Melatonin is the hormone that tells our brains and bodies it’s time to sleep. But if you think melatonin supplements will significantly improve your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep, you may have been…
Kindness can go a long way when it comes to reshaping a business. Having saved a fashion company from the brink of bankruptcy, entrepreneur James Rhee shares the value of investing in a culture of…
There are things we accept as obvious truths that aren’t necessarily backed up by data. A primary example: cousin marriage being taboo. In this episode, data journalist Mona Chalabi looks at the numbers behind our…
The doctrine of “first, do no harm” is the basis of the Hippocratic Oath, one of the world’s oldest codes of ethics. It governs the work of physicians — but climate and health campaigner Shweta…
When you fall asleep and start dreaming, you’re actually doing very important work. According to sleep scientist Matt Walker, dreams act like a form of “overnight therapy.” In fact, your dreams may even boost your…
Investing in green energy, holding large corporations accountable for their pollution, stopping pipeline and oil extraction initiatives — these are non-negotiable actions to protect the planet, but they are still just the bare minimum, say…
Floods, droughts, heat waves and cold blasts — why is the weather becoming more extreme? Environmentalist and “America’s weatherman” Al Roker discusses the link between climate change and disruptions to weather patterns worldwide, followed by…
No one remembers when you’re right, but no one forgets when you’re wrong. Your local weather person knows that saying all too well. But while they take a lot of the heat (get it?), how…
“How much more damage do we have to endure before we realize that it’s cheaper to save this planet than to ruin it?” asks engineer and investor John Doerr. In conversation with Countdown cofounder Lindsay…
As you get older, your eyes worsen and become susceptible to a disease called age-related macular degeneration — the leading cause of blindness, with no cure in sight. Sharing the science of how your vision…