Science Friday

JWST has detected the earliest galaxies in the universe, but some look “more mature” than expected. Is it time to rethink how galaxies form?

Super agers are folks who stay fit into their 80s and beyond. What’s behind their unique health and longevity?

Scientists look inside the fossilized stomach contents of a massive dinosaur. And, why some birds listen for prairie dogs’ alarm calls.

Former President Joe Biden’s diagnosis with an aggressive form of prostate cancer has put a spotlight on prostate cancer screening.

Biochemist Virginia Man-Yee Lee has spent her career unlocking the proteins involved in neurodegenerative diseases. Her secret? Happiness.

The health secretary fired the entire panel that recommends vaccines. Plus, the EPA moves to expedite cleanup of Superfund sites.

From lunar missions to a space station to an asteroid rendezvous, China has been making impressive strides in spaceflight.

Tallgrass prairies in the United States were cleared for industrial farms. Can the lost biodiversity be restored?

New research follows a distinct lineage of bedbugs that lived alongside humans for thousands of years, suggesting they might be the first human pest.

Manu Prakash wants to map the whole tree of life, with the help of everyone on this planet.

A mysterious polio-like disease could challenge our healthcare infrastructure. And, zooming in on non-cancerous cells in and around tumors.

As funding for US science is slashed, a science photographer and researcher takes a hard look at how scientists communicate their work.

Scientists used gene-editing technology to create “Peter Pan” tadpoles that would eat the eggs of Australia’s cane toads—and never grow up.

Lace up those comfortable sneakers, and get out your bug spray and field guides, because we’re about to go birder-watching.

Plant biologist Joanne Chory spent her career trying to grow plants that could sequester CO2 in their roots. Her wild ideas took hold.

Government cuts have left NSF funding at the lowest level in decades. Plus, the FDA has cleared a blood test to help diagnose Alzheimer’s.

Recent outages at Newark airport highlighted the challenges facing air traffic controllers. What's the science underpinning air safety?

The plan raises some eyebrows, as some in the Trump administration have been skeptical of vaccines and moved to limit vaccine access.

Betül Kaçar started out as a biochemist. But then she found her calling: investigating some of the hardest questions in evolutionary biology.

How the “Final Reckoning” crew used science to bring an underwater stunt to life. Plus, the psychology behind thrill-seeking.

In a new memoir, a climate scientist reflects on his journey from a rural village in India to the cutting edge of weather forecasting.

Some car designers are turning from touchscreen controls back to physical buttons. Two researchers explain why that could be better.

Geneticists mapping nightshade genomes used CRISPR gene editing to grow bigger fruits without sacrificing flavor.

When St. Vincent’s La Soufrière volcano threatened to erupt, geologist Richie Robertson was the scientist the islanders trusted.

The Department of the Interior seeks to remove the lesser prairie chicken’s endangered species designation. What would that mean?

How well do we understand the long-term health risks to firefighters? Plus, researchers across the country are breeding pest-resistant trees.

Scientists at the Missouri Botanical Garden are preserving diverse plant species. And, how micronutrients could help address world hunger.

On-screen and in hospitals, fake body parts are getting more and more realistic. That helps medical students practice for real procedures.

Katalin Karikó was ignored, demoted, and dismissed for decades. Then she won a Nobel Prize.

Proposed budget cuts for NASA would jeopardize space research. And an executive order could change the political tides for deep sea mining.

Bacteria are not as simple as their reputation suggests. Understanding how they communicate may lead to better disease treatments for us humans.

A passion for fashion among the “bone collector caterpillar,” who wears a coat of body parts, and an artist who makes fabrics that remember.

Millions of years ago, iguanas somehow got from North America to Fiji. Scientists think they made the trip on a raft of fallen vegetation. Also, the marine reptile’s fossilized fetus is cluing paleontologists into the lives of ancient sea creatures.

In “Into the Unknown,” an astronomer explores the mysteries of the cosmos and the limits of what science can test.

Scientists bring us a lab-grown chicken nugget and texturally accurate, plant-based calamari. We’ll bite.

Vocal researchers are learning how death metal singers safely produce extreme vocal distortions, in hopes of improving vocal health care.

“Rise of the Zombie Bugs” explores how parasites create real-life zombies in the insect and invertebrate world.

Research suggests that better understanding the psychological and neurological components of chronic pain may lead to better treatments.

