On Today's Podcast
Data about your body is up for sale. Who's buying it?
Your personal biometric data—from your face, to your gait, to your weight—is constantly being collected and sold. Who’s buying it, and why?
Listen NowMay 1, 2026
Birds are living dinosaurs whose ancestors include T. rex and giant penguins. Understanding their past can help us imagine their future. Plus, an executive order issued by President Trump aims to fast-track research for psychedelics, including ibogaine. What is it? And, measuring microplastics can be hard, partly because they’re everywhere—including the lab. One researcher is working on solutions.
How Artists Illustrate Exoplanets With Just A Few Data Points
We can’t visit exoplanets to take photos or videos, so artists take a few scant pieces of data to help us imagine new, otherworldly terrains.
These Drag Artists Are Making Science More Accessible
On the latest episode of ‘Universe of Art,’ learn about drag performers who’re using social media to bring science communication to a wider audience.
12:02
Your Plants Are Trying To Tell You They’re Thirsty
Plus, how cockroach sex is evolving with pest control.
17:07
Make It Easier To Be Green. Show Frogs Some Love
Make your spaces safer for frogs or contribute to citizen science projects to help study them.
12:11
An Open Letter Asks AI Researchers To Reconsider Responsibilities
Some big names in tech are calling for a pause to developments on a powerful large language model until safety protocols can be implemented.
10:20
NASA Announces Artemis II Crew For Next Moon Mission
Astronauts for the next lunar mission have been chosen, including the first woman and first person of color.
6:35
Will Rising Temperatures Help Batters Swing for the Bleachers?
Warmer temperatures allows a hit ball to fly slightly further—accounting for about 500 additional home runs in the Major Leagues since 2010.
12:31
This Video Game Prioritizes Restoring An Ecosystem Over Profits
In Terra Nil, a “reverse city-builder,” your goal is to restore a barren wasteland into a thriving ecosystem.
5:20
Workout Worms May Reveal New Parkinson’s Treatments
Scientists built an exercise pool for tiny worms in an effort to better understand the role of exercise on neurodegeneration.
16:45
Your Future COVID-19 Vaccine May Come Through Your Nose
An immunobiologist answers listeners’ ongoing pandemic questions.
Introducing Universe of Art
On Science Friday’s new podcast, join us for conversations with artists who use science to bring their creations to the next level.
12:08
A Supermassive Black Hole The Mass Of 30 Billion Suns
How researchers detected the space giant using gravitational lensing, plus the approval of over-the-counter Narcan, EV charging, and a mammoth meatball you can eat.
11:11
What’s Driving A Rise In Mumps Cases In The United States?
Researchers now think that a third of people lose their vaccine-derived immunity to mumps by age 18.
5:52
Foundational Food Sources In The Gulf Of Maine Are Failing
Decades of research suggest that warming temperatures are collapsing the gulf’s productivity.
12:08
Sewage Is A Biological Necessity, And A Methane Minefield
Wastewater treatment facilities may release a surprising amount greenhouse gas.
9:41
Meet The Activist Reimagining Climate Education
Young people like Sage Lenier are very worried about climate change. So she took ownership over her education.
7:52
The First Fully Mapped Animal Brain Is The Larva Of A Fruit Fly
A 12-year effort to map the entire brain of a fruit fly larva is finally complete—a meaningful step in understanding things like addiction and consciousness.
16:57
National Audubon Society Sticks With Its Name, Despite Namesake’s Racism
Even as the national organization decides to stick with its original moniker, local branches are opting for change.
17:01
Is Spring Falling Out Of Sync?
The delicate timing between plants, wildlife, and seasons can be thrown off balance by warming temperatures.
How Young Learners Engaged With Sun Science At Home
A virtual camp with live Q&A and hands-on activities led to nearly 2,700 children learning about the physics of the solar system.