On Today's Podcast
Sargassum superblooms are choking coastlines around the Atlantic
A free-floating seaweed called sargassum is exploding in the Atlantic ocean, clogging up coastlines from West Africa to the Caribbean.
Listen NowOctober 9, 2026
A new mRNA flu vaccine promises a closer match to circulating flu strains. An estimated 2 billion tons of dust are lofted into the air each year, affecting ecosystems, the atmosphere, and the weather. Plus artist David Byrne sits down with Flora for a conversation on why some ideas go dormant, and then reawaken. And, a Cephalopod Week finale featuring death spirals, cannibalism, and more.
34:45
The SciFri Book Club Takes a Hike
Bill Bryson’s “A Walk in the Woods” is this month’s book club read.
Teacher Feature: Ethnobotanist Tom Carlson
Science Friday pays tribute to a great science teacher. “Office hours are some of my favorite hours of the week,” says Tom Carlson, a medical doctor, ethnobotanist, and instructor of 1700 students annually at the University of California, Berkeley.
SciFri’s Summer Reading List, 2013
The 15 titles on our list are just the tip of the science writing iceberg.
Mine-detecting Honeybees, Deciphering Teenage Sounds, and More
A roundup of science stories or studies that blow our mind, tickle our funny bone, or generally strike our fancy.
11:54
Having a Dog May Mean Having Extra Microbes
Houses with dogs had more types of bacteria, say researchers who surveyed surfaces in 40 homes.
26:14
Tackling New Tech in the Golden Years
How, and why, have some older people overcome the challenges of learning new technology?
7:48
Tracking Killer Tornadoes
The massive tornado that struck Oklahoma this week was the product of specific atmospheric conditions—and bad luck.
12:19
Studies Question Potential Alzheimer’s Treatment
A skin cancer drug shown to lessen Alzheimer’s symptoms in mice may not work as originally claimed.
27:28
Reinventing Farming for a Changing Climate
Climate change may increase pests and turn dry soil to dust. Farmers are already on the offensive.
6:51
‘Crazy Ants’ Spreading in the Southeastern U.S.
Tawny crazy ants, recent arrivals to the country, are able to drive out even the imported fire ant.
This Dinosaur Is Made From Balloons, Not Bones
A project for the Virginia Museum of Natural History is more than a bunch of hot air.
Predicting Storms, Electroshock Therapy, Germaphiles, and More
A roundup of science stories or studies that blow our mind, tickle our funny bone, or generally strike our fancy.
The Perils of Plankton
An artist magnifies an overlooked environmental problem in sculptures that are larger than life.
20:07
Researchers Report Cloning Advance for Producing Stem Cells
Through cloning techniques, researchers created a source of embryonic stem cells genetically identical to a patient.
20:36
Insects May Be the Taste of the Next Generation, Report Says
Can entomophagy, the eating of insects, help improve the world’s food resources?
6:02
Desktop Diaries: Daniel Kahneman
A visit with psychologist Daniel Kahneman, who won the Nobel Prize in economic sciences in 2002.
20:37
Resetting the Theory of Time
Physicist Lee Smolin explains his theory of time, and why the future of physics depends on it.
25:53
When Great Scientists Got It Wrong
In Brilliant Blunders, Mario Livio explores colossal errors by science’s greatest minds.
Desktop Diaries: Daniel Kahneman
“I have always emphasized the willingness to discard,” says psychologist and Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman. That philosophy works on two levels—forget desk trinkets, Kahneman doesn’t have a desk—and he doesn’t hoard ideas either he says.
Brilliant Blunders
Were the theories of illustrious minds such as Linus Pauling and Albert Einstein free of serious blunders? Absolutely not!