Month: June 2025

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Science In Action - Vera C. Rubin Observatory first images

A spectacular new 10-year telescopic survey of the universe gets underway in Chile. Also, a project to create human chromosomes completely synthetically.

Almost three decades ago Tony Tyson (now of UC Davis) and colleagues were standing in the control room of the world’s biggest (at the time) digital astronomical camera. It was 3am when he suggested astronomers could do better.

This week, the Vera C Rubin Observatory unveiled first images from the telescope he envisioned. Unprecedented in so many ways, expect many discoveries to come from this unique machine.

Another ambitious project known as SynHG kicks off this week, on the 25th anniversary of the publication of the first draft of the human genome, with a plan to develop the technology to potentially create a whole synthetic version. Jason Chin of MRC Laboratory of Molecular Laboratory in Cambridge and colleagues will be extending their previous work in synthetic biology to human DNA, whilst Joy Zheng of the University of Kent will be running a parallel project examining the ethical side of the objectives, and possibilities.

Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Alex Mansfield Production Coordinator: Jazz George

Photo Credit: NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory

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1A - Best Of: The Future Of Fighting And Preventing Forest Fires

80 years ago, Smokey the Bear was mostly talking about campfire safety. Now? Things are a little different.

Forest fires have always been a normal part of our landscape – and a tool used by human civilizations for millennia.

But as climate change makes our landscapes hotter and drier, wildfires are getting bigger and more destructive. Fire consumed 8.9 million acres across the U.S. last year. The LA County fires this January are the costliest so far, with some estimates putting the total close to $250 billion in damages.

We discuss how we can better adapt to living with massive fires and how we should think about fighting – and preventing – them.

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State of the World from NPR - Evita Sings for the People in London; Gangs in Peru Target Schools

As part of a broader crime wave in Peru that began during the COVID-19 pandemic, gangs have begun targeting private schools in poorer neighborhoods for extortion. We hear how administrators and parents are dealing with the threats. And in London's West End, you don't need a ticket to witness the soaring signature song for the musical Evita. It is performed nightly in the street. We attend a recent performance.

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Federalist Radio Hour - Striking The Right Balance Between America’s Mining Interests And Religious Liberty

On this episode of "The Federalist Radio Hour," Sean Fieler, president of Equinox Partners, joins Federalist Senior Elections Correspondent Matt Kittle to dissect the importance of the Resolution Copper Project in Arizona and explain how the Trump administration can use it to advance domestic mining while still protecting religious liberty.

Read Fieler's article "How Trump Can Resolve A Legal Battle Between Mining Rights And Religious Liberty" here.

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The Bulwark Podcast - Michael Weiss and Jonathan Cohn: Animal House at the Pentagon

Trump was so awestruck by Israel's intel infiltration and air supremacy over Iran, that he just had to give himself an executive producer credit. And he's casting his appointees to help create a Hollywood ending—including using his Val Kilmer-esque SecDef to spike the success of the long-teased, "secret" military operation. At the same time, Trump is having trouble leveraging the intelligence community's confirmation of what happened in Iran since he's spent a decade undermining its credibility among his supporters. Plus, NATO gets a little cringe toward Daddy Trump, Ukraine doesn't get the same credit as Israel, and the low-down on the Republican bill that would close rural hospitals and cut healthcare for 11 million people.

Jon Cohn and Michael Weiss join Tim Miller.
show notes

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Marketplace All-in-One - The new era of warfare

The ceasefire between Israel and Iran appears to be holding for now. But as this conflict has played out, along with other ongoing wars around the world, it got us thinking: What does war even look like in 2025? In Ukraine, it looks like drone and missile attacks side-by-side with everyday life. On the show today, longtime international correspondent Deborah Amos joins us from Kyiv, Ukraine to talk about how modern warfare has changed.


Here’s everything we talked about today:




Got a question for the hosts? Email makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.