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Byrd Pinkerton

Senior Producer / Reporter, Unexplainable Podcast

Byrd Pinkerton is a senior producer and reporter on Unexplainable, Vox’s science podcast, which she co-created. She covers everything scientists don’t yet know but are trying to figure out, so her work explores everything from the inner workings of the human body to the distant edges of the universe. She’s especially drawn to stories about the ocean, bugs, human health, the history of science, and how our scientific metaphors shape our understanding of the world.

Before Unexplainable, Byrd produced all three seasons of Vox’s The Impact podcast and three seasons of Vox’s Future Perfect podcast, working with journalists to cover health care, education, philanthropy, and other policy issues.

If you have a great history of science book you think Byrd should read or a fact about the ocean you think she’d enjoy, you can email her at [email protected], or reach out on Twitter (@byrdala) or Threads (@byrdest).

Latest articles by Byrd Pinkerton

Why did we think Neanderthals weren’t smart?Why did we think Neanderthals weren’t smart?
Audio
Unexplainable

Our earliest studies of Neanderthals were fundamentally flawed.

By Byrd Pinkerton
Why do we love to scare ourselves?
Audio
Unexplainable

This research group is studying our love for haunted houses ... at a haunted house.

By Byrd Pinkerton
Hidden from history: Archivists reveal the lives of famous, and not-so-famous, women
The Highlight

An interview with podcaster Kathryn Gehred about domestic life in the 1800s.

By Byrd Pinkerton
What’s a wild bat worth to you? This economist is asking.What’s a wild bat worth to you? This economist is asking.
Audio
Down to Earth

Nature is priceless — but quantifying its value could help save it.

By Benji Jones and Byrd Pinkerton
Who’s the father? For these baby animals, one doesn’t exist.
Audio
Unexplainable

More animals can occasionally reproduce asexually than scientists realized.

By Byrd Pinkerton
Menstrual fluid’s underexplored medical treasuresMenstrual fluid’s underexplored medical treasures
Audio
Unexplainable

From wound healing to disease diagnosis, “this stuff is like gold dust.”

By Byrd Pinkerton
Mud libraries hold the story of the Earth’s climate past — and foretell its future
Climate

Mud can be surprisingly clear.

By Byrd Pinkerton
How to catch a scientific fraudHow to catch a scientific fraud
Audio
Unexplainable

Elisabeth Bik has made a career of being a data vigilante. What should mainstream scientific journals learn from her?

By Byrd Pinkerton
4 unexplainable mysteries of pregnancy and parenting4 unexplainable mysteries of pregnancy and parenting
Audio
Unexplainable

Why do we know so little about pregnancy — one of the most common experiences on Earth?

By Brian Resnick and Byrd Pinkerton
How scientists discovered the universe is really freaking huge
Audio
Unexplainable

Edwin Hubble’s name is everywhere in astronomy. Henrietta Leavitt’s should be too.

By Brian Resnick, Amanda Northrop and 1 more