Plain English

Today's story: Scientists used to rely on stickers to track monarch butterfly migration—but that only showed where a butterfly started and ended. Now, a solar-powered device called the BluMorpho is helping researchers...

Today's story: Monarch butterflies migrate thousands of kilometers from across the U.S. and Canada to just a few mountain forests in central Mexico. They rely on the sun, the Earth’s magnetic field, and a unique...

Today's story: The United States Mint struck its final penny in November 2025, ending a 232-year run of producing the one-cent coin. The decision followed years of debate over the coin’s value, as production costs...

Today's story: Zippers are everywhere: on clothes, bags, and accessories. But the basic design of a zipper hasn't changed in a century. Now, though, the world's biggest zipper maker, YKK, has a new design that...

We're opening up the archives to repeat episode 223 from January 2020, just before COVID-19 halted air travel. Enjoy! -- In between economy class (in the back) and business class (in the front), airlines have created a...

Today's episode is one from the archives, originally number 583. Enjoy! -- Cold plunges are the new health trend championed by high-fliers and ordinary people alike. By submerging yourself water that's 15 degrees...

Today's story: Parkrun is a free, volunteer-run event that takes place every Saturday morning in parks around the world. Participants run, jog, or walk a 5K route, and the focus is on community, health, and fun—not...

Today's story: Snake bites kill over 100,000 people each year, but antivenom (the treatment for poisonous snake bites) has hardly changed in a century. Today, doctors have to know the type of snake that bit a patient...

Today's story: Screen time among senior citizens has been growing recently, as more and more retirees use phones and tablets, in addition to time spent watching television. Online devices can help seniors keep their...

Today's story: Publishers Clearing House made its name by offering magazine subscriptions through the mail—along with the chance to win big prizes. The lure of big winnings helped the company sell millions of...

Today's story: The White Lotus may be fictional, but the luxury hotels in the show are real—and they’re getting a lot more attention. All three seasons of the HBO hit show "The White Lotus" were filmed at Four Seasons...

Today's story: On a Sunday morning in October, four thieves disguised as construction workers used a ladder truck and power tools to break into the Louvre museum. In just seven minutes, they smashed display cases and...

In this episode from the Plain English archives, you'll learn about Dublin, the capital of the Republic of Ireland. It's a great place to explore the best of Irish culture: the music, the drinks, and the literature...

In this episode from the Plain English archives: Electric vehicles promised to improve safety and reduce harmful CO2 emissions, but they’re also eerily quiet, which is causing safety problems for pedestrians and...

Today's story: Get ready for some updates to previous Plain English stories: New York begins rolling out containerized trash collection; Paris opens the Seine for public swimming; BTS announces a comeback; the original...

Today's story: Construction on the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain, is approaching a major milestone after more than 140 years. The basilica’s central tower is nearly complete, and the project is expected to be...

Today's story: A British wartime propaganda poster created in 1939 featured the slogan, ‘Keep calm and carry on.’ The poster was never used and the slogan had been forgotten, until it was rediscovered in 2000. In a...

Today's story: Large language models like ChatGPT are increasingly sycophantic—flattering users, validating flawed reasoning, and agreeing too easily. This tendency stems from how models are trained: by rewarding...

Today's story: Archaeologists are excavating a never-before-studied part of Pompeii, the ancient Roman city buried by a volcanic eruption. They’ve uncovered luxury homes, decorated bathhouses, and evidence of how...

Today's story: A growing number of state and national education systems are banning cell phone use during the school day. Supporters say phones are distracting, addictive, and bad for learning. Not everyone agrees, but...

Today's story: Reusable water bottles have become a big global industry, driven by health trends, social media, and changing values around sustainability and style. Brands like Stanley turned practical hydration into a...

Today's story: For two decades, the Big Three—Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic—defined men’s tennis. With Federer and Nadal retired and Djokovic aging out of contention, a new rivalry has taken center stage. Carlos Alcaraz...

In this lesson from the Plain English archives, you'll learn about one of Canada's sweetest exports: maple syrup. In 2021, there were fears of a shortage. This episode tells the story. "A weaker maple syrup harvest this...

Enjoy this episode from the Plain English archives. Emoji are everywhere, including some unlikely places...like the courtroom. Court cases often hinge on what words mean. But what happens when a dispute involves an...

Today's story: How do stolen cars move around the world? Easy. They're loaded into standard shipping containers and sent overseas using the same freight network that moves legal goods. Weak customs enforcement and...