On Today's Podcast
For Jennifer Chayes, math is a 'native tongue'
Jennifer Chayes’ game-changing ideas in math and computer science helped pave the way for today’s innovations in machine learning and AI.
Listen NowSeptember 4, 2026
Moderna and Merck say an mRNA vaccine reduced melanoma recurrence in a clinical trial. Food recalls abounded this summer, but was it unusual? Scientists are trying to decode the hallucinogenic properties of a mushroom that makes people see tiny humans. Plus, why some modern cars catch fire. And, the game-changing work of a researcher who sees math as a “native tongue.”
Did Dark Matter Kill the Dinosaurs?
The invisible stuff that comprises a quarter of the universe could be more complex that previously thought.
11:56
Pluto’s Haze, a Michigan Mammoth, and Antioxidants and Skin Cancer
Pluto’s blue skies, a woolly mammoth in Michigan, and whether antioxidants help with the treatment of skin cancer.
24:47
2015 Nobel Prizes: Mysteries of the Cosmos and Our DNA
This year’s crop of Nobel Prizes were unveiled this week, and the awards go to parasite-zapping drugs, a DNA repair kit, and the mystery of missing neutrinos.
9:09
Anxious About Math? Count an Elephant’s Toenails
An iPad app helps first graders improve how well they do in math.
12:06
Could Gene Therapy Be One Step Closer to the Clinic?
An experimental gene therapy for treating congenital blindness is reported to have positive outcomes in a Phase III clinical trial.
22:14
Sherry Turkle: Reclaiming Conversation
In her new book, “Reclaiming Conversation,” Sherry Turkle discusses the power of face-to-face conversation in a time of “always on” technological connection.
12:05
Where ‘Postnatural’ Organisms Find a Home
At Pittsburgh’s Center for PostNatural History, modified organisms are the star attraction.
4850 Feet Below: The Hunt for Dark Matter
Deep in an abandoned gold mine in rural South Dakota, a team of physicists hunt for rare and elusive quarry: dark matter.
Looking at Light for Signs of Dark Matter
This honeycomb-like array is helping scientists on their search for dark matter.
Science Goes To The Movies
Science has been part of the silver screen since its inception. Ready to learn how? Better grab your popcorn.
12:01
Paxil Reanalysis, Mouse Drug Avatars, and Pricey Patties
Amy Nordrum of the “International Business TImes” joins us for a roundup of her top science stories this week.
24:09
From Dothraki To Valyrian: Building The Languages Of Game Of Thrones
Language creator David J. Peterson explains how he constructed Dothraki and the Valyrian languages for the TV series “Game of Thrones.”
9:11
Concern for Climate Change Is Great Among Latinos
Climate change researcher Nicole Hernandez Hammer talks about the effects of climate change on Florida’s Latino communities.
12:08
On Mars, Signs of a Wetter World
Planetary scientist James Wray describes the evidence for present-day liquid water on Mars.
25:14
Science Goes To The Movies: The Martian
An astronaut and a NASA engineer weigh in on “The Martian,” on this edition of Science Friday’s “Science Goes to the Movies.”
9:14
Plants in Space!
This week on The Macroscope, plant biologists send a lowly weed to the International Space Station to study its growth in zero gravity.
Princess Leia and the Conundrum of Language Translation
An excerpt from “The Art of Language Invention: From Horse-Lords to Dark Elves, The Words Behind World-Building.”
10 Questions for Dava Newman
The new NASA deputy administrator chats about her influences and the space agency’s big plans for Mars.
Plants in Space!
For humans to travel to the Moon and Mars, they’ll need a companion – a lowly weed known as crackwort.