On Today's Podcast
Your DNA is constantly mutating, and that’s a good thing
Everyday DNA mutations can help us understand immune function and aging—and even mitigate harm caused by some inherited diseases.
Listen NowApril 24, 2026
The LuSEE-Night mission would place a radio telescope on the far side of the moon to listen for signals of the cosmic “dark ages.” Plus, the design and layout of ancient temples, plazas, and cities provide clues about how societies were governed. And, everyday DNA mutations can help us understand immune function and aging—and even mitigate harm caused by some inherited diseases.
12:06
Ebola Outbreak Continues in West Africa
Ebola specialist Daniel Bausch provides an on-the-ground view of treating the disease in West Africa.
17:26
How Ultramarathons Affect the Heart, Blood, and Brain
Exercise scientists Tamara Hew-Butler and Greg Whyte talk about how the body changes after dozens of hours in motion.
15:36
Can Animals Go Mad?
From depressed dogs to anxious gorillas, author Laurel Braitman explores mental illness in animals.
22:37
Tapping Into Musical Memory
A new documentary, “Alive Inside,” exposes the connections between music and memory.
6:28
Can’t Stop Worrying? Blame It on Your Habenula
The habenula is a pea-sized part of the brain that tracks our expectations of negative events.
16:29
Will Big Data Answer Big Questions on Health?
Google’s latest big idea is called “Baseline Study”—an effort to catalog the DNA of thousands of healthy people, along with their blood, urine, saliva, breath, and tears.
Animals Can Suffer From Mental Illness, Too
An excerpt from Laurel Braitman’s “Animal Madness.”
Balloon Rockets
In this lesson from the Chemical Educational Foundation, apply the concepts of pressure and Newton’s laws of motion to build balloon rockets.
A Galaxy Bonanza
This photograph of the universe taken by Hubble reveals more than 10,000 galaxies, including young ultraviolet ones.
Dune Discussion Question: Week #1
The first discussion question for this summer’s SciFri Book Club selection, “Dune.”
12:04
Mosquito-Borne Viruses Raise Public Health Concern
This summer, two different and currently untreatable mosquito-borne viruses were identified on the East Coast.
6:34
A Newly Discovered Virus That Lives in Our Gut
Researchers discovered a virus that lives in the gut of half of the world’s population.
10:59
What’s the Real Cost of Your Steak?
Cattle require 28 times more land and 11 times more irrigation water than eggs or poultry.
17:21
The SciFri Book Club Introduces Dune
Sci-fi author Kim Stanley Robinson and astrobiologist Sara Imari Walker introduce the SciFri Book Club’s summer selection: “Dune”.
11:45
New Online Tracking Tool Evades Privacy Settings
A new online tracker is snooping on visitors to over 5,600 popular sites—and it’s nearly impossible to block.
17:25
HIV/AIDS Update
A round-up of the latest HIV/AIDS research news and an update from the International AIDS Conference in Melbourne, Australia.
10:09
‘Moth-ers’ Celebrate Less-Loved Lepidopterans
Elena Tartaglia, a co-founder of National Moth Week, gives tips on spotting butterflies’ neglected cousins.
6:09
Oarfish: The Ultimate Fish Tale
Little is known about the monstrously long oarfish, its life cycle, and how it navigates its deep sea environment.
Oarfish: The Ultimate Fish Tale
Thought to the be inspiration of sea serpent stories, the monstrously long oarfish provokes wonder in nearly all who witness it. Yet despite our fascination, little is known about this fish, its lifecycle, and how it navigates its deep-sea environment.
The Caterpillar With the Candy-Cane Stripe
This silk moth symbolizes National Moth Week, which has gone global.