Episodes

Ever been swindled and wondered why you didn’t see it coming? A new book explains how master con artists succeed. Plus, baby microbiomes and Martian concrete.

In this episode, we imagine a future in which all cars drive themselves. Plus, will “Godzilla El Niño” make a dent in the drought? And the secret life of fat.

Test your superhero smarts in Science Friday’s live superhero quiz. Plus, a look back at the future of personal computing, as envisioned in 1992.

In this episode, Ira gathers a few SciFri regulars to round up the year’s science highlights—and a few lowlights, too. Plus, the wild origins of the poinsettia.

How can we archive quickly changing web and digital content? Plus, when scientists become science advocates, a designer cell that treats psoriasis before it starts—in mice, at least—and more.

We’re making our list and checking it twice: It’s the best science books of 2015. Plus, why failure is key to successful science, and photos reveal Pluto’s icy plains and deep, layered craters.

Will the UN Climate Conference create a binding agreement? Plus, gun violence as a public health issue, and Kurt Vonnegut’s connection to cloud seeding.

Why are science students at Stony Brook University learning improv? Plus, Randall Munroe explains the periodic table, using only the thousand most common English words. And highlights from this year’s Ig Nobel Prize ceremony.

Algorithms aren’t impartial—they often have bias baked in. In this episode, a look at how we can ensure that machines scan our resumes and loan applications with a fair eye. Plus, the hard science in a bottle of hard cider, and the design challenge in improving hard-to-read transit maps.

We take a look at the commercial trade in illegal and rare plants, with a stop at the New York Botanical Garden’s plant rescue center. Plus, how gene therapy might improve hearing, an illustrated account of weather, hairy insects, and more.