On Today's Podcast
What Greenland Sharks Are Teaching Us About Aging Eyes
Greenland sharks' eyes never seem to get old. Plus, exactly how flawless is the greatest eye in the sky, the James Webb Space Telescope?
Listen NowJanuary 16, 2026
Some Parkinson’s patients may experience strange symptoms, like smell loss and sleep disorders, decades before diagnosis. Plus, a Pompeii construction site preserved in ash reveals secrets of the famously durable Roman concrete. And, Greenland sharks live for hundreds of years, but their eyes never seem to get old. What can they teach us about aging human eyes?
17:08
Is MSG Bad for Your Health?
Four decades of scientific studies suggest the food additive MSG may not deserve its toxic reputation.
#ObserveEverything: Staff Picks, Week #2
A celestial event, citizen science, and a variety of natural wonders drew observations in week 2 of Science Friday’s Science Club.
How to Make Quark Soup
Using massive feats of engineering, Brookhaven National Laboratory has devised a recipe for cooking up tiny ephemeral batches of this quark-gluon soup, a fluid which physicists Paul Sorensen say is the most “perfect” fluid ever discovered.
Fukang Pallasite: One of the Rarest Types of Meteorite
This rare type of meteorite offers insight into asteroid formation, as well as earth’s geologic processes.
#ObserveEverything: Staff Picks, Week #1
We observe: you’re amazing! Staff picks from the first week of Science Club’s #ObserveEverything
12:08
Do Chimps Have Culture?
Researchers say a real-world case of ‘monkey see, monkey do’ might model the origins of human culture.
16:59
Mining the Internet for Clues to Chinese Censorship
Protests continue in Hong Kong, but only glimpses of the activity make it into mainland China due to censorship.
16:38
Dance and Physics Collide in “Quantum”
Choreographer Gilles Jobin took inspiration from the movements of physics for his piece “Quantum.”
7:00
A Whiff of What’s to Come: What Sense of Smell Says About Health
Older adults’ sense of smell might be a strong indicator of their risk of mortality within a five-year span.
22:34
Community Labs Practice Do-It-Yourself Biology
In DIY biology labs across the country, citizen scientists take the tools of synthetic biology into their own hands.
16:58
Catching a Glimpse of an Eclipse
This month, North America will be under the skies of a full lunar eclipse on October 8 and a partial solar eclipse on October 23.
Is MSG Bad For Your Health?
Monosodium glutamate has gotten a bad rap for causing allergies, but is it justified?
Here’s What A Slice Of Mouse Eye Looks Like
A special imaging technology peers inside a mouse eye, revealing the distinct roles that cells play in maintaining retinal health.
The Science Friday Crossword Puzzle, Solved
Find out the answers—and backstories—to the SciFri-themed crossword puzzle.
Who’s Got the Biscotti? Mingling at the Ig Nobel Awards After-Party
The man of the hour is an octogenarian who claims more than 3,500 patents.
Science Club #ObserveEverything
Go out and observe something interesting! Submit your in-depth observations with the hashtag #ObserveEverything.
12:08
MAVEN Maneuvers Into Mars’s Orbit
MAVEN makes into Mars’s orbit in time to meet a comet and begin unraveling mysteries of the Martian atmosphere.
17:22
‘Internal Medicine’ Gives a Resident’s Eye View of the Hospital
A writer-doctor’s stories reveal the hospital through the eyes of a resident.