Cleaning up uranium mining, and how the heart avoids cancer

Science Magazine Podcast

Science Podcast

News, News Commentary, Science

4.3 • 842 Ratings

🗓️ 23 April 2026

⏱️ 30 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

First up on the podcast, freelance science and environmental journalist Quentin Septer joins host Sarah Crespi to talk about a controversial uranium mine getting fast-tracked in South Dakota. Septer chatted with locals, scientists, and regulators to learn more about the geology of the region and the promise of cleanup after the miners go home. Next on the show, looking at cells that don’t get cancer. Giulio Ciucci, a postdoctoral researcher at the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, talks about the infrequency of heart cancer and how the mechanical load that heart cells endure makes them resist turning cancerous. *CORRECTION: In the on this site summary in this episode, the book author in the review by Kai Kupferschmidt was listed incorrectly. The correct information is: True Color by Kory Stamper, Knopf, 2026. 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 the
0:22.1	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.
0:38.8	Okay, this is going to be the last time I will do this,
0:41.2	but please do check out our short, limited series, The Normals.
0:45.4	The last episode came out on Tuesday on the feed,
0:47.9	or you can go to science.org slash normals
0:50.5	to listen to all three episodes.
0:55.2	This is a science podcast for April 23rd, 2026.
0:59.8	I'm Sarah Crespi.
1:01.5	First up this week, we have freelance science writer Quentin Scepter.
1:05.6	He's going to talk about concerns over a controversial uranium mine proposed for South Dakota.
1:11.7	After that, we have a segment with a researcher, Julio Chucci, and we talk about how the
1:16.9	strain on heart cells could be blocking tumor growth there.
1:37.8	This week in science, freelance science, journalist Quentin Scepter wrote about the science of uranium mining cleanup, kind of a hot topic these days.
1:43.2	Hi, Quentin. Thanks for coming on the podcast. Hi, Sarah. Thanks for having me. Demand for uranium is on the rise. It's expected to double in the next few decades.
1:46.2	Is that because of the nuclear power industry and possibly even a resurgence in nuclear weapons?
1:52.2	Is that where that demand is coming from? And how much mining are we doing now?
1:57.4	According to the World Nuclear Association, demand for uranium is projected to double by
	...

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