Science Friday

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.

The outbreak of H5N9 avian influenza occurred at a California duck farm in November 2024. Also, new research pinpoints 298 parts of the genome associated with higher risk of bipolar disorder. This could lead to better treatments.

A psychologist and author of “How To Winter” explains what we can learn from people thriving in the coldest, darkest parts of the world.

An analysis of 140,000 vocalizations from 77% of bird species showed that beak size and geography play a big role in the way birds sound.

Research on long COVID patients who took an extended course of Paxlovid shows mixed results.

AI models are able to design molecules that don’t even exist in nature. Some have proven effective as snake antivenom.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health say the move has sent fear and confusion throughout the agency. Plus, what's the technology behind meme coins?

Publishers want to put out more papers with less editorial staff, all while charging scientists more to publish. Editors have had enough.

Astronomer Dean Regas gives us the lowdown on what to look for in the sky this winter, from a “planet parade” to the ATLAS comet.

The award-winning novel explores the inner thoughts of astronauts during a single day aboard the International Space Station.

About a third of US homes are in a wildland-urban interface, a kind of high-risk area where development meets open land.

The SpaceX rocket carries lunar landers from companies based in Texas and Japan. They could arrive at the moon in the coming months. HPV can cause a variety of cancers, including cervical. New mortality data for women under 25 point to the success of the HPV vaccine.

For years, AI companies have said that AGI is coming soon. But what does the term mean, and what is the science behind it?

Scientists investigated how the shape of the human body makes hula hooping possible—and what hips and a waist have to do with it. And, the decision for how to proceed with NASA's Mars Sample Return Mission will fall to the incoming administration.

In his final advisory, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy spotlights how alcohol increases the risk of developing certain cancers.

This week, the U.S. reported its first human death from bird flu amid a rise in cases globally.

After her SciFri internship 20 years ago, Flora went on to become a beloved science journalist, video producer, and podcaster. Now she’s back! Also, several different fires are causing extreme damage in the Los Angeles area. Strong Santa Ana winds are one factor behind their rapid spread.

Ira is joined on stage by experts in Portland, Oregon, to talk about the amazing world of lichen and their role in a changing climate.

A “mirror organism” would have proteins and DNA shaped in a way that’s the mirror image of how they naturally appear.

Unsurprisingly, artificial intelligence is still poised to be a major driver of technological change this year.

This winter marks Audubon’s 125th Christmas Bird Count. It’s the longest-running community science project in the world.

Without climate action, the United States would only have snow cover high in the mountains by the end of the century.

In an interview from 2002, the primatologist gave Ira a lesson in how to speak with chimps.

Two SciFri producers discuss the year’s most intriguing stories, from new weight-loss drugs to PFAS chemicals to the ManhattAnt.

Ira is joined on stage by researchers from three different fields to reflect on all that 2024 brought us in the world of science.

What makes three very different conservation projects so successful? These experts say it’s getting the community involved. And, archaeologists make a case for tracking and preserving artifacts left on Mars to chronicle humans’ first attempts at interplanetary exploration.

To wrap up 2024, science writer Riley Black shares her favorite paleontology discoveries of the year. And, if treated properly, even old-fashioned eggnog made with cream and raw eggs can be a safe holiday beverage.

On December 24, 2024, NASA’s probe will break its own record for closest approach to the sun—just 3.8 million miles away.

For its 10th anniversary, the science advisor for “Interstellar” discusses the film’s impact and how new information about gravitational waves could have changed it.

Officials say the invasive Asian giant hornet, with its menacing nickname, has been eradicated from the United States. Also, with drone sightings in the news, we take a look at the current laws and regulations around hobby and commercial drone operation.

A program trains women as tactile medical examiners to identify tumors before they show up on imaging scans. And, in a materials science discovery, scientists made a liquid silk solution that hardens and picks up objects—not unlike Spider-Man’s web.

Scientists studied the sitting habits of more than 1,000 adults to zero in on the link between time spent sitting and specific health outcomes.

The host of the “Hazard NJ” podcast talks about the origins of PFAS “forever chemicals” and their impact on New Jersey residents. Plus, playwrights and scientists teamed up to create plays based on scientific research. One of them explores pregnancy through fungal computing.

“The Burning Earth” examines over 800 years of history to demonstrate how violence against people and the planet are one and the same.

