Rasha Aridi is a producer for Science Friday. She loves stories about weird critters, science adventures, and the intersection of science and history.
While studying wildlife conservation at Virginia Tech, Rasha realized that she had way more fun talking about science than actually doing it. She then pivoted into journalism and has since written for outlets like Science, Smithsonian, and The Guardian. Before coming to SciFri, she worked for NPR’s Short Wave and Science Vs from Gimlet Media.
When Rasha isn’t nerding out about science, you can find her on an outdoorsy adventure, reading, or trying (and failing) to leash train her cat. Rasha is the inaugural Outrider/Burroughs Wellcome Fund Fellow.
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17:19
Parker Solar Probe Will Make Closest-Ever Approach To Sun
On December 24, 2024, NASA’s probe will break its own record for closest approach to the sun—just 3.8 million miles away.
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9:12
The Most Exciting Dino Discoveries Of 2024
To wrap up 2024, science writer Riley Black shares her favorite paleontology discoveries of the year.
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12:15
Are Food Recalls Actually On The Rise? Not Really.
Despite near daily warnings of food recalls, 2024 hasn’t been that different from previous years.
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8:24
How Blind Women In India Are Detecting Early Breast Cancer
A program trains women as tactile medical examiners to identify tumors before they show up on imaging scans.
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17:08
How Empire and Environmental Destruction Go Hand-In-Hand
“The Burning Earth” examines over 800 years of history to demonstrate how violence against people and the planet are one and the same.
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17:24
50 Years Of Science With Lucy, Our Famous Early Ancestor
On the anniversary of Lucy’s discovery, paleoanthropologists reflect on what she means to science, and what she taught us about ourselves.
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9:31
Ancient Bird Fossil Offers Clues Into How Bird Brains Evolved
The “one-of-a-kind” fossil of Navaornis hestiae helps fill a giant gap in scientists’ understanding of how bird brains evolved.
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How Insects Shaped Human Culture Over Millennia
In “The Insect Epiphany,” an entomologist explores the history of insects in art, food, engineering, and more.
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12:21
Seven States Passed Ballot Measures To Protect Abortion Rights
Abortion was on the ballot in 10 states, and seven of them passed constitutional amendments defending abortion rights.
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8:47
Math Enthusiast Finds The Largest Known Prime Number
This ginormous number has a whopping 41,024,320 digits, which isn’t very helpful for mathematicians but is certainly exciting for math nerds.