Science Friday
Episodes
Slow Breaking News: A Giant Tortoise Revival
13 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In February, conservationists released 158 young tortoises onto Floreana Island in the Galapagos. The Floreana tortoise subspecies had long been thoug...
How Is AI Being Used In The Iran War?
12 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The military use of AI is capturing headlines this month. After a dustup with the Pentagon, the AI company Anthropic is out, and OpenAI is in. Meanwhi...
Is There Science Behind The ‘Nervous System Reset’?
11 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On social media, the vagus nerve often gets billed as the gateway to nervous system nirvana: It’s your ticket to better rest, relaxation, and health...
AI Music Is On The Charts. Where Does It Go From Here?
10 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In recent months, AI music has moved from novelty act into the realm of listenable music. For the first time, AI-generated songs from AI-generated art...
The Surprising Science Of Why Sneakers Squeak
09 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
March Madness is almost upon us, which means basketball arenas across the country will be filled with the thunderous roar of fans and the surprisingly...
Can ‘Suggestion-Box Science’ Make Public Health More Useful?
07 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Skepticism around public health policy, experts and institutions has left some researchers asking basic questions about their role and relationship wi...
Fixing Society's Toughest Problems? ‘It’s On You’
06 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Ever heard an alcohol ad that tells you to “please drink responsibly”? Or a gambling ad that warns, "when the fun stops, stop”? Or been urged to...
3D Images Of Galaxies Will Rock You (Ft. Queen)
05 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality. Open your eyes, look up to the skies and see. There’s so...
Slow Release Of Federal Science Funds Holds Up Research
04 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Earlier this year, Congress pushed back on the Trump administration’s attempts to slash funding for many science research programs, and restored tha...
The Evolution Of An Enzyme Engineer Who Changed Chemistry
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In nature, enzymes are the catalysts that make much of biology work. They jumpstart chemical reactions that either wouldn’t happen, or would happen ...
The Art And Science Of Staving Off Cognitive Decline
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The new semi-autobiographical play “The Reservoir” spins a comedic narrative around cognitive reserve, the idea that doing brain-stimulating activ...
Into the Woods, From Chestnut Genetics To Tiny Forests
27 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
American chestnut trees once towered over the landscape, dominating forests in parts of the eastern United States. But in the late 1800s, a fungal bli...
EPA Repeals The Legal Basis For Regulating Greenhouse Gases
26 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On February 12, the Environmental Protection Agency dealt a major blow to the government’s power to fight climate change by rescinding a key piece o...
How One Gene Affects Alzheimer’s Risk
25 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
An estimated 500,000 people are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in the United States each year, but the causes and mechanisms of the condition re...
Are My THC Gummies Going Away?
24 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Does the availability of “hemp-derived” THC products have you dazed and confused? A legal loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill lets these items be sold ...
Why Aren’t There Biomarkers For Mental Illness?
23 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Despite major advances in our understanding of the biology of mental health disorders, there’s no blood test or brain scan that will confirm if yo...
Autism Rates Appear To Be Even Across Sexes. Diagnosis Is Not
21 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
There’s a long-held idea that autism is more prevalent in boys than girls—the CDC says it’s three times as common. But a growing body of researc...
AMA Joins Effort To Launch Independent Vaccine Review Panel
20 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The gap between vaccine science and vaccine policy has been widening under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Now, the American Medical Associatio...
What A Snow Drought In The West Means For The Rest Of 2026
19 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
While parts of the eastern and southern US have had unusually high snowfall this year, the West is in a snow drought. The abysmal winter sports season...
Jump, Spin, Glide: The Science Of Figure Skating
18 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Figure skating is a fan favorite at the Winter Olympics—for every event, the stands are packed to watch competitors glide, jump, and spin. But what ...
How Are State-Run Psilocybin Therapy Programs Going?
17 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In Oregon and Colorado, you can book an appointment for psilocybin therapy, where a licensed therapist takes you on a guided trip using the drug that ...
A Little Grime Can Boost Kids’ Health. But What Kind?
16 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
You may have heard that a little dirt is good for kids. It helps them build up their immune systems, and sets them on a path to future health. But wha...
Mating, Marriage, And Monogamy In The Age Of Apps
14 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
With so many dating apps—and so many people using them—why are a record number of American adults single? Is marriage as important as it was a gen...
What A Tea Party With A Bonobo Taught Us About Imagination
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Our ability to imagine is part of what makes us who we are—not just as individuals, but also as humans. It turns out, though, that we may not be the...
How Is Screen Time Affecting My Kid?
12 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Screens are ubiquitous in today’s world, and concerns about how they affect kids are mounting. Last month, Australia banned social media use for kid...
Who Wants To Smell An Ancient Embalmed Mummy?
