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.
11:52
The Blossoming Internet of Things — For Your Garden
A growing group of apps, sensors, and other technologies can tell you when to water and fertilize, or even what to plant.
26:50
Mapping Out the Future of Genomics
Genomics pioneer Craig Venter revisits his predictions for the field made during a SciFri conversation in 2003.
6:34
Plugging Into DNA for Digital Data Storage
Engineers were able to store and retrieve digitized photos from sequences of DNA.
Weighing the Importance of Locality
Author George Musser breaks down the concept of place.
Seeing Inside The Eye
Improvements in laser scanning technology reveal the intricacies hidden inside our eyeballs.
Discussing the Impacts of Social Media Algorithms
Students use an excerpt of Science Friday as a springboard to discuss and write about algorithms used in social media and their impact on the user experience. Common Core aligned discussion and writing for grades 9-12.
‘Space Archaeologists’ and Activists Use Satellites to Unearth History
Satellite imagery can help researchers track destruction of culturally significant sites and uncover archaeological ruins.
Selfies From The Animal Kingdom
Zoologist Roland Kays’ book “Candid Creatures” features wildlife photos taken with motion-sensing cameras.
11:58
A Volcano Mystery, HIV and Alzheimer’s, and Cold Lab Mice
A mysterious North Korean volcano, and the implications of cold lab mice for research.
17:26
How Do You Measure the I.Q. of an Octopus?
The trick, says primatologist Frans de Waal, is to measure animal intelligence not by human standards, but by the standards of an octopus or elephant or chimpanzee.
12:20
When Laser Science Was ‘Far Out’
In the 1970s, millions of people experienced a groovier side of science: the planetarium laser show.
17:36
Learning to Walk Like a Gecko, See Like a Lobster
Biomimicry is the practice of using nature to inspire new technology and innovations.
7:03
For Your Protection, a New Kind of Metal
Metal foam can disintegrate bullets on impact, reduce the impact of car crashes, and more.
10:19
Could ‘Brainprints’ Unlock Your Future Phone?
Researchers created a system that could match EEG readings to an individual with 100 percent accuracy.
17:18
What Is the Future of Coral Reefs in Warming Ocean Waters?
Ninety-three percent of Great Barrier Reef corals have been affected by a recent bleaching event.
Are Humans Smarter Than Chimps? Think Again
Author Frans de Waal deconstructs the notion that a chimpanzee’s intelligence is inferior to a human’s.
These Researchers Have Figured Out a New Way to Kill Cancer Cells
The team reports that they’ve figured out how to elude a tumor cell’s defenses.
10 Questions for the Nation’s First Chief Data Scientist
DJ Patil reflects on his first year as chief data scientist in the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy.
11:42
Internet White Spaces, Pollen Protein, and Tiger Conservation
Logging online through unused TV frequencies, and the good and bad of tiger conservation efforts.