On Today's Podcast
A space telescope launch + Alvin submersible check-up
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is slated for launch in August. Plus, routine maintenance for the Alvin deep-sea submersible is no joke.
Listen NowJuly 17, 2026
The sci-fi movie “Disclosure Day” predicts that our reaction to intelligent alien life will be chaotic. But what does the science say? Plus, sure, botflies are gross, but they also know just how to hitch a ride on a camel sneeze. An entomologist celebrates the wonder of parasites. And, in a recent analysis, scientists argued that New Orleans should relocate. But planning for a city's future is about much more than geography.
22:55
What’s ‘I,’ and Why?
In “Me, Myself, and Why,” science writer Jennifer Ouellette probes the science of self.
Why Do Songs Get Stuck in Our Heads?
Why some tunes lodge in our brains isn’t so clear. Here are a few theories.
Blog: These Student Filmmakers Have Science Stories to Tell
Student video competitions engage the minds of future science communicators.
11:50
Is It Possible to Make Matter From Light?
Scientists mapped out the plan for a potential “photon-photon collider” that could convert light into matter.
17:21
The Debate Over Net Neutrality
What does the Federal Communications Commission’s net neutrality plan mean for consumers?
17:01
Why Science and the Humanities Are Better Together
Biographer Walter Isaacson explains why the future belongs to those who can merge the arts and the sciences.
29:15
Are Microbes Winning the Antibiotic Arms Race?
We’re running out of antibiotics, and drug companies have little incentive to develop new ones. Can we save the ones we already have?
10:36
Customizing Your Cryptocurrency With Altcoins
ZeroCash, Litecoin, and SolarCoin are digital currency alternatives to Bitcoin.
6:01
New Meteor Shower May Offer Skygazers a Treat…Or Not
Late Friday night, Earth will sail through debris left by the comet 209P/LINEAR. Scientists are calling the shower the Camelopardalids.
Beware the Antibiotic Winter
An excerpt from “Missing Microbes: How the Overuse of Antibiotics Is Fueling Our Modern Plagues.”
10 Questions for George Church, Geneticist
The Harvard genetics professor talks DNA sequencing, raising extinct species from the dead, and going vegan.
The Agony, And Reward, Of Passing A Kidney Stone
This otherworldly orb with purple projections comes from a surprising source: the urinary tract of its photographer.
12:08
Antarctic Ice Sheet Slipping Into the Sea
Scientists confirmed a West Antarctic ice sheet the size of the Dakotas is melting.
11:12
Should the Last Samples of Smallpox Virus Be Saved?
World health experts will meet to discuss whether or not to destroy the last live samples of smallpox virus.
23:23
Can’t Read This Headline? It’s Written in Invisible Ink
“Prisoners, Lovers, & Spies” tells the story of invisible writing, from lemon juice to microdots.
12:00
Listening In on Seizures
A “brain stethoscope” turns seizure patients’ brainwaves into music.
24:21
Is Graphene the New ‘Wonder’ Material?
Graphene is stronger than steel and more conductive than copper—a look at the applications and limitations of this “wonder” material.
9:30
Remembering Nereus, Explorer of Ocean Depths
The robotic deep-sea submersible Nereus was destroyed while diving over six miles beneath the surface in the Kermadec Trench.
Foraging with Tama Matsuoka Wong
Guided by professional forager and author, Tama Matsuoka Wong, Science Friday toured western New Jersey’s meadows and forested trails to discover the native plants and invasive weeds that are used as culinary delicacies.