Covering the outer reaches of space to the tiniest microbes in our bodies, Science Friday is the source for entertaining and educational stories about science, technology, and other cool stuff.
Grant funding by the National Science Foundation has been cut by more than half this year, bringing the foundation’s science funding to its lowest level in decades. Katrina Miller, who covers science for the New York Times , joins Host Flora Lichtman to unpack the cutbacks and discuss where the funding changes might lead. And, the FDA has cleared a blood test to help diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. The first-of-its-kind test measures the levels of amyloid and tau proteins in a patient’s blood, two...
Following recent outages at Newark Airport, this episode delves into the complexities of air traffic control. A former FAA VP and air traffic controller explains how the system works, the technology used (including the shift from radar to space-based), and the crucial role of human controllers. The discussion covers system reliability, backup procedures, staffing challenges, AI's potential, and the impact of funding issues, plus a compelling personal account of managing airspace on 9/11.
At the beginning of May, the National Institutes of Health, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, announced a plan to develop a universal vaccine platform. Think: a single shot for flu or COVID-19 that would last years, maybe a lifetime. The plan—called Generation Gold Standard—has a reported budget of $500 million, and a tight deadline. But will it work? And where does the science on this actually stand? In this live broadcast, Hosts Flora Lichtman and Ira Flatow talk with epidem...
This episode profiles scientist Betül Kaçar, who risked her career by shifting her focus from traditional biochemistry to the ambitious study of life's origins and early evolution. Despite significant pushback and warnings from colleagues about the difficulty and career implications of her interdisciplinary work, Kaçar persisted, driven by a deep passion and resilience rooted in her personal history. She developed a unique methodology to resurrect and study ancient proteins, successfully making progress in understanding life's ability to survive drastic environmental changes, ultimately forging a new branch of research.
The “Mission: Impossible” franchise is known for its big stunts, and the newest film is no exception. Producer Kathleen Davis talks to the film’s stunt coordinator, Wade Eastwood, about the science behind one big underwater scene . Plus, psychologist Kenneth Carter joins Host Flora Lichtman to talk about what makes high-adrenaline adventurers tick. Take this questionnaire to see where you fall on the "sensation scale" Carter mentioned in this episode. Guests: Wade Eastwood is a stunt coordinator...
Pioneer climate scientist Jagadish Shukla shares his journey from a monsoon-dependent village in India to revolutionizing seasonal weather forecasting by challenging the prevailing butterfly effect theory. He explains the critical differences between predicting daily weather, seasonal patterns, and long-term climate, highlights the vital impact of seasonal forecasts on agriculture and communities, and voices concerns over current threats to weather data collection and the future of the field.
This Science Friday episode explores the surprising return of physical buttons and knobs in car design. Host Ira Flatow speaks with automotive engineer James Forbes and author Rachel Plotnick about the ergonomic benefits, tactile feedback, and lower cognitive load offered by physical controls compared to touchscreens. They discuss customer preferences, the cultural history of buttons, accessibility, and how automation and design trends might shape the future of car interfaces, including sharing listener's most cherished buttons.
Scientists are mapping the genomes of nightshades like tomatoes and eggplants to understand the genetics behind traits such as fruit size. Using CRISPR gene editing, researchers can modify specific genes to grow larger fruits more quickly than traditional breeding, potentially preserving desirable traits like flavor. This research also has implications for understanding genetic changes in human diseases like cancer and developing therapeutic approaches.
As a teenager living in St. Vincent, Richie Robertson saw first-hand what a volcanic eruption did to life on the island. Forty years later, he was the scientist the community turned to when the same volcano roared back to life. Richie’s colleague, Stacey Edwards of the UWI Seismic Research Centre, explains how Richie earned the trust of the community, and why it was important to have a Vincentian leading the way in a crisis. Guests: Dr. Richard Robertson, geologist at the UWI Seismic Research Ce...
The lesser prairie chicken was granted endangered species status in 2023. Now the Department of the Interior is moving to revoke those protections . What can this bird known for its flamboyant courtship rituals tell us about the Trump administration’s approach to environmental policy and protections for endangered species? Host Flora Lichtman is joined by Producer Shoshannah Buxbaum and Vox environmental reporter Benji Jones to talk about his reporting on the lesser prairie chicken and other sci...
Firefighting is a career with an inherent cancer risk, but a full understanding of what those risks are has been elusive. An important registry designed to help understand the link between firefighters and cancer was taken offline on April 1 because of federal cuts, then restored six weeks later. Host Flora Lichtman discusses this with firefighter health researcher Sara Jahnke and reporter Murphy Woodhouse from Boise State Public Radio and the Mountain West News Bureau. Plus, pests and pathogens...
What does it take to create and maintain one of the largest repositories of botanical information in the world? For starters, it can mean helicopter-ing into remote nooks of the Amazon, hiking through rough terrain, looking for strange fruits and flowers, and climbing trees to pluck specimens from the branches. Then there’s all the science required to identify, classify, and codify those species. Botanists Lúcia Lohmann and Charlotte Taylor join Host Flora Lichtman to discuss their work discover...
Medical sculptor Damon Coyle walks around with a Mary Poppins bag of body parts. Fake ones, that is. At the University of Missouri, his lab creates hyperrealistic body parts designed to help medical providers practice for real-world surgeries and procedures. They make things like lifelike arms for practicing blood draws or a set of eyeballs for ocular trauma training. On stage in Columbia, Missouri, Damon talks with Host Flora Lichtman about how he creates these eerily realistic body parts and h...
Biochemist Kati Karikó spent decades experimenting with mRNA, convinced that she could solve the problems that had kept it from being used as a therapeutic. Her tireless, methodical work was dismissed and she was ridiculed. But that work laid the foundation for the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines that saved millions of lives, and was recognized by a Nobel Prize in 2023. Kati shares her secret weapon for dealing with stress and naysayers. Plus, neurologist David Langer describes Kati’s exa...
