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.
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.
16:28
Leonardo da Vinci, Master Of Art And Science
Author Walter Isaacson investigates how Leonardo da Vinci combined the arts and sciences to create masterpieces.
The Eyes And The Smile Of Mona Lisa
Walter Isaacson explains how Leonardo da Vinci achieved some of the Mona Lisa’s mysteries.
Hotel Nematoda
To study human aging, researchers devised a place where worms can check out but never leave.
How To Protect (And Destroy) Homes With Mr. Safety
Meet the man whose team tests everything from pizza ovens to fire doors.
9:27
Evidence Of Cleaner Air, Hidden In The Drawers Of A Museum
Plus, autumn in the era of climate change and the role fungi play in the gut microbiome.
4:23
Could Lowering The P-Value Threshold Benefit Research?
The common statistic used to determine whether findings are statistically significant is being put under the microscope.
24:46
Jane Goodall And Her Life In The Wild
Primatologist Jane Goodall reflects on her career living in solitude among the chimps of Tanzania and challenging the conventions of science.
Need A Break From This World? These 10 Books Will Transport You.
Because everybody loves a good dystopia.
6:46
A Lesson In The Language Of ‘Baby Talk’
Researchers discover timbre is an important component when speaking ‘motherese.’
12:00
To The Moon, And…Beyond?
A recent meeting of the National Space Council signaled a shift of the U.S.’s goals in space.
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.
34:05
Writing The Fantastic In 2017
From other planets to our own future, writers can take us places we’ve never seen. Authors Cory Doctorow, N.K. Jemisin, and Annalee Newitz are among them.
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.
SciFri Science Club: #NeatRock Challenge
For this Science Club, we’re challenging you to go out, find a neat rock, and try to learn a little something about it.
7:17
A Nobel Roundup, Rafting Species, And The Odor Preferences Of Bedbugs
This year, the Nobel foundation honored researchers studying circadian rhythms, techniques for imaging proteins, and observations of gravitational waves.
5:02
How Frequent Floods May Uproot Whole Neighborhoods
Reporter Molly Peterson interviewed residents from two flood-prone Louisiana communities, who may be paid by the federal government to move.
24:47
The World Of Bitcoin Economics
This summer, the value of one Bitcoin jumped to $5,000. Who’s investing in the cryptocurrency?