September 23, 2022
A professor of natural philosophy shows how everyday folks can learn the fundamentals of physics in his new book. Plus, deep sea rovers locate carbon at the bottom of the ocean. And, a Ukrainian teen invents a drone that finds landmines.
Bright Idea: Science Friday’s Sun Camp!
Science Friday’s virtual Sun Camp is a great way for families and educators to explore STEM anywhere, anytime with children ages 5-9.
12:17
Biden Declares The COVID-19 Pandemic Over. Is It?
One country cannot declare a global health crisis over, but when a pandemic officially ends is not easy to determine.
Read ‘Braiding Sweetgrass’ With The SciFri Book Club
‘Braiding Sweetgrass’ combines Potawatomi knowledge and scientific inquiry in a deep, reverent essay series. Read it with us this October.
Robin Wall Kimmerer Wants To Extend The Grammar Of Animacy
How our scientific perspective of a bay changes when language frames it as a verb—to be a bay—instead of a noun.
12:13
Was Soylent Green Right About 2022?
Climate catastrophe? Check. Here’s what this classic science fiction film got right about 2022.
4:22
Saturn’s Rings Might Be Made From A Missing Moon
A new theory suggests that Saturn’s gravity shredded up a moon and flattened it, giving us the planet’s iconic rings.
11:00
Sperm Swim Together To Help Each Other Reach The Egg
Researchers created a simulation of the female reproductive tract and, rather than compete, sperm may cooperate to swim upstream.
17:15
Mars Rover, Move Over: Making A Rover To Explore The Deep Sea
The Benthic Rover trawls an abyssal plain, 4000 meters below the ocean surface, for vital data about carbon dioxide on a warming planet.
7:44
Ukraine’s Ongoing Tragedy Inspires Teenage Inventor To Locate Landmines
There are 100 million unexploded landmines around the world. Igor Klymenko’s invention uses a drone to help find them.
8:57
Getting the Dirt On The World Of Competitive Soil Judging
In this international competition, contestants compete to analyze, identify, and describe the layers of soil in a landscape.
16:52
Diving Into The Biggest Ideas In The Universe
Can mere mortals learn real physics, without all the analogies? Spoiler: A professor of natural philosophy says yes, but there may be math.
Sean Carroll Wants You To Talk About Physics Like A Baseball Game
The renowned cosmologist wants to make the ideas of modern physics accessible to anyone who’s willing to do a bit of extra thinking.
Advances In Understanding Depression Offer Potential New Treatments
While more than one in ten Americans take antidepressants, some scientists think popular depression treatments don’t fully address the leading causes of depression.
12:09
Why The Owner Of Patagonia Gave Away The Whole Company
All the money went to a trust and nonprofit to fund climate change and conservation efforts.
15:44
Understanding Metabolism Genes Might Improve Depression Treatment
A professor of psychiatry studies the genes responsible for metabolizing medication to predict if patients will respond to depression treatment.
11:57
Pulling Water From Thin Air? It’s Materials Science, Not Magic.
A new material being developed by scientists at UT Austin can rapidly absorb liters of water from dry desert air.
9:18
An AI Partnership May Improve Breast Cancer Screenings
A longtime researcher in the field of breast imaging dives into the benefits and limitations of AI cancer screenings.
7:45
A Smoky Aftertaste: Keeping Wildfires Out Of Your Wine Glass
Scientists are working hard to make sure your Oregon Pinot Noir doesn’t change taste after smoke exposure.
8:09
Artemis Update: What Will It Take To Make It Back To The Moon?
The chief engineer for the Space Launch System gives an update on the Artemis mission’s huge rocket, and the engineering challenges of returning to the moon.
8:53
This Astrophysicist Holds Star Data In The Palm Of Her Hand
Astrophysicist Nia Imara’s career merges art and astronomy to figure out how stars are born.