Articles
Science Friday is your trusted source for news and entertaining stories about science.
Small City Pays A Price For PFAS In Drinking Water
A military base polluted water in Newburgh, New York, with PFAS for years. Now a CDC-led study is uncovering the health impacts.
EPA Moves To Accelerate Superfund Cleanup Amid Cuts
The agency plans to expedite the process of cleaning up toxic waste sites, even as Trump aims to slash its budget and staff.
Don’t Lick The Toad From ‘Friendship’
In the movie, Tim Robinson seeks a psychedelic experience from an unusual source. Herpetologists want others to just say no.
Chasing A Butterfly Down Its Changing Migration Route
Each year, painted lady butterflies migrate thousands of miles between Africa and Europe. As the environment changes, so do their journeys.
Fighting ‘The New Polio’ In An Era Of Defunded Science
Since 2014, a virus related to polio has paralyzed hundreds of children. Amid government cuts, what happens if the outbreaks worsen?
This Mission Was Possible, According To Medical Professionals
In the new “Mission: Impossible,” agent Ethan Hunt takes a death-defying dive. Doctors tell us the science of saving real-life scuba divers.
Can Breeding Pest-Resistant Trees Save American Forests?
Pests are ravaging keystone species like ash, elm, and beech. But researchers are breeding the survivors into more resilient populations.
Meet The Death Metal Singers Changing Vocal Health Research
With cameras down their throats, metal singers show how they produce growls, screams, and squeals without damaging their vocal tissues.
In ‘The Shrouds,’ E-Textiles Capture The Intimacy Of Death
The movie’s burial shroud is a way to surveil the dead. In real life, artists are capturing intimate moments by weaving tech into textiles.
The Navajo Researcher Recovering A Desert Peach Variety
The Southwest peach, once cultivated by Indigenous peoples but devastated by colonizers, is being brought back by a Navajo scientist in Utah.
How Positive Childhood Experiences Offset Adversity
Adversity in childhood can affect our health later in life. But positive childhood experiences also have a profound impact.
Cómo las experiencias positivas en la niñez contrarrestan la adversidad
La adversidad durante la infancia puede afectar nuestra salud más adelante. Pero las experiencias positivas en la niñez también nos impactan.
The Academy Award For Science You’ve Never Heard Of
Since 1931, the Academy has recognized technological innovations in the film industry. One 2025 honoree has taken fire stunts to the next level.
‘Common Side Effects’ And The Race To Save Invisible Fungi
A “mycology thriller” imagines a hidden healing mushroom. In real life, scientists are searching far and wide to map the world’s unseen fungi.
En defensa de la ciencia hecha en Latinoamérica
Dado lo poco que vemos en América Latina a nuestros astrónomos y astrónomas, es un milagro que sigamos produciéndolos.
The Best of Science Friday, 2024
Fossil sales, a solar eclipse, and hacking your brain: This was a big year for science. Our staff pick their favorite projects.
6 Creative Ways People Are Preserving Nature—And You Can Too
Read a roundup of stories about creative ways people are preserving and protecting nature from our “Tiny Nature Triumphs” newsletter.
La hazaña de construir el telescopio más grande del mundo
El Observatorio Europeo Austral está construyendo en el desierto de Atacama un titánico telescopio que revolucionará la exploración cósmica.
‘Y2K’ Fictionalizes The Past Cyber Threat—But More Are Coming
On the 25th anniversary of the Y2K scare, the eponymous film pokes fun at internet disasters. But real disruptions may loom in the future.
Las latinas en ciencia espacial quieren dejar de ser la excepción
Unas científicas espaciales de Guatemala, Costa Rica y Argentina hablan de sus retos y sus logros.