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Science Friday is your trusted source for news and entertaining stories about science.
Tracking Time Through Shifting Sands
What the world’s beaches can teach us about Earth’s history.
From Sputnik To Twitter, The History Of Science Communication
Instead of yesteryear’s dry and dusty lectures, science communicators are creating new and exciting ways to engage with science.
The Hairy Origins Of Our Sweat Glands
One of the defining traits of humans is that we are sweaty, naked apes, writes author Sarah Everts. How did we get our sweat glands?
Hydropower Worries Grow As Colorado River Reservoirs Keep Dropping
The water levels behind the Colorado River’s biggest dams are fast-approaching record lows, affecting water supplies and, soon, energy bills.
With Roots In Civil Rights, Community Health Centers Push For Equity In The Pandemic
More community health centers, which serve low-income communities, were needed to reach early equity in the vaccine rollout, experts say.
How Shells Tell Secrets Of The Sea
Seashells have played many roles throughout history, from money to jewelry. But they also hold secrets of the ocean’s health.
It’ll Never Fly: When Gene Names Are TOO Fun
Spatzle, clown, and sonic hedgehog. And those are just the ones fit to print.
Extra, Extra! Blue Unicorns And Man-Bats Walk The Moon! …Right?
How a hoax-filled 19th century ‘scientific paper’ about life on the moon fooled the public—and what Edgar Allan Poe learned from it.
The Climate Solution Actually Adding Millions Of Tons Of CO2 Into The Atmosphere
California’s climate policy created up to 39 million carbon credits that aren’t achieving carbon savings. But companies can buy these offsets to justify polluting more anyway.
Untangling The Long-Armed Mystery Of The Bigfin Squid
The elbowed, spindly appendages of the bigfin squid have long stunned the public. But scientists say there is more to this deep-sea dweller than its ghostly appearance.
What Do You Call A Tiny Octopus That’s Cute As A Button?
Plus: What squid have to do with Instagram filters.
How Robots Can Help Kids Develop Social Skills
A robot ethicist explores exciting new research that suggests that cute robots can help kids overcome social anxiety.
Language Evolves: It’s Literally Fine
Irregardless, the dictionary’s got your back.
How Can Humans Survive Longer In Space? Photosynthetic Skin
If scientists could genetically engineer chloroplasts into human skin cells, could it give us the energy needed to live in space long-term?
Crown 2021’s Cephalopod Of The Year For #CephalopodWeek
From June 18-25, we’re celebrating the 8th Annual Cephalopod Week by awarding one lucky, many-armed invertebrate the award of a lifetime.
East Palo Alto Community Rises Up To Face Rising Seas
As the threat of sea level rise looms over the Bay Area, community members in flood-prone East Palo Alto search for solutions.
Serendipity And Syzygy: Fortunate Accidents
How syzygy saved the Suez ship, and how a country’s name ended up inside the word “serendipity.”
Unpacking The Demand For Multilingual Science Media
Audiences tell us how they engage with and share science stories in multiple languages.
Reflecting On The Wild With Jane Goodall, Winner Of The 2021 Templeton Prize
A look back on the groundbreaking chimpanzee research and humanitarian career of Jane Goodall.
Saving The American West’s Sagebrush Sea
Once considered a rangeland weed, this cornerstone of America’s desert ecosystems is under threat.