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Science Friday is your trusted source for news and entertaining stories about science.
How Scientists Solved The Mystery Of Rising Bread
From bleeding polenta and a corrupt grain trade, author Eric Pallant traces how scientists figured out that sourdough’s fermentation comes from living microbes.
The Rise Of The Myers-Briggs, Chapter 3: What Is It Good For?
The Myers-Briggs has arrived, but what does it tell us?
The Rise Of The Myers-Briggs, Chapter 2: Isabel
Isabel turns her mother’s philosophy into a marketable product.
How The Puget Sound Region Is Reckoning With Disappearing Salmon
Journalist Lynda Mapes speaks with local tribe leaders and conservation groups as they grapple with the loss of symbolic aquatic life.
The Rise Of The Myers-Briggs, Chapter 1: Katharine
A mother sets out to raise the perfect child.
Reports Of Mysterious Bird Disease Decreasing In Pennsylvania
Notices of an alarming illness causing swollen eyes and death among songbirds in the mid-Atlantic to Indiana are on the decline.
Honeymoon: A Bittersweet Beginning
After the neurochemical bonanza of the honeymoon period fades, are we doomed to inferior love?
To Plan For Disaster, Talk To Your Community
With climate change accelerating, a disaster researcher offers tips on what government agencies can do better when planning for emergencies.
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.