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Wandering through a museum, you can get a glimpse of what life in ancient societies looked like. But what did it smell like? And is it even possible t...
Stressed About The World? Take A Cue From Cyanobacteria
10 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Cyanobacteria may be the ultimate lesson in resilience. These 3.5 billion-year-old organisms have lived through hell-on-earth conditions, and found cr...
The Largest US Particle Collider Stops Its Collisions
09 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), the largest particle collider in the United States, collided its last particles in early February. RHIC is...
Olympic Ski Mountaineering, And Mountain Goat Climbing Feats
06 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This year’s Winter Olympics feature a new event called “skimo,” or ski mountaineering. The racing event involves periods of skiing uphill using ...
Why Worry About My Data If I Have Nothing To Hide?
05 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
As ICE cracks down in Minneapolis and across the country, reporters and privacy advocates have drawn attention to how the agency is using technology: ...
Should Ultraprocessed Foods Be Off The Menu?
04 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The new dietary guidelines from the USDA call for Americans to “eat real food” and consume less “highly processed” food. But how? By some esti...
The Growing Experiment Of Putting Solar Panels On Farmland
03 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In an effort to make their farms more environmentally and economically sustainable, some farmers are experimenting with agrivoltaics: growing crops un...
We’re All Being Played By Metrics
02 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Point systems are everywhere. Ready for movie night? Consult Rotten Tomatoes. Vetting a new pediatrician? See how many stars they have. At work, it ca...
The Middle + SciFri: How Can Trust In Science Be Restored?
31 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We’re bringing you a special bonus episode from our friends at the live call-in show “The Middle with Jeremy Hobson.” Jeremy is joined by Scienc...
Untangling The History Of Dog Domestication
30 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
All the pups we love—from chihuahuas to great danes—are descendants of the mighty gray wolf. But how did we end up with so many breeds? The story ...
Are These Unprecedented Times for Science, Really?
29 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We keep hearing that these are unprecedented times for science: scientific skeptics running federal agencies, growing mistrust of vaccines, and messag...
How China Is Driving Down Electricity Costs With Renewables
28 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In a speech last week in a speech at the World Economic Forum, President Trump said China was making a lot of wind turbines, but not using much wind p...
Managing The Risks Of Spaceflight, 40 Years After Challenger
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Forty years ago this week, the space shuttle Challenger exploded in flight, 73 seconds after liftoff from Cape Canaveral. All seven crew members were ...
How A Mutation Made This Year’s Flu Season So Bad
26 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A rogue strain of flu, subclade K, has sickened more than 19 million people in the US so far this season. And the flu shot hasn’t offered that much ...
Tracking The Toxic Fallout Of The LA Fires
23 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This time last year, Los Angeles was on fire, and more than 16,000 homes and buildings burned to the ground. Cars, batteries, solar panels, insulation...
Deepfakes Are Everywhere. What Can We Do?
22 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Deepfakes have been everywhere lately, from fake AI images of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro following his (real) capture by the United States, to ...
Looking Beyond Statins For New Ways To Lower Cholesterol
21 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to “bad” cholesterol, most cardiologists say lower is better. But what’s the best way to get that number down? Can diet and exerci...
States Expected To See More ‘Anti-Science’ Bills This Year
20 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
An Associated Press investigation found that more than 420 “anti-science” bills were introduced in statehouses last year, targeting protections ar...
What’s Happening On The Slippery Surface Of Ice?
19 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
It’s a wintertime question that you may have had as you struggled down a frozen sidewalk, or strapped on some ice skates: Just why is ice slippery, ...
Teasing Apart The Causes And Early Signs Of Parkinson’s
16 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Each year, around 90,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with Parkinson’s, a neurodegenerative disease that can cause tremors and affect cognition....
What Greenland Sharks Are Teaching Us About Aging Eyes
15 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
As we age, our vision gets blurrier, we form cataracts, and we have a higher risk of glaucoma. But Greenland sharks live for hundreds of years and sti...
Secrets Of Ancient Concrete, And... Data Centers In Space?
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The concrete of ancient Rome is famous for its durability. Just look at the Pantheon and those iconic aqueducts that helped transport water throughout...
One Year Into Trump’s Term, Where Does Science Funding Stand?
13 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Last February, Sudip Parikh, CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, issued a dire warning about federal cuts to science, sayi...
Drilling Into The Details Of Venezuela’s Oil
12 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
With President Trump’s moves to take control of Venezuela’s oil production—including the seizure of incoming and outgoing oil tankers—there’...
‘The Kissing Bug’ And The Story Of A Neglected Disease
09 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Growing up, Daisy Hernández was told that her aunt had become ill from eating a bad apple. She watched as her aunt became sicker and sicker, and didn...
Are Raccoons On The Road To Domestication?
08 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean to be a wild animal in a world dominated by humans? A recent study found that city-dwelling raccoons’ snouts are getting shorter—...
The Community Group Rethinking LA's Approach To Wildfires
07 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A year ago this week, the Eaton and Palisades fires broke out in Los Angeles, and ultimately became one of the most destructive urban fire events in r...
What Should Astronauts Do First When They Reach Mars?
06 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
When humans finally land on Mars, what should they do? A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine lays out the sc...
Can The Rise In Solar Power Balance Out Clean Energy Cuts?
05 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Since President Trump returned to office, his administration has been aggressive in rolling back clean energy initiatives. Trump’s “big beautiful ...
Are Ultramarathoners Just Built Different?
02 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
‘Tis the season for exercise resolutions. For a select few, an ultramarathon—a race of 50, 100, or even more miles—may be on the table for 2026....
Your Cells Are Always Building A Whole New You
01 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In the last year, you’ve basically replaced your body weight in new cells. So yes, it’s a new year, new you. To ring in 2026, we’re talking abou...
A Look Back At 2025 In Science, From Federal Cuts To Space Junk
31 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This has been a busy year in science, from government budget cuts and policy changes affecting research, to the record rise of renewables, to the surg...
How Death Metal Singers Make Their Extreme Vocalizations
30 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Being able to belt out a tune like Adele or Pavarotti is not just about raw talent. The best singers in the world have to work on their technique—li...
What The Sigma Is Algospeak?
29 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Gen Alpha slang can seem unintelligible to adults, but linguist and TikToker Adam Aleksic argues language development in the internet age is worth leg...
Tangling With Entanglement And Other Big Ideas In Physics
26 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What have we learned in recent years about black holes? Can entangled quantum particles really communicate faster than light? What’s the story behin...
The Science Of Thriving In Winter—By Embracing It
25 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Health psychologist Dr. Kari Leibowitz traveled to some of the coldest, darkest places on earth to learn how people there don’t just survive, but th...
A Neurologist Investigates His Own Musical Hallucinations
24 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine sitting at home and then all of a sudden you hear a men’s choir belting out “The Star Spangled Banner.” You check your phone, computer, ...
‘Prehistoric Planet’ Defrosts Strange Animals Of The Ice Age
23 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Koalas with the bodies of lions. Elephants the size of your dog. Gigantic, 8-foot-tall sloths. These aren’t creatures found in science fiction: They...
How Did Vaccine Policies Actually Change In 2025?
22 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Since 1955, when Congress passed the Polio Vaccination Assistance Act, the federal government has been in the business of expanding access to vaccines...
Why Astronomers Are Excited About Comet 3I/Atlas’ Close Approach
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This year, comet 3I/Atlas broke into our solar system, but also the zeitgeist. This dirty snowball is a visitor from another solar system, and it’s ...
‘Fire Amoeba’ Likes It Hot, And A Faraway Lava Planet
18 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
While on a sampling trip in California’s Lassen Volcanic National Park, researchers stopped to sample a rather boring stream on their hike to Boilin...
What’s The Reality Behind The Humanoid Robot Hype?
17 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Videos of humanoid robots dancing, doing cartwheels, putting clothes in a washing machine, and serving drinks are all over social media. And tech CEOs...
'Just' A Blue Jay? Don't Overlook These Magnificent Common Birds
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s that time of year: the Christmas Bird Count, when birders go out in flocks to record all the birds they see in a single day. The data collected...
Can We Just Throw Our Plastic Garbage Into A Volcano?
15 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s winter, and the SciFri team is already dreaming of warmer weather. How about a mind vacation to one of the hottest places on earth, an erupting...
How Did Ancient Humans Use The Acoustics Of Spaces Like Caves?
12 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The sound of a choir performing in a cathedral is iconic for a reason. It’s this beautiful human experience: being side-by-side with other people, f...
What The Sounds Of Melting Glaciers Can Tell Us
11 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As the planet warms, the world’s glaciers are melting faster than snow can replenish the ice. That has implications for sea level rise, ocean curren...
How A Fringe Idea Led To Lifesaving Cancer Treatments
10 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In cancer research, the “seed and soil” hypothesis posits that the tumor is like a seed of misbehaving cells taking root in the body. Whether it g...
Why Is Bubonic Plague Still With Us?
09 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For many people, bubonic plague is an illness that seems squarely situated in medieval times. But each year, a handful of human cases pop up in the we...
Don’t Let Their Name Fool You—Sea Slugs Are Awesome
08 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we’re spotlighting an underappreciated group of marine creatures: sea slugs. Don’t let their humble name fool you. They come in vivid neon c...
As Companies Build Data Centers For AI, Communities Push Back
05 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There’s an enormous buildout of data centers underway across the country to fuel the AI boom. Hundreds of billions of dollars have already been spen...