The effect, known as the Hubble Tension, has been confirmed by James Webb Space Telescope observations. Also, despite near daily warnings of food recalls, 2024 hasn’t been that different from previous years.

New research suggests that we share parts of our microbiome with people in our social networks beyond family members.

A new book looks at the life of Marie Curie through the lens of some of the 45 women who passed through her laboratory.

It’s not poinsettias: A medical toxicologist discusses the most common household risks to kids during the holiday season.

You asked for science book recommendations for the kids in your life. Two bookworm experts respond—and share their own favorites.

The Supreme Court hears a case centering on the FDA’s denial of applications for nicotine-based vapes containing flavored liquid seen as addictive for young people. And, damaged lithium-ion batteries can cause deadly explosions. An algorithm could help detect when they’re about to happen.

This year’s Ig Nobel Prizes include awards for studying coin flipping, the movements of a dead trout, and more.

In a conversation from 2009, the band They Might Be Giants tackles the scientific process, plasma physics, the role of blood in the body and the importance of DNA, all in song.

In a conversation from 2022, Dr. Riley Black discusses what happened after a massive asteroid hit Earth.

In a conversation from 2022, Dr. Carolyn Bertozzi discusses bioorthogonal chemistry, which could have applications in chemotherapy.

In a conversation from 2018, Alan Alda discusses how being a science communicator makes him think differently about a life-changing diagnosis.

Just in time for Thanksgiving, a potato researcher explains potato varieties, potato nutrition, and some tubular tuber facts. And, irregular, fatty marbling gives meat a unique texture. Recreating that in plant-based products isn’t easy.

Is seed oil bad for you? What’s the deal with apple cider vinegar? A nutritionist answers your questions about viral nutrition claims.

Fifty-three days after Hurricane Helene, residents of Asheville can safely drink their tap water without boiling it. Why did it take so long? And, tribes’ historic lands on the Gulf Coast are being lost to the sea. To slow it down, one tribe has turned to oyster shells.

On the anniversary of Lucy’s discovery, paleoanthropologists reflect on what she means to science, and what she taught us about ourselves.

This was the sixth test launch of the Starship vehicle, which could eventually carry humans and cargo to the moon. It was extremely loud. Also, divers have recovered seeds of a long-lost rye variety from a 146-year-old shipwreck in Lake Huron. Scientists hope to bring it back to life.

In an interview from 2012, Jack Bishop from America’s Test Kitchen explains how science can sharpen your cooking skills.

Researchers found hundreds of viruses that prey on bacteria on toothbrushes and showerheads. They’re unlikely to pose a threat to humans.

Researchers are connecting two ecological problems in the Northeast in hopes of reducing the risk of tick-borne illnesses. Also, a “one-of-a-kind” fossil of Navaornis hestiae helps fill a giant gap in scientists’ understanding of how bird brains evolved.

In her new book, medical historian Dr. Elsa Richardson discusses the changing cultural and scientific understandings of the gut.

Leaders from the top-polluting countries, like the US and China, aren’t showing up to the UN’s big climate conference in Azerbaijan. And, walking pneumonia typically affects school-age kids, but the CDC reports a rise in cases in children aged 2-4.

On Science Friday’s 33rd anniversary, excerpts from a classic interview with neurologist and author Dr. Oliver Sacks about music and the brain.

In a Chinese study, donor CAR-T cells sent autoimmune diseases into remission. There’s hope that the therapy is scalable. And, scientists used decades of yellow-bellied marmot research to find a way to measure how adverse events affect wild animals’ survival.

Blood pressure categories are based on patients who are sitting in a certain position. But not every doctor’s office takes readings that way.

Decades of research shows that expanding highways, despite its promise to reduce congestion, actually increases travel times.

Abortion was on the ballot in 10 states, and seven of them passed constitutional amendments defending abortion rights. Also, this ginormous number has a whopping 41,024,320 digits, which isn’t very helpful for mathematicians but is certainly exciting for math nerds.

Author and naturalist Sy Montgomery discusses chicken intelligence and her experience raising a flock in New Hampshire. And, snapshots from over the years could provide researchers with valuable data about how penguin colonies have shifted.

The legislation gave the U.S. some of the world’s cleanest air. But with industrial zones and climate change, it’s not protecting everyone.

Running a marathon is a major physical feat. One expert answers listener questions about how it impacts the body and mind.

Gender-affirming care is lifesaving treatment for many transgender people. Its availability could drastically change after the election.