On Today's Podcast
Making a case for physicists to join climate research
Physics and climate science use the same basic principles, but institutions often keep them separate. Morgan O’Neill is trying to change that.
Listen NowAugust 21, 2026
Microplastics have been found throughout the body, including in placentas and reproductive organs. What does that mean for pregnancy? Plus, little red dots appear all over images from the James Webb Space Telescope. They may belong to a new cosmic category called black hole stars. And, environmentalists and tribes are using state-level public trust doctrines to fight development.
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.
A Recipe For Invisible Ink
An excerpt from “Prisoners, Lovers & Spies: The Story of Invisible Ink from Herodotus to al-Qaeda.”
This Cryptocurrency Could Be an Answer to Bitcoin’s Privacy Problems
A new cryptocurrency in development called ZeroCash claims to preserve its users’ anonymity. Here’s how it works.
This Bee Buzzes For Blueberries
This metallic beauty is one of an estimated 4,000 bees native to the U.S., hundreds of which haven’t been scientifically named yet.
Why Are Elephant Ears So Big? And Other Pachyderm Questions
Research scientist Joseph Soltis answers your elephant-related queries.
11:59
Young Blood Sharpens Memory in Old Mice
The blood of young mice seems to rejuvenate older mice, both strengthening their muscles and improving their ability to learn and remember.
26:41
Science Goes To The Movies: ‘Transcendence’
SciFri’s scientist-film critics weigh in on the science behind the Hollywood techno-thriller “Transcendence.”