On Today's Podcast
Why is everyone so obsessed with protein?
A food historian and nutrition researcher dig into the protein-maxxing trend—and explain why you might want to up your fiber intake instead.
Listen NowOctober 30, 2026
When, and where, did bats first take to the sky? Online clinics are prescribing GLP-1 microdoses formulated by compounding pharmacies. Are they safe and effective? Terence Tao says mathematics is about understanding, not just right answers, and quick AI solutions are forcing soul-searching in the field. Plus, how chatbots are changing language, and what life was like for T. rex.
Science Friday Home Science Highlights of 2014
Our best home experiments and maker projects from 2014.
The Best of Science Friday, 2014 (Picked by Our Staff)
SciFri staff members recommend their favorite stories from the past year.
40:50
2014 Science Year in Review
From the Ebola outbreak to the Rosetta mission to a comet, a look at the biggest science stories of the year.
5:55
Birdie in Flight
The aerodynamics of the badminton birdie, along with a complex chain of movements executed by players, enables it to reach 200 mph.
23:12
John McPhee Assembles California
In this 1993 interview from the Science Friday archives, writer John McPhee talks plate tectonics and global geology.
23:43
SciFri Live: Science Movie Quiz
You may know science, but how well do you know movie science?
Birdie In Flight: The Science of Badminton
The key to the badminton’s speed is the unique aerodynamic shape of the birdie and the kinetic movements by players.
The Fight Against Blight: Restoring the American Chestnut
Researchers have developed a blight-resistant species that’s nearly identical to the American chestnut tree.
Christmas Tree Combustion
A home holiday experiment that explores combustion using festive fuels such as fir, pine, spruce, and cedar.
11:54
Does Mars Have What It Takes to Support Life?
NASA’s Curiosity rover finds evidence of methane and organics on the Red Planet.
23:12
Scientists Speak Out About Attacks on Science
Bioengineer John Dabiri and conservation biologist Terrie Williams, two targets of Senator Tom Coburn’s 2014 “Wastebook” look beyond the caricatures painted by politicians and pundits to tell the story of their research.
9:21
Weighing In on the ‘Good Carb, Bad Carb’ Debate
Curbing “high glycemic” carbs may not benefit healthy eaters.
7:09
Under The Influence Of Beer Foam
A team of fluid mechanics researchers at Princeton University dive into the anti-sloshing physics of foam.
7:20
Moving Ice May Mean More Melting for Greenland
By 2060, Greenland’s seasonal “supraglacial” lakes will double in number and move farther inland.
22:09
Science Goes To The Movies: ‘The Imitation Game’
SciFri’s scientist-film critics weigh in on the Alan Turing biopic.
10:53
Making Space a More Democratic Place
What if anyone could 3-D-print a satellite in space? Or jet from the Earth to the Moon, using just the hydrogen found in a two-liter bottle of water?
Under The Influence Of Beer Foam
A team of fluid mechanics researchers at Princeton University dive into the anti-sloshing physics of foam.