February 28, 2025
A federal DEI ban is already prompting changes across science agencies. How will it affect medical research? A journalist traveled to five continents to learn about the afterlife of our trash, and why most “recyclable” plastic actually isn’t. And, the ocean liner SS United States will become an artificial reef in Florida. How do artificial reefs work?
6:33
Through FM Radio, The Sound Of The First Stars Forming
Astronomers catch a signal from the formation of the first stars in the galaxy through radio static.
5:29
Outsmarting Credit Card Fraud Of The Future
As credit card chip technology advances in the U.S., are we doing enough to stop other kinds of fraud?
10:24
Shine Brightly, Little Neutron Star
A massive magnetic field sheds new light on neutron stars that appear impossibly bright.
11:58
In A Noted Food Lab, The Glass May Be Half Empty
Journalist Stephanie Lee describes dubious research in a lab noted for its eye-catching food studies.
24:31
Medical ‘Cures’ That Did More Harm Than Good
Aspirin is much better for headaches than a red-hot iron to the forehead—but ancient Greek physicians prescribed the latter ‘cure.’
9:55
Searching For A Path To Greater Grains
Researchers have uncovered a mechanism that causes one mutant strain of sorghum to bear three times the seeds.
23:33
Does The ISS Have A Future Among Private Space Competition?
What will happen to the ISS as public companies reach for a piece of space real estate?
The ‘Murderous’ Medical Practice Of The 18th Century
For centuries, people thought mercury was a safe, easy remedy for everything from melancholy to syphilis.
The Mystery Of The Namibian Fairy Circles
The strange circles that dot the desert in Southern Africa have stumped scientists for decades. But math and ecology might have an answer.
Make A Memory Wire Circuit
Use nitinol or “memory” wire as a model muscle in this paper circuit activity.
7:32
Why You Don’t See ‘Goosefoot’ On Your Thanksgiving Dinner Table
Native American crops you’ve never heard of, a new timeline for plants, and measuring the stench of the Neolithic era.
4:49
A Case Of Mistaken (Equine) Identity
Researchers discover there are no more wild horses left anywhere on Earth.
25:11
How To Spot The Engineering Tricks Hidden In Buildings
It takes a lot of crafty physics to keep a skyscraper standing. A structural engineer tells the secrets of her trade.
8:05
Do Florida’s Flamingos Really Belong There?
New research argues that flamingos are a species native to Florida, and should be protected.
16:51
Were Neanderthals Artists?
Uranium dating of art in Spanish caves turns up a number too old to be human. And if it’s true—what does art have to do with complex thought?
29:48
For These Robots, Squishy Is Superior
Roboticists are turning to fleshy substances like mouse, insect, and sea slug muscles to build a fleet of bio-inspired robots.
Meet The Father Of Modern Skyscrapers
The Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world—but the design techniques that make it possible are more than a century old.
SciFri Trivia Is BACK In Brooklyn!
On Wednesday, May 9, our fourth annual Science Friday Trivia Night returns to Brooklyn.
Breakthrough
Meet scientists who are overcoming insurmountable obstacles to pave new paths in STEM.
How Shrinking Sea Ice May Be Shrinking Polar Bears
How is the body mass of polar bears changing as sea ice disappears? The answer may depend on where they live and feed.