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Listen to Science Friday live on Fridays from 2-4 p.m. ET
November 22, 2024
On the 50th anniversary of Lucy’s discovery, paleoanthropologists reflect on what she means to science, and what she taught us about ourselves. Plus, divers have recovered seeds of a long-lost rye variety from a 146-year-old shipwreck in Lake Huron. And, just in time for Thanksgiving, a potato researcher explains potato varieties, potato nutrition, and some tubular tuber facts.
11:19
A Possible Breakthrough Superconductor Has Scientists Split
Researchers provoked skepticism when they shared their study about a working superconductor at room temperature. Plus, NASA detects a ‘heartbeat’ from purported lost Voyager 2.
8:32
How Oppenheimer’s Bombs Compare To Today’s Nukes
Science Friday dives into how nuclear weapons technology has evolved since the Manhattan Project.
11:30
Protecting Other Planets From Earth’s Germs
As missions venture forth to places such as Mars or Jupiter’s moon, Europa, the need to protect worlds that could support life becomes more critical.
33:13
Ask An Expert: An Evolution Education
Talking about the science behind evolution, in light of laws allowing schools to teach creationism.
24:25
From Splenda to Aspartame: Are the Artificial Sweeteners We Use Hurting Us?
The science behind the WHO’s declaration of aspartame as a “possible carcinogen,” and the effects of artificial sweeteners on human health.
11:45
No, The Gulf Stream Is Not Collapsing
A separate set of currents, called the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC), is weakening.
12:52
The Kākāpō Parrot Returns To New Zealand
The critically endangered kākāpō haven’t lived on the mainland for nearly 40 years—until now.
4:14
Far Beyond Their Native Habitat, Parrots Rule The Roost
Brooklyn’s parrots are just one example of how the ingenious bird has learned to thrive in strange places.
12:03
What Is Your Cat’s Meow Trying To Tell You?
A biologist’s new book explores the evolution of our bond with our favorite four-legged felines.
5:23
Researchers Quantify The Navajo Nation’s Water Crisis
Two researchers are conducting a household water study to illuminate how many people lack access to clean water on the reservation.