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Science Friday is your trusted source for news and entertaining stories about science.
The Hidden Science Beneath Kentucky
The Science Friday team follows researchers deep underground to discover Kentucky’s geologic past.
In A Lunar City, A Mission Gone Awry
The moon is an unforgiving landscape, making life there no walk in the park.
The Women Taking Math To The Next Dimension
Rebecca Goldin, Emily Riehl, and Eugenia Cheng share their favorite puzzles, explain why math is like a dragon, and give tips for young women entering the field.
Just ‘Topia:’ Moving Beyond The Tropes Of Dystopia
Three science fiction and fantasy writers share their thoughts on the risks and rewards of building “other worlds.”
From The Flame To Eternity
Author Caitlin Doughty recounts the spiritual and “transformative” ceremony of a funeral pyre in a Colorado town.
If A Robot Offers You A Cookie…
Authors Zach and Kelly Weinersmith examine the evolving nature of human-robot interactions.
The Marvelous, Misunderstood Lives Of Common Spiders
These eight-legged crawlers have an unnecessarily bad rap.
Six Bestselling Authors Share Their Favorite ‘Other Worlds’
Kim Stanley Robinson, Andy Weir, and more share some of their favorites.
Your Brain Is A DJ Playing Three Songs At Once
Psychologist John Bargh explains how the field of psychology is trying to make up for missed time after centuries of being overlooked.
The Eyes And The Smile Of Mona Lisa
Walter Isaacson explains how Leonardo da Vinci achieved some of the Mona Lisa’s mysteries.
How To Protect (And Destroy) Homes With Mr. Safety
Meet the man whose team tests everything from pizza ovens to fire doors.
Need A Break From This World? These 10 Books Will Transport You.
Because everybody loves a good dystopia.
A Descent Into The Depths Of The Earth
In the last book of her Broken Earth trilogy, N.K. Jemisin describes an apocalyptic future where some people have the power to control earthquakes and volcanoes.
Long Names And Free Beer At A Communist Party
In this excerpt from Cory Doctorw’s novel ‘Walkaways,’ young adults talk about life in a post-privacy future at a (literal) Communist party.
A Robot Trains For War
A robot gets a painful reminder during a training exercise in this excerpt from Autonomous by Annalee Newitz.
The U.S. Government Has A Mustang Problem
Mustangs carry symbolic weight in the minds of Americans. That makes managing their populations tricky.
When Mustang Populations Run Wild
When there’s frequent “hanky-panky among the herd,” researchers harness wild horses’ own immune systems as a contraceptive.
In NYC Waters, A Whale Of A Tale
After decades of absence, whales are back in New York City waters. Scientists say it could signal a wildlife resurgence.
The ‘Unbelievable’ Power Of Nuclear Bombs, Caught On Film
Last March, physicists declassified a trove of nuclear test films. Now you can see them for yourself.
The High Cost Of Notifications
The more you’re interrupted, the more likely you are to interrupt yourself. Can we win the war on our prefrontal cortex?