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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Researchers recently used near-infrared photography to get a detailed look at ancient artwork showing scenes of wild animals tangled in a fight. But these weren’t paintings on a cave wall. They were tattoos on the arms of a Siberian woman who lived 2,300 years ago. What can ancient ink tell us about our ancestors? Sticking and poking their way into this with Host Flora Lichtman are archaeologist Aaron Deter-Wolf and his research collaborator, tattoo artist Danny Riday. Guests: Aaron Deter-Wolf i...
Researchers caught a rare glimpse inside an exploding star (supernova 2021yfj) that had its outer layers stripped away, exposing its silicon- and sulfur-rich inner shell, confirming some stellar models. However, the unexpected presence of helium at this stage has puzzled astrophysicists, suggesting a need to refine our understanding of how massive stars die through complex processes like "pair instability." This discovery opens the door for a "gold rush" to find new classes of supernovae.
This Science Friday episode delves into the complex 30-year story of gray wolf reintroduction in the Western United States. Guest Heath Druzin discusses the species' dramatic comeback, the deep-seated public emotions surrounding their presence, and the significant ecological changes they've brought to ecosystems like Yellowstone. The discussion also covers the ongoing challenges with agricultural communities, the vital role of Indigenous tribes in recovery, and the precarious current protection status in key states.
What do Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, lime Jell-O, and Kraft Creamy French Salad dressing have in common? They've all gotten a glow-up from artificial food dyes. Petroleum-based food dyes have become a target of RFK Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda—but what does science say about their effects on health? Joining Host Flora Lichtman to discuss is Asa Bradman, an expert in the health effects of food dyes and other things we’re exposed to in our environment. Guest: Dr. Asa Bradman is a professor of...
This month, the Department of Health and Human Services terminated almost $500 million in mRNA vaccine development grants and contracts. While HHS has said that these cuts won't affect mRNA cancer research , some researchers have expressed concern about the impact on their ongoing work. In light of these developments, we’re revisiting a conversation from February. A team at Memorial Sloan Kettering is developing an mRNA vaccine for pancreatic cancer , which is notoriously difficult to treat. A f...
Since President Trump returned to office, his administration has been aggressive in rolling back clean energy initiatives. But that isn’t the whole story. Texas, California, and other states are bringing so much solar and battery power online that in March, fossil fuels generated less than half the electricity in the US for the first time ever. And internationally, solar has gotten so cheap to build and install that it’s fundamentally transforming many countries’ power grids. So where exactly do...
Fireflies’ magical blinking lights are tiny beacons in the warm dark night. Who can resist catching one? Not scientists. Because their light comes from bodily chemicals, fireflies’ power of illumination has long been used as a tool in medical research . And that has driven scientists to investigate the inner workings of the blinking beetle itself. Researchers have recently discovered that fireflies’ glowing lanterns are only one of the ways they communicate. Host Ira Flatow talks with entomologi...
Mathematician Adam Kucharski discusses the complex nature of truth, from historical quests for certainty to modern challenges in an era of disinformation and AI. The conversation delves into how scientific evidence is used in public policy, especially during crises like COVID-19, and the implications for trust in science, highlighting the interplay between scientific findings and societal values and the evolving understanding of truth in the age of technology.
Chemist Kathryn Harkup discusses Agatha Christie's scientifically accurate use of poisons in her mystery novels. She explores Christie's background as a wartime dispenser, which provided her with deep chemical knowledge, and how this accuracy made her stories stronger. The conversation also covers why poisons are popular in fiction and how modern forensics makes old methods of poisoning detectable.
On August 5, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the Department of Health and Human Services would terminate almost $500 million in mRNA vaccine development grants and contracts, affecting 22 projects. Biologist and mRNA researcher Jeff Coller joins Host Ira Flatow to talk about what this move means for future mRNA research in the US beyond these immediate projects. Plus, reporter Casey Crownhart joins Ira to discuss the latest in climate news , including flooding in Juneau, Al...
If you’ve found yourself scrolling through the breastfeeding world online, you know that people have a lot of strong opinions about breast milk. But what exactly do we know about the biology of it? Does breast milk really adapt to a baby’s needs? Does it confer immunity ? How does making breast milk impact the breastfeeder? Joining Host Flora Lichtman to spin through the science of this sophisticated substance are experts Shelley McGuire and Deepshika Ramanan. Guests: Dr. Shelley McGuire is the ...
Science journalist Tom Zeller Jr. has suffered from debilitating cluster headaches for three decades. Like other cluster headache sufferers, his episodes would leave him unable to function, and the fear of the next one happening was constant. In a quest to better understand his own condition, Zeller learned that headaches remain a great neurological mystery , with basic mechanisms behind why they happen still unknown. He joins Host Flora Lichtman to talk about his new book, The Headache: The Sci...
This episode pays tribute to the late Apollo 13 commander, Jim Lovell, featuring a 1995 interview where he vividly describes the explosion that crippled their spacecraft and the critical decisions made by both the crew and mission control to ensure their safe return. Lovell also reflects on the technical challenges, the investigation into the accident's cause, and the evolving public perception of space exploration, sharing his insights on NASA's legacy and the future of human spaceflight.
Fungal networks in the soil are arguably the basis of much of life on Earth, but they’re understudied and underappreciated in the conservation world. Scientists at the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN) are trying to fix that. They just unveiled a global map of mycorrhizal fungal networks, which highlights how widespread they are and how little protection they have. Host Flora Lichtman talks with two of the SPUN mapmakers, Adriana Corrales and Michael Van Nuland, about the...
The mechanisms behind Alzheimer’s disease have eluded scientists for decades. But a new breakthrough points to lithium as a possible explanation—not only does it occur naturally in the brain, but a deficiency causes dementia in mice. This research is one of thousands of projects that have lost funding due to President Trump’s cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Host Ira Flatow speaks with Alzheimer’s researcher Bruce Yankner about this new finding, and then to epidemiologist Katelyn...
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 ...
