Episodes

Scientists are rushing to understand the latest Omicron COVID variant. We talk what’s known about it and what isn’t. Plus, a breakdown of quantum computing. And a reflection from Ralph Nader on his auto safety campaign after 55 years.

Koji mold has transformed food for centuries—and it’s a perfect tool for culinary experimentation. Plus, the physics of your singing wine bottle. And, of course, we celebrate silly science with this year’s Ig Nobel awards.

With so many COVID test options on the market, what tests are best—and when should you use them to prepare for holiday gatherings? Plus, how scientists are using genetic sequencing to better understand how tumors are created.

Action on climate change is slower than many activists would like. And why payment for “loss and damage” is crucial for vulnerable nations. Plus, how California is grappling with a year-long fire season. And what we can learn from our bright and bushy friend, the squirrel.

We celebrate Science Friday’s 30th anniversary by remembering some of our favorite moments of the show. Plus, children aged 5 to 11 can now get Pfizer’s vaccine. What’s next? And, the road ahead for Kansas’ 20 year-old wind farm industry.

On our final installment of this fall’s SciFri Book Club, we hear stories from those who’ve already experienced sea level rise in their communities. Plus, how maggots revolutionized modern medicine. And a haunting howling soundscape of the wolves who used to permeate Europe.

The history of how Filipino nurses have propped up America’s medical system. Plus, wetland oases created by beavers are surviving even the West’s new megafires. And some DIY tips to booooost your Halloween.

Biological samples have been used for purposes that don’t benefit indigenous people. The Native BioData Consortium is working to change that. Plus, how a Long Island tribal nation is fighting climate change and development. And why saving the wetlands can save the world.

How was air-conditioning invented—and how will it exist in our climate-changed future? Plus, the U.S. was woefully unprepared for COVID-19. Can we change before the next pandemic? And researchers found a group of neurons that are specifically for recognizing faces.

The Science Friday Book Club kicks off with a discussion of rising seas, vulnerable wetlands, and human adaptation. Plus, how science has progressed and changed over a hundred years. And, as endangered primates disappear, so do their parasites. That could have big ecological consequences.