November 22, 2024
On the 50th anniversary of Lucy’s discovery, paleoanthropologists reflect on what she taught us about ourselves. Plus, divers have recovered seeds of a long-lost rye variety from a 146-year-old shipwreck in Lake Huron. And, a potato researcher explains potato varieties, potato nutrition, and some tubular tuber facts.
12:05
Could A “Marsquake” Knock Down Your House?
What studying seismic activity on mars tells us about the red planet.
17:07
Do You Have The ‘Right Stuff’ To Be An Astronaut?
NASA is accepting applications for a new class of astronaut candidates. Do you have what it takes?
16:22
New Insight Into Whales On The Go
Researchers found a link between whale strandings and solar storms that may hint at magnetic navigation. Plus, the answer to whale migration may lie in skincare.
17:18
Looking To The Genome To Track And Treat The New Coronavirus
Scientists have sequenced the genome of the new coronavirus from two patients in Washington state.
Science Friday Live In Phoenix
Ira Flatow and the SciFri gang are headed down to Phoenix on Saturday, September 12, 2020 for a special, one-night-only live event. Get your tickets here!
Science Friday Live In Charlotte, North Carolina
Ira Flatow and the SciFri gang are headed to Charlotte, North Carolina on Saturday, August 8, 2020 for a special, one-night-only live event. Get your tickets here!
11:33
Why Aren’t We Talking About (And Debating) Climate Policy?
Plus Bezos’ billions, a retreat from an oil sands project, and more in this week’s roundup of climate news.
22:20
How To Prepare Your Healthcare System For A New Coronavirus
If COVID-19 spreads in the U.S., hospitals have ways to prepare. Public health experts explain why more testing and protecting healthcare workers will be key.
23:20
The Evolution Of Facebook
Journalist Steven Levy chronicles Facebook from college room-social media site to the present-day tech powerhouse.
33:56
How The World Of Building Materials Is Responding To Climate Change
‘Mass timber’ receives praise for its carbon sink potential, while concrete and steel reinvent themselves to curb emissions.
How Facebook’s News Feed Became A Political Propaganda Machine
In his new book, journalist Steven Levy unpacks how Facebook’s news feed influenced a presidential election in the Philippines—and how it was a symptom of the rise of fake news.
7:12
East Africans Battle A Plague Of Locusts Brought On By Climate Change
As swarms the size of cities devastate food supplies, both residents and experts in East Africa are looking for solutions to the locust pest problem.
4:33
Why Coal Country May Be Going Solar
A new bill passing through the West Virginia state legislature would increase the state’s solar capacity by 5,000%.
12:11
COVID-19 Numbers Are Rising. But How Are Those Numbers Counted?
Changes in how countries are diagnosing infection with the coronavirus can make shifting numbers difficult to interpret.
17:29
An Ancient Burial In A Famous Cave
A new find of additional Neanderthal remains in Kurdistan’s Shanidar Cave could provide new insights into ancient culture.
16:45
In A World Of Lab-Grown Diamonds, What Is Real And Fake?
Science historian Lydia Pyne on how “genuine fakes” live in a gray area between real and fake.
33:45
Ask A Dentist: Brushing Up On Tooth Science
We talk with dental experts about how your gums affect your heart, frontiers in cavity prevention, and why the future of dentistry is personal.
How The First Non-Natural Diamond Was Grown In A GE Lab
Since ancient times, people have tried to make their own diamonds. In upstate New York in 1954, it finally happened.
Science Friday Live In Pasadena
Ira Flatow and the SciFri gang are headed down to Pasadena, CA on Saturday, May 30, 2020 for a special, one-night-only live event. Get your tickets here.
From Superior To Ontario, Your Love Of The Great Lakes
The Science Friday Book Club rejoiced in memories, thought about water access, and identified invasive species. So, we mapped it.