On Today's Podcast
Blue Origin explosion hits NASA timeline + Artemis III crew
The Blue Origin rocket explosion is forcing NASA to reconsider its Artemis timeline. Plus, who’s on the Artemis III crew?
Listen NowJune 12, 2026
How poison dart frogs deal with their kids asking for snacks, and other parenting inspiration from the animal kingdom. Plus, do sugary drinks really cause more intense hangovers? Is wine both bad for you and good for you? Experts take on the chemistry of happy hour. And, the 2026 World Cup will be infused with AI. How will it change the beautiful game? And, what it takes to get perfect grass into 16 stadiums.
7:52
Checking Science On The Ballot
Presidential candidates aren’t the only ones vying for votes. Here are the science propositions and STEM candidates on your ballot.
17:22
Vampire Bats Just Want To Be Friends
They’re creepy and they’re kooky… and also pretty cute. Meet the newest entry to our Charismatic Creature Corner.
16:58
Shipping Nuclear Power Out To Sea
A decades-old idea for “floating nuclear power plants” in the U.S. comes around again.
29:30
Pushing Boundaries In Fantastical Fiction
In our finale of this fall’s SciFri Book Club, author and editor Nisi Shawl leads a conversation about how science and science fiction can be re-imagined.
What The Brain Inherits
A neuroscientist shares her pursuit to understand the brain and how our parents’ experiences live on in us.
Breakthrough: The Slime Minder
Discover how Audrey Dussutour is breaking new ground in our understanding of animal cognition from an unexpected source: slime molds.
What It’s Like To Be A Science Teacher In A Pandemic
STEM educators across the country share their strategies, challenges, and experiences teaching during the COVID crisis.
12:02
Google Is In Legal Trouble
The tech giant faces a lawsuit from the U.S. Justice Department, and early COVID data from New York City public schools are encouraging.
17:03
Why COVID Dreams Are Weirder Than Normal
A dream researcher has been collecting dreams since the pandemic began. Here’s what she’s learned.
12:10
Can Trauma Today Affect Future Children?
Researchers are studying whether severe stress can have an epigenetic effect, altering how genes are turned on and off in an organism’s offspring.
17:29
Even In A Pandemic, Science Class Is In Session
The return to school hasn’t been easy, but STEM educators are finding creative ways to teach science to kids—online and in-person.
17:08
Making Peace With The End Of Your Species
The SciFri Book Club reads about a planet where the aliens wear human faces. Plus, what it means to be ‘sentient’ in science fiction.
17:24
Should We Stop Paying Attention To Election Forecasts?
We’ve been trying to predict the outcomes of elections for a long time, and that might be a problem.
The Legend Of Death Walking
In this excerpt of the short story ‘The Shadow We Cast Through Time,’ a mysterious entity on a far-off planet transforms human colonists into demonic creatures.
Read People’s Strange (And Similar) Pandemic Dreams
Dream researcher Dierdre Barrett has been collecting COVID dreams since March. Find out about the surprisingly common themes in dreams during the pandemic.
How This Astronomer Discovered A New Type Of Galaxy
Burçin Mutlu-Pakdil talks how she got into astronomy and the path that led her to getting a new type of galaxy named after her.
Breakthrough: The Lake Sentinel
Discover how earth scientist Africa Flores-Anderson uses satellite data to help underserved communities.
How Do You Solve A Problem Named Hydrox?
Before Oreo, there was a nearly identical cookie on the market. A much-loved cookie with a terrible name.
12:07
Months Into The Pandemic, Illness Lingers For Some Declared Virus-Free
Sophie Bushwick talks “Long COVID,” reinfection, and how to stay safe from the virus when going to the polls.
16:58
The Monster At The Heart Of The Milky Way
Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist Andrea Ghez on her decades of peering at the center of our galaxy—and the supermassive black hole she found there.