Best KQED Science Podcasts (2025)

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Program Provides Unique Science Lessons On Tahoe Slopes

3d ago

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Participants get a chance to learn about the surrounding ecosystem.By Keith Mizuguchi

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Bonnie Tsui on the Science, Symbolism and Strength of Muscle 57:44

6d ago57:44

57:44

We often take our muscles for granted, rarely stopping to consider just how complex and essential they are. From the powerful beat of our hearts to the tiny fibers that raise goosebumps, our muscles do far more than we realize. They don’t just follow instructions from the brain — they send signals back and even hold their own kind of memory. In her…

1
Meet the Power Plant Tucked into Garages and Basements

21d ago

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In California, an army of smartphone- and internet-connected home appliances is already helping with power grid reliability. How far can it go?By Laura Klivans

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How Old Is Too Old to Run for Office? SF Dems Have Thoughts

2d ago

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In San Francisco, the county Democratic Party this week adopted resolutions aimed at repositioning themselves on issues like public safety, education and, most controversially, possible age limits for elected officials. Meanwhile in Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass is trying to overcome the damage from being out of the country when the devastating fir…

1
The Activist History of Japanese American Care Homes; Singing Corridos in Compton; SF Hosts Trans Self-Defense Class 30:22

2d ago30:22

30:22

J-Sei Home Closes After 30 Years, Leaving Bay Area Japanese Seniors in Need The 1960s and 70s were a pivotal time for community activism – with the civil rights and anti-war movements, the Black Panther Party, and student protests that established ethnic studies programs on college campuses. That activism led to a decades-old critical lifeline for …

1
What Are Your Hopes for the Next Pope? 57:43

3d ago57:43

57:43

Funeral rites are underway for Pope Francis, who died this week at age 88 after leading the Roman Catholic Church for 12 years. Hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world are expected to attend the papal funeral in Vatican City on Saturday, including cardinals from around the world. Many of these cardinals will then begin the process o…

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Alison Gopnik and Anne-Marie Slaughter on Why We’re Not Paying Enough Attention to Caregiving 57:46

3d ago57:46

57:46

Caregiving is the most universal of human acts. But also one of the most invisible. While caring for a child, parent or loved one can be meaningful, and life defining, it can also be exhausting and life breaking. Drawing on her groundbreaking research on baby’s brains, UC Berkeley psychologist and philosopher Alison Gopnik is leading a multidiscipl…

1
LA Artist El Compa Negro Plays Regional Mexican Music, Straight Outta Compton

3d ago

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This African American musician from Los Angeles is a rising star in Southern California’s regional Mexican music scene.By Sam Anderson

1
Program Provides Unique Science Lessons On Tahoe Slopes 11:20

3d ago11:20

11:20

Skiers cruising down Tahoe’s white slopes this winter had a unique chance to learn about the surrounding ecosystem. UC Davis scientists clicked on their skis and led public tours down the mountain. Reporter: Anna Guth, KQED The American Civil Liberties Union has asked a federal court to stop the government from cutting off legal services to familie…

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A Controversial New Oceanfront Park Could Cost This SF Supervisor His Job

3d ago

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Joel Engardio built his political profile by backing the successful recalls of members of San Francisco’s Board of Education and its progressive district attorney. Now he may be facing a recall of his own. Engardio, who represents the city’s Sunset District on the Board of Supervisors, is being targeted for backing a voter-approved ballot measure ……

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Are We Facing a Constitutional Crisis? 57:40

4d ago57:40

57:40

Is the United States in the talked-about and feared constitutional crisis? President Trump and his administration are increasingly ignoring federal court rulings on issues like immigration and funding. Atlantic staff writer Adam Serwer calls the president’s defiance “a new step into presidential lawlessness.” We talk with Serwer and Slate’s Mark Jo…

1
KQED Youth Takeover: Oakland Ballet Explores Immigrant Stories From Angel Island 57:48

4d ago57:48

57:48

Ellis Island might have been a welcoming place for many immigrants to the United States, but Angel Island in the San Francisco Bay tells a more troubling history of immigrant detention. Starting next month, the Oakland Ballet will premiere “Angel Island Project,” a dance production highlighting the stories of immigrants, primarily from China, who w…

