On Today's Podcast
‘Fire Amoeba’ Likes It Hot, And A Faraway Lava Planet
A newly identified amoeba can survive at the temperature of a medium-well steak. Plus, a distant lava planet shows signs of an atmosphere.
Listen NowDecember 12, 2025
Over the past century, most cancer research has focused on the tumor itself. Rakesh Jain focused on the tumor’s environment instead. Plus, a glacier’s edge can be a dangerous place to do research. One team is using robots and sound samples to monitor the melting ice. And, when cases of plague pop up in the US, it can feel straight up medieval. It’s treatable, but how and why does it persist?
17:21
The Invisible Humans Who Sanitize the Internet
Content moderators work behind the scenes to keep graphic content off your feed. But they still have to view it.
Three Recipes for Leftover Produce
Here’s what you can do with kale scraps, carrot tops, and grapefruit peels.
The Highs And Lows Of Tuvan Throat Singing
The Tuvan throat-singing band Alash Ensemble can sing low and high notes simultaneously, inspiring wonder and a deep appreciation for their craft.
A Farmer and His Super Soil
Author Miriam Horn describes how a Kansas farmer works for his soil to keep it working for him.
7:20
The Oldest Fossil, Colon Cancer Rates, and Foodie Fads
Researchers discovered what seem to be fossilized bacteria that are 3.77 and 4.28 billion years-old.
4:47
A Sweet Way to Test for Pee in the Pool
Testing pools for an artificial sweetener can reveal if swimmers peed in the water.
16:17
A Thumb Drive Made of Genes?
We keep talking about storing our data in DNA. How soon will it happen?
12:06
Back When the Planet Had Just One Plate
Geologists are trying to construct a picture of an ancient Earth, before the continental plates split apart.
17:38
Modern Farmers on the Frontline of Conservation
Some farmers are using techniques that conserve natural resources, like no-till and dry irrigation, as a way to cultivate crops according to the biology of the soil and land.
17:19
Has California’s Five-Year Drought Washed Away?
Predicting rain, snow, and water supply in the warming West.
17:24
The Secret (Smart) Life of Bees
Bees can distinguish between human faces, count to four, and even play “soccer.”
Science Friday Spoonfuls
Classroom-ready doses of current science, technology, and engineering stories.
Fighting A.I. With A.I.
As we increasingly rely on artificial intelligence, we must prepare for new types of hacks.
To Survive on Mars, BYO Bacteria
Microbes could form the basis of a human life support system on the Red Planet.
Life Beyond Earth
We delve into the science of listening, and looking, for possibilities of life in the universe.
7:48
Magnetic Pottery, and the Effects of Same-Sex Marriage Laws on Teens
In states where same sex-marriage was legalized, the suicide attempts among gay, lesbian, and bisexual teens dropped by 14 percent.
3:47
A Cautious Go-Ahead for Human Gene Editing
A report from a National Academies panel endorses the possible use of gene-editing techniques in human embryos—under very limited conditions.