Science Friday

Science Friday and WNYC Studios•www.wnycstudios.org

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.

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Episodes

How The Origin Of Life On Earth Can Help Find Life In Space

The origin of life on Earth has been mulled over by scientists for centuries. We now know that life’s building blocks are RNA, amino acids, and cells. But if life originated from the primordial ooze of early Earth, could that process be unfolding elsewhere in the universe? The search for life elsewhere in the universe is at the center of the book Is Earth Exceptional?: The Quest for Cosmic Life , by Mario Livio and Jack Szostak. Dr. Livio, an astrophysicist previously with the Space Telescope Sc...

Oct 07, 2024•23 min•Ep. 875

Hurricane Helene's Effect On The Global Tech Industry | A Stretchy Band-Aid For The Heart

The storm flooded mines in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, which supply the tech industry with some of the purest quartz in the world. Also, researchers developed a 3D-printable material, inspired by worms, that can act as a Band-Aid for damaged heart and cartilage tissue. Hurricane Helene’s Damage Could Affect The Global Tech Industry After making landfall on September 26, Hurricane Helene devastated regions in the southeastern US. Over 200 people are confirmed dead so far. About a million people ...

Oct 04, 2024•25 min•Ep. 874

Herbicides Approved For Public Land | Hidden Physics In Van Gogh’s ‘The Starry Night’

This summer, the Bureau of Land Management approved seven herbicides to fight invasive plants in the West. Also, when scientists analyzed the swirls in the famous painting, they found Van Gogh depicted forces of nature with startling accuracy. What Newly Approved Herbicides Could Mean For Federal Land Invasive plants are a big problem across the western US. Cunning interlopers like cheatgrass, leafy spurge and red brome can outcompete native vegetation, crowd habitats and steal water and other v...

Oct 03, 2024•18 min•Ep. 873

Improving Hospitals’ Support For Teens In Mental Health Crises

This conversation discusses suicide and suicidal ideation in young people. Please take care while listening. If you or a loved one is thinking about suicide or self-harm, text TALK to 741-741 or call 9-8-8 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. In the United States, suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people aged 10 to 24. One in five high school students seriously considered attempting suicide in 2023, according to the latest data from the CDC. Doctors, researchers, and ...

Oct 02, 2024•18 min•Ep. 872

Greenhouse Gases From Anesthesia | Fighting Militarization In The Mariana Islands

Emissions from anesthesia are one of the largest sources of greenhouse gases from hospitals. This anesthesiologist wants to change that. And, a cultural anthropologist discusses the Mariana Islands’ long history of colonization and why demilitarization matters for climate progress. A Major Source Of Greenhouse Gases In Hospitals? Anesthesia Did you know that some of the gases used in anesthesia are strong greenhouse gases? A few years ago, Seattle Children’s Hospital analyzed its carbon footprin...

Oct 01, 2024•18 min•Ep. 871

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