This episode delves into the science behind popular cold plunges, discussing potential benefits like psychological well-being and stimulant effects, alongside significant dangers and common misconceptions. The conversation also shifts to the resurgence of mammoths as team mascots, exploring their characteristics, social structures, extinction theories, and recent surprising genetic discoveries.
Dr. Masao Tomonaga was only 2 years old when the United States bombed his home city of Nagasaki. He survived, and grew up to become a physician for other survivors, known as hibakusha. He also studied hematology, and his research on leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes was foundational for understanding how radiation affects the body. On the 80th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he speaks with Host Ira Flatow about his life’s work, how hibakusha lived with the medical con...
The first complete draft of the human genome was published back in 2003. Since then, researchers have worked both to improve the accuracy of human genetic data, and to expand its diversity, looking at the genetics of people from many different backgrounds. Three genetics experts join Host Ira Flatow to talk about a recent close examination of the genomes of 65 individuals from around the world, and how it may help researchers get a better understanding of genomic functioning and diversity. Guest...
Delve into the intricate relationship between Earth and its celestial companion, the moon. Discover theories about the moon's violent origins and its surprising chemical similarity to Earth. Learn how its gravitational pull has not only shaped Earth's climate, tides, and evolution, but also profoundly influenced human concepts of time and even the planet's magnetic field. The episode also touches on how Earth affects the moon and the renewed global interest in lunar exploration.
This week the Trump administration indicated that it would seek to roll back a key EPA finding that allows the agency to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from things like cars and power plants. The 16-year-old rule, known as the “endangerment finding,” states that six greenhouse gases pose a threat to human health. Sophie Bushwick, news editor at New Scientist, joins Host Ira Flatow to discuss the proposed change, along with news about exoplanet life, Russian drones, rust-based batteries, hexag...
Whistling is a skill used to communicate over distances—a whistle can mean anything from “you’re cute” to “time to come home for dinner.” There’s a complex series of mechanisms in the mouth that need to come together to make a whistle. Hosts Ira Flatow and Flora Lichtman discuss all things whistling with professional musician and whistler Wanda Civic, aka MCP, and speech language pathologist Aaron Johnson. Guests: Wanda Civic aka MCP is a musician and whistler based in New York, New York. Aaron ...
Paleontologists have identified an ancient reptile with a towering crest made not of skin, or scales, or feathers, or antler—but something else entirely. It’s some kind of integumentary outerwear we’ve never seen before. The small creature sporting the curious crest was named Mirasaura grauvogeli , and it lived during the Middle Triassic period, about 247 million years ago, just before dinosaurs evolved. Host Flora Lichtman talks to evolutionary biologist Richard Prum about this dramatic dorsal ...
The Trump administration has proposed cutting NASA’s budget by almost 25% and shutting down 19 currently operating science missions. On July 21, several hundred current and former employees of the space agency released an official letter of dissent, titled “The Voyager Declaration,” arguing against “rapid and wasteful changes which have undermined our mission.” Retired NASA astronaut Cady Coleman joins Host Flora Lichtman to explain why she felt compelled to add her signature to the letter of di...
Menopause is having a moment. Celebrities like Halle Berry, Naomi Watts, and Michelle Obama have recently shared their personal menopause experiences. Menopause and perimenopause are showing up across social media and even in popular books. All this to say, menopause has finally gone mainstream. But, it wasn’t until about three decades ago that menopause research really kicked into gear. Since then, scientists have made a lot of progress in understanding the basic biological process as well as t...
The EPA recently announced that it’s going to shut down its scientific research arm, called the Office of Research and Development. Since the agency was founded nearly 55 years ago, it’s had in-house scientists researching things like pollutants in our air and water, and the risks posed by toxic chemicals. That research informs the EPA’s guidelines and standards. Host Flora Lichtman talks with Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, who spent 40 years working at the EPA, about the importance of the Office’s res...
