Delve into the surprising complexity of why ice is slippery, moving beyond the common belief of a simple water layer. Mechanical engineer Robert Carpick discusses tribology, new computer simulations revealing an "amorphous" surface layer, and how electrostatic forces play a role. The episode also covers the science of ski waxing, innovative ice detection methods, and the physics behind a curling rock's unique motion.
This episode explores Parkinson's disease, focusing on the role of misfolded proteins and the mystery of its origins and spread. Guests discuss early signs like smell loss and REM sleep behavior disorder, as well as potential environmental triggers such as air pollution and pesticides. The conversation delves into current research efforts for early detection through biomarkers and emphasizes lifestyle interventions, while advocating for broader societal actions in prevention.
Discover the secrets behind the Greenland shark's remarkably healthy eyes, which show no signs of aging despite their 400-year lifespan, and learn how their efficient DNA repair mechanisms could offer clues for preserving human eyesight. The episode also marvels at the James Webb Space Telescope's incredibly precise mirrors, discussing the advanced engineering required for deep space observation and an unexpected medical application developed from its technology. It concludes with a reflection on how scientific exploration can inspire awe and connect with broader human and spiritual questions.
The concrete of ancient Rome is famous for its durability. Just look at the Pantheon and those iconic aqueducts that helped transport water throughout the empire—still standing 2,000 years later. But knowledge about how this concrete was made hasn’t been very solid. Well, scientists have discovered a construction site in Pompeii preserved in the volcanic ash, which might hold clues to how we can improve our concrete today. Concrete researcher Admir Masic joins Host Ira Flatow to discuss the find...
Last February, Sudip Parikh, CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, issued a dire warning about federal cuts to science, saying the country was on its way to losing its status as a global science leader. Nearly a year later, where does the United States stand with science funding , and what happens next? Sudip Parikh joins Host Flora Lichtman once again to discuss. Guest: Dr. Sudip Parikh is CEO and Executive Publisher of the American Association for the Advancement of S...
With President Trump’s moves to take control of Venezuela’s oil production—including the seizure of incoming and outgoing oil tankers—there’s been a lot of talk about the country’s deep reserves of crude. But not all oil is the same, and getting the Venezuelan reserves out of the ground might be neither cheap nor simple. So who wants that oil, and what is it good for? Petroleum engineer Jennifer Miskimins joins Host Ira Flatow to drill into the ABCs of oil production and refining. Guest: Dr. Jen...
Growing up, Daisy Hernández was told that her aunt had become ill from eating a bad apple. She watched as her aunt became sicker and sicker, and didn’t learn until years later that she was living with Chagas disease. It affects around 8 million people, mostly across the Americas, and yet many of us have never heard of it. Hernandez’s book, The Kissing Bug, is SciFri’s first book club pick of the year. Host Flora Lichtman speaks with Hernández about her book, the story of her aunt who died of Cha...
What does it mean to be a wild animal in a world dominated by humans? A recent study found that city-dwelling raccoons’ snouts are getting shorter—a sign of domestication. Another study on dark-eyed juncos living on a Los Angeles college campus found that their beaks changed shape during the COVID-19 lockdown, when there wasn’t as much food and trash on campus. Evolutionary biologist Pamela Yeh and animal domestication expert Raffaela Lesch join Host Flora Lichtman to discuss how wildlife is evo...
A year ago this week, the Eaton and Palisades fires broke out in Los Angeles, and ultimately became one of the most destructive urban fire events in recent history. Today we’ll hear about a community brigade that is taking firefighting into its own hands through a technique called “home hardening.” Journalist Adriana Cargill, host of the new podcast “The Palisades Fire: A Sandcastle Special” from PRX, embedded with this group to understand what the future of firefighting could look like. She and...
When humans finally land on Mars, what should they do? A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine lays out the science objectives for a crewed Mars mission . Planetary scientist Lindy Elkins-Tanton, who co-chaired the report committee, joins Host Flora Lichtman to talk about the plans to send people to Mars. We’ll also get an update on the mission to survey the asteroid Psyche . Elkins-Tanton tells us how she managed the team that made the Psyche mission poss...
Since President Trump returned to office, his administration has been aggressive in rolling back clean energy initiatives. Trump’s “big beautiful bill” ended tax credits for solar panels and electric vehicles. And the EPA is moving to cancel $7 billion dollars in federal grants that were intended to help low- and middle-income families install solar on their homes. But that isn’t the whole story. Texas, California, and other states are bringing so much solar and battery power online that in Marc...
‘Tis the season for exercise resolutions. For a select few, an ultramarathon—a race of 50, 100, or even more miles—may be on the table for 2026. But is there a limit to what our bodies can endure? And what makes ultramarathoners capable of these tremendous feats? Joining Host Flora Lichtman are sports medicine expert Brandee Waite and biological anthropologist Andrew Best. Guests: Dr. Brandee Waite is the director of UC Davis Health Sports Medicine in Sacramento, California. Dr. Andrew Best is a...
In the last year, you’ve basically replaced your body weight in new cells. So yes, it’s a new year, new you. To ring in 2026, we’re talking about starting anew, and drawing inspiration from tiny worms that embody the ultimate growth mindset—they can regrow a whole body from just a tiny piece of their tail. In this festive episode, Host Flora Lichtman talks with biologist Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado, a pioneer in the field of regeneration, about the science of regeneration and the biology lessons ...
This has been a busy year in science , from government budget cuts and policy changes affecting research, to the record rise of renewables, to the surge in AI, and everything in between. Science journalists Sophie Bushwick and Maggie Koerth join Host Ira Flatow to unpack some of the year’s top stories, and some you might have missed. Guests: Sophie Bushwick is a freelance science journalist and editor based in New York. Maggie Koerth is climate and weather editor for CNN, based in Minneapolis. T...