This episode of Science Friday discusses proposed NASA budget cuts and their impact on space research, including robotic missions and the International Space Station. The conversation then shifts to deep sea mining, exploring environmental and geopolitical concerns surrounding a recent executive order that fast-tracks access for mining companies. Experts analyze the potential ecological damage and regulatory loopholes.
Dr. Bonnie Bassler discusses the complex communication methods of bacteria, which use chemicals to sense their environment and coordinate group behaviors. She explores how bacteria distinguish between relatives and competitors, and how they interact with viruses and host organisms. Bassler also touches on the potential applications of understanding bacterial communication for medicine and environmental science, and how her initial interest in bioluminescent bacteria led to broader insights into collective behavior.
A passion for fashion among the “bone collector caterpillar,” who wears a coat of body parts, and an artist who makes fabrics that remember. We inch into the world of extreme outerwear with the newly-discovered “bone collector caterpillar,” which wears a coat of many co… llected body parts . Why, Hanipillar Lecter? Entomologist Dan Rubinoff, who along with his team found the species on a mountainside in Oahu, Hawaii, shares the juicy details. And, what if clothes could remember our experiences? ...
This episode explores how iguanas traveled thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean on rafts, and the discovery of a pregnant ichthyosaur fossil named Fiona in Patagonia. Experts discuss the traits that enabled iguanas to survive such a voyage and what Fiona's fossil reveals about the evolution and birthing process of ichthyosaurs. The episode also touches on the challenges and importance of paleontological work in remote regions.
Dr. Kelsey Johnson discusses the limits of scientific inquiry, focusing on questions about the universe's origins, the nature of time, dark matter, and gravity. She emphasizes the importance of curiosity and continuous questioning, even when answers seem unattainable. The conversation explores the intersection of science, philosophy, and theology, highlighting the value of exploring the unknown.
This episode explores innovations in food science, featuring plant-based calamari created with 3D printing and lab-grown chicken. It also discusses New York City's mandatory composting initiative and new research into why human wounds heal slower than those of other primates, and a study on effectiveness of home washing machines for disinfecting clothes.
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—like how to control their breath and develop the stamina to hit note after note for a two-hour concert. But pop stars and opera singers aren’t the only vocalists who have figured out how to harness their voices for maximum impact. Death metal vocalists also train their voices to hit that unique guttural register. And those iconic screams are not as eas...
Mindy Weisberger discusses her book, 'Rise of the Zombie Bugs,' exploring real-life parasitic mind control. She details various zombifying organisms like Ophiocordyceps and Leucochloridium, explaining how they manipulate host behavior. The conversation also touches on the scientific study of these phenomena and the broader philosophical implications of zombies in popular culture.
This episode of Science Friday explores the intricate relationship between chronic pain and mental health, highlighting how understanding this connection can lead to better treatments. Shoshana Buxbaum shares her reporting on pain reprocessing therapy, a psychological treatment showing promise in eliminating back pain by helping patients unlearn pain pathways. The discussion covers the science behind chronic pain, the stigma associated with psychological components, and the potential for new research and therapies.
Researchers James Fong and Dr. Ren Ng discuss their experiment using lasers to stimulate specific cone cells in the eye, resulting in the perception of a new color called 'Olo.' They explore the possibilities of creating new colors beyond the rainbow and boosting colorblind individuals to full color vision. They also touch on the philosophical questions surrounding color perception and the role of language in understanding color.
How will market uncertainty and a lack of federal support for climate efforts affect the future of clean energy in the United States? Plus, many wetlands are disappearing, but Louisiana’s “accidental” Wax Lake Delta is growing—and informing coastal restoration techniques. $8 Billion Of Climate Tech Projects Were Canceled In 3 Months In the first three months of the Trump administration, officials have been aggressive in cancelling climate change related efforts, from enacting layoffs at large ag...
Dr. Eleanor Carlson discusses the Darwin's Ark project, which aims to close the cat research gap by studying cat genetics and behaviors. The project seeks to understand cat breeds, personality traits linked to fur color, and the evolutionary history of cats compared to dogs. Listeners are encouraged to contribute to the project by visiting darwinsarc.org.
This episode of Science Friday explores the advancements in brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) for individuals with paralysis. Guests Dr. Matthew Willsey and Dr. Sergey Stavisky discuss their research on restoring movement and speech through neural activity decoding. They touch on the technology's potential, current limitations, ethical considerations, and future outlook, including commercialization and accessibility.
In Connecting Dots: A Blind Life , inventor Josh Miele recounts his life story and path to becoming an accessibility designer. When inventor and scientist Josh Miele was 4 years old, a neighbor poured sulfuric acid on his head, burning and permanently blinding him. In his new book Connecting Dots: A Blind Life , Miele chronicles what happened afterwards, growing up as a blind kid, and how he built his career as an inventor and designer of adaptive technology. Host Flora Lichtman talks with Dr. J...
Dr. Wes Marshall discusses the lack of scientific basis in many road design standards, arguing that current practices prioritize speed and capacity over safety. He highlights how outdated theories and reliance on technology contribute to preventable accidents, advocating for data-driven approaches and designs that prioritize pedestrians and empirical examples of successful streets. Marshall urges traffic engineers to acknowledge these shortcomings and embrace research-backed solutions for safer roads.
This episode of Science Friday dives into exciting science news, including the possible detection of life on an exoplanet and the first confirmed video of a colossal squid in its natural habitat. Discussions also cover the Trump administration's cuts to science funding, a detailed brain map of a mouse, and the effects of anti-anxiety medication on salmon. The episode provides insights into ongoing research and the mysteries of the deep sea.
