February 7, 2025
Some research shows that e-cigarettes can be a useful tool for quitting cigarettes, but that strategy is hotly contested by scientists. Plus, an investigative journalist outlines how fraud and misconduct have stalled the search for effective Alzheimer’s treatments in a new book. And, why snow has that crisp, clean smell.
6:11
The Amazon Is Burning
Brazil is overseeing unprecedented destruction of the world’s natural resource.
5:32
What’s The Charge… For An Electric Car Charge?
In North Carolina, electric vehicle charging stations will start operating more like gas pumps.
12:15
Trying To Find Life On Mars? Start In The Australian Outback.
The Mars 2020 mission will search for ancient life on Mars. It might know what to look for thanks to a primordial rock in the Australian outback.
17:37
How We Use Land Contributes To Climate Change
The 2019 IPCC Report explains how proper land management could help or hurt the environment.
17:27
Are Firefly Populations ‘Blinking Out’?
Fireflies are vulnerable to habitat loss, pesticides, and light pollution.
34:04
SciFri Book Club: One For The Birds
A celebration of the tool-users, the problem-solvers, and the songbirds. Plus, can we ever truly understand animal minds?
Make Your Own Sauropod Poop!
How did dinosaurs digest the food they ate? Using modern animals as models, make your own digestive system to learn more.
7:56
The Trump Administration Rolls Back The Endangered Species Act
Regulators will soon consider lost revenue of protecting endangered species, and other stories in this week’s News Roundup.
3:54
Are Electric Scooters Actually Good For The Environment?
Researchers tallied up the carbon emissions in a scooter’s life cycle and found they’re not as green as you’d think.
12:27
Catching A Texas Batnado
San Antonio is home to one of the largest known bat colonies with over 15 million bats.
17:40
Supporting Texas’ Feathered Friends
How human actions—from bird feeders to wind farms—can affect the health of bird populations.
17:37
Welcome To One Of The Deadliest Labs In The World
Take a (safe) peek inside the Texas Biomedical Institute in San Antonio, where scientists study diseases like Ebola.
33:44
Where There’s Thunder, There’s Lightning Science
How researchers probe the mysteries of electricity in the atmosphere, one lightning storm at a time.
Binary, Pixels, And Data, Oh My! Studying How Computers Store Information
In this hands-on classroom activity, students learn how computers actually store and transmit data.
The 2019 Science Friday Educator Collaborative
This year’s cohort of Educator Collaborators are making engaging, free activities for the classroom.
What Did Ancient Civilizations Eat? An Archaeology Lab Experiment
Compare simulated ancient plant remains to real archaeological data to understand the diets of past civilizations.
Questions About Crows? We’ve Got You Covered
Corvid researcher Kaeli Swift answers your questions about funeral practices, grudges, and other feats of intellect.
Use #ScientistsWhoSelfie to Challenge Science Stereotypes
What happens when students “draw a scientist” and then explore how real scientists present themselves in social media? Stereotypes get busted!
12:00
How ‘Moss Piglets’ Invaded The Moon
Tardigrades on the moon, feral hogs on Earth, and more news from this week’s roundup.
17:31
Breaking Through The Northwest Passage For Arctic Science
Scientists and students navigated the Northwest Passage waterways to study how the Arctic summers have changed.