April 18, 2025
Are traffic engineering decisions based on evidence-based research? Not as much as you might think. Plus, researchers captured the first confirmed video of a colossal squid swimming in its natural habitat. And, with brain-implanted devices, people with paralysis have been able to command computers to “move” virtual objects and speak for them.
Is MSG Bad For Your Health?
Monosodium glutamate has gotten a bad rap for causing allergies, but is it justified?
Here’s What A Slice Of Mouse Eye Looks Like
A special imaging technology peers inside a mouse eye, revealing the distinct roles that cells play in maintaining retinal health.
The Science Friday Crossword Puzzle, Solved
Find out the answers—and backstories—to the SciFri-themed crossword puzzle.
Who’s Got the Biscotti? Mingling at the Ig Nobel Awards After-Party
The man of the hour is an octogenarian who claims more than 3,500 patents.
Science Club #ObserveEverything
Go out and observe something interesting! Submit your in-depth observations with the hashtag #ObserveEverything.
12:08
MAVEN Maneuvers Into Mars’s Orbit
MAVEN makes into Mars’s orbit in time to meet a comet and begin unraveling mysteries of the Martian atmosphere.
17:22
‘Internal Medicine’ Gives a Resident’s Eye View of the Hospital
A writer-doctor’s stories reveal the hospital through the eyes of a resident.
5:43
Sprouting a Forest in the City
Foresters are piecing together the complicated ecosystem of the urban forest.
11:04
Plant Emissions: How Do Trees Interact With Pollution?
Certain tree species can add to pollution if they’re planted in certain locations.
11:34
Water on Earth Is a Million Years Older Than the Sun
The cloud of gas and dust that eventually condensed to form the Sun contained “thousands of oceans of water,” says astronomer Ted Bergin.
17:26
Stories to Make You Think BIG
With his new story about a 20-kilometer-high skyscraper, sci-fi author Neal Stephenson hopes to get engineers thinking big.
16:54
Science Friday Science Club: Observe Everything
The Science Club embarks on its next project and explores observation.
Picking Up Where We Left Off
An excerpt from Neal Stephenson’s story in “Hieroglyph: Stories and Visions For a Better Future.”
Art Bots and Talking Blenders: A Stroll Through Ars Electronica
Every September, the Ars Electronica Festival draws artists, scientists, and technologists to Linz, Austria, to swap ideas and show off cutting-edge artworks.
A Resilient Hybrid: Fused Staghorn Coral
This hybrid coral could withstand climate change better than its relatives.
Solve the Science Friday Crossword Puzzle!
Test your Science Friday knowledge with this crossword puzzle challenge by constructor Fred Piscop.
Inside the Box: Crossword Puzzle Constructing in the Computer Age
Computer software and word databases are changing the crossword puzzle game.
The Business of Surgery: Has Love Been Lost?
An excerpt from “The Cost of Cutting.”
