Science Magazine Podcast: Advancing Science, Engineering & Innovation

In the early days of podcasting, some enterprising print magazines like PC Magazine and Bloomberg Businessweek produced podcasts that lent legitimacy to the fledgling industry.

As podcasting has grown, the print magazine industry has been co-opted by its digital counterparts, and struggles mightily in a world where the smartphone has become the interface for information transfer.

That's why I love Science Magazine and Science Magazine Podcast.

 Each week on the Science Podcast, host Sarah Crespi delves into the latest scientific discoveries with researchers and news writers from around the globe.

The podcast is designed like a print magazine, with each episode containing several distinct stories. 

  The publisher of Science Magazine is The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), which publishes the Science family of journals, including Science, Science Signaling, Science Translational Medicine, Science Advances, Science Immunology and Science Robotics. 

AAAS is an international organization serving 262 affiliated societies and academies of science, representing over 10 million individuals.

 The organization focuses on promoting scientific freedom, enhancing science education, conducting science policy analysis, fostering international collaboration, and building trust in scientific information.

Let's face it, that is desperately needed in the U.S. now.  

 The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the world's largest multidisciplinary scientific society, dedicated to advancing science, engineering, and innovation for the benefit of all people. Founded in 1848, it is a non-profit organization that publishes the renowned peer-reviewed journal Science and advocates for science policy, education, and international cooperation.

 The host of the podcast, Sarah Crespi, has been interviewing scientists and science writers weekly since 2011. 

She has a BA in biology from Reed College and a master’s in journalism from the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism at Michigan State University. Among her many roles at Science, she has also served as director of multimedia, leading video and audio projects for the magazine. 

Her previous jobs include: zookeeper, clinical cytogenetics lab technician, and barista. In her spare time, she mediates cat fights, walks her dog, and ferries her young daughter to various activities.

The show has produced well over 600 episodes, and is a well-oiled machine. The show has a NPR vibe to it, and that's a good thing, in case you were wondering. Crespi is a terrific host who may have a scientific brain but also displays a wry wit and self-deprecating humor. In the episode that included a segment on football helmet technology, Sarah Crespi and Staff Writer Adrian Cho talked football, with Crespi admitting her knowledge of football is severely limited by, well, interest!

 But the episode told a fascinating story of how new technology is improving the football helmet. Adrian Cho explained that NFL concussions are down significantly from their high point in 2017, with new helmets a major factor. New 3D-printed materials for helmets, slots cut into helmets for more flex, and softer, more pliable materials have all improved head trauma safety for NFL and amateur players. 

They conclude that better materials and testing have led to fewer concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy in players, with plenty of room for improvement. At one point, Cho explains that a drill run by football coaches was exposed as a major contributor to head trauma, and that drill has been eliminated in most programs.

An episode emblematic of the show is the October 20, 2025, show, where they discuss the mysterious fate of Europe’s Neolithic farmers. They arrived from Anatolia around 5500 B.C.E. and began farming fertile land across Europe. Five hundred years later, their buildings, cemeteries, and pottery stopped showing up in the archaeological record, and mass graves with headless bodies started to appear across the continent. Contributing Correspondent Andrew Curry talks with host Sarah Crespi about what this strange transition might mean.

In that same episode, and for a complete change of pace, Editor for Life Sciences Sacha Vignieri discussed recent dog research published in Science, including tracing the movement of dogs alongside ancient human populations, examining when dogs first diversified, and probing the relationship between modern dogs’ breeds and their dispositions.

 To me, Science Magazine Podcast is a welcome throwback to the early days of podcasting. There are no celebrities, no fanfare, and no ads. Just well-researched science about a wide range of topics. If you enjoy science, and haven't bought into the RFK Jr. conspiracy theories, you will love this show.