February 7, 2025
Some research shows that e-cigarettes can be a useful tool for quitting cigarettes, but that strategy is hotly contested by scientists. Plus, an investigative journalist outlines how fraud and misconduct have stalled the search for effective Alzheimer’s treatments in a new book. And, why snow has that crisp, clean smell.
15:01
Keeping An Eye On The Climate, From Space
As the government focuses more attention on climate issues, NASA has appointed a ‘senior climate advisor.’
1:50
A SciFri Soundscape Of The Red Planet
The Perseverance rover recently sent back audio of Martian wind. We investigated what Earth sounds would sound like on the Red Planet.
11:49
Memory And The Dreaming Mind
What role does sleep play in memory? Researchers look to lucid dreams for clues.
9:07
Progress In Considering Sex As A Biological Variable
Five years ago, NIH asked researchers to include how the sex of mice affects the outcome of pre-clinical research. One team member discusses what’s changed—and what lies ahead.
7:41
The Problem With ‘Parachute Science’
In Indonesia, close to half of published studies on coral reefs included no local scientists, causing researchers to reexamine practices.
16:16
The Global COVID-19 Supply Problem
An unfair vaccine rollout is threatening global health—and could prolong the pandemic for everyone.
16:34
The Aftermath Of Texas’ Winter Storm
While power has been mostly restored, journalists report Texans are now facing water shortages, housing damage, and crop losses.
Options Texas Lawmakers Are Considering To Prevent Future Blackouts
The recent winter storm and blackouts in Texas brought the state’s aging infrastructure into painful focus. Here’s what may change.
Robot: Making A Mechanical Mind
A mind we create isn’t necessarily a mind we can control.
These Stunning Images Were Created Using The Forces Behind Evolution
A computer programmer and artist discovers inspiration in biological growth processes.
12:08
Why Did The Texas Power Grid Fail?
What happens when you don’t winterize your infrastructure. Plus, NASA lands another rover on the Red Planet.
8:08
Uncovering An Ancient Mummy Mystery
A CT scan suggests that the Egyptian pharaoh Seqenenre-Taa-II was captured, bound, and executed by multiple assailants.
11:50
Fish Versus Feather: Georgia’s Salt Marsh Smackdown
Scientists capture unusual video evidence of a fish eating a seaside sparrow’s hatchlings, an example of how climate change is upending ecosystems.
17:22
Reprogramming Labor In Tech
Unions are rising in the technology world. A new labor movement is bridging the gap between blue collar and white collar tech employees.
17:01
The Neuroscience Behind Seeing Color
Neuroscientist and artist Bevil Conway is creating a model to map out how the neurons in our brain respond to color.
26:02
Fauci Says Majority Of U.S. Adults Likely To Be Vaccinated By Late Summer
NIAID Director Anthony Fauci sheds light on vaccines, variants, and a return to normalcy.
Why The Word “Lunacy” Comes From The Moon
How an ancient belief in the mind-altering power of the moon gave us a word.
12:07
Some People Had COVID-19 For So Long That It Mutated Inside Them
Small numbers of patients seem to be incubators for coronavirus mutation. What does this mean for our efforts to fight the virus?
16:58
Two Masks Are Better Than One
As coronavirus variants spread, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are now recommending wearing two masks at once.
16:37
Next Week, A Return To Martian Soil
Scientists hope to use the rover on the red planet’s surface to explore the geology and chemistry of what was once a river delta.