Voting Machine Update: With election season in full swing, we'll get an update on the status of electronic voting systems around the country. Will every vote be counted? (first broadcast Friday, February 1, 2008)

The Science of Polling: Between the candidates and the media, just about every issue seems to be examined by means of a poll or survey. We'll talk about what makes a reliable poll, and how polls should be conducted. (first broadcast Friday, February 1, 2008)

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Solar Energy Update: Solar power is often offered as one of the most promising forms of renewable energy. But how close is solar power to becoming a major player in energy production? (first broadcast Friday, February 1, 2008)

Your Feedback: Science Election Issues: We want to hear your thoughts on the most important science-related issues in the coming election campaign. Call in, or email your top issues to vote@sciencefriday.com. (first broadcast Friday, February 1, 2008)

Biofuels: What's going on in biofuels beyond ethanol from corn? In this hour, Ira and guests talk about different types of biofuels, including biodiesel from algae and cellulosic ethanol technology. (first broadcast Friday, February 8, 2008)

Harvesting Energy From Walking: Researchers have built a device resembling a knee brace that can generate usable amounts of electrical energy as a person walks. (first broadcast Friday, February 8, 2008)

Nanoscale Radio Shows Carbon Electronics Potential: In this segment, Ira talks with researcher John Rogers about the possibilities of electronics based on carbon nanotubes. (first broadcast Friday, February 8, 2008)

Tornado Outbreak: Severe weather in the south central U.S. this week spawned a string of tornadoes that killed at least 50 people. We'll talk about the tornado outbreak and the conditions needed for tornado formation. (first broadcast Friday, February 8, 2008)

How Much is a Trillion?: The 2009 budget proposed this week by President Bush weighs in at 3.1 trillion dollars. We'll talk about how best to understand that number. (first broadcast Friday, February 8, 2008)

Federal Government and Science: In this hour, Ira and guests look at ways to strengthen science in the federal government -- including making sure the president gets sound science advice, ensuring that scientists can communicate their findings, and encouraging Congress to tackle tough s (first broadcast Friday, February 15, 2008)

State of the Oceans: We depend on them for food, recreation, and more -- so why do we treat our oceans so badly? In this hour, Ira and guests take a look at the state of the world's ocean ecosystems. The prognosis isn't good -- but is it hopeless? (first broadcast Friday, February 15, 2008)

Mapping Emerging Diseases: Researchers have mapped out likely 'hot spots' for the development of emerging infectious diseases. We'll talk about the threat of outbreaks of diseases such as SARS and Ebola, and whether outbreaks of emerging diseases are on the rise. (first broadcast Friday, February 22, 2008)

What Makes Stem Cells Stem Cells?: Joe Palca talks with stem cell researcher George Daley about the discovery of a protein that may help give stem cells their unusual multi-function abilities. (first broadcast Friday, February 22, 2008)

Gecko-Inspired Bandages for Medical Use: Researchers have developed an adhesive surgical bandage inspired by the structures on the feet of a gecko. (first broadcast Friday, February 22, 2008)

See You from The Dark Side of the Moon: NASA has given the go-ahead to researchers to begin planning an array of radio telecopes on the far side of the moon. (first broadcast Friday, February 22, 2008)

A Grammy in Math: Joe talks with Kevin Short, a mathematician at the University of New Hampshire who shared in a Grammy award for work in restoring an historic recording of Woody Guthrie. (first broadcast Friday, February 22, 2008)

Mapping Human Genetic Diversity: We'll talk about a new study that looks at genetic variation across different populations and uses that information to trace the migration of the first modern humans--lending support to the theory that the first humans moved out of Africa across the globe (first broadcast Friday, February 22, 2008)

Anticipating Synthetic Biology: As researchers draw nearer to the ability to design and grow new organisms from scratch, what planning and protections need to be in place to cope with the consequences? (first broadcast Friday, February 29, 2008)

Telling Time: Leap Year, Leap Day: This Friday is a date that comes only once every 28 years - Friday, February 29th. We'll talk about leap years, leap days, and the finer points of telling time. (first broadcast Friday, February 29, 2008)

Animal Testing and Research Ethics: Join Joe Palca and guests in this segment for a discussion of animal testing, alternatives to testing, and research ethics. (first broadcast Friday, February 29, 2008)

A Connection Between Bacteria and Meteorology?: There's a good chance that pile of snow in your yard contains bacteria -- but not because it's dirty. The bacteria may have played an important role in helping those snow crystals form. (first broadcast Friday, February 29, 2008)