© 2025 Kansas City Public Radio
NPR in Kansas City
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Your most surprising science questions of the year, answered

Crysta Henthorne
/
KCUR 89.3

As a scientist, the theme I keep coming to at the end of 2024 is the importance of feeding curiosity — to ask questions and take the time to understand new proposed theories.

It’s hard to pick a favorite science story of the year because scientists have really been on their A-game. But some of my favorite scientific achievements of the year include record-breaking green energy production. For the first seven months of the year, the U.S. generated more power from wind and solar than coal.

We saw the FDA approve two new drugs to help slow the progression of the rare disease Niemann-Pick Type C.

And I admired the World Mosquito Program’s work using naturally-occurring bacteria to help fight viruses like Zika, chikungunya, yellow fever, and dengue.

I’m also amazed by the wide range of topics we’ve covered on Seeking A Scientist this past year, from cloning extinct species, plant intelligence, and how to handle stress. It was a great honor to share everything I discovered with all of you.

In addition to hosting the podcast Seeking A Scientist, Kate Biberdorf, (also known as Kate the Chemist,) is also a professor for the public understanding of science at the University of Notre Dame.
Matt Cashore
In addition to hosting the podcast Seeking A Scientist, Kate Biberdorf, (also known as Kate the Chemist,) is also a professor for the public understanding of science at the University of Notre Dame.

But the sheer amount of things still left to unveil in this wild world never ceases to amaze me.

When we asked our listeners to share some of your end-of-year science curiosities, we were blown away by the amount and range of responses. Here are just a few of our favorites:

  • How do reusable water bottles keep our drinks hot and cold?
  • Is plastic inert or non-reactive? And if that’s the case, then why are microplastics so bad for our environment?
  • Why can’t we see the other side of the moon?
  • What’s the future of space exploration now that the ISS is retiring?
  • What do astronauts do with their trash in space?
  • Why and how do the “immortal” jellyfish stay forever young?
  • Why do cats love laying on puzzles?
  • Is there a sound frequency that is calming to humans?
  • Is it true that no two snowflakes are identical?
  • What in the sciences give you hope?

To hear the answers, listen to the latest episode of Seeking A Scientist.

Liz [INSERT LAST NAME] cats regularly manage to lounge on her puzzles, making it extra challenging to work on them. She wanted to know, is there a scientific reason behind this?
Elizabeth Gassmann
Elizabeth Gassmann's cats regularly manage to lounge on her puzzles, making it extra challenging to work on them. She wanted to know, is there a scientific reason behind this?

Additional sources from Seeking A Scientist:

Seeking A Scientist is a production of KCUR Studios. It's made possible with support from the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, where scientists work to accelerate our understanding of human health and disease.

It's hosted by Dr. Kate Biberdorf, AKA Kate the Chemist. This episode was produced by senior producer Suzanne Hogan with help from Olivia Hewitt. Our editor is Mackenzie Martin. Our digital editor is Gabe Rosenberg.

Additional support from Zach Perez, Byron Love, Allison Harris and Genevieve DesMarteau.

Our original theme music is by The Coma Calling. Additional music from Blue Dot Sessions.

Stay Connected
Dr. Kate Biberdorf (aka Kate The Chemist) is the host of the KCUR Studios podcast Seeking A Scientist. She is a chemist, science entertainer, and professor at The University of Texas.
As managing podcast producer for KCUR Studios and a host of A People’s History of Kansas City, I want to feed your curious mind, offer historical context so you understand why things are the way they are, and introduce you to the people working to make a difference behind the scenes. Reach me at hogansm@kcur.org.
KCUR prides ourselves on bringing local journalism to the public without a paywall — ever.

Our reporting will always be free for you to read. But it's not free to produce.

As a nonprofit, we rely on your donations to keep operating and trying new things. If you value our work, consider becoming a member.