July 12, 2024
Rising temperatures shut down some conchs’ impulse to reproduce. So scientists are ferrying them to colonies in deeper, cooler waters. Plus, there are currently 323 ongoing drug shortages in the U.S., leaving patients scrambling for necessary medications. And, new research shows that cats’ tendency to scratch is affected by stress, certain kinds of play, and how active they are at night.
7:10
Svante Pääbo Awarded Nobel For Examining The Ancient Human Genome
Geneticist and Nobel Laureate Svante Pääbo performs archeological explorations on the human genome.
9:14
What We Can Learn About Diabetes From Hibernating Bears
Unlike humans, bears can turn their insulin resistance on and off.
28:45
The Politics Of Science: Voters Have An Important Voice
Science underlies many civic issues—from adapting to extreme weather to funding STEM education—and important choices are being decided at the ballot box.
12:00
New Alzheimer’s Drug Reduces Cognitive Decline, Say Biotech Firms
A new Alzheimer’s drug is slated for approval by the FDA, but some experts are skeptical of its usefulness in patients.
17:03
This Soundscape Artist Has Been Listening To The Planet For Decades
Jim Metzner, a pioneer of science radio, looks back on his lifetime of recordings, now heading for the Library of Congress.
12:13
After Hurricane Ian, Robots To The Rescue
Flying, swimming, and even crawling robots are becoming vital tools in disaster response. How data from robotic partners can help steer scarce human resources in dangerous terrain.
9:30
Vague Medical Marijuana Rules Leave Workers And Employers In The Dark
More than a dozen lawsuits reveal a program that’s confusing for 400,000 statewide medical marijuana patients.
7:48
The DART Asteroid Impact Mission: It’s A Cosmic Smash
How (and why) NASA successfully caused a collision between a small spacecraft and an asteroid.
10:53
High-Flying Trick-Or-Treat Delivers Rabies Vaccines For Raccoons
How do you vaccinate a wild animal? Hint: Fish-flavored candy, and a few helicopters.
6:28
Can Lanternflies’ Excretions Be Used To Quell Their Spread?
Honeydew, the sticky residue excreted by the spotted lanternfly, may contain chemicals that signal to other lanternflies.
17:33
Bangladeshi Farmers Found A Way To Save Massive Amounts Of Water
By intensively using groundwater to irrigate, the country’s farmers are creating space to capture freshwater from monsoons.
How Science Friday Used A/B Testing To Guide Audience Engagement
When the pandemic began, we had to rethink how we engaged with audiences interested in science. Here’s what we learned.
Bright Idea: Science Friday’s Sun Camp
The Sun Camp educational program features easy-to-do, hands-on STEAM activities for families and educators curious about Sun science.
12:17
Biden Declares The COVID-19 Pandemic Over. Is It?
One country cannot declare a global health crisis over, but when a pandemic officially ends is not easy to determine.
Read ‘Braiding Sweetgrass’ With The SciFri Book Club
‘Braiding Sweetgrass’ combines Potawatomi knowledge and scientific inquiry in a deep, reverent essay series. Read it with us this October.
Robin Wall Kimmerer Wants To Extend The Grammar Of Animacy
How our scientific perspective of a bay changes when language frames it as a verb—to be a bay—instead of a noun.
12:13
Was ‘Soylent Green’ Right About 2022?
Climate catastrophe? Check. Here’s what this classic science fiction film got right about 2022.
4:22
Saturn’s Rings Might Be Made From A Missing Moon
A new theory suggests that Saturn’s gravity shredded up a moon and flattened it, giving us the planet’s iconic rings.
11:00
Sperm Swim Together To Help Each Other Reach The Egg
Researchers created a simulation of the female reproductive tract and, rather than compete, sperm may cooperate to swim upstream.
17:15
Mars Rover, Move Over: Making A Rover To Explore The Deep Sea
The Benthic Rover trawls an abyssal plain, 4000 meters below the ocean surface, for vital data about carbon dioxide on a warming planet.