On Today's Podcast
AMA Joins Effort To Launch Independent Vaccine Review Panel
The American Medical Association and Vaccine Integrity Project are partnering to create a vaccine review process independent from the CDC.
Listen NowFebruary 20, 2026
Autism has long been thought of as a condition that mostly affects boys, but data suggest that’s not true. Plus, an update on the first state-run psilocybin therapy programs, and why the American Medical Association is joining an effort to launch an independent vaccine review panel. And, what record-low snowpack in Utah and Colorado means for the region’s water supply.
6:18
Inside The Lava Lab, Burning Questions
A Syracuse University team studies the viscosity and flow of searing-hot lava…from a parking lot.
11:47
Feel Sleepy When You’re Sick? That Could Be Your Immune System Kicking In
Researchers identified a protein linked to the immune system that may make you feel sleepy when you’re sick.
17:08
How Much Carbon Do Our Forests Capture?
Forests are some of the biggest natural weapons we have to fight rising global temperatures. But how well are they working?
17:02
Peter A. Browne’s Hairy Obsession
Meet the 19th-century citizen scientist who collected hair from elephant chins, mummies, and presidents.
28:01
How Artists Made Code Their Paintbrush
Reflecting on the history and future of coding and technology in art.
How Do Scientists Know What Dinosaurs Looked Like?
Put yourselves in the shoes of a paleontologist and paleoartist as you try to recreate what dinosaurs looked like using the same methods as the experts.
4:13
A Phone Call From A Penguin Colony
Science Friday education director Ariel Zych calls in live from Antarctica.
7:51
Meet The Vampire-Like Beetles That Prey On Ants
One group of ground beetles has evolved to live in ant nests and feed on hapless workers.
3:52
The Complex Problem Of The Invasive Common Reed
Common reeds are invading New England marshlands—but could this “stubborn bully of a plant” help marshes weather climate change?
15:25
The Silent Tremors Of Volcanoes, Caught On Mic
Researchers are using the inaudible vibration of air in volcanic craters to learn more about what’s going on deeper down.
11:51
Saturn Put A Ring On It Only Relatively Recently
Saturn’s rings are estimated to have only formed millions of years ago, which is much younger than the planet itself.
23:26
Doctors Failed To Disclose When Drug Companies Were Paying Them
A ProPublica and New York Times investigation found that dozens of doctors failed to disclose their industry ties in scientific journals.
6:19
The Cold Case That Began A DNA Forensics Revolution
The investigative podcast “Bear Brook” explores the first case to use consumer genetic testing to find a killer.
17:07
100 Years Of Your Daily Weather Forecast
How has the field of weather prediction improved over the past 100 years, and what challenges do forecasters still face?
SciFri Extra: Charly Evon Simpson On ‘Behind The Sheet’
In this extended interview, playwright Charly Evon Simpson discusses the enslaved women whose bodies paved the way for modern gynecology.
7:42
The Battle Of The Hard Drives
Two companies are exploring very different methods to expand the storage capacity of hard disk drives.
4:40
Shrimpers Turn To Social Media To Sell Their Wares
Environmental and economic factors have weakened the prices shrimpers can get at the dock—so some are advertising direct to consumers on Facebook instead.
24:47
How Would A Green New Deal Work?
The idea of a Green New Deal has existed for more than a decade. But what would it actually look like in practice?