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...
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. In a conversation from July, 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 posting educational videos as the “Etymology Nerd” to...
Physicist Sean Carroll demystifies complex concepts from his book, "The Biggest Ideas in the Universe," for a live audience. He delves into the puzzling nature of time, the famous Schrodinger's Cat thought experiment, and the persistent mysteries surrounding dark matter, dark energy, and black holes. Carroll also shares insights into the current challenges in fundamental physics, including the search for new experimental clues beyond existing theories, and exciting future observational campaigns like space-based gravitational wave detection.
Health psychologist Dr. Kari Leibowitz, a "reformed winter hater," discusses her research in Northern Norway, revealing that a positive mindset is key to thriving through cold, dark winters. She shares cultural strategies and listener tips, from Nordic practices like saunas and cold plunges to seasonal rituals like tea and recognizing "spring winter." The episode also clarifies the distinction between normal winter feelings and clinical Seasonal Affective Disorder, encouraging a reevaluation of winter's narrative.
Imagine sitting at home and then all of a sudden you hear a men’s choir belting out “The Star Spangled Banner.” You check your phone, computer, radio. Nothing’s playing. You look outside, no one’s there. That’s what happened to neurologist Bruce Dobkin after he received a cochlear implant. He set out to learn everything he could about the condition, called musical hallucinosis. In a story from August, Host Ira Flatow talks with Dobkin about his decision to publish his account in a medical journa...
Paleontologists Darren Naish and Emily Lindsey discuss the latest "Prehistoric Planet" season, which brings Ice Age animals like woolly mammoths and saber-toothed cats to life. They delve into the challenges of realistic CGI, the rich fossil evidence from sites like La Brea Tar Pits, and the surprising diversity of ancient climates and megafauna. The episode also explores how human activity and climate change led to the end of the Ice Age extinctions and highlights new research methods like DNA studies and permafrost discoveries.
Since 1955, when Congress passed the Polio Vaccination Assistance Act, the federal government has been in the business of expanding access to vaccines. That is, until this year. 2025 has been filled with almost daily news stories about federal agencies, under the direction of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., casting doubts about vaccine safety, including unsubstantiated claims about links to autism. These agencies have also been taking steps that could roll back access to vaccines, includ...
Astronomers discuss Comet 3I/Atlas, the third interstellar object ever spotted, detailing how they study its composition and origin using telescopes like James Webb, despite challenges. The episode delves into public excitement around potential alien connections and the scientific community's perspective on such theories. Finally, a listener's romantic idea for the International Space Station's end is explored, with an astrophysicist explaining the logistical and safety reasons for its controlled deorbit into the ocean.
While on a sampling trip in California’s Lassen Volcanic National Park, researchers stopped to sample a rather boring stream on their hike to Boiling Springs Lake. But when they incubated that water sample back in the lab, they discovered an amoeba that could still move and divide at 145 F, a new record for a eukaryotic cell. Microbiologist Angela Oliverio joins Host Flora Lichtman to describe the “fire amoeba,” Incendiamoeba cascadensis . Plus, planetary scientist Johanna Teske takes us to exop...
Videos of humanoid robots dancing, doing cartwheels, putting clothes in a washing machine, and serving drinks are all over social media. And tech CEOs are telling us to prepare for the forthcoming humanoid army that’s going to totally change our lives for the better. But what’s real? Where are we with this technology? Are these humanoids robots ready to take washing the dishes off our plates, or work beside us in warehouses? Tech journalist James Vincent became an expert on the subject when he t...
It’s that time of year: the Christmas Bird Count , when birders go out in flocks to record all the birds they see in a single day. The data collected during this annual tradition gets compiled by the National Audubon Society, and helps scientists understand bird population trends across the Americas. If you participate in the bird count, chances are you’ll see a lot of the same birds you’d see any other day of the year—think sparrows, blue jays, blackbirds, cardinals. But that doesn’t make them ...
In this episode, volcanologist Dr. Tamsin Mather debunks the idea of using volcanoes for plastic waste disposal, explaining the toxic fumes released. She shares how Iceland successfully harnesses geothermal energy for power and heating. The discussion also covers the physical properties of lava, how close one can safely get to an eruption, and the different temperatures and magma compositions of various volcanoes. Finally, Dr. Mather describes Pele's hair and other volcanic hazards, before vividly recounting the multisensory experience of being near an erupting volcano.
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As the planet warms, the world’s glaciers are melting faster than snow can replenish the ice. That has implications for sea level rise, ocean currents, and global weather patterns. But collecting data at the edge of a melting glacier can be risky. Glaciologist Erin Pettit and her colleagues are listening to the sounds melting glaciers make —from the sizzling of trapped air bubbles bursting, to the deep rumbles of underwater calving of icebergs. She joins Host Flora Lichtman to share some glacial...
In cancer research, the “seed and soil” hypothesis posits that the tumor is like a seed of misbehaving cells taking root in the body. Whether it grows—and where it grows—depends on the conditions, or soil. Since this hypothesis was proposed more than 100 years ago, most research and treatments have focused on the seed, or tumor. For nearly 50 years, Rakesh Jain has been studying the soil. But in a seed-focused field, his work was seen as wasteful and radical. Now, that very same research has led...
For many people, bubonic plague is an illness that seems squarely situated in medieval times. But each year, a handful of human cases pop up in the western United States. Plague can be treated successfully with modern medicine. But why does it still exist , and how should we think about it both locally and globally? Plague researcher Viveka Vadyvaloo joins Host Flora Lichtman to talk all things spread and containment. Guest: Dr. Viveka Vadyvaloo is a plague researcher and director of the Allen S...
