On Today's Podcast
Can We Just Throw Our Plastic Garbage Into A Volcano?
A volcanologist answers your questions about glass-shard hairballs, cooking breakfast over lava, Gollum's end on Mount Doom, and more.
Listen NowDecember 12, 2025
Over the past century, most cancer research has focused on the tumor itself. Rakesh Jain focused on the tumor’s environment instead. Plus, a glacier’s edge can be a dangerous place to do research. One team is using robots and sound samples to monitor the melting ice. And, when cases of plague pop up in the US, it can feel straight up medieval. It’s treatable, but how and why does it persist?
12:10
The FDA Approves A New, Non-Opioid Painkiller
It’s the first FDA approval for a pain medication in 25 years. How does the drug work, and who is it for?
11:05
Might Uranus And Neptune Have Deep, Multi-Layer Oceans?
Non-mixing layers of water and hydrocarbons thousands of miles deep could explain the icy planets’ strange magnetic fields.
5:42
The Best Bear Deterrent May Be Drones
New research found drones to be more effective than dogs, cars, or loud noises at convincing bears to avoid human areas.
17:02
What Happens To Your Body When You’re Grieving
In a new book, Dr. Mary-Frances O’Connor explores the ways grief affects the body, from the heart to the immune system.
When A Person That’s A Part Of You Is Gone
“The Grieving Body” shows evidence that our connection to the people we love is in both our minds and our bodies.
The Future Of Science Reporting, Live In San Francisco
On Tuesday, April 29, join Ira Flatow in conversation with journalists to discuss the role of science writing in our current cultural climate.
‘Common Side Effects’ And The Race To Save Invisible Fungi
A “mycology thriller” imagines a hidden healing mushroom. In real life, scientists are searching far and wide to map the world’s unseen fungi.
12:08
How Lucy, Our Famous Ancestor, Runs On A Virtual Treadmill
Scientists determined that Lucy, a human ancestor from 3.2 million years ago, couldn’t have beaten modern humans in a foot race.
16:58
Can Vaping Help You Quit Cigarettes? What Are The Risks?
Some research shows that e-cigarettes can be a useful tool for quitting cigarettes, but that strategy is hotly contested by scientists.
16:07
Managing Wildfires Using A Centuries-Old Indigenous Practice
The Karuk Tribe in Northern California has stewarded its home using prescribed burns for millennia. Now, they’re training others on the skill.
12:18
How DeepSeek’s AI Compares To Established Models
The Chinese AI company startled industry observers with an efficient new system. But how does it compare with the leading tech?
10:50
In ‘Common Side Effects,’ A Clash Over An All-Healing Mushroom
The show’s starring scientist finds a mushroom that can heal any ailment. But powerful people will do anything to stop him from cultivating it.
6:40
Why Snow Has That Crisp, Clean Smell
A combination of environmental factors and the way our bodies function play a role in how we perceive the smell of snow.
17:21
Investigating Fraud At The Heart Of Alzheimer’s Research
In “Doctored,” an investigative journalist outlines how fraud and misconduct have stalled the search for effective Alzheimer’s treatments.
How Decades Of Research Misconduct Stalled An Alzheimer’s Cure
Research supporting the amyloid hypothesis—the idea that Alzheimer’s is caused by a buildup of amyloid plaques in the brain—was fraudulent.
Science Friday Live In Columbia, Missouri
On Saturday, May 10, join the Science Friday team in Columbia, Missouri for a special live stage version of our radio show.
A Novel Imagines The Inner Lives Of Astronauts On The Space Station
The award-winning novel ‘Orbital’ explores the inner thoughts of astronauts during a single day aboard the International Space Station.
11:53
Another Strain Of Bird Flu Discovered In California
The outbreak of H5N9 avian influenza occurred at a California duck farm in November 2024.
17:20
Building Blocks Of Life Found On Asteroid Bennu
Early analysis of asteroid samples from NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission show the residue of an icy brine, and a soup of amino acids.
12:00
Understanding Bipolar Disorder Through The Genome
New research pinpoints 298 parts of the genome associated with higher risk of bipolar disorder. This could lead to better treatments.