On Today's Podcast
Fingernails And Indigestion At The 2025 Ig Nobel Prizes
The Ig Nobel Prizes celebrate unusual scientific research—this year including lizard pizza preferences and fingernail growth.
Listen NowNovember 28, 2025
The Ig Nobel Prizes celebrate unusual scientific research—this year including lizard pizza preferences and fingernail growth. Plus, in a conversation from August, exercise researchers discuss what physical activity does to mental health. And, in a story from February, a journalist explains the afterlife of our trash, and why most “recyclable” plastic actually isn’t.
7:09
The New G.O.A.T. Of Park Systems Is An Actual Goat
Known for their indiscriminate diet, goats are helping conservation managers remove invasive plants from parks.
39:09
The Hot And Cold Past Of The Air Conditioner
From the 1904 World’s Fair to deadly heat waves, we’re taking a look back at more than a century of AC. This story was originally published in 2021.
16:46
Remembering Frank Drake, Who Listened To The Cosmos
Remembering the inventive scientist and SETI pioneer who found a way to calculate the probability of discovering extraterrestrial life.
8:17
As Temperatures Get Warmer, Fish Are At Risk
Massive die-offs could become the norm in the upper midwest as climate change-related factors place fish at risk.
Bring The Artemis Mission Home With Hands-On Activities
Grab some supplies and try these hands-on STEM activities right at home to celebrate the Artemis mission to the Moon.
12:10
New, More Protective COVID Vaccines Are On The Way
In the face of a fall and winter surge, the newly formulated vaccines will offer more protection.
10:24
New Jersey’s Lenape Nation Fights Ford’s Toxic Legacy
A court case seeks to recover damages from the impact of the car company’s toxic waste.
6:50
Coming Soon: A Germ-Killing Countertop?
Engineers designed a new germicide coating that sterilize surfaces from pathogens, like E. coli or MRSA, and lasts for months.
16:45
The Surprising Animal Science Behind Jordan Peele’s ‘Nope’
Spoilers abound! Learn how Jordan Peele’s new film ‘Nope’ used inspiration from the oceans to make its new creature.
17:16
Taxpayer-Funded Science Is Finally Becoming Public
The White House announced a new policy to make federally-funded science more accessible. We talk to an expert on how the public benefits.
17:02
Why You Should Thank Your Local Wasp
From pest control to pollination, what might be considered pesky insects actually play essential environmental roles.
Icky Or Essential? Why Wasps Are Actually Important
These occasional picnic plagues are more than what they seem: they’re also nature’s pest control agents and important pollinators.
12:13
Why Is It So Hard To Agree On When Human Life Starts?
For decades, the U.S. medical establishment has adhered to a legally recognized standard for death. Why not for the inception of life?
The SciFri Book Club Is Going To Talk About The Vagina
A celebration of the science knowledge and storytelling talent behind the new book, Vagina Obscura—plus a whole lotta joy.
11:52
California Accelerates Its Push For Electric Cars
The state’s decision to end sales of new gasoline cars by 2025 may have a big impact on the automobile industry.
7:45
Ecological Data From Deep In The Pantry
A trove of decades-old canned salmon gave ecological researchers a chance to study changes in the marine ecosystem.
9:16
Medieval Friars’ Farming May Have Caused Tummy Troubles
A study finds friars in medieval Cambridge may have had more intestinal parasites than common residents.
4:17
Attracting Birds To Prime Habitat By Playing Recordings Of Their Calls
Researchers are broadcasting recorded bird calls to try to bring secretive rails to prime habitat where they can feed and mate.
7:51
Collars, Cameras, And Carcasses: Studying Urban Wildlife
Urban wildlife is much cooler and more diverse than they get credit for.
16:17
A New Lyme Disease Test In Development May Help Improve Treatment
Current diagnostic tests only determine if patients had the disease, not current infections. Microbiologist Pete Gwynne wants to change that.