Hi, I'm Clara Moskowitz, senior editor for space and physics at Scientific American.

Like many kids, I once dreamed of becoming an astronaut.

While I never made it to space, my work at Scientific American has given me the next best thing,

exploring the cosmos through stories and sharing its wonders with science lovers like you.

When I research a story, I immerse myself in the reporting

to bring you an exciting and accurate account. Over the years, I've covered breathtaking rocket

launches, visited one of the world's highest altitude telescopes in Chile, and even trained for

suborbital spaceflight. Space is vast, beautiful, and full of the unexpected. Taking a moment to look beyond our daily routines and reflect on its mysteries can be a powerful escape.

Join me on this journey of discovery.

Subscribe to Scientific American today at siam.com slash getsyam.

Thank you. slash get-Syam.

For scientific American science quickly, I'm Rachel Feldman.

People are funny about snakes.

I remember being taught the rhyme,

Red touches black, you're okay Jack,

red touches yellow, you're a dead fellow in elementary school. Never mind the fact that we absolutely did not have coral snakes in New Jersey. My guest today has spent a lot of time

exploring our cultural aversion to and fascination with snakes. Stephen S. Hall is a science writer

and the author of seven books. He's also a teacher

of science communication at New York University, Rockefeller University, and Cold Spring

Harbor Laboratory. His latest book, Slither, How Nature's Most Maligned Creatures Illuminate

Our World, is on sale now. Thank you so much for coming into chat. I'm really looking forward to it.

My pleasure to be here. Thank you. First question, why snakes?

...