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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4:17
Attracting Birds To Prime Habitat By Playing Recordings Of Their Calls
Researchers are broadcasting recorded bird calls to try to bring secretive rails to prime habitat where they can feed and mate.
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7:51
Collars, Cameras, And Carcasses: Studying Urban Wildlife
Urban wildlife is much cooler and more diverse than they get credit for.
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17:20
Meet Two Autistic Researchers Changing How Autism Research Is Done
A growing body of openly autistic scientists are using their expertise and their own experiences to help shape the future of autism research.
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7:16
Teen Innovator’s New AI Tool Helps Create Affordable Drugs
Rishab Jain combines his passions for artificial intelligence and biotech to build a more efficient model for producing prescription drugs.
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5:05
Some Grasses Can Stop Lead From Spreading In Soil
As the consequences of decades-old lead mining and smelting linger, scientists look for solutions to clean up lead pollution in the Midwest.
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06:57
A High School Student Invented An Affordable Brain-Reading Prosthetic
Inspired by technology in Star Wars, seventeen-year-old Benjamin Choi has developed an affordable robotic limb.
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10:28
A Teen Inventor Builds A Fingerprint Scanner for Gender Equity
16-year-old Elizabeth Nyamwange’s fingerprint scanner uses blockchain technology to make proof of identity more accessible worldwide.
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4:58
This Glove Takes Inspiration From An Octopus’ Arm
When a team of engineers were designing a glove that could pick up objects underwater, they turned to octopus’ arms for inspiration.
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17:35
A Blind Researcher Making A More Accessible World
Joshua Miele, a blind scientist, uses his own experience to design new and accessible technologies driven by the needs of disabled people.
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12:07
When Times Get Tough, These Toads Make Hybrid Babies
To avoid their eggs turning into “tadpole brittle,” these toads breed across species to give them a leg up in survival.