The Parker Solar Probe achieved a historic close approach to the sun, capturing incredibly detailed images of its corona, solar winds, and erupting magnetized gas. These unprecedented views are revolutionizing our understanding of phenomena like coronal mass ejections and the drivers of space weather. The mission aims to fundamentally change solar physics, helping scientists predict severe solar storms and their potential impact on Earth's technology.
Climate change is severely disrupting the home insurance market across the U.S., leading to soaring premiums and policy cancellations in states like Florida and Colorado. This crisis, driven by increasingly frequent and intense natural disasters, makes obtaining a mortgage difficult and is causing property values to decline in high-risk areas. Experts discuss state-level "last resort" insurance programs and how these direct financial impacts may force a broader societal reckoning with climate change.
Gen Alpha slang can seem unintelligible to adults, but linguist and TikToker Adam Aleksic argues language development in the internet age is worth legitimate study. Adam talks to Host Flora Lichtman about how algorithms and social media are changing the way we speak , and discusses his new book, Algospeak: How Social Media is Transforming the Future of Language. Guest: Adam Aleksic is a linguist and content creator, and the author of Algospeak: How Social Media is Transforming the Future of Lang...
The New World screwworm, a notorious pest that eats animals from the inside out, has re-emerged, threatening U.S. livestock after decades of eradication. Scientists are combating its northward spread using a unique sterile insect technique, dropping millions of irradiated flies to prevent reproduction and protect warm-blooded animals, including humans. This episode delves into the history of screwworm eradication and why public education is crucial for current efforts.
In July 1925, the Scopes “Monkey” Trial captivated the nation. On its face, the case was relatively straightforward: A Tennessee biology teacher named John Scopes was accused of teaching human evolution to his students. At the time, that was against state law. Both sides enlisted the help of big name lawyers to represent them, and the case turned into a national spectacle. But, why has the legacy of the case persisted? And what can it help us understand about our current moment? Host Ira Flatow ...
It’s shaping up to be one of the worst tick years yet, and concerns about Lyme disease—which is transmitted through the bites of some species—are high. Aside from a short-lived vaccine released in the late 1990s, people have not had the opportunity to get vaccinated against Lyme disease. But if our dogs can get vaccinated, why can’t we? Host Flora Lichtman speaks with immunologist and Lyme disease expert Linden Hu about the ongoing quest for a vaccine against Lyme disease, and our evolving under...
About 7% of veterans experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and that number can be closer to 30% for those who have served in a war zone. But PTSD has been treated pretty much the same way since the disorder was first recognized roughly four decades ago: Patients are instructed to revisit their trauma until the memory no longer creates an emotional response. This process can be so harrowing that over half of veterans are unable to complete the full course of treatment. But what if the...
Cosmologists discuss the current state of the standard model of the universe, focusing on the unresolved 'Hubble tension' where expansion rates don't match predictions. They explore the mysterious nature of dark energy and dark matter, questioning if entirely new physics is needed to explain the universe's accelerating expansion. The episode highlights exciting new instruments like the Vera Rubin Observatory that promise to shed light on these cosmic mysteries.
For decades, residents of the small city of Newburgh, New York, were unknowingly drinking water contaminated with toxic PFAS —also known as forever chemicals. The source turned out to be firefighting foam used on a nearby air base that had seeped into streams and creeks, and ultimately the city’s main drinking water reservoir. Now, Newburgh is one of 10 sites that are part of a CDC-led study investigating the health effects of PFAS exposure. Early data out of Newburgh links PFAS with high choles...
Oceanographer Victoria Orphan’s dream was coming true. She was sitting in the Alvin submersible, on one of its deepest science dives ever. But the trip was anything but smooth sailing. Victoria takes us inside the sub, where her dream turns nightmarish as things start to go wrong, and Alvin pilot Nick O’Sadcia works frantically to troubleshoot. Oceanographer Shana Goffredi, who’s also Victoria’s wife, tells us about the tense scene unfolding on the ship miles above, as they wait for word from th...
