On Today's Podcast
It’s Not Just You—Bad Food Habits Are Hard to Shake
The authors of “Food Intelligence” answer listener questions and discuss how our food systems make staying healthy an uphill battle.
Listen NowOctober 10, 2025
We check in on some exciting space missions and projects from IMAP to LIGO. Plus, in “Dinner With King Tut,” Sam Kean shows how experimental archaeology can recreate the stinky, slimy, and tasty parts of ancient history. And, behind the scenes of the removal of four dams along the Klamath River, and the massive restoration effort that’s followed.
Classroom Strategy: Image of the Day
Three approaches for using images as gateways to instruction in grades 4-16.
22:52
Can the Bacteria in Your Gut Send Messages to Your Brain?
Researchers discuss how the microbiome might play a role in anxiety, depression, and autism.
6:51
Microbes Thrive in Antarctic Lake Buried Beneath Ice
Microbes have made a home in a lake trapped beneath an 800-meter-thick ice sheet in Antarctica.
17:38
The SciFri Book Club Talks ‘Dune’
The SciFri Book Club concludes its discussion of Frank Herbert’s ecological epic, “Dune.”
12:21
Oceans Act As the World’s Thermostat
Global temperatures hit a plateau at the turn of the 21st century. Now researchers say they’ve discovered where that missing heat was hiding: in the oceans.
7:34
Making “Masstransiscope”
A filmmaker uses science to transform the New York City subway into a movie theater.
9:49
Neanderthals and Modern Humans Mingled for Millennia
New, more accurate radiocarbon dating suggests the two cultures co-existed in Europe for nearly 5,000 years.
7:59
‘Evolutionary Misfit’ Finds Its Way Into the Family Tree
Scientists piece together how a 14-legged Cambrian worm is related to modern animals.
Tar Noir: Paleoforensics at the La Brea Tar Pits
Using paleoforensics, researchers recount the grim details of life and death at the the La Brea Tar Pits.
Millions Of Fossils Can’t Be Wrong
The Page Museum’s Chief Curator, John Harris, explains how paleontological and climatological research at the museum relies upon on tar pit’s prolific fossil deposits.
10 Questions for Biruté Mary Galdikas, Orangutan Expert
The primatologist chats about her adventures with the red ape, her affinity for the forest, and her advice to budding conservationists.
A Growing Starfish
Biologists photograph the first days of a fiery orange starfish common to Brazil’s rocky southern shores.
Dune Discussion Question: Week #4
The fourth and final discussion question for this summer’s SciFri Book Club selection, “Dune.”
Salad Dressing Science: Emulsion Lab
In this experiment, you will test a few common household ingredients to see which is the most effective emulsifier for making salad dressing – and you can eat your results!
11:41
Close-Up With a Comet
The European Space Agency’s Rosetta spacecraft is the first probe to orbit a comet.
17:29
Is Healthy Soil the Low-Tech Solution to Climate Change?
In her book “The Soil Will Save Us,” writer Kristin Ohlson concludes that the low-cost, low-tech solution to climate change may be directly underfoot—in healthy soil.
5:31
Decoding Secret Communication Between Plants
A new study in Science says that certain parasitic plants spy on their hosts through RNA exchanges.
10:26
App Chat: Being Social Without Leaving a Trace
A growing number of apps allow users to post ephemeral or anonymous messages—and they’re catching on quickly with millennials.