Researchers isolated one kind of cone in the eye and aimed lasers at it to allow subjects to see a super vibrant teal shade they call “olo.”

How will market uncertainty and a lack of federal support for climate efforts affect the future of clean energy in the United States? Plus, many wetlands are disappearing, but Louisiana’s “accidental” Wax Lake Delta is growing—and informing coastal restoration techniques.

With the help of cat owners, a new project investigates cats’ biology and aims to link some of their behaviors to their genes.

With brain-implanted devices, people with paralysis have been able to command computers to “move” virtual objects and speak for them.

In “Connecting Dots: A Blind Life,” inventor Josh Miele recounts his life story and path to becoming an accessibility designer.

Are traffic engineering decisions based on evidence-based research? Not as much as you might think.

The Webb Space Telescope picked up traces of dimethyl sulfide on planet K2-18b. On Earth, the molecule comes from microbes and phytoplankton. Also, researchers captured the first confirmed video of a colossal squid swimming in its natural habitat—almost 2,000 feet deep.

A cell animator and a museum designer tell us how they translate scientific findings into visual experiences.

Bringing back Southwest peach orchards won’t be easy, but researchers are on the lookout for remaining trees—and they need help. And, the newly discovered Lokiceratops is challenging paleontologists’ understanding of how horned dinosaurs evolved and existed together.

Utterances like “um,” “wow” and “mm-hmm” aren’t just fillers—they keep conversations flowing. Also, new research suggests the artificial sweetener saccharin could kill antibiotic resistant bacteria.

Nominee Jared Isaacman prioritized a Mars mission in his confirmation hearings, raising questions about the fate of the Artemis lunar program.

We go inside the scientifically accurate ER world created for the TV show with one of its medical consultants.

The ISS is set to be decommissioned in 2030. Several companies are competing for NASA contracts to build commercial space stations.

What happens when AI moves beyond convincing chatbots and custom image generators to something that matches—or outperforms—humans?

It’s not just in your stuffy head. Seasonal allergies are getting worse as pollen season gets longer and more intense.

Food allergies are on the rise. For kids with less severe peanut allergies, one potential treatment could be found in the grocery aisle.

The cuts hit multiple agencies, affecting work on HIV, gun violence prevention, vaccines, minority health research, and more.

Emergency response experts say that funding and staff cuts at the National Weather Service could mean less reliable weather forecast. And, babies like music, but they generally have preferences. A music therapist reveals the best kinds of music to soothe a baby.

When the Chicago-size iceberg drifted away, scientists seized the opportunity to study the life and geologic formations hidden below.

Mental health information on social media can be both revelatory and misleading. How do clinicians and their patients make sense of it?

Engineers take an in-depth look at why the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed and how to prevent future tragedies.

The company has genetic data of 15 million people, which could be shared with a future buyer. Here’s how to delete it. Plus, an experimental coating could make golf balls roll more reliably on greens with different conditions.

Certain words are overrepresented in text written by AI language models. A study investigates why such patterns develop. Also, the ends of chromosomes, called telomeres, typically shorten as an organism ages. But when some fat-tail dwarf lemurs hibernate, they lengthen.

TB kills more than a million people each year. Dr. Mireille Kamariza has spent her career developing better detection and treatment tools.

In a new book, author John Green traces how the disease has impacted culture, geography, and even fashion over the centuries.

Researchers built the largest 3D map of our universe yet. What they found supports the idea that dark energy could have evolved over time.

After nine months aboard the International Space Station, astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have finally landed back on Earth. Also, a German physicist and homebrewer discovered brief, intense physical reactions that happen when you uncork a bubbly swing-top bottle.

The framework of Adverse Childhood Experiences started with an unexpected finding over 30 years ago. How is our approach changing? Plus, butterfly memories from our listeners.

Former NIH director Dr. Harold Varmus speaks out about what recent budget cuts and policy changes could mean for science.

Fungal networks in the ground ferry crucial nutrients to plants. But how do brainless organisms form complex supply chain networks? Also, in this year’s baseball spring training, the new Automated Ball-Strike System is helping settle challenges to home plate pitch calls.

Layoffs at the agency, which releases weather forecasts and monitors extreme weather, could have serious implications. Also, funds for climate and sustainability-focused farming projects have been indefinitely frozen, even though the USDA has already signed contracts.

Mathematician Dr. Steven Strogatz breaks down the history of the math concept and brings it full circle to recent science.

