On Today's Podcast
Slow Breaking News: A Giant Tortoise Revival
With science and good luck, 158 young tortoises were reintroduced to Floreana Island in the Galapagos. Plus, an ancient sea turtle stampede.
Listen NowMarch 13, 2026
AI-generated songs are breaking onto the charts, and music labels are pivoting from lawsuits to partnerships with AI startups. What comes next? Plus, what’s the science behind the much-hyped idea that you can “reset” your nervous system by stimulating the vagus nerve? And, with science and good luck, 158 young tortoises were reintroduced to Floreana Island in the Galápagos.
1:19
One Last Thing: Left to Right
When we picture rapidly moving things, people seem to have a preference for ones that move from left to right, not right to left.
7:35
Liquid 3-D Printer Speeds Past the Rest
A new, fast 3-D printer uses ultraviolet light and oxygen to shape liquid resin.
29:48
Understanding the Dark Side of Physics
Physicists discuss the quest to understand dark energy and dark matter.
8:12
Malaria Parasite Lures Mosquitoes With Bait-and-Switch
The malaria parasite manufactures lemon-and-pine-scented aromas that attract mosquitoes.
Capsizing Icebergs on the Rise in Greenland
Icebergs in Greenland are flipping over like dominoes more often than they have in the past.
From Animal House to Prufrock House: Memories of Caltech in the ’60s
An excerpt from Michael Gazzaniga’s “Tales From Both Sides of the Brain.”
Science Friday Joins National STEM Partnership
The Science Friday Initiative has joined the 100Kin10 network.
Ready for Take-Off: Teens Pilot Airplanes in New York City
Students at Frederick Douglass Academy in New York City use flight simulators as part of an aeronautics class, with some kids eventually logging flight time in real planes.
22:34
Keeping the President in Tune With Tech
Megan Smith, a Google alum who once built and raced a solar car across Australia, came on board last year as U.S. Chief Technology Officer.
16:50
Warming West Coast Waters Upset Food Chains
Warmer waters are changing the distribution of food in the Pacific, stranding hundreds of starving sea lion pups on shore, and causing the death of hundreds of thousands of birds.
2:32
Sweeping the Skies, More Than 200 Years Ago
Astronomer Caroline Herschel was born 265 years ago this week, on March 16, 1750. She was the first woman to receive a salary for astronomical research.
12:18
Scientists Dip Into the Water on Jupiter’s Largest Moon
Scientists estimate that a subsurface ocean on Jupiter’s largest moon—Ganymede—could be 60 miles thick.
17:24
What Will It Take to Land a Person on Mars?
What technological hurdles must be cleared for a successful manned mission to Mars?
22:10
Writing Women Back Into Science History
This Women’s History Month, Science Friday celebrates some of the unsung heroines of science.
Here There Be Seadragons
Researchers discovered a new type of seadragon, bringing the total number of known species to a whopping three.
Overheard at SXSW 2015
Science Friday web producer Chau Tu is in Austin, Texas for SXSW Interactive + Film.
Kitchen Math: How To Eat π Pies
Methodically slice up four pies to reach the irrational number pi.
11:52
As Ebola Infection Rates Decline, Will Vaccine Search Continue?
Will momentum for developing an Ebola vaccine and treatment stay on track as infection rates decrease?
10:01
Puzzling Polio-like Paralysis Baffles Doctors
Doctors are trying to piece together a puzzling polio-like paralysis that might be associated with a respiratory illness.