On Today's Podcast
Teasing Apart The Causes And Early Signs Of Parkinson’s
Some Parkinson’s patients may experience strange symptoms, like smell loss and sleep disorders, decades before diagnosis.
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?
10:10
A Trip To An Asteroid…And Back
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency landed two rovers on the asteroid Ryugu with a plan to return samples to Earth in two years.
11:27
From Mother’s Lungs To Baby’s Body
Why does air pollution exposure in the womb adversely affect infants? Researchers find a possible clue in the thyroid.
10:59
Capturing A Rare Kind Of Cloud
Noctilucent clouds weren’t spotted until 1885. Now, NASA’s PMC Turbo mission has captured their image.
22:56
Will World War Three Be Fought Over Water?
Yemen is gripped by civil war—and some experts say it could be the first of many ‘water wars’ to come.
The Joy Of Cooking Asteroids
How making simulated asteroid dirt paves the way for a future of space mining.
The Origin Of The Word ‘Meme’
What does LOLcats have to do with evolutionary biology?
Deep Dive: An Expedition With Skype A Scientist And Professor Pete
On October 20th in NYC, join Skype a Scientist and Science Friday on an expedition into Earth’s deepest oceans.
Science Friday Live In Thousand Oaks
On Saturday, October 13, Science Friday heads to Thousand Oaks, California to learn about local science.
Dark Skies
Darkness can be scary for humans. But illuminating our cities comes with a cost.
A Day With Fossil Hunters
Science Friday treks with paleontologists on the fossil hunt in Utah’s dusty canyons.
12:28
The Great Salt Lake Is An ‘Oasis’ For Migratory Birds
Ten million birds stop at Utah’s Great Salt Lake every year to feed, fatten up, and relax.
17:44
The Exotic Life Above The Forest Floor
For years, tree canopies were the last frontiers of the forest—until ecologist Nalini Nadkarni pioneered innovative ways to explore them, with hot air balloons and cranes.
10:31
Life In The Shadow Of The Milky Way
Light pollution can have negative health effects on city dwellers. One scientist urges us to seek darker skies.
12:28
Bringing Back An Endangered Crow
How researchers are working to save a nearly extinct Hawaiian crow, the ʻAlalā.
17:43
Endless Spiders And Snails Most Beautiful
A look at some of the unique biodiversity found in the Hawaiian islands, and efforts to preserve some species found nowhere else on Earth.
17:39
A Tiny Martian Colony, Here On Earth
Researchers sequester six volunteers on the side of a Hawaiian volcano to simulate a mission to Mars.
27:02
A Tiny Fungus With A Big Impact
The spread of a microscopic fungus is threatening a key Hawaiian forest canopy tree.
17:39
Utah Is A Gold Mine For Fossils
We find out what it’s like to step into a paleontologist’s boots and discover some dino gold.
Hack A Solar Circuit
Deconstruct an inexpensive solar circuit, then repurpose it to engineer a foldable, lightweight solar-powered device that solves a real human problem.
6:02
What Really Killed The Dinosaurs?
The prevailing theory says a meteorite led to the demise of the dinos. But one holdout scientist isn’t buying it.