2025: The Year Science Was Shaken

2025: The Year Science Was Shaken

Author: Scientific American December 22, 2025 Duration: 18:15
In this year-end roundup, Scientific American editors break down how 2025 reshaped science across the board—from sweeping federal upheavals that disrupted long-standing research institutions to public health setbacks driven by vaccine rollbacks and rising measles cases to renewed hostility toward climate science and clean-energy policy and finally to the mind-bending dark energy findings that are shaking up cosmology. Together, their insights reveal how 2025 was a turbulent year for science on Earth and beyond—and what to watch closely in 2026. Recommended Reading: Cures for Sickle Cell Disease Arrive After a Painful Journey NASA’s Moon Race Looks like a Losing Bet Changing the FDA’s Vaccine Approval Process Could Threaten COVID, Flu Protection for Children 5 Charts Show Climate Progress as Paris Agreement Turns 10 Latest Dark Energy Study Suggests the Universe Is Even Weirder Than We Imagined E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover! Discover something new everyday: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for our daily newsletter. Science Quickly is produced by Kendra Pierre-Louis, Fonda Mwangi, Sushmita Pathak and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura, with fact-checking by Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever feel like you want to stay on top of the latest science news but don't have hours to dig through journals? That's the space where Science Quickly lives. Each episode is a compact, engaging conversation designed to fit into your daily routine, whether you're commuting or just taking a break. Host Rachel Feltman brings her sharp curiosity and a journalist's eye to every topic, joined by other seasoned reporters from Scientific American who are out there talking to the researchers on the front lines. You'll hear more than just headlines; this podcast delves into the how and why behind fascinating discoveries, from quirky animal behaviors to groundbreaking climate tech and the inner workings of the human brain. The tone is conversational and often witty, making complex ideas accessible without oversimplifying them. It’s a variety show in the best sense, meaning you might explore a deep dive on neutrino detection one day and the science of a perfect cookie the next. Tuning in regularly feels like having a direct line to the most interesting developments, explained by people who are genuinely excited to share them. For anyone with a budding interest in how the world works or a long-time science enthusiast looking for a efficient update, this series from Scientific American consistently delivers substance and surprise in a manageable format.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Science Quickly
Podcast Episodes
What’s in a name? When it comes to PCOS, a lot [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:58
In this episode of Science Quickly, host Rachel Feltman interviews physician Anuja Dokras about the long road to changing the name of the condition PCOS, or polycystic ovary syndrome, to polyendocrine metabolic ovarian s…
The math behind your daily annoyances [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:01
From the mystery of why elevator waits feel endless to the surprisingly tricky problem of splitting a pizza (or even a sandwich) fairly, this episode explores how math shapes everyday experiences in ways you might not ex…
Why this Ebola outbreak is so different [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:51
In this episode of Science Quickly, host Rachel Feltman and Scientific American senior desk editor for health and medicine Tanya Lewis break down the fast-growing Ebola outbreak—caused by a viral species with no approved…
You think you’re using your phone. It’s using you back [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:52
In this episode of Science Quickly, author Vanessa Chang discusses her book The Body Digital: A Brief History of Humans and Machines from Cuckoo Clocks to ChatGPT. The book explores how technologies—from handwriting to s…
Can we build a world that works for all? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:29
In this episode of Science Quickly, host Rachel Feltman interviews leading thinker Jeremy Lent about his latest book Ecocivilization: Making a World That Works for All, which challenges the idea that humans are inherentl…
The fake disease that fooled AI [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:41
Have you ever turned to an artificial intelligence chatbot for medical advice? In this episode of Science Quickly, host Rachel Feltman speaks with researcher Almira Osmanovic Thunström about an experiment in which she cr…
Nukes on the moon? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:49
In this episode of Science Quickly, host Rachel Feltman speaks with science journalist Robin George Andrews about NASA’s push to put a nuclear reactor on the moon. They explore why nuclear power could be key to sustainin…
Hantavirus update, PCOS name change, ‘cheeky’ fish behavior [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:43
In this episode of Science Quickly, we get the latest on the hantavirus outbreak with Tanya Lewis, Scientific American’s senior desk editor for health and medicine. We also unpack why the common health condition previous…
Why Black women face a silent health crisis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:58
In this episode of Science Quickly, gynecologic oncologist and health equity researcher Kemi Doll explains why the well-known Black maternal mortality crisis is part of a broader “Black womb crisis” in which many Black w…
Do you actually need more protein? What the science says [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:25
Protein is having a major moment, showing up in everything from snack foods to coffee drinks—but do we actually need more of it? In this episode of Science Quickly, Rachel Feltman speaks with science journalist Bethany B…