On Today's Podcast
Could a whale swallow a human, 'Whalefall' style?
In the new movie “Whalefall,” a scuba diver has a very bad day in the guts of a sperm whale. Could it actually happen?
Listen NowOctober 16, 2026
A free-floating seaweed called sargassum is exploding in the Atlantic Ocean, clogging up coastlines from West Africa to the Caribbean. Attachment styles have taken off as a way to understand relationships. But does the science behind it line up with popular interpretations? Plus, the latest on commercial space stations, a mission to bring a sample from a Martian moon, and space-based weapons.
A Chair Fit for Dancing
Equipped with omnidirectional movement, a rotating seat, and a hands-free control, Merry Lynn Morris’ rolling dance chair enables dancers to explore new movement techniques, and may one day provide greater mobility in everyday life, too.
7:15
AIDS Patient Zero, Snoozing Swifts, and Self-Driving Deliveries
Researchers trace the origins of AIDS in the U.S. beyond the original “Patient Zero.”
4:42
This Glove Fits You With Someone Else’s Fingerprints
Researchers have created a 3D-printed glove with fingerprints, which they say will allow us to standardize tests of biometric systems. But will it hand criminals a new tool?
12:29
The Microscopic World Beneath Our Feet
Microbial ecologist Bo Adu-Oppong takes us on a tour of the microbes and slime molds living in the soil, and gives her recipe for making a microbial layer cake—an experiment you can try at home.
7:27
Attack of the Internet of Things
The Achilles heel of the internet turns out to be all the stuff that’s connected to it.
10:06
What Is Energy? Alan Alda—and a Bunch of Kids—Want to Know
Scientists across the globe compete in a challenge to explain science to kids.
17:28
Ignore Mary Poppins. Find Fun in the Medicine.
Game developer Ian Bogost has a way to make life more fun that doesn’t require an app.
10:52
DNA as a Key to Plant Conservation
How mapping plant chromosomes can guide scarce resources to the most threatened species.
17:38
What Caused the Midcontinent Rift?
The Midcontinent Rift is an ancient rift system that could have split the country into two parts a billion years ago.
6:50
The Science Club Challenges You to ‘Break It Down’
Sometimes taking something apart can reveal insight into how it works.
Illustrated Graphs: Using Art to Enliven Scientific Data
Create an illustrated graph using real scientific data, and write an artist’s statement to explain your thinking. Try it with climate change!
7:47
Pyramid Remodeling and the Neighborhood Behavior of Sperm Whales
Annalee Newitz, the tech culture editor at Ars Technica, joins us to discuss the week’s science news, including how to find a hidden room in an ancient pyramid.
4:15
Turning Down the Greenhouse Gases in Your Air Conditioning
A global agreement will phase out heat-trapping HFCs in air conditioners, refrigerants, and other systems.
17:27
Is All Fair in Love and Cyber War?
With rumblings about possible U.S. retaliation for alleged Russian-backed hacks, we ask about the rules and norms that govern international cyber conflicts.
16:46
Introducing the Science Friday Educator Collaborative
Six inspiring science teachers have turned Science Friday media into innovative classroom resources.
12:10
Return of the Screwworm Is Bad News for Endangered Deer
A flesh-eating parasite, previously eradicated on U.S. soil, has decimated Florida’s Key deer. Can the screwworm be re-eradicated in time to save them?
11:37
Sorting Out the Numbers of Political Polls
What should you look for when reading a political poll?
5:23
‘It Was Totally Planet Nine’
Astronomer Konstantin Batygin returns with evidence that Niku’s orbit was influenced by Planet Nine.
Making An Entrance: The First Black Women At Langley Lab
In this excerpt from “Hidden Figures,” Margot Lee Shetterly describes the integration of Black female mathematicians at Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory.
17:36
These Black Women Helped Send Us To The Moon
Remembering the African American women mathematicians and engineers whose calculations got us into space.