Science Friday Archives - browsing recent stories

International Space Station following most recent upgrade. Credit: STS-119 Shuttle Crew, NASA.

HM, Amnesia, and Memory: Earlier this month, Henry Gustav Molaison, better known in the scientific literature as HM, passed away. We'll talk about how his famous case of amnesia changed brain science. (first broadcast Friday, December 12, 2008)

Computing Consumer Preferences: From stores to online radio stations, giving you suggestions for what you MIGHT like based on what you DO like is big business. We'll talk with people behind two popular services, Netflix and Pandora, about how they try to crunch the numbers on your prefe (first broadcast Friday, December 12, 2008)

The Science of Shopping: Ever come home from a shopping trip with a few things you hadn't planned on buying? We'll talk about some of the psychological tricks stores use to influence your shopping. (first broadcast Friday, December 12, 2008)

Climate Update: In this segment, we'll get the latest on climate news around the world -- from new rifts in the Wilkins Ice Shelf, to the new round of international climate talks now underway in Poland. (first broadcast Friday, December 5, 2008)

Physics for Future Presidents: What ideas in physics should every incoming president have a handle on? We'll talk with the professor behind the college course "Physics for Future Presidents." (first broadcast Friday, December 5, 2008)

Smiling In Groups: Smile, smile, smile. Happiness may be catching. (first broadcast Friday, December 5, 2008)

The Superorganism: Ira talks with eminent biologist Edward O. Wilson and Bert Holldobler about ants, bees, and other social insects. (first broadcast Friday, December 5, 2008)

Ig Nobel Awards: In this hour, it's our post-Thanksgiving selection of highlights from the 18th First Annual Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony, recognizing the strange, silly, and stupid in the world of science. (first broadcast Friday, November 28, 2008)

Psychology of Food and Eating: It's officially the holiday season, time for turkey, mashed potatoes, and a few more inches on our waistlines. In this segment, we'll take a look at how mood, memories and even smell influence what we put on our plates--and into our mouths. (first broadcast Friday, November 28, 2008)

The Science of Brewing Beer: In this special holiday rebroadcast, we travel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to find out about the science behind lagers, ales, and porters. Raise a glass to the science of brewing! (first broadcast Friday, November 28, 2008)

Plug-In Cars: While politicians and economists argue over what should be done to shore up the American auto industry, we'll take a look at progress towards a plug-in cars. Could the current financial crisis help provide the jolt needed to get electric cars and advance (first broadcast Friday, November 21, 2008)

Secret of the Pyramid: We know who built the Great Pyramid of Egypt, but we still don't know HOW it was done. In this segment, we'll talk about theories of the Great Pyramid's construction. (first broadcast Friday, November 21, 2008)

A Community of Thousands -- In Your Gut: We'll learn about new studies that take a census of just what lives inside your gut. New work published this week indicates that the human intestines may be home to over 5,600 different bacterial species and strains. (first broadcast Friday, November 21, 2008)

From Atlantis to Antarctica: In this segment, we'll listen in on a phone call from Atlantis to Antarctica, to check in with researchers studying organisms that live in extreme environments. (first broadcast Friday, November 21, 2008)