On Today's Podcast
Could bird flu still spark a pandemic?
As local reports of dead birds rise, the greatest human risk continues to fall on some of the most vulnerable: farm workers.
Listen NowMarch 20, 2026
Move over, Ryan Gosling: Rocky the alien is the breakout star of the movie adaptation of "Project Hail Mary." Plus, how a particle accelerator, a robot, and 2,000 ants came together to paint a picture of biological diversity. And, a mathematician analyzed 150 years of women’s fashion to understand 20-year trend cycles, and how “optimal distinctiveness” drives change.
30:18
Adapt Or Die In The Urban Jungle
Just how and why do city mice and country mice diverge? It’s urban evolution in action.
Shakespeare’s Starlings And The City
Introduced to North America by a Shakespeare enthusiast, starlings become a test case of urban evolution in this excerpt of “Darwin Comes To Town.”
The Origin Of The Word ‘Quark’
It’s a tale of particle physics, Aristotle, and James Joyce.
6:48
Blissed Out On Earth’s Blingy Core
Plus, the search for virtual particles and a distant planet gets swallowed by its sun.
5:30
Massive Toxic Algae Bloom Stinks Up Florida Towns
Foul smelling algae is plaguing three Florida counties, spurred on by billions of gallons of polluted water, rising water levels, and higher temperatures.
17:34
A Dangerous Fungal Superbug In Hospitals Worldwide
There’s a new infectious yeast in town and we’re almost out of drugs for it.
12:14
How Much Food Would A Dino Eat For Dinner?
Scientists grew plants under prehistoric atmospheric conditions to see how much nutrition sauropods would have received from their vegetarian diets.
4:49
SciFri Book Club: ‘A Brief History Of Time’ Begins Now
The time is now: A reminder to pick up that book you’ve been meaning to read.
12:15
Jupiter Wins The Moon Lottery
The largest planet in our solar system officially racked up a total of 79 moons this week, including one newly discovered “oddball.”
11:13
Following The Burnt Crumbs To The Rise Of Bread
By analyzing bits of burnt bread, scientists determined that breadmaking may pre-date the agricultural revolution.
22:11
What We Know—And Don’t Know—About Human Heredity
What does heredity actually mean? Carl Zimmer finds out in his book ‘She Has Her Mother’s Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity.’
Hacer pintura de relieve (3D) con almidón
Algo gracioso sucede cuando se agrega almidón de maíz a un líquido y se calienta la mezcla: se vuelve muy, muy espesa, o viscosa.
Haz paletas de fruta superenfriada
¿Cómo puedes superenfriar agua, y qué hace que al final se congele como sólido?
Crea una arena rara
¿Qué sucede cuando cambias las propiedades de la arena para que se vuelva hidrófoba, o “repelente al agua”?
Crea un mensaje secreto con malvaviscos
Con un poco de química, puedes controlar dónde y cuándo aparezca ese color tostado, y crear un mensaje oculto en un malvavisco.
It’s Time For A Time Traveler Cocktail Party!
On August 21 in NYC, experience Stephen Hawking’s ‘A Brief History of Time’ through games and curious concoctions.
‘A Brief History Of Time’: Artist Challenge
The Science Friday Book Club invites you to submit your artistic imaginings of Stephen Hawking’s visions of the universe.
7:50
Trying To Build A Computer As Powerful As The Human Brain
Brain-inspired computing hits a new milestone, the neural networks of a noisy fish, and other subjects in science news.