A new book explores how prehistoric plants and dinosaurs co-evolved, and puts the spotlight on often overlooked flora.

An international team of researchers used drones to study narwhals and learn more about their behavior. And, a total lunar eclipse will be visible across most of North and South America in the early morning hours of March 14.

A new study of butterfly populations in the US shows a 22% decline among over 500 species in just 20 years.

USAID has historically funded programs focused on disease eradication, maternal and child health, and healthcare infrastructure.

Scientists aren’t always encouraged to be politically active. But recent political interference by the Trump administration has many fired up. And, the Blue Ghost lunar lander, part of NASA’s CLPS initiative, completed the first fully successful commercial moon landing.

Last year, 9,000 deceased donor kidneys were discarded due to storage and time limitations. A kidney “life support” machine could change that. Also, the SS United States will join Florida’s 4,300 artificial reefs—human-made places for fish and other marine life to live. How do these reefs work?

A journalist traveled to five continents to learn about the afterlife of our trash, and why most “recyclable” plastic actually isn’t.

A study finds that Peto’s Paradox, which states that larger animals are no more likely to get cancer than smaller ones, may not hold up. Also, a nearly complete predator skull was found in the Egyptian desert. Its lineage indicates that it was a top carnivore of the age.

Changes limiting programs, grants, and even the nature of studies are already underway at the NIH, NSF, FDA, CDC, and more.

The acting head of the NIH reportedly pushed back against legal guidance to resume grant funding, leaving federal workers in the lurch. Also, though fungi make up a tiny part of the human microbiome, they play an important role in both the prevention and development of many diseases.

The bone and joint structures in mammal tails help them keep their balance. Could those benefits be adapted for robots? And, in her first children’s book, conservationist Bindi Irwin takes little readers on a journey through Australia Zoo.

In a small trial, nearly half of pancreatic cancer patients who received an mRNA vaccine for the disease had no relapse three years later.

Flu infections are the highest they’ve been in nearly 30 years, and flu deaths this winter have surpassed COVID deaths. What’s going on?

The CEO of one of America’s oldest scientific societies discusses the recent cuts to scientific institutions, and how scientists can respond.

Finding the original tomb of the royal is one of the most significant developments in Egyptian archeology in recent history. Also, a video of a gloriously creepy anglerfish inspired tears and poetry online. But why was this deep-sea dweller near the surface at all?

In a new book, Dr. Mary-Frances O’Connor explores the ways grief affects the body, from the heart to the immune system.

Just like in “When Harry Met Sally”, the answer isn’t so simple for Kinda baboons, which form long-term friendships between the sexes. Plus, new research found drones to be more effective than dogs, cars, or loud noises at convincing bears to avoid human areas.

A new book explores how one biologist’s work at the North and South Poles changed the way he sees the world and our place in it.

It’s the first FDA approval for a pain medication in 25 years. How does the drug work, and who is it for? Also, non-mixing layers of water and hydrocarbons thousands of miles deep could explain the icy planets’ strange magnetic fields.

A neutrino with a record-breaking level of energy was picked up by a detector in the Mediterranean Sea. Also, listener stories of love at first science.

In "Common Side Effects," the starring scientist finds a mushroom that can heal any ailment. But powerful people will do anything to stop him from cultivating it. And, a combination of environmental factors and the way our bodies function play a role in how we perceive the smell of snow.

In “Doctored,” an investigative journalist outlines how fraud and misconduct have stalled the search for effective Alzheimer’s treatments.

The Karuk Tribe in Northern California has stewarded its home using prescribed burns for millennia. Now, they’re training others on the skill.

Some research shows that e-cigarettes can be a useful tool for quitting cigarettes, but that strategy is hotly contested by scientists.

Scientists determined that Lucy, a human ancestor from 3.2 million years ago, couldn’t have beaten modern humans in a foot race. Also, the Chinese AI company DeepSeek startled industry observers with an efficient new system. But how does it compare with the leading tech?

Researchers tagged mouse RNA with the enzyme that makes fireflies glow, in hopes of better understanding how viruses and memories work.

On the heels of some big quantum computing advances in 2024, at least one company is telling businesses to get “quantum ready” this year.

Early analysis of asteroid samples from NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission show the residue of an icy brine, and a soup of amino acids.

When a fire burns in an urban area, it unleashes a slurry of chemicals. Scientists are trying to understand the chemistry at play.