May 16, 2025
The Department of the Interior seeks to remove the endangered species designation from the lesser prairie chicken. Plus, how well do we understand the long-term health risks to firefighters? And, highlights from SciFri’s live show in Columbia, Missouri.
Can Animals Sail Across The Seas?
Investigate whether claims of floating iguanas hold water with this engineering activity where you explore buoyancy and ocean migration.
Lesser Prairie Chicken May Lose Endangered Species Status
The Department of the Interior seeks to remove the lesser prairie chicken’s endangered species designation. What would that mean?
Tracking The Hidden Dangers Of Fighting Fires
How well do we understand the long-term health risks to firefighters? Plus, researchers across the country are breeding pest-resistant trees.
Can Breeding Pest-Resistant Trees Save American Forests?
Pests are ravaging keystone species like ash, elm, and beech. But researchers are breeding the survivors into more resilient populations.
Join Our Ship-To-Shore Livestream And Talk To An Ocean Scientist
On June 17, talk to ocean scientists and ask your questions in a special ship-to-shore livestream from the ocean floor.
Identifying New Plants, And The Scientific Secrets Of Superfoods
Scientists at the Missouri Botanical Garden are preserving diverse plant species. And, how micronutrients could help address world hunger.
Adventure Is Calling: Explore The Oceans For Cephalopod Week
Join Science Friday for a deep-sea livestream, an ocean-inspired Read-a-Thon, and educational science activities for Cephalopod Week.
Designing Hyperrealistic Body Parts, From Eyeballs To Placentas
On-screen and in hospitals, fake body parts are getting more and more realistic. That helps medical students practice for real procedures.
I Was Considered A Nobody
Katalin Karikó was ignored, demoted, and dismissed for decades. Then she won a Nobel Prize.
Cuts To NASA And A Fast-Track For Deep Sea Mining
Proposed budget cuts for NASA would jeopardize space research. And an executive order could change the political tides for deep sea mining.
16:46
Are Physical Buttons And Knobs Making A Comeback?
Some car designers are turning from touchscreen controls back to physical buttons. Two researchers explain why that could be better.
17:15
Scientists Identify Genes For Tomato And Eggplant Size
Geneticists mapping nightshade genomes used CRISPR gene editing to grow bigger fruits without sacrificing flavor.
How Do Bacteria Talk To Each Other?
Bacteria are not as simple as their reputation suggests. Understanding how they communicate may lead to better disease treatments for us humans.
Functional Fashion From An Artist And A Caterpillar
A passion for fashion among the “bone collector caterpillar,” who wears a coat of body parts, and an artist who makes fabrics that remember.
How ‘Science Interpreters’ Make Hidden Science Visible
A cell animator and a museum designer tell us how they translate scientific findings into visual experiences.
15:27
Two Steps Forward For Meat Alternatives
Scientists bring us a lab-grown chicken nugget and texturally accurate, plant-based calamari. We’ll bite.
8:58
The Physics Of Noodles And Other Spaghetti Science
The mysterious properties of pasta—like how it bends, coils, and breaks—have been tested by physicists for decades.
8:00
Does Taping Your Mouth Shut Help You Sleep?
Social media influencers are claiming that taping your mouth shut during sleep has life-changing effects. But the evidence isn’t airtight.
11:45
And The Oscar Goes To … Science
The Sci-Tech Awards honor behind-the-scenes technologies that bring movies to life, from car flippers to safe burn gel for fire stunts.
8:33
Ancient Iguanas Floated 5,000 Miles Across The Pacific
Millions of years ago, iguanas somehow got from North America to Fiji. Scientists think they made the trip on a raft of fallen vegetation.