1
Community College Job Training Program Struggles Due to Unreliable Funding

4d ago

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The program at Santa Monica Community College is training students for jobs to help people get off the streets.By Amberly

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Community College Job Training Program Struggles Due to Unreliable Funding 11:35

4d ago11:35

11:35

As the state grapples with the homeless population of over 187,000 people, a new program at Santa Monica Community College is training students for jobs to help people get off the streets and into housing. But it also faces an uncertain future. Guest: Marisa Kendall, CalMatters Farmworkers in the U.S. have historically been excluded from overtime p…

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Fetal Personhood as 'The New Civil War over Reproduction' 57:44

5d ago57:44

57:44

Overturning Roe v. Wade was never the end goal of the anti-abortion movement, says UC Davis law professor and leading abortion historian Mary Ziegler. It was always to establish personhood for a fertilized egg, subject to equal protection under the Constitution. Should the “fetal personhood” movement succeed, then providing, assisting and even obta…

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Trump Targets California International Students and Higher Ed 57:51

5d ago57:51

57:51

More than a thousand international college students – scores of them in California – have had their visas terminated without explanation under new Trump administration policies. We’ll talk about what the administration’s targeting of international students and threatened withdrawals of federal funding mean for California students and schools, and h…

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Immigration Officials Arrest More Than A Dozen People In Pomona 11:36

5d ago11:36

11:36

A bill aimed at bringing healthcare services directly to farmworker communities will be considered at the state legislature Wednesday. Immigrant rights groups say more than a dozen people were arrested by immigration officials on Tuesday at a hardware store in Pomona. Reporter: Anthony Victoria, KVCR The Trump Administration eliminated deportation …

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KQED Youth Takeover: Deliberative Democracy Puts Dialogue and Reason at Center of Decision Making 57:51

6d ago57:51

57:51

In today’s intensely polarized climate, political conversations can quickly devolve into heated arguments. But a process called deliberative democracy has found success convening people from across the political spectrum for informed, reasoned dialogue on contentious issues. As part of KQED’s Youth Takeover week, high school students Ryan Heshmati …

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Pope Francis Played Significant Role For Latinos In California 11:23

6d ago11:23

11:23

The death of Pope Francis is being felt around the world. And right here in California, millions of Latino Catholics are mourning not just the loss of a spiritual leader, but someone who, for many, felt like one of their own. Pope Francis was the first from Latin America. He spoke often about immigration, inequality, and the dignity of the poor. Gu…

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How Project 2025 Can Help Us Understand What Trump is Doing – and What’s Next 57:42

7d ago57:42

57:42

Many of President Trump’s first policies in office — including removing Temporary Protected Status for migrants, walking back climate protections and denying trans personhood — were laid out and published back in April 2023, in the Heritage Foundation’s playbook Project 2025. “Project 2025 envisions an America where abortion is strictly illegal, se…

1
How Did the Pandemic Change Work for You? 57:51

7d ago57:51

57:51

As part of our series looking back on how the pandemic changed us, 5 years on, we examine the way we work. From working remotely to handling childcare needs to coping with being an essential worker, Covid forced innovations and exposed fault lines in the nation’s employment structure. We’ll talk about what we learned and we hear from you: How did t…

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Shasta County DA's Office Strained Under Heavy Workload 11:34

7d ago11:34

11:34

The district attorney's office in Shasta County is facing high workloads and high vacancy rates. Reporter: Roman Battaglia, Jefferson Public Radio Dry summer conditions have long been known to cause issues for vulnerable fish populations. A recent UC Berkeley study found dry winters can cause issues, too. Reporter: Manola Secaira, CapRadio Learn mo…

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Encore: Great Redwood Trail Proposal Unearths Painful History for Indigenous Tribes 30:22

9d ago30:22

30:22

California has grand plans to turn a stretch of abandoned railroad tracks into 300 miles of walking and biking trails, connecting the rolling hills of Marin County with the redwood forests near Eureka in Northern Humboldt. If completed, the Great Redwood Trail could become the longest rail-trail in the nation. But some Indigenous communities and ot…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

KQED Science Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen