Science Friday

Fishing For—And Saving—Sharks | Scientists Identify ‘ManhattAnt’ Spreading Across NYC

10 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Shark fishing is alive and well, but the fishermen who do it are increasingly prioritizing conservation. And, an unknown ant was spotted in Manhattan ...

Using DNA To Boost Digital Data Storage And Processing

09 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

You might be familiar with a gigabyte, one of the most popular units of measure for computer storage. A two-hour movie is 3 gigabytes on average, whil...

An Asteroid Impact, Spotted In Advance | Extreme Heat Is Making Learning More Difficult

06 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

ESA officials said it was only the ninth time an asteroid was spotted before reaching Earth’s atmosphere. And, as the climate changes and summer tem...

Dino-Killing Asteroid Was Rich In Carbon | The Dogs Sniffing Out Spotted Lanternflies

05 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A new study suggests that the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs may have originated from the outer parts of the solar system. And, invasive spotted l...

Why Eels Are So Mysterious—And In Demand

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Eels have fascinated humans for thousands of years, even captivating big thinkers like Aristotle and Freud. Despite having been around for some 200 mi...

Webb Telescope Data Point To Six ‘Rogue Worlds’

03 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know that almost every star you see in the night sky has at least one planet orbiting it?Here’s something even wilder: There are some celest...

Could ‘Season Creep’ Affect Human Behavior?

02 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

You might have noticed that the seasons don’t quite behave like they used to. In some places, fall and spring seem to fly by, while winter and summe...

Mosquito-Borne Diseases Are Spreading | ‘Slingshot’ And A Space Mission Gone Wrong

30 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Several states have reported cases of the rare but serious mosquito-borne illness eastern equine encephalitis. And, the new sci-fi movie "Slingshot," ...

The History Of Teeth, From Ancient Fish To Humans

29 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Your teeth don’t just chew your food—they connect you to the deepest of deep history on Earth. Teeth have existed, in some form, for half a billio...

Errors On Death Certificates May Be Skewing Mortality Data

28 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the maternal mortality rate in the United States is very high compared to other wea...

Astronaut Cady Coleman On ‘Sharing Space’

27 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There’s a phenomenon known as the “overview effect,” a changed perspective some people experience after seeing the Earth from space. Retired ast...

Protecting Sequoias From Wildfire Gets Tricky | Ancient Cave Art And Human Creativity

26 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sequoia National Park is largely designated as wilderness. That complicates efforts to protect its iconic trees from worsening wildfires. Also, archae...

Plastic In Human Brains | Local Anesthetics Recommended For IUD Insertion

23 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A new study measuring microplastics in organs of the recently deceased found that about two dozen brain samples were 0.5% plastic by weight. Also, hav...

Don’t Just Walk In The Woods—Touch, Smell, and Taste Them, Too

22 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s been a hot and rainy summer in many parts of the US, and it’s been hard to spend as much time in nature as many of us would like. Heat waves ...

Are Space Elevators Really A Possibility?

21 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The space elevator has been a staple of science fiction for decades, from The Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke to the Apple TV show “Founda...

Could Light And Sound Therapy Treat Alzheimer’s?

20 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A new potential Alzheimer’s therapy uses 40-hertz frequencies of light and sound to stimulate the brain. Research applying this treatment to mice sh...

Dr. Fauci On A Life Of Medical Research And Public Service

19 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Anthony Fauci has a long history with Science Friday. Ira first met him in the early 1980s while covering the HIV/AIDS epidemic. He has been a fre...

Evidence For Liquid Water On Mars | Making Campsite Booking Fairer

16 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Data from the Mars InSight lander points to the presence of liquid water underneath its crust. Also, some national and state parks are changing the wa...

Dinosaurs’ Secrets Might Be In Their Fossilized Poop

15 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

To gaze upon a full T. rex skeleton is to be transported back in time. Dinosaur fossils are key to understanding what these prehistoric creatures look...

The Promise Of Perovskite Solar Panels

14 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Solar holds great promise as a clean energy solution, as the sun is an incredibly abundant resource, and panels can be placed unobtrusively on roofs a...

An Expert Vegetable Breeder On Innovating Crops For The Future

13 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s become clear to farmers and home gardeners alike that climate change is affecting the gardening landscape, literally. The climate is warming, p...

What The Private Sale Of Fossils Means For Paleontology

12 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On July 17, Apex the stegosaurus was sold at Sothebys in New York City for a record $44.6 million. The buyer was billionaire Ken Griffin, CEO of the h...

Starliner Leaves Astronauts Stuck | Could We Get Weather Forecasts Years In Advance?

09 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Boeing capsule is having issues with its thrusters and cannot bring astronauts back to Earth. Also, move over, Farmer’s Almanac. A more accurate...

Why Does COVID-19 Spike In Summer?

08 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It may seem like everyone is either getting COVID-19 this summer, or knows someone who has. That’s because for the fourth year in a row, COVID cases...

Deep-Sea ‘Nodules’ May Produce Oxygen | A Bird’s Physics Trick For High-Altitude Flying

07 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

New research suggests that polymetallic nodules found 13,000 feet deep produce “dark oxygen” by electrolyzing water. Also, at higher altitudes, th...

PLATO’s Mission To Discover Exoplanets Like Earth

06 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

One of the hottest fields in astronomy right now is the search for exoplanets. NASA’s Exoplanet Archive currently lists over 5,700 confirmed planets...

Why Cancer Death Rates Have Decreased Over The Last 30 Years

05 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

“Cancer” is a dreaded word in the doctor’s office. But about 40% of us will be diagnosed with cancer at some point during our lives, the most co...

Hawaiʻi Wildfire Survivors Join Health Study | Wind Turbine Blade Sinks Off Massachusetts Coast

02 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The University of Hawaiʻi study will be the largest of its kind to investigate the health and social impacts of the Maui wildfires. Also, fiberglass ...

The Science And History Of Refrigeration

01 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

You know that disappointing feeling when you’re ready to make a delicious meal, but you crack open the refrigerator only to find mushy tomatoes, dri...

Sodium Replaces Lithium In A New Type Of Battery

31 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

If nations are to meet their sustainable energy goals, experts argue that batteries will be a crucial part of the equation. Not only are batteries key...

Inside The Race To Save Honeybees From Parasitic Mites

30 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Last year, almost half of the honeybee colonies in the U.S. died, making it the second deadliest year for honeybees on record. The main culprit wasn’...

What A Rodent Brain Shows Us About Love | If Colorado Was Flattened, How Big Would It Be?

29 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What A Rodent Brain Shows Us About Love–And LossLove has the reputation of being a fairly unique human emotion. If we’re lucky, we can experience ...

Curiosity Rover Discovers Pure Sulfur On Mars | A Science Hero, Lost and Found

26 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In a first, NASA's Curiosity rover has discovered pure sulfur on Mars. And, we revisit a conversation from 2015 about Alexander von Humboldt and Andre...

What Are The Risks Of Drinking Raw Milk?

25 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

According to a 2022 study, just over 4% of Americans said they had consumed raw milk in the past year. That might not sound like a lot, but it adds up...

A Space Suit To Turn Pee Into Water | A Bitcoin Mine Causing A Health Crisis In Texas

24 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Researchers developed a prototype of a space suit that could replace the high-absorbency diapers that astronauts wear on space walks. And, a bitcoin m...

How A Shark Scientist Forged Her Own Path

23 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Many kids dream of becoming marine biologists. But even folks who commit fully to studying life in the sea face a lot of barriers to entry in this com...

FDA Panel Rejects MDMA Therapy For PTSD

22 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Last month, the first psychedelic therapy treatment came before the Food and Drug Administration for a vote. It entailed using MDMA, also known as ecs...

A Small Meteor Blazes Over New York City | Tornado Science From ‘Twisters’

19 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The foot-long meteor passed through the Earth’s atmosphere near the Statue of Liberty. Don’t worry, it was fine. Also, the follow-up to the 1996 m...

Why Are There So Many Drug Shortages In The U.S.?

18 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

If you’ve tried to get prescriptions filled in the last year or so, a pharmacist may have told you, “Sorry, we don’t have that drug right now.”...

What The Small Intestine Can Tell Us About Gut Health

17 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The gut microbiome is an important ecosystem of microbes that lives in each one of us, and its strength affects our overall health.However, the small ...

Helping Queen Conchs Mate In The Florida Keys

16 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In shallow water not far from the Florida Keys’ famed Seven Mile Bridge, a herd of the state’s flamboyantly pink queen conchs is struggling to sur...

How Congestion Pricing Can Impact Human Health

15 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In early June, New York Governor Kathy Hochul blocked a congestion pricing plan from going into effect in New York City. This plan would have charged ...

Galaxies ‘Dance’ In Stunning New JWST Image | Why Some Cats Scratch Furniture

12 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As the James Webb Space Telescope marks two years of operations, NASA unveils a new image of two galaxies interacting. And, new research shows that ca...

Your Pain Tolerance May Have Been Passed Down From Neanderthals

11 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There’s a little bit of Neanderthal in most of us. Neanderthals and Homo sapiens had a long history of intermingling, before the former went extinct...

How Can Iowa’s Agriculture Adapt To Climate Threats?

10 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Climate change is having a profound effect on agriculture. Farmers over the past decade have faced intensifying drought and heat stress on crops, lead...

How Do They Actually Store The Declaration Of Independence?

09 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

These days, the 4th of July is known for its fireworks and cookouts. But the holiday commemorates the ratification of the Declaration of Independence,...

How Politics And Diplomacy Shape Panda Conservation

08 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Earlier this year, the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington announced that pandas would be returning to the capitol. This news was met with great fa...

The Best Science Books For Summer 2024

05 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s officially summertime, and a new season of reading is here! Two science writers and voracious readers have compiled their summer reading recomm...

Avoiding Grilling and Barbecue Pitfalls

04 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In a conversation from 2014, Ira talks marinade myths, charcoal chemistry, and the elusive “smoke ring”—the science behind barbecue and grilling...

From Microbes To Mammoths: How Life Transformed The Planet

03 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When you think about Earth, you might think of a giant rock, floating around in space, making laps around the sun. A rock that just happens to have cr...

Study Shows Which Kids Are Getting Periods Younger Than Others

02 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

If you have teenagers in your life, you may have noticed that kids these days seem to be getting their periods earlier than previous generations did. ...

What To Do When Your Hypothesis Is Wrong? Publish!

01 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Most scientific studies that get published have “positive results,” meaning that the study proved its hypothesis. Say you hypothesize that a honey...

The Sample From The Far Side Of The Moon | Will The Seine Be Clean Enough For The Olympics?

28 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

China’s Chang’e 6 return capsule landed in Mongolia, carrying samples from the far side of the moon. Also, Paris has invested $1.5B in cleaning up...

The Octopus Overlooked By Science | Squid With ‘Giant’ Eggs Could Be New Species

27 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The larger Pacific striped octopus is unusually social. But it wasn’t recognized by scientists until 2015, despite one man’s efforts. And, a deep-...

House Stalls On Bill To Compensate Victims Of Nuclear Testing

26 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In July 1945, the US deployed the world’s first nuclear weapon during the Trinity Test. Since then, the US has tested more than 200 nukes above grou...

Crowdsourced Data Identifies 126 ‘Lost’ Bird Species

25 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Some birds are famous for being extinct, like the Dodo and the passenger pigeon.But how do we prevent species from reaching that point? One of the sta...

20 Years Later, How Are City Climate Plans Actually Going?

24 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In 2005, countries around the world ratified the Kyoto Protocol. It was the first big, legally-binding international climate policy, but there was a b...

It’s Hot. But How Hot? | Canine Cancer Vaccine Shows Promising Results

21 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Researchers say the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature is a better indicator of heat stress. Also, cancer is the leading cause of death in dogs. A new vaccine...

Mannequins Help Teach People How To Spot Ticks | Protecting A Flickering Symbol Of Summer Nights

20 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Two mannequins walk into a science lab, and one’s got a big tick problem. She can teach humans how to check for ticks. Also, researchers used citize...

‘The Singularity Is Nearer,’ Says Futurist Ray Kurzweil

19 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In 2005, futurist and inventor Ray Kurzweil popularized the term “the singularity” to capture the idea that man and machine will merge as the next...

Why Do Cephalopods Make Ink?

18 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The most wonderful time of the year has arrived: Cephalopod Week, Science Friday’s annual tradition of spotlighting all things octopus, squid, and c...

Meet The Emotions Behind Teenage Angst In ‘Inside Out 2’

17 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the 2015 film “Inside Out,” audiences met 11-year-old Riley and her team of emotions: Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger, each represented ...

Elephants Seem To Use Names For Each Other | Kids Discover Rare T. Rex Fossil

14 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A new study used machine learning to analyze elephant vocalizations and identified “contact rumbles” that appear to function as names. Also, on a ...

How Sound Rules Life Underwater

13 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Many people think of the ocean as a quiet and serene place: Take a dip underwater and the cacophony of the world melts away.But the ocean is quite noi...

Metal-Absorbing Plants Could Make Mining Greener | A Tiny Fern's Gigantic Genome

12 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Plants called “hyperaccumulators” have evolved to absorb high levels of metals. Scientists want to harness them for greener metal mining. And, a l...

How Psychological Warfare Moved From Battlefields To Politics

11 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When you think about connections between science and war, the obvious links are in technology—advanced radar, spy satellites, more powerful explosiv...

Step Aside, DNA. It’s RNA’s Time To Shine.

10 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

DNA has long been studied and understood as the genetic blueprint for life on Earth. And related scientific endeavors, like the Human Genome Project, ...

A Week Of Milestones For Spaceflight | Mexico Has Elected A Scientist President

07 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A Week Of Milestones For SpaceflightThis has been a week of milestones for human spaceflight. After years of delays, Boeing’s Starliner capsule, car...

The Organ That Gives Birds Their Voices | Common Loons Are Pop Music Icons

06 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Scientists are studying birds’ unique vocal organ, the syrinx, to better understand its evolutionary history. Also, the eerie calls of the common lo...

Indigenous Nations Are Fighting To Take Back Their Data

05 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

You might’ve heard this phrase before: data equals power. Because when you have data, you can decide how they’re used and who gets to use them.The...

The Unseen World Of Plant Intelligence

04 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Are plants intelligent? Until recently, botanists were hesitant to ask that question, at least publicly. But that’s changing.In recent years researc...

Right-To-Repair Laws Gain Steam In State Legislatures

03 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

If you have a problem with your phone, like a bad battery or a cracked screen, you might decide to just buy a new one. That’s partly because we don’...

Starliner Crewed Test Flight Rescheduled | Slugs And Snails Like Cities

31 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The much-delayed crewed test flight is back on the calendar, despite a helium leak. Also, researchers used data from the crowd-sourcing nature observa...

Your ‘Biological Age’ Could Be Different Than How Old You Are

30 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Aging often looks very different on different people. There are some 70-year-olds that exercise regularly, have no trouble going for a walk around the...

High-Speed Rail Gets A Boost In The U.S.

29 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

While the US was known for its railroads in the 1800s, we’ve fallen behind places like Japan, China, and Europe, which have invested in trains that ...

Using A Lab On Wheels To Study Weed From Dispensaries

28 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Cannabis is legal in some form or another in over half of US states. But federally, it’s illegal and has no accepted medical use. However, the Biden...

Jelly Creatures That Swim In Corkscrews | Keeping Wind Turbines Safe For Birds

27 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For the first time, scientists have recorded how salps form chains and swim in corkscrews to reach the ocean’s surface each night. Also, a wind util...

Zapping Nerves Into Regrowth | Celebrating the Maya Calendar In Guatemala’s Highlands

24 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

An early study found that electrical stimulation could improve hand and arm function in people with spinal cord injuries. Also, for thousands of years...

Fine-Tuning Grapes For Iowa’s Wine Industry

23 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know that almost all the wine we drink, no matter what color it is or where it’s produced, comes from a grape species called Vitis vinifera?...

How To Recycle Rare Earth Elements

22 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Rare earth elements are a group of 17 metals used in a wide range of things that make modern life possible, including batteries, magnets, LED light bu...

New Evidence Questions Dark Energy’s ‘Constant’ Nature

21 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After the Big Bang, the universe expanded rapidly. And, once upon a time, conventional wisdom held that that expansion would eventually slow, dragged ...

New Guidelines Recommend Earlier Breast Cancer Screening

20 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has updated its recommendations for breast cancer screening once again. The recommendations now stipulate that...

New Rule Sets Stage For Electric Grid Update | Harnessing Nanoparticles For Vaccines

17 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Upgrades to the power grid under a new rule could help accommodate an increasing renewable energy supply and meet data center demands. Also, extremely...

How Climate Change Is Changing Sports

16 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sports are a critical part of human culture just about everywhere in the world. Maybe you played little league as a kid, or like to go to the park for...

Why Is Tinnitus So Hard To Understand And Treat?

15 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tinnitus, a condition commonly described as a persistent ringing in the ears, affects millions of people around the world. In the US, the prevalence o...

Finding Purpose In A ‘Wild Life’

14 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Wildlife ecologist Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant has tracked bears through the mountains, lived with lions, been chased by elephants, and trekked after lemurs in...

Archeopteryx Specimen Unveiled | Trees And Shrubs Burying Great Plains' Prairies

13 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Field Museum has unveiled a new specimen of Archaeopteryx, a species that may hold the key to how ancient dinosaurs became modern birds. Also, a “...

JWST Detects An Atmosphere Around A Rocky Exoplanet | Boeing Plans To Fly Humans To The ISS Next Week

10 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Astronomers have confirmed they found an atmosphere around an Earth-like rocky exoplanet for the first time. Also, Boeing’s Starliner craft was sche...

Challenging The Gender Gap In Sports Science

09 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The first Women’s World Cup was in 1991, and the games were only 80 minutes, compared to the 90-minute games played by men. Part of the rationale wa...

What Martian Geology Can Teach Us About Earth

08 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

At first glance, Mars might seem rather different from our own planet. Mars is dry, with little atmosphere, and no liquid water on its surface. It is ...

How Louisiana Is Coping With Flooding In Cemeteries

07 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Emily Dalfrey lives across the street from Niblett’s Bluff Cemetery, where generations of her family are buried, in Vinton, Louisiana.In 2016, a per...

Inside Iowa State’s Herbarium | Science-Inspired Art From ‘Universe of Art’ Listeners

06 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Ada Hayden Herbarium preserves hundreds of thousands of specimens, including some collected by George Washington Carver. And, as the “Universe o...

Science From Iowa’s Prairies | Planning To Go See Cicadas? Here’s What To Know

03 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Science Friday is in Ames, Iowa, home to prairies, greater prairie chickens, and an array of wildlife. Also, the co-emergence of two periodical cicada...

Maybe Bonobos Aren't Gentler Than Chimps | Art Meets Ecology In A Mile-Long Poem

02 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A study found aggression between male bonobos to be more frequent than aggression between male chimpanzees. Also, visual artist Todd Gilens created a ...

When Products Collect Data From Your Brain, Where Does It Go?

01 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There are products on the market that monitor your brain waves through caps or headbands: Some aim to improve mental health, sleep, or focus, while ot...

Visualizing A Black Hole’s Flares In 3D

30 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The words “black hole” might bring to mind an infinite darkness. But the area right around a black hole, called the accretion disk, is actually pr...

The 4,000-Year History of Humans and Silk

29 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Silk is one of the most luxurious fabrics for clothing and bedding. Unlike cotton or linen, silk is made most commonly by insects—often the Bombyx m...

Flint’s Water Crisis, 10 Years Later | Underwater Cables Could Help Detect Tsunamis

26 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

While progress has been made in replacing water pipes in Flint, many residents say they still don’t know if their tap water is clean or not. Also, s...

Fighting Banana Blight | Do Birds Sing In Their Dreams?

25 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

America’s most-consumed fruit is at risk from a fungal disease. Researchers in North Carolina are on a mission to save Cavendish bananas. Also, bird...

Why Is Solving The Plastic Problem So Hard?

24 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

One of the biggest environmental issues in our modern world is plastic, which has become integral in the manufacturing of everything from electronics ...