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.
Can You Explain The Sun?
For this science club, we want you to explain something to us, something BIG!
Booting Up Computer Art
In the 1960s, curious computer scientists transformed computers into art machines.
Science Friday Introduces New Video Series, ‘The Macroscope’
Through fictional and documentary film-making approaches, we’ll bring you true stories from scientists and innovators.
Babies On The Brink
A series of rigorous (and adorable) experiments shatters the myth that babies learn to fear heights as they learn to crawl.
The 1-2-3s of Hard-Cooked Eggs
Cooking geek Jeff Potter cracks the code on easy-to-peel, hard-cooked eggs.
18:25
A Climate Pledge, a Medieval Antibiotic, and an Exoskeletal Boot
In the news roundup this week, Eric Holthaus breaks down the new U.S. climate pledge.
17:16
Festival of Fake Hypotheses Generates Real Laughs
The satirical science festival BAHFest challenges science fans to construct real arguments for completely bogus hypotheses.
6:56
Mercury: The Ashtray of the Solar System?
Scientists say that dust from passing comets could have darkened the surface of Mercury.
16:40
Cracking the Egg
There’s a better way to make hard-boiled eggs—and it doesn’t involve boiling.
4:55
Catching a Non-Stop, Transatlantic Flight on a Songbird’s Back
The blackpoll warbler, a songbird that weighs 12 grams, can fly 1,700 miles—non-stop—to its wintering grounds.
16:16
Building Cancer Vaccines From Tumor Mutations
Researchers look to the genome of a patient’s tumor to build a cancer vaccine.
10:48
The Math Game Behind the Iran Nuclear Talks
Energy secretary Ernest Moniz joins us to talk about the science behind the diplomacy.
Home For A Horn Shark Embryo
The spiraling protective packaging ensconces a single embryo and yolk sac.
Easy Hard Eggs
Jeff Potter, author of “Cooking for Geeks,” explains how steaming eggs, even massive ostrich eggs, makes them easier to peel.
Spot the REAL Hypothesis
This April Fool’s Day, put your BS-detector to the test. Can you spot the REAL hypothesis?
A 20-Year Dive Into Climate Change History
Have scientists always agreed on the impacts of climate change? Act like an investigative reporter by sifting through expert interviews and reports on extreme weather and climate change.
Eggs To Dye For
Why do eggs turn out brighter with a little vinegar? Investigate how different acids affect egg dyes in this kitchen chemistry experiment.
11:35
‘Hellish’ Conditions Gave Spark to Life on Earth
The early Earth was no place for life as we know it: Belching volcanoes, meteor strikes, hydrogen cyanide and a healthy bombardment of ultraviolet rays.
17:19
Shaking Up the Climate Conversation, With Dance
A choreographer and a biologist team up to create a dance that’s part high art, part climate change consciousness raising.
15:16
Michael Gazzaniga: Tales from Both Sides of the Brain
Cognitive neuroscientist Michael Gazzaniga discusses his on discovering how these halves communicate.