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?
Reinventing The Wheel (For Mars)
Design and test different wheels on a basic rubber band-powered vehicle, with the goal of improving stability, traction, durability, and load-bearing ability.
What Would Happen If You Slipped on a Banana Peel?
Cartoons aren’t kidding about the slipperiness of banana peels.
Seeing The Forest For The Tea
A scientist explores the tasty benefits of diversifying crops.
Breakthrough: Connecting The Drops
Lydia Bourouiba studies how bacteria and viruses hitch a ride inside the droplets of sneezes, raindrops, toilet splatter.
EXTRA! EXTRA! It’s Time For #SciFriTrivia!
Join us for our third annual Science Friday trivia night. This time we’re covering sensational science!
Where To Find Wildflowers? Experts Weigh In
Tips for finding wildflowers and planting your own.
Why Infinity Is No Ordinary Number
The idea of infinity is easy to come up with, but we must be careful what we do with it.
7:46
A Robotic Life Raft, the Evolution of Your Nose, and the Joy of Sleep
Robotics researchers are working to make a robotic life raft more autonomous—and friendlier—in order to aid lifeguards.
4:34
Training Docs Around the Clock
A new rule could allow medical residents in training to work for up to 24 hours at a stretch.
25:41
Retelling the Story of the BP Oil Spill
A play explores the loss of human and animal life after the Deepwater Horizon exploded in 2010. Plus, what do we know about the Gulf of Mexico’s recovery since then?
8:26
Can Geometry Root Out Gerrymandering?
Can the shape of a congressional district tell us everything we need to know about its fairness?
16:52
To Infinity and Beyond With Mathematician Eugenia Cheng
Infinity is not classified as a normal number, and some infinities are bigger than others. Mathematician Eugenia Cheng explores these and other conundrums of this complex concept.
29:06
Superblooms Are a ‘Smorgasbord’ for Bees
The wildflower explosion in the Southern California desert provides plentiful food for wild bees. In this springtime special, we take a pollinator’s view of spring, and talk about which wildflowers to spot this season.
Rainy Day? Microbes May Be At Play
A closer look at how some species of airborne bacteria can influence precipitation and lightning.
Tessellation And Miura Folds
Make an origami fold that can compress rigid materials, and study the tessellation it creates!
Making It in a Futuristic, Flooded New York
Author Kim Stanley Robinson imagines a version of New York City that’s swamped by sea level rise.
6:50
A Proposed Science Budget, Hacking Via Sound, and a Fluorescent Frog
A budget proposal from the White House lays out deep cuts for several science agencies.
5:27
Would You Be On Board With a Self-Driving Ambulance?
A recent study found that the idea of autonomous emergency vehicles made potential patients nervous.
26:33
Kim Stanley Robinson Tackles How to Keep a Drowning City Afloat
In his new novel, “New York 2140,” author Kim Stanley Robinson tackles how a drowning city might adapt and thrive after disastrous sea level rise.
8:21
How Climate Change Threatens Your Breakfast
As the globe warms, maple syrup, tea, and other specialty foods could suffer from lower quality and lower nutritional value.