On Today's Podcast
What The Label Of ‘Genius’ Tells Us About Our Society
In “The Genius Myth,” Helen Lewis argues that who we call a genius reveals more about our values than any objective measure of brilliance.
Listen NowSeptember 12, 2025
Octopuses can use their suckers to detect harmful microbes on the surface of objects like crab shells, or their own eggs. Plus, a new book charts the millennia-old history of our fascination with aliens, and how myth transformed into research. And, golden oyster mushrooms have escaped from home growing kits into the wild. Could they affect fungal diversity in North American forests?
How to Make Quark Soup
Using massive feats of engineering, Brookhaven National Laboratory has devised a recipe for cooking up tiny ephemeral batches of this quark-gluon soup, a fluid which physicists Paul Sorensen say is the most “perfect” fluid ever discovered.
Fukang Pallasite: One of the Rarest Types of Meteorite
This rare type of meteorite offers insight into asteroid formation, as well as earth’s geologic processes.
#ObserveEverything: Staff Picks, Week #1
We observe: you’re amazing! Staff picks from the first week of Science Club’s #ObserveEverything
12:08
Do Chimps Have Culture?
Researchers say a real-world case of ‘monkey see, monkey do’ might model the origins of human culture.
16:59
Mining the Internet for Clues to Chinese Censorship
Protests continue in Hong Kong, but only glimpses of the activity make it into mainland China due to censorship.
16:38
Dance and Physics Collide in “Quantum”
Choreographer Gilles Jobin took inspiration from the movements of physics for his piece “Quantum.”
7:00
A Whiff of What’s to Come: What Sense of Smell Says About Health
Older adults’ sense of smell might be a strong indicator of their risk of mortality within a five-year span.
22:34
Community Labs Practice Do-It-Yourself Biology
In DIY biology labs across the country, citizen scientists take the tools of synthetic biology into their own hands.
16:58
Catching a Glimpse of an Eclipse
This month, North America will be under the skies of a full lunar eclipse on October 8 and a partial solar eclipse on October 23.
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.