On Today's Podcast
‘Project Hail Mary’ brings a new kind of alien to the big screen
Move over, Ryan Gosling: Rocky the alien is the breakout star of the big-budget movie adaptation of "Project Hail Mary."
Listen NowMarch 20, 2026
Move over, Ryan Gosling: Rocky the alien is the breakout star of the movie adaptation of "Project Hail Mary." Plus, how a particle accelerator, a robot, and 2,000 ants came together to paint a picture of biological diversity. And, a mathematician analyzed 150 years of women’s fashion to understand 20-year trend cycles, and how “optimal distinctiveness” drives change.
10:24
No Nose, but a Heck of a Sniffer
Researchers have engineered a spinach plant to sense compounds in the surrounding environment and communicate its findings with humans.
6:24
Wireless Power Chair Puts a New Spin on Dance
How a Florida choreographer’s idea could lead to novel dance movements.
A Chair Fit for Dancing
A “smart” power wheelchair enables dancers to move in new directions.
A Chair Fit for Dancing
Equipped with omnidirectional movement, a rotating seat, and a hands-free control, Merry Lynn Morris’ rolling dance chair enables dancers to explore new movement techniques, and may one day provide greater mobility in everyday life, too.
7:15
AIDS Patient Zero, Snoozing Swifts, and Self-Driving Deliveries
Researchers trace the origins of AIDS in the U.S. beyond the original “Patient Zero.”
4:42
This Glove Fits You With Someone Else’s Fingerprints
Researchers have created a 3D-printed glove with fingerprints, which they say will allow us to standardize tests of biometric systems. But will it hand criminals a new tool?
12:29
The Microscopic World Beneath Our Feet
Microbial ecologist Bo Adu-Oppong takes us on a tour of the microbes and slime molds living in the soil, and gives her recipe for making a microbial layer cake—an experiment you can try at home.
7:27
Attack of the Internet of Things
The Achilles heel of the internet turns out to be all the stuff that’s connected to it.
10:06
What Is Energy? Alan Alda—and a Bunch of Kids—Want to Know
Scientists across the globe compete in a challenge to explain science to kids.
17:28
Ignore Mary Poppins. Find Fun in the Medicine.
Game developer Ian Bogost has a way to make life more fun that doesn’t require an app.
10:52
DNA as a Key to Plant Conservation
How mapping plant chromosomes can guide scarce resources to the most threatened species.
17:38
What Caused the Midcontinent Rift?
The Midcontinent Rift is an ancient rift system that could have split the country into two parts a billion years ago.
6:50
The Science Club Challenges You to ‘Break It Down’
Sometimes taking something apart can reveal insight into how it works.
Illustrated Graphs: Using Art to Enliven Scientific Data
Create an illustrated graph using real scientific data, and write an artist’s statement to explain your thinking. Try it with climate change!
7:47
Pyramid Remodeling and the Neighborhood Behavior of Sperm Whales
Annalee Newitz, the tech culture editor at Ars Technica, joins us to discuss the week’s science news, including how to find a hidden room in an ancient pyramid.
4:15
Turning Down the Greenhouse Gases in Your Air Conditioning
A global agreement will phase out heat-trapping HFCs in air conditioners, refrigerants, and other systems.
17:27
Is All Fair in Love and Cyber War?
With rumblings about possible U.S. retaliation for alleged Russian-backed hacks, we ask about the rules and norms that govern international cyber conflicts.
16:46
Introducing the Science Friday Educator Collaborative
Six inspiring science teachers have turned Science Friday media into innovative classroom resources.
12:10
Return of the Screwworm Is Bad News for Endangered Deer
A flesh-eating parasite, previously eradicated on U.S. soil, has decimated Florida’s Key deer. Can the screwworm be re-eradicated in time to save them?
11:37
Sorting Out the Numbers of Political Polls
What should you look for when reading a political poll?