pod.link/73329284
pod.link copied!
Science Friday
Science Friday
Science Friday and WNYC Studios

Brain fun for curious people.

Listen now on

Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Overcast
Podcast Addict
Pocket Casts
Castbox
Podbean
iHeartRadio
Player FM
Podcast Republic
Castro
RSS

Episodes

How Lucy Runs On A Virtual Treadmill | Comparing DeepSeek’s AI To Other Models

Scientists determined that Lucy, a human ancestor from 3.2 million years ago, couldn’t have beaten modern humans in a foot... more

07 Feb 2025 · 26 minutes
Scientists Create Glowing ‘RNA Lanterns’ With Bioluminescence

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

06 Feb 2025 · 18 minutes
What’s Next For Quantum Computing In 2025?

On the heels of some big quantum computing advances in 2024, at least one company is telling businesses to get... more

05 Feb 2025 · 18 minutes
Building Blocks Of Life Found On Asteroid Bennu

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

04 Feb 2025 · 18 minutes
The Toxic Aftermath Of An Urban Fire

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

03 Feb 2025 · 18 minutes
Strain Of Bird Flu Discovered In California | Understanding Bipolar Disorder Through The Genome

The outbreak of H5N9 avian influenza occurred at a California duck farm in November 2024. Also, new research pinpoints 298... more

31 Jan 2025 · 24 minutes
The Science Of Thriving In Winter—By Embracing It

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

30 Jan 2025 · 18 minutes
The Factors That Make Bird Sounds So Diverse Across The World

An analysis of 140,000 vocalizations from 77% of bird species showed that beak size and geography play a big role... more

29 Jan 2025 · 16 minutes
Can Paxlovid Relieve Long COVID Symptoms? For Some, Yes

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

28 Jan 2025 · 18 minutes
AI Is Coming Up With Brand New Molecules, Fueling Drug Discovery

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

27 Jan 2025 · 19 minutes
Trump Administration Cancels Meetings, Freezes Hiring At NIH | What Is A Meme Coin?

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health say the move has sent fear and confusion throughout the agency. Plus, what's... more

24 Jan 2025 · 23 minutes
Why Editors At Scientific Journals Are Resigning En Masse

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

23 Jan 2025 · 18 minutes
This January, See A ‘Planet Parade’ In The Night Sky

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

22 Jan 2025 · 17 minutes
‘Orbital’ Imagines The Inner Lives Of Astronauts On The ISS

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

21 Jan 2025 · 21 minutes
Fire Risk To Homes Where Cities And Wildlands Meet

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

20 Jan 2025 · 18 minutes
2 Private Lunar Landers | Cervical Cancer Deaths Plummet, Experts Credit HPV Vaccine

The SpaceX rocket carries lunar landers from companies based in Texas and Japan. They could arrive at the moon in... more

17 Jan 2025 · 24 minutes
‘Artificial General Intelligence’ Is Apparently Coming. What Is It?

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

16 Jan 2025 · 17 minutes
NASA Considers Cheaper Ways To Retrieve Mars Samples | How Does A Hula Hoop Stay Up?

Scientists investigated how the shape of the human body makes hula hooping possible—and what hips and a waist have to... more

15 Jan 2025 · 17 minutes
Surgeon General Highlights Link Between Alcohol And Cancer

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

14 Jan 2025 · 18 minutes
First U.S. Bird Flu Death Raises Concerns About Preparedness

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

13 Jan 2025 · 19 minutes
Meet Flora Lichtman | Los Angeles Wildfires Stoked By Santa Ana Winds

After her SciFri internship 20 years ago, Flora went on to become a beloved science journalist, video producer, and podcaster.... more

10 Jan 2025 · 23 minutes
What Lichen Tell Us About Ecology, Air Quality, And More

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

09 Jan 2025 · 30 minutes
Biologists Call For A Halt To ‘Mirror Life’ Research

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

08 Jan 2025 · 18 minutes
The Breakthrough Technologies To Watch In 2025

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

07 Jan 2025 · 18 minutes
What Scientists Have Learned From 125 Years Of Bird Counts

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

06 Jan 2025 · 18 minutes
Scientists Predict Loss Of Deep Snow In Most Of U.S.

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

03 Jan 2025 · 12 minutes
Jane Goodall On Life Among Chimpanzees

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

31 Dec 2024 · 30 minutes
The Science That Captivated SciFri’s Reporters In 2024

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

30 Dec 2024 · 18 minutes
Health, Astronomy, And Climate Experts On 2024’s Coolest Science

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

27 Dec 2024 · 48 minutes
Meet Leaders Of 3 Local Conservation Projects | Preserving ‘Space Junk’ Left On Mars

What makes three very different conservation projects so successful? These experts say it’s getting the community involved. And, archaeologists make... more

26 Dec 2024 · 18 minutes
Science Friday
Biologists Call For A Halt To ‘Mirror Life’ Research
Science Friday
0:00
-0:00

Listen now on

Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Overcast
Podcast Addict
Pocket Casts
Castbox
Podbean
iHeartRadio
Player FM
Podcast Republic
Castro
RSS

Description

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