A team effort to save a giant fish, the power of moonlight, and how scientists can navigate a tough political environment

Science Magazine Podcast

Science Podcast

News, News Commentary, Science

4.3 • 842 Ratings

🗓️ 7 May 2026

⏱️ 54 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

First up on the podcast, along Brazil’s Juruá River, local residents have been working with scientists to manage a giant fish called the arapaima—affecting the land, the people, and the economy. Contributing Correspondent Warren Cornwall joins host Sarah Crespi to talk about this collaborative effort. Next on the show, how moonlight affects nocturnal animals. Carlos Camacho, a researcher at the Doñana Biological Station, talks about the Moon-inflected habits of a nighttime foraging bird, the red-necked nightjar. His team found that the extra light provided by the full Moon allows these birds to consume more insects at night. And the timing of their long-haul migration between Europe and Africa is linked to the cycles of the Moon. Last up this week, Science Editor-in-Chief Holden Thorp talks with Timothy Snyder, historian and author of the book On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century. They discuss the role of institutions, professional ethics, and personal beliefs for scientists in tough political times. This week’s episode was produced with help from Podigy. About the Science Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This podcast is supported by the Icon School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, an international leader in research, education, and patient care.
0:07.9	The medical and graduate school is part of the Mount Sinai Health System, one of the largest academic medical systems in New York City.
0:15.6	Ranked among the top recipients of NIH funding, researchers at Mount Sinai have made breakthrough discoveries advancing
0:21.9	the health of patients. Here, clinicians and scientists push the boundaries in cardiology,
0:27.5	cancer, immunology, neuroscience, genomics, geriatrics, environmental medicine, and artificial
0:34.0	intelligence. The Icon School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, we find a way.
0:40.3	This is the science podcast for May 7th, 2026. I'm Sarah Crespi. First this week, contributing
0:47.3	correspondent Warren Cornwall talks about ecologists and villagers working together in the Brazilian
0:53.1	Amazon to save a unique fish and the local economy.
0:57.0	Next, researcher Carlos Camacho talks about a nighttime bird that sinks up with the moon.
1:03.0	Finally, we have a Q&A with editor-in-chief Holden Thorpe and historian Timothy Snyder
1:08.0	on practical political resistance for scientists.
1:24.4	So Warren, last time we had you on this show, we were talking about the silent disappearance of tropical birds in the Amazon or in South America and how there wasn't really any obvious problems with some of these ecosystems, but the bird cat was just going down.
1:41.3	And that's, I hate to say it, but a pretty typical conservation story,
1:46.7	ecological story, climate change story is, ah, it's sad and we're measuring it. This week,
1:53.2	you are bringing us a very positive story for a change. This is an effort along the Amazon
1:59.3	to rescue a fish and local economies.
2:03.0	Hi, Warren.
2:04.0	Welcome back to the podcast.
2:05.0	Hi, Sarah.
2:06.0	Great to be back.
2:06.8	It's nice to be here with a more upbeat story.
	...

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