In the Name of Science

Advances in science don’t just happen — sometimes, real progress requires heroic measures. On this show, we explore the lengths people go to in the name of science. We hear stories about researchers subjecting themselves to punishing experiments, venturing to remote corners of the earth, and racing against the cosmos for a peek at their subject of inquiry.

Also heard on this week’s episode:

• What does it take to convince flat earthers that the world is round? Science YouTuber Kurtis Baute’s hunch: a 2,000-year-old experiment.
• When doctors kept dismissing Imelda Wilde’s chronic UTIs, she took science into her own hands.
• Economist Jay Zagorsky explains the mission behind his bike ride from Seattle to Washington, D.C. — and what he found.
• In their new book, Sawbones podcasters Sydnee and Justin McElroy tell us about scientists who experimented on themselves (including swallowing diarrhea), so we can enjoy modern medicine today.
• Noah Strycker spent an entire year traveling to more than 40 countries chasing birds. His goal: to see as many different species of birds as possible.