On Today's Podcast
How Is AI Being Used In The Iran War?
The Pentagon has given AI a powerful role in the Iran war. We dig into the DOD conflict with Anthropic, and the state of autonomous weapons.
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.
Snowflake Safari
Next snowstorm, grab a magnifying glass and try snowflake hunting.
Yet Another Reason To Spike That Eggnog
A perennial holiday dilemma: will alcohol kill the bacteria in homemade eggnog?
The Cheese Chronicles
Author and cheese expert Liz Thorpe explains the science of cheesemaking.
Moths Can Escape Bats By Jamming Sonar
For over 50 million years, bats and moths have been engaged in an evolutionary arms race: bats evolving new tricks to catch moths, and moths developing counter-measures to escape bats.
Ocean Priorities
Ira talks with Peter Seligmann, chairman of Conservation International, and with Philippe Cousteau Jr. about the connections between ocean policy, the environment, and the economy.
Turing Award Winner Barbara Liskov
Ira talks with Barbara Liskov, the winner of this year’s Turing Award, what’s been called the Nobel Prize of computing research.
Another Reason To Spike That Eggnog
It is a question on the minds of many people this season: will adding alcohol to the homemade eggnog safeguard against salmonella?
Jane Goodall On The Future Of Evolutionary Science
In this segment, Ira talks with primatologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall about her work in studying chimpanzees, preserving habitats, and what lies ahead for the field of evolutionary science.
Water Balloons in Space
About ten years ago, two scientists had a little extra time on board NASA’s low gravity aircraft and came up with the idea of popping water balloons.
Chile Peppers
In this segment, live from Tucson, Arizona, we’ll take a scientific look at the chile pepper, from the chemistry and biology of a pepper’s burn, to the psychology of why some people like it hot. Grab some salsa and listen in!
Spore and Evolution
How close is the new computer game Spore to the way evolution really works?
What Put the Heat in Chili Peppers?
New research indicates that chili pepper plants may have developed their signature heat as a way to fight off fungal infections caused by insects.
Looking Inside the Human Brain
What’s really going on inside your head? We’ll talk with scientists using functional magnetic resonance imaging to study the workings of the human brain.
Building Social Robots
Sure, robots can weld car parts or stack cartons on an assembly line. But can they develop friendships with people? In this hour, Ira talks with inventors developing robots with personalities. How soon will it be before social, lovable robots enter our homes?
Oliver Sacks: ‘Musicophilia’
How does music affect the brain? Join Ira in this segment for a conversation with neurologist and author Oliver Sacks about the brain and music.
Sputnik Anniversary
Fifty years ago, a little beeping ball stunned the world. Join Ira Flatow in this hour of Science Friday for a look back at Sputnik and its effect on the way we look at the world.
Data Reawakening
As archivists struggle to store the mountain of data on the internet, researchers are trying to use atoms, diamonds, and DNA to let data live on forever.
The Librarians Saving The Internet
You may think that anything uploaded onto the internet is there forever—but the constant churn is a challenge to the archivists trying to backup the web.