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.
9:06
Keeping Tabs on ‘Hate’ Through Google Searches
Google searches could gauge public sentiment on controversial views that polls and surveys can’t always measure.
Motorcycles, Music, and a ‘Miracle’ Drug: Which Oliver Sacks Book Should We Read for the SciFri Book Club?
The SciFri Book Club celebrates the literary legacy of Oliver Sacks by reading one of his modern classics. Help us pick it!
Building A ‘Beest’ Fit For The Beach
Dutch artist Theo Jansen has spent 25 years constructing massive sculptures designed to crawl, scuttle, and stride along the beach.
How To Make Your Own Lightsaber
One “Star Wars” fan shares best practices for a DIY lightsaber.
The Week-After Science Friday Quiz! 12/14/15
What do you know about bananas and Pluto?
12:03
The State of Nuclear Power, Climate Refugees, and Bad News for Bananas
Journalists Maggie Koerth-Baker and Roberto Ferdman discuss the state of nuclear power around the world, as well as the fungal threat to bananas.
22:08
Why Science Needs Failure to Succeed
Neuroscientist Stuart Firestein says that in science, “one must try to fail because it is the only strategy to avoid repeating the obvious.”
12:48
Will Ambition Be Built Into the Climate Agreement?
Will a coalition for 90 nations, including the United States, negotiate a more ambitious climate plan?
12:14
Fighting Cancer With Your Own Immune System
Former president Jimmy Carter declared himself cancer-free this week as a result of—among other things—a cancer immunotherapy drug.
10:24
Pluto Comes Into Focus
Photos from the New Horizons mission reveal icy plains, craters, and mountains on Pluto.
24:37
The Best Science Books of 2015
We’re making our book list and checking it twice: It’s the Best Science Books of 2015.
Can Failure Be an End in Itself?
Science is constantly being revised, and failure is crucial to the process.
These Fish Posed for Pencils, Not Cameras
Artist Joseph Tomelleri’s scientific drawings of Salish Sea fishes can be easily mistaken for photographs.
Holiday Science
Take a snowflake safari, make cookies scientifically, and spice up that eggnog—whatever gets you in the holiday science spirit.
The Week-After Science Friday Quiz! 12/08/15
How much do you know about the current climate talks, Kurt Vonnegut’s brother, and homemade sour cream?
Science Friday’s Gift to You
Science Friday hopes to provide our listeners, subscribers, readers, and supporters the joy of discovery and knowledge. This year, we want to give you a little more.
The ‘Rebellious Scientist’ Who Inspired Kurt Vonnegut
The story behind the Kurt Vonnegut story about an antiwar scientist named Professor Barnhouse.
11:16
A Black Hole Meal, an Ancient Peach, and New NIH Rules for Animal Experiments
A black hole spews matter after a meal, and the National Institutes of Health call for more female animals to be used in preclinical research.
7:25
Errant Satellites Provide Test Case for General Relativity
A team of physicists have repurposed two satellites launched into the wrong orbit as an experiment to test one aspect of Einstein’s theory of general relativity.