Want to be a top notch candidate for hosting alien life? Then there's a few key requirements you should be aware of: Ideally, you're a large object like a moon or a planet; scientists suspect you also have an atmosphere and water; plus, you should orbit your star from a nice mid-range distance — in the "Goldilocks Zone" of habitability. Until recently, you would be competing against TRAPPIST-1 e. It's a planet outside of our solar system. TRAPPIST-1 e is also only 40 light years away, rocky and the same size as Earth, which prompted researchers to investigate whether it also has an atmosphere — and the potential for alien life. A team of researchers has been investigating TRAPPIST-1 e to learn more about its potential. Their answers, recently published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, say a lot not just about this exoplanet, but about how scientists should refocus their hunt for alien life.
Interested in more space science? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.
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The Indicator from Planet Money - Nvidia chips for China, frozen Russian funds, and a lot of self-checkout stealing
It’s … Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news.
On today’s episode: Nvidia chips OK’d for China, a sticky frozen Russian asset situation, and a lot of you seem to be stealing from self-checkout.
Related episodes: The tower of NVIDIA How to get Russia to pay Ukraine Why the U.S. cut China off from advanced chips
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez and Corey Bridges. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
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On today’s episode: Nvidia chips OK’d for China, a sticky frozen Russian asset situation, and a lot of you seem to be stealing from self-checkout.
Related episodes: The tower of NVIDIA How to get Russia to pay Ukraine Why the U.S. cut China off from advanced chips
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez and Corey Bridges. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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What Next | Daily News and Analysis - TBD | Ready for Chatbot Canvassers?
The good news is voters are more persuaded by factual claims than emotional appeals or appeals to fear. But the bad news is that A.I. chatbots, trying to convince you, will keep making factual claims long after it runs out of actual facts.
Guest: David Rand, professor of information science, marketing and psychology at Cornell University
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Engines of Our Ingenuity - The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1487: Telephone Use
Episode: 1487 Teaching the American public to use the telephone. Today, would you buy the first telephone?
The Government Huddle with Brian Chidester - 199: The One with the CivicPlus Market Expert
Brenden Elwood, Vice President of Market Research at CivicPlus and a City Councilor in North Bend, Washington joins the show to unpack the latest insights from CivicPlus’ nationwide resident research. We explore what drives citizen satisfaction and trust in local government, from proactive communication to transparent service delivery. We also discuss how accessibility and user experience directly shape public perception, and why digital inclusivity is more than just a compliance checkbox, it’s a cornerstone of good governance.
array(3) { [0]=> string(62) "https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/7e4sk6udikrfqatr/CivicPlus.m4a" [1]=> string(0) "" [2]=> string(8) "30489301" }Global News Podcast - US exerts more pressure on Venezuela
A day after US troops seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, Washington has imposed sanctions on six more ships said to be carrying Venezuelan oil. Also: President Zelensky focuses on the fate of Donetsk; NATO cautions against European complacency over Russia; Kohl eyeliner achieves the status of 'Intangible Cultural Heritage'; Open AI strikes deal with Disney; FIFA is urged to review World Cup ticket prices; Austria passes controversial law on head coverings; whales are filmed hunting with dolphins; and Snoop Dogg becomes an Olympic coach.
The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk
The Stack Overflow Podcast - Interface is everything, and everything is an interface
Ryan talks with Wesley Yu, head of engineering at Metalab, about the evolution of interfaces in technology, the pressure that UI generated on the fly would put on your backend systems, and why AI is just the latest and fanciest in a long line of CRUD apps.
Episode notes:
Metalab designs interfaces for top brands around the world, helping them design, build, and ship their products.
Connect with Wesley on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Congrats to Populist badge winner SiddAjmera, who won the badge for their answer to Angular FormControl check if required.
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It Could Happen Here - Executive Disorder: White House Weekly #45
The gang discuss Netflix and Paramount’s bids for Warner Brothers, CBP social media screening for tourists, and Trump’s national security strategy. Plus updates on the J6 pipe bomber, Texas gerrymandering, and tariffs.
Sources:
https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/09/politics/georgia-democrat-eric-gisler
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5641420-democrats-gain-momentum-miami/?utm_social_handle_id=1917731&utm_social_post_id=619113438
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/pipe-bomb-suspect-told-fbi-believed-2020-election-conspiracy-theories-rcna247544
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7869373/1/Return-to-Sunny-Town
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
array(3) { [0]=> string(184) "https://www.omnycontent.com/d/clips/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/78d30acb-8463-4c40-a5ae-ae2d0145c9ff/8ded6bc9-3869-4100-b37b-b3b0015513cf/image.jpg?t=1765485837&size=Large" [1]=> string(10) "image/jpeg" [2]=> int(0) }The World in Brief from The Economist - America escalates against Venezuela; Disney invests $1bn in OpenAI, and more
The White House said that an oil tanker it seized off the coast of Venezuela would be sent to an American port, where the vessel’s cargo will be obtained by following “a legal process”.
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1A - The Ethics Of Animal Testing
What would you sacrifice to push efforts forward on eliminating diseases? What about to make sure our products and medicines are safe, especially for our most vulnerable?
These questions lead us to ethical quagmire and, oftentimes, to the use of animals for research, testing, and experimentation. We’ve long heard the term “lab rat.” Its popularity in conversation belies an understanding that these creatures are popular subjects for experimentation. But they’re far from the only ones.
Around 40,000 dogs were used as test subjects in labs last year, according to a leading advocacy group. The most common breed used are beagles.
Journalist Melanie Kaplan adopted Hammie in 2013, a lab beagle who had been used for research for nearly four years. It led her down a years-long rabbit hole to find out more about her companion’s past. It took her to a sanctuary farm for former research animals in Wyoming, a naked mole rat lab at Boston University, and the homes of former researchers.
We discuss her book, “Lab Dog: A Beagle and His Human Investigate the Surprising World of Animal Research.”
Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.
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These questions lead us to ethical quagmire and, oftentimes, to the use of animals for research, testing, and experimentation. We’ve long heard the term “lab rat.” Its popularity in conversation belies an understanding that these creatures are popular subjects for experimentation. But they’re far from the only ones.
Around 40,000 dogs were used as test subjects in labs last year, according to a leading advocacy group. The most common breed used are beagles.
Journalist Melanie Kaplan adopted Hammie in 2013, a lab beagle who had been used for research for nearly four years. It led her down a years-long rabbit hole to find out more about her companion’s past. It took her to a sanctuary farm for former research animals in Wyoming, a naked mole rat lab at Boston University, and the homes of former researchers.
We discuss her book, “Lab Dog: A Beagle and His Human Investigate the Surprising World of Animal Research.”
Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NPR Privacy Policy