Researchers found a new sea spider with a giant nose, leg cannons, and—most remarkably—a novel way of surviving in the lightless, freezing environment miles below the sea surface. These oceanic arthropods are powered by methane that seeps out of the ocean floor. Biologist Shana Goffredi joins Host Flora Lichtman to tell us more about the discovery and explain how we’re connected to these little beasts. Guest: Dr. Shana Goffredi is a biology professor at Occidental College in Los Angeles, CA. Tra...
President Trump has said that he wants to phase out FEMA , the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and move responsibility for dealing with major disasters to the state level. Since its creation in 1979, the agency has played a key role in coordinating emergency response nationally. Host Ira Flatow talks with Samantha Montano, an emergency management specialist and author of Disasterology: Dispatches from the Frontlines of the Climate Crisis , about the path forward for FEMA and how US emergenc...
Most pasta is made from just two ingredients—flour and water. For decades this humble food has prompted physicists around the world to try to understand its mysterious properties and answer questions like: Why does a stick of spaghetti break into three pieces and not cleanly into two? And why is cacio e pepe so hard to perfect? The answers reveal more about the building blocks of the universe than you might expect. Host Ira Flatow talks with Joseph Howlett, math writer at Quanta Magazine , and a...
We live in a world filled with microbes—they’re inside our bodies, in soil, in deep sea hydrothermal vents, and in your window AC unit. Some microbiologists are hopeful that finding more of these tiny organisms could help us address the climate crisis . Joining Host Flora Lichtman to talk about how are microbiologists James Henriksen and Lisa Stein. Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Follow our show on Instagram , TikTok , ...
GLP-1 medications like Ozempic have dominated headlines over the past couple of years. When writing his new book, Diet, Drugs and Dopamine: The New Science of Achieving a Healthy Weight , former FDA commissioner David Kessler wanted to unpack the science beyond those headlines. He also has a personal relationship with the subject, having taken GLP-1 medications himself. Host Flora Lichtman joins Kessler to talk about the latest science on metabolism, weight loss, and how these blockbuster drugs ...
In both her life and her work, researcher Karmella Haynes has never followed the pack. Karmella explains why she created her own area of research at the intersection of synthetic biology and epigenetics. Emory colleague David Katz weighs in on the challenges Karmella faces in pioneering a new research field. Plus Karmella’s sister Sherrone Wallace fills us in on their family life, and how their father raised them to inhabit spaces that weren’t always welcoming. Karmella has been recognized by th...
In excerpts of two conversations from the Science Friday archives (originally recorded in 2000 and 2009), oceanographer Robert Ballard joins Host Ira Flatow to discuss the 1985 expedition in which he discovered the wreck of the Titanic. He also emphasizes the value of combining the efforts of oceanographers, engineers, and social scientists to study the world’s deep oceans. Guest: Robert Ballard is a National Geographic Explorer-at-Large and a Professor of Oceanography in the Center for Ocean Ex...
Summer means sun exposure, but protecting your skin is crucial due to the link between UV radiation and skin cancer. This episode breaks down the science behind sun damage and explores the differences between mineral and chemical sunscreens. A dermatologist answers common questions about SPF, reapplication, sunscreen in makeup, sensitivity, and how sunscreen affects vitamin D production, offering practical advice for choosing and using sun protection effectively.
Paleontologist and scientific consultant Steve Brusatte shares his experience working on "Jurassic World Rebirth," detailing the specific dinosaurs featured and how the film incorporates scientific accuracy regarding their appearance and behavior. He also discusses the film's positive portrayal of scientists and the importance of communicating science's value, before revealing some intriguing dinosaur ideas for future installments.
AI is not just for automating tasks or coming up with new recipe ideas. Increasingly, people are turning to AI chatbots for companionship. Roughly half a billion people worldwide have downloaded chatbots designed specifically to provide users with emotional and social support. And while these human-chatbot relationships might ease loneliness or simply be fun to have, these digital friends can also cause real harm by encouraging dangerous or inappropriate behavior—especially in children or teens....
