On Today's Podcast
Are These Unprecedented Times for Science, Really?
A science historian looks to the past to understand our current moment, and how ghostwriting in scientific papers is harming public trust.
Listen NowJanuary 30, 2026
A flu variant called subclade K emerged too late to be fully covered by this year’s vaccine. But the flu shot can still help protect you. Plus, a new study suggests dogs began to diversify about 11,000 years earlier than we thought. And, in turbulent times, it helps to hear stories of resilience. What can we learn from 3.5 billion-year-old bacteria that eat light?
17:14
The Amazing Expanding, Accelerating Universe
In this 1999 conversation from the Science Friday archives, astrophysicists Neta Bahcall and Wendy Freedman explain the then-revelation that the universe’s expansion is accelerating, not decelerating.
00:26:38
The Secret to Moana’s Special Animation Sauce? Just Add Water.
Disney animators break down the water effects in its latest hit film.
From China, A Flock Of Fossils
Over the past three decades, fossil hunters have hit pay dirt in northeastern China, unearthing thousands of superbly preserved Mesozoic bird remains.
17:33
What’s Fueling the Current Opioid Epidemic?
Nearly 80 people die each day from overdosing on opioids, which include heroin and prescription pain pills.
7:08
A Somber Room of Climate Scientists
Science and environment reporter Lauren Sommer delivers the news from the American Geophysical Union meeting.
5:14
Going All In on Clean Energy
A new group of wealthy investors are betting $1 billion on an uncrowded but risky market.
12:26
Does Your Christmas Tree Have Good Genes?
Scientists are studying the environmental and genetic factors that cause Christmas trees to drop their needles.
8:38
Exploring Geologic History With a Virtual Field Trip
An interactive tour by a geology educator invites visitors to examine rock details and explore earth’s history.
7:42
How India Made it to Mars on the First Try
Although Mars is one of our closest planetary neighbors, it has foiled many space-faring nations wishing to explore it.
34:33
How Sexual Harassment and Bias Undermine Women’s Access to Scientific Careers
What will it take to bring true equity to research labs?
Embark On A 360-Degree Geologic Expedition
Learn how to decipher some of the physical processes that shaped the land structure, or “geomorphology,” of parts of California in this virtual field trip.
Breakthrough: Portraits Of Women In Science
Explore our short film anthology that follows women working at the forefront of their fields.
Breakthrough: Snapshots from Afar
In the second episode of Science Friday and HHMI’s series “Breakthrough: Portraits of Women in Science,” three scientists share stories about India’s first interplanetary mission—a mission to Mars.
Bringing Color Back To The Dead
Conservators at the American Museum of Natural History are experimenting with how to recolor fading taxidermy displays.
The Stars Behind Our Stellar Classification System
Author Dava Sobel explains how a group of women astronomers helped develop the classification system that scientists use to identify stars today.
7:17
The Fate of Kratom, Hidden Oil Spills, and Celebrities of Science
Will the DEA ban a potentially promising drug for treating opioid addiction?
5:00
The Cost of Co-Pay Drug Coupons
Co-pay drug coupons can provide a discount for prescription medicines, but can carry a steep price in the long term.
17:30
An Exit Interview With U.S. Chief Data Scientist DJ Patil
What will be the legacy of the Obama administration’s “big data” programs?
17:10
How You—and the Science Club—Broke It Down
The Science Friday Science Club meets to wrap up their latest project, devoted to the idea of disassembly.
12:22
21st Century Cures Act Will Hasten Drug Approval
Patient advocates say the Act will get life-saving new drugs to patients faster. But critics contend that looser FDA regulations will raise the number of unsafe and ineffective drugs that make it to consumers.