November 22, 2024
On the 50th anniversary of Lucy’s discovery, paleoanthropologists reflect on what she taught us about ourselves. Plus, divers have recovered seeds of a long-lost rye variety from a 146-year-old shipwreck in Lake Huron. And, a potato researcher explains potato varieties, potato nutrition, and some tubular tuber facts.
Science Friday and Studio 360 Present: The Golden Record Remastered
What message would you send into the depths of space to represent humanity?
A Look Into the Future With Dean Kamen
The entrepreneur best known for inventing the Segway wants to create better medical devices and health technologies.
Margaret Atwood on Dystopia, CRISPR, and ‘Oryx and Crake’
Listen to a podcast extra: Margaret Atwood live with Ira at Housing Works in NYC.
7:25
A Planetary Neighbor, Recovering a Lost Spacecraft, and Iceman Fashion
Science journalist Rachel Feltman discusses a newly discovered exoplanet neighbor, and other stories from the week in science.
4:36
The Pros and Cons of Potential Development in National Parks
What are the impacts of more tourists and development at Grand Canyon National Park?
17:32
How Much Math Should Everyone Know? (Show Your Work.)
Educators argue over how to shake up math education, like ditching pre-calculus and emphasizing real-world thinking.
11:47
Where Do We Stand in the Fight Against Zika?
The viral storm has made landfall in the U.S, but a vaccine remains elusive.
22:40
The SciFri Book Club Talks ‘Oryx and Crake’
What can Margaret Atwood’s dystopia tell us about the here-and-now?
11:24
Decoding The Hacks Of ‘Mr. Robot’
Kor Adana, a writer for Mr. Robot, unpacks the toolkit of real-life hackers that inspired the show.
15:52
A Hand, a Fin, a Gene
What a fish and a rare amphibian can tell us about how limbs develop, grow, and even re-grow.
The Axolotl: A Cut Above the Rest
The axolotl is a Mexican salamander with an incredible ability: Cut its leg off, and the limb will grow right back!
7:57
A Quantum Satellite, 500-Year Floods, and Scanning Your Purchases
Science journalist Amy Nordrum describes a Chinese experiment designed to test quantum communication systems. Plus, why scanning your own groceries could lead to sticky fingers.
00:17:03
The Spicy Science of Chili Peppers
What gives the hot habanero and mild jalapeño their “heat profile”?
00:12:02
Our Bodies May Fight Infection Better by Day
Mice appear to be more susceptible to viral infection during their sleep cycle, suggesting that circadian rhythms can affect our immune systems.
16:46
A Fast-Paced Thriller That’s a Tour Through the Multiverse
In “Dark Matter,” Blake Crouch crafts a thriller based on physics’ spookiest phenomena.
8:10
The Race to Build a Smaller Rocket
Rocket entrepreneurs are in competition to be the Uber for small satellites.
8:22
What Makes the Solar System Like a Crime Scene?
An icy space object with a rebellious orbit may be a clue to the mystery of the early solar system.
00:17:16
I, Twitter Bot
The weird, beautiful, and helpful world of automated Twitter accounts.
4:01
What Will More Research-Grade Marijuana Mean for Medical Studies?
The Drug Enforcement Administration has expanded the number of marijuana manufacturers that can grow and provide the drug to medical researchers.
A Portal to the Multiverse
Author Blake Crouch tells the story of a man who invents a machine that can access multiple realities.