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.
The Best of Science Friday, 2014 (Picked by Our Staff)
SciFri staff members recommend their favorite stories from the past year.
40:50
2014 Science Year in Review
From the Ebola outbreak to the Rosetta mission to a comet, a look at the biggest science stories of the year.
5:55
Birdie in Flight
The aerodynamics of the badminton birdie, along with a complex chain of movements executed by players, enables it to reach 200 mph.
23:12
John McPhee Assembles California
In this 1993 interview from the Science Friday archives, writer John McPhee talks plate tectonics and global geology.
23:43
SciFri Live: Science Movie Quiz
You may know science, but how well do you know movie science?
Birdie In Flight: The Science of Badminton
The key to the badminton’s speed is the unique aerodynamic shape of the birdie and the kinetic movements by players.
The Fight Against Blight: Restoring the American Chestnut
Researchers have developed a blight-resistant species that’s nearly identical to the American chestnut tree.
Christmas Tree Combustion
A home holiday experiment that explores combustion using festive fuels such as fir, pine, spruce, and cedar.
11:54
Does Mars Have What It Takes to Support Life?
NASA’s Curiosity rover finds evidence of methane and organics on the Red Planet.
23:12
Scientists Speak Out About Attacks on Science
Bioengineer John Dabiri and conservation biologist Terrie Williams, two targets of Senator Tom Coburn’s 2014 “Wastebook” look beyond the caricatures painted by politicians and pundits to tell the story of their research.
9:21
Weighing In on the ‘Good Carb, Bad Carb’ Debate
Curbing “high glycemic” carbs may not benefit healthy eaters.
7:09
Under The Influence Of Beer Foam
A team of fluid mechanics researchers at Princeton University dive into the anti-sloshing physics of foam.
7:20
Moving Ice May Mean More Melting for Greenland
By 2060, Greenland’s seasonal “supraglacial” lakes will double in number and move farther inland.
22:09
Science Goes To The Movies: ‘The Imitation Game’
SciFri’s scientist-film critics weigh in on the Alan Turing biopic.
10:53
Making Space a More Democratic Place
What if anyone could 3-D-print a satellite in space? Or jet from the Earth to the Moon, using just the hydrogen found in a two-liter bottle of water?
Under The Influence Of Beer Foam
A team of fluid mechanics researchers at Princeton University dive into the anti-sloshing physics of foam.
Peek Inside A Mechanical Calculator
This machine was a predecessor to the electronic calculator.
SciFri Book Club: Vote for a Book to Beat the Winter Blues
Help the SciFri Book Club pick its next book.
Five Books Guaranteed To Make Kids Love Science
These kids’ books spark science curiosity with playful illustrations and facts to match.
Recipe: Jeff Potter’s Patent-Violating* Chocolate Chip Cookies
How to make cookies that stay chewy on the inside with crispy outer edges.