On Today's Podcast
How important ideas get reawakened, with David Byrne
Why do some breakthroughs go dormant—and then wake up? Watch Flora's interview with artist David Byrne about these "sleeping beauties."
Listen NowOctober 2, 2026
The tiny, three-pound tilcayo is the first cat species to be described in a century, and, yes—it is as cute as you’d think. Are natural history museums going extinct? John Wilson’s latest feature film, “The History of Concrete” is an idiosyncratic journey about more than just concrete. Plus, to prepare for an overseas game, the LA Rams tried a Hail Mary jet lag strategy.
Chow Down On Our Book Club Pick—Before It’s Extinct
This April and May, The SciFri Book Club team is cooking up all kinds of festivities to celebrate this spring’s Book Club pick, ‘Lost Feast.’
12:07
A Year Of Staying Home Has Led To A Global Chip Crisis
Semiconductors are in high demand, disrupting global supply chains, and more from this week’s science news.
16:05
How To Milk A Tick
Compounds in tick saliva can reveal to how these parasites can create anesthetics and anticoagulants to breakdown human and animal defenses.
12:09
In New York, Essential Workers Face Eviction
A recent analysis of court data shows that Black and Latino neighborhoods hardest hit by coronavirus are also facing more evictions.
9:07
Allergy Season Is Blooming With Climate Change
Climate change is triggering plants to produce pollen earlier and earlier, making allergy season longer and more intense.
8:16
Flowers Are Finding New Hues In A Climate Crisis
For more than a century, changes in temperature and aridity have impacted the hues of nature.
15:55
I Dream Of Octopuses, But Do They Dream About Me?
Sleepy times for these cephalopods are revealing new clues about memory and learning.
17:03
The Mental Health Costs Of ‘Everyday’ Racism
The long history anti-Asian racism in the United States, and how discrimination impacts your health.
Preview: The Science Friday Book Club Reads ‘Lost Feast’
Lenore Newman explores the history (and extinction) of some food favorites in ‘Lost Feast.’ We’ll read it together this spring.
The Very First Leftovers Were Made From Mammoth Meat
From this spring’s SciFri Book Club pick, learn how early humans developed concepts like dry-aging to make mammoth meat tastier and last longer.
Environmental Justice: Evaluating Zip Codes And Pollution Burdens
Who bears the pollution burden? Use data to determine the pollution burden for a community and the systems that contribute to environmental injustice.
Why Hawaii Is The Perfect Place For Rainbows
From sacred symbols to colorful displays of physics, local experts in Hawaii seek to understand the natural wonders of rainbows.
11:55
Rise In Anti-Asian Violence Is At The Intersection Of Racism And Disease
The recent murders of six Asian-American women in Atlanta are not the first time the community has been the victim of racist scapegoating connected to disease.
24:11
This Infectious Disease Specialist Is Answering Your COVID-19 Questions On Instagram
In a sea of misinformation, some scientists are debunking myths and providing straight-forward information on social media.
10:20
The False Personality Binary
Our understanding of psychology has evolved in the century since Carl Jung coined the term “introvert.”
12:12
Under A Mile Of Ice, A Climate Clue
What ancient dirt and vegetation can teach us about the future of climate change.
17:30
Decrypting Big Tech’s Data Hoard
Decades into the era of Big Data, researchers are calling for reforms in privacy, predictive algorithms, and more.
16:56
The Rainbow Connection—To Physics
Many say that Hawaii is the rainbow capital of the world. What conditions make these multicolored wonders so abundant?
Introvert: The Invention Of A Type
It all started with a falling out between two famous psychologists.
11:57
What Next For The Fully Vaccinated?
In the U.S., 95 million vaccine doses have been administered. The CDC put out guidelines for people who are fully vaccinated.