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.
The Map That Changed How We View The West
John Wesley Powell’s map of the American West sectioned off by watersheds offered a bold new vision of the region.
12:03
Monkeys Try Their Hand At Stone Tools
One troop of capuchin monkeys has learned the art of using stone tools.
9:55
Protecting Eagles’ Nests Are Key To Conservation
In a national park in Minnesota, protecting a nest of eagles increased the number of breeding pairs of birds to nearly forty percent.
12:16
In The Distant Past, A Massive Space Collision
New simulations look at a possible ancient impact that was enough to knock the planet Uranus on its side.
9:06
A Genetic Future For A Near-Extinct Rhino?
How the northern white rhino could make a comeback—with a little help from its southern white rhino friends.
24:51
Science Goes To The Movies: Jurassic World 2
In ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,’ dinosaurs are at risk of extinction…again. Here’s what real paleontologists thought of the film.
23:09
Pioneering Western Water Management Strategies
The 19th-century geologist John Wesley Powell charted paths through the American West—and proposed ideas about developing the land with climate and ecology in mind.
What Did Ancient Whales Look Like?
Author and curator Nick Pyenson describes the similarities and differences between humans and our distant mammalian relatives.
These Science Books Were Made For Summer. Take Our Word For It.
The SciFri staff recommends our favorite summertime science beach reads.
7:33
After A Long Wait, More Telescope Delays
NASA announced that the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope would be pushed back yet again, and more headlines from this week in science.
4:43
Genetic Tests Reshape Bull Market For Beef Producers
When it comes to raising beef, farmers face choices beyond “well, medium, or rare?”
7:39
Radiolab Investigates Our ‘Magical Organs’
In a limited-run series called ‘Gonads,’ Radiolab producer and host Molly Webster explores the fascinating world of embryonic development.
20:31
Hive Mind: Inside The Complicated World of Bee Colonies
Bumblebee colonies in urban areas may be more successful than those in the country. Also, how do honeybees choose a new queen?
25:07
Your Summer Science Reading List 2018
Ira Flatow and guests give you the best summer reading assignment ever.
25:57
Chasing Whales Through Time
Paleontologist Nick Pyenson pieces together the evolutionary story of how whales came to be the majestic, awe-inspiring animals we know today.
Mapping The Journey Of Marine Animal Migrations
Locked within each map is a story.
7:42
What Are The Economics Of Immigration?
New research finds migrants and refugees boost the economies of countries they come to within just two years.
4:23
A Possible Oasis In A Sea Of Dying Coral
Pockets of coral in the Pacific and western Atlantic “escape, resist, or rebound” bleaching events while their neighbors die off.
17:12
Will We Ever Know How Moderate Drinking Affects Our Health?
The National Institutes of Health just shut down a major study of the health effects of ‘moderate’ alcohol consumption. Now what?
15:47
After 8 Undersea Days, Cephalopod Week 2018 Draws To A Close
We wrap our tentacles around our cephalo-bration of octopus, squid, cuttlefish, nautilus, and other undersea friends.