle dangerous terrain.

Jeffrey Cole, founding director of the Center for the Digital Future at USC Annenberg, explores how technological change reshapes society, why established institutions can be caught off guard and what decades of internet research reveal about America's changing relationship with technology.Then, Carleton University biologists Jennifer Bruin and Myriam Hoyeck discuss new research finding persistent environmental pollutants in the human pancreas and explore how these chemicals may affect insulin secretion and metabolic health.

Caltech physicist and engineer Gabriele Vajente explains how LIGO detects gravitational waves, what we've learned from black hole collisions and neutron stars, and what future observations could reveal.Then, Dr. Alexander Mossbrucker discusses how bioacoustics, artificial intelligence and digital monitoring tools are helping conservationists track endangered wildlife.

Colin Domnauer, a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Utah, discusses his research into a newly identified species of psychoactive mushroom rumored to trigger vivid hallucinations of little people, referred to as “Lilliputian Hallucinations.”Then, MIT engineer Amos Winter discusses how to design affordable, high-performance products that can succeed in different global markets.

Bloomberg investigative journalist Kit Chellel explores the surprising history of gamblers who used mathematics, early computers, and engineering to beat casinos and sportsbooks, while helping pioneer technologies that would influence the modern computing and AI landscape.Then, gene-editing researcher Raj Chari discusses how CRISPR technology is being used to study cancer, develop potential new treatments, and explore the challenges of bringing gene-editing therapies from the laboratory into clinical care.

Kalpana Pot, a self-proclaimed Space Nerd, mixes her unique brand of storytelling and humor to make complicated astrophysics topics entertaining and understandable in her new book, "Spaced Out: A Casual Approach To The Cosmos."Then, Carleton University neuroscientist Michael Hildebrand discusses new research revealing important differences in how mice, rats and humans process pain — findings that could help explain failed treatments and point to better therapies for chronic pain.

Stuart Firestein, Professor of Neuroscience at Columbia University, explores why uncertainty is essential to science and how embracing what we don't know can foster creativity, innovation and a more informed understanding of the world.Then, what happens when physics, physiology, and music collide? Opera turns the human body into an extraordinary acoustic instrument, and there’s a surprising amount of science behind the sound.

AI entrepreneur Anmol Madan, founder and CEO of RadiantGraph, explores how artificial intelligence is helping healthcare move beyond treating illness to predicting health risks before they become serious.Then, Nick Day of Roundtable Learning discusses how virtual reality is transforming workforce training by measuring real skills, helping employers verify learning outcomes and preparing workers for high-stakes jobs.

Astronomer Tanmoy Laskar of the University of Utah explains how researchers detected the magnetic fingerprint of a gamma-ray burst for the first time, offering new clues about some of the universe's most powerful explosions.Then, Blaise Agüera y Arcas, VP and Fellow at Google and founder of Paradigms of Intelligence, discusses his new book "What Is Intelligence?," which explores what AI can teach us about evolution, computing, and the mind.

George Schaller helped transform modern conservation through decades of groundbreaking wildlife research. Author Miriam Horn shares the story behind one of the most influential scientists you've probably never heard of.Then, healthcare innovation isn't limited to hospitals. Landon Gibb, senior vice president of technology and systems at PACS Group, discusses how data analytics is helping post-acute care providers improve patient outcomes and give caregivers better tools to make informed decisions.