On Today's Podcast
Parenting tips from the animal kingdom
How poison dart frogs deal with their kids asking for snacks, and other parenting inspiration from the animal kingdom.
Listen NowJune 5, 2026
Up to 94% of Neanderthals suffered at least one traumatic injury in their lifetime. How did their healthcare keep up? Plus, a Nigeria-based molecular biologist breaks down the current Ebola outbreak, and what's needed to improve disease monitoring across Africa. And, despite the scorching, toxic conditions on the planet Venus, some scientists want to look there for life—in the clouds.
9:48
Rio Redux: A Second Life for the City’s Olympic Architecture
City officials plan to repurpose Olympic structures as schools, dormitories, and community parks.
7:29
This Battery Will Self-Destruct in 30 Minutes
New research in the emerging field of transient electronics brings us one step closer to a spy-movie future.
12:17
Debating Science in the 2016 Election
A group proposes 20 science-based policy questions for the presidential candidates to address in the months ahead.
17:18
On the Hunt for New Particles in Physics
What could sterile neutrinos, gravitons, and axions tell us about the Standard Model?
4:17
People Don’t Like Clickbait. You’ll Never Believe Facebook’s Reaction.
Can Facebook’s new algorithm tackle clickbait?
7:49
The ‘World Champion of Doping,’ Rio Record-Breaking, and More
Reporter Maggie Koerth-Baker talks about the East German heavyweight lifter Gerd Bon, and why marathoners won’t break records in Rio.
16:27
Remembering Henry Molaison, the Man Who Kept Forgetting
The most famous patient in neuroscience is the subject of a new book by the grandson of the man who changed his brain forever.
Getting Fundamental With Lisa Randall
The theoretical particle physicist offers advice to aspiring scientists.
The Microbes We Share
Science writer Ed Yong describes the diverse ways that scientists and citizen scientists are studying our microbiomes.
SciFri Book Club Live: A Conversation with Margaret Atwood
Come talk “Oryx and Crake” with the author herself!
6:52
Why Your Dentist Is Wrong About Flossing, a Stellar Void, and More
Paltry evidence in support of flossing, and more science news from the week.
10:13
The Physics of the Fastest Swim Strokes
The speediest strokes may not be the splashiest. What are the fluid dynamics behind the dolphin and fish kick?
17:45
The Vulnerability Of U.S. Voting Systems
If hackers are targeting the servers of political campaigns, might attacks on election systems themselves soon follow?
5:27
Read ‘Oryx and Crake’ With the #SciFriBookClub
This summer, enter Margaret Atwood’s dystopian world of bioengineering gone wild.
16:51
Is a Healthier English Bulldog Possible?
If breeding is to save the debilitated bulldog, more genetic diversity is probably necessary. But is there enough?
12:09
The Replication Game: How Well Do Psychology Studies Hold Up?
Researchers have created a new system to test influential papers for reproducibility.
17:35
The World According to Microbes
In “I Contain Multitudes,” author Ed Yong examines the connections between species and ecosystems—from a microbial point of view.
Alone in a Post-Apocalyptic World
Margaret Atwood’s novel “Oryx and Crake” is told from the perspective of the lone human survivor of a mysterious catastrophe.
5:31
How Can We Keep the Endangered Vaquita from Vanishing?
Researchers are investigating a conservation strategy that would place some vaquitas in preserves in their natural habitat.