February 21, 2025
The CEO of one of America’s oldest scientific societies discusses the recent cuts to scientific institutions, and how scientists can respond. Plus, flu infections are the highest they’ve been in nearly 30 years, and flu deaths this winter have surpassed COVID deaths. And, a video of a gloriously creepy anglerfish inspired tears and poetry online.
9:07
Allergy Season Is Blooming With Climate Change
Climate change is triggering plants to produce pollen earlier and earlier, making allergy season longer and more intense.
8:16
Flowers Are Finding New Hues In A Climate Crisis
For more than a century, changes in temperature and aridity have impacted the hues of nature.
15:55
I Dream Of Octopuses, But Do They Dream About Me?
Sleepy times for these cephalopods are revealing new clues about memory and learning.
17:03
The Mental Health Costs Of ‘Everyday’ Racism
The long history anti-Asian racism in the United States, and how discrimination impacts your health.
Preview: The Science Friday Book Club Reads ‘Lost Feast’
Lenore Newman explores the history (and extinction) of some food favorites in ‘Lost Feast.’ We’ll read it together this spring.
The Very First Leftovers Were Made From Mammoth Meat
From this spring’s SciFri Book Club pick, learn how early humans developed concepts like dry-aging to make mammoth meat tastier and last longer.
Book Club: ‘Lost Feast’
Dig in with food expert Lenore Newman about the dishes we’ve loved to death and what that means for the future of food.
Environmental Justice: Evaluating Zip Codes And Pollution Burdens
Who bears the pollution burden? Use data to determine the pollution burden for a community and the systems that contribute to environmental injustice.
Why Hawaii Is The Perfect Place For Rainbows
From sacred symbols to colorful displays of physics, local experts in Hawaii seek to understand the natural wonders of rainbows.
11:55
Rise In Anti-Asian Violence Is At The Intersection Of Racism And Disease
The recent murders of six Asian-American women in Atlanta are not the first time the community has been the victim of racist scapegoating connected to disease.
24:11
This Infectious Disease Specialist Is Answering Your COVID-19 Questions On Instagram
In a sea of misinformation, some scientists are debunking myths and providing straight-forward information on social media.
10:20
The False Personality Binary
Our understanding of psychology has evolved in the century since Carl Jung coined the term “introvert.”
12:12
Under A Mile Of Ice, A Climate Clue
What ancient dirt and vegetation can teach us about the future of climate change.
17:30
Decrypting Big Tech’s Data Hoard
Decades into the era of Big Data, researchers are calling for reforms in privacy, predictive algorithms, and more.
16:56
The Rainbow Connection—To Physics
Many say that Hawaii is the rainbow capital of the world. What conditions make these multicolored wonders so abundant?
Introvert: The Invention Of A Type
It all started with a falling out between two famous psychologists.
11:57
What Next For The Fully Vaccinated?
In the U.S., 95 million vaccine doses have been administered. The CDC put out guidelines for people who are fully vaccinated.
11:34
Spinning Glass To See The Stars
How do you make an eight meter-wide mirror? Give it a spin.
16:42
It’s Time To Rethink Shark Sex—With Females In Mind
Sharks and rays often have multiple dads per litter, a strategy known as multiple paternity. Now, evolutionary ecologists are trying to understand why.
12:12
Learning From World Of Warcraft’s Virtual Pandemic
In 2005, a software bug triggered a pandemic in the video game World Of Warcraft. It ended up foreshadowing many aspects of today’s COVID-19 pandemic.