A Toast To Bats That Pollinate Agave, And Tracking Monarchs
04 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You might think about bats as flitting around in the dark and hunting insects, but some species feed on fruits or flowers—and play an important role...
A Startling Plan To Save Spotted Owls—From Barred Owls
03 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The spotted owl has been a conservation flashpoint for more than 30 years. While habitat loss has been their historic foe, their most recent threat co...
Can A Microbe Conservation Movement Take Off?
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A team of scientists is trying to jumpstart a global conservation movement, on par with efforts to save the rainforests or protect the oceans. But it ...
How To Tap Into The Hidden Histories Of Rocks
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When we try to commune with nature, many of us turn toward the living: a walk in the woods among swaying trees, chirping birds, blooming flowers.But e...
Fingernails And Indigestion At The 2025 Ig Nobel Prizes
28 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Each year, the Ig Nobel Prizes recognize scientific research that first makes you laugh, then makes you think. For instance, researchers who investiga...
Why Is Working Out Good For Your Mental Health?
27 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A good workout can make you feel triumphant. And even if that isn’t your relationship with exercise, you’ve probably heard that working out can li...
Everything You Never Knew About Squash And Pumpkins
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s a wonderful time of the year: squash, pumpkin, and gourd season. But how do those giant, award-winning pumpkins grow so big? And what’s the d...
Where Does Plastic And Other Trash Go After We Throw It Away?
25 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever gotten to the end of, say, a jar of peanut butter and wondered if it should go in trash or recycling? If it’s worth rinsing out? And w...
‘A Multi-Headed Beast’: Telling The Story Of Cancer
24 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Twenty years ago, a young oncologist started journaling to process his experience treating cancer patients. That cathartic act became the Pulitzer Pri...
African Grey Parrots Are Popular—And It’s Fueling Illegal Trade
21 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
African grey parrots are internet stars. It’s easy to see why—the charismatic birds sing, tell jokes, and sling profanities. But how do the endang...
Attention, Trivia Nerds! It’s A Food Science Fact Feast
20 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After years of getting your emails and phone calls, we know that SciFri listeners are in the 99th percentile when it comes to nerdy knowledge. We’re...
Can Animal Super-Agers Teach Us Their Secrets?
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Some animals have a very different relationship to aging than we do: They don’t get cancer, they never go through menopause, and they live absurdly ...
How Alphafold Has Changed Biology Research, 5 Years On
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Proteins are crucial for life. They're made of amino acids that “fold” into millions of different shapes. And depending on their structure, they d...
How A Woodpecker Pecks Wood, And How Ants Crown A Queen
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve heard the hammering of a woodpecker in the woods, you might have wondered how the birds can be so forceful. What does it take to whack you...
Memories Change. But Can We Change Them On Purpose?
14 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Our memories make us who we are—just ask Barbra Streisand. But despite the lyrics in many popular songs, memories aren’t frozen in time. When we c...
Bearded Vulture Nests Hold Trove Of Centuries-Old Artifacts
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Bearded vultures build giant, elaborate nests that are passed down from generation to generation. And according to a new study, some of these scavenge...
Why The Bassist From Phish Is Funding Research Into ‘Flow State’
12 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The band Phish has toured for over 40 years. One of the draws of their legendary live shows—which can go on for 8 hours—is finding moments of “f...
Even Nobel Prize Winners Deal With Imposter Syndrome
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Around 25 years ago, Ardem Patapoutian set out to investigate the fundamental biology behind our sense of touch. Through a long process of gene elimin...
Study Finds COVID mRNA Vaccines Boost Cancer Treatment
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Over the last five years, billions of people have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine. New research has found an unanticipated resul...
Were Dinos On Their Way Out Before The Asteroid Hit? Maybe Not
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
One of the biggest debates in the dinosaur world is what was happening right before they went extinct. Were they already declining, or would they have...
Is There Such A Thing As Too Much Resolution On A TV?
06 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As Black Friday approaches, you’re probably being inundated with ads for bigger, better televisions. But just how good is good enough? Are there lim...
Can A Billion-Dollar Barricade Keep Carp Out Of The Great Lakes?
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Decades ago, non-native carp were brought onto fish farms on the Mississippi River to control algae and parasites. They escaped, thrived, and eventual...
Inside The Race To Save Wild Axolotls
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Axolotls are one of the most charismatic and beloved amphibians out there. But did you know that there’s only one place in the whole world where you...
Endometriosis Is Common. Why Is Getting Diagnosed So Hard?
03 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Endometriosis is a painful disease that occurs when endometrium-like tissue grows outside of the uterus. It’s extremely common—if you have a uteru...
Why Hasn’t Wave Energy Gotten Its Sea Legs Yet?
01 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We've figured out how to harness renewable energy from many natural systems, like solar, wind, and geothermal power. But what about the ocean’s wave...