Protecting newborns from an invisible killer, the rise of drones for farming, and a Druid mystery

Science Magazine Podcast

Science Podcast

News Commentary, News, Science

4.2 • 791 Ratings

🗓️ 18 September 2025

⏱️ 34 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

First up on the podcast, freelance science journalist Leslie Roberts joins host Sarah Crespi to talk about the long journey to a vaccine for group B streptococcus, a microbe that sickens 400,000 babies a year and kills at least 91,000. Next on the show, there are about 250,000 agricultural drones employed on farms in China. Countries such as South Korea, Turkey, and Thailand are swiftly increasing agricultural drone use, whereas the United States and Russia are proceeding more slowly. Food policy researcher Ben Belton discusses what appears to drive drone use in agriculture and how they might make farming more productive and sustainable. Finally, Science Books Editor Valerie Thompson brings books on the secrets rocks have to tell about humanity and the mystery surrounding a Druid preserved in a bog for thousands of years. This week’s episode was produced with help from Podigy. Authors: Sarah Crespi; Valerie Thompson; Leslie Roberts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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0:00.0	This podcast is supported by the Icon School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the academic arm of the Mount Sinai Health System in New York City, and one of America's leading research medical schools.
0:11.1	What are researchers on heart health working on to transform patient care and prolong lives?
0:16.6	Find out in a special supplement to Science magazine prepared by the Icon School of Medicine
0:21.4	at Mount Sinai in partnership with science. Visit our website at www.combe.combe
0:26.3	science.org and search for Frontiers of Medical Research, dash heart. The icon school
0:32.7	of medicine in Mount Sinai, we find a way. This podcast is supported by Jian Zhao Tong, Liverpool University,
0:39.4	where East meets West to redefine the future of learning and discovery. We're turning 20 in
0:45.6	26. Celebrate with us as we honor two decades of breakthroughs, cross-cultural exchange, and
0:52.3	world-changing research. Curious about how we're making waves?
0:56.5	Join the party at www.xjtlu.edu.c.m.
1:01.8	slash E.N.
1:05.5	This is a science podcast for September 18th, 2025.
1:09.7	I'm Sarah Crespi.
1:13.1	First this week, freelance science journalist Leslie Roberts talks about the long journey to a vaccine. For Group B streptococcus during pregnancy,
1:20.8	this is a micro that sickens 400,000 babies a year and kills at least 90,000. Next on the show, farm drones are on the rise.
1:30.4	Food policy researcher Ben Belton discusses the drivers of drone use in agriculture and how
1:35.7	drones might one day make farming more productive and sustainable.
1:40.1	Finally, science books editor Valerie Thompson brings a roundup of fall books, one on the
1:45.5	relationships between rocks and people through history.
1:54.7	This week in science, freelance science journalist Leslie Roberts wrote about Group B streptococcus
2:00.2	infection during pregnancy, also known as
2:02.7	GBS. This microbe can cause stillbirth and illness in infants with very long-lasting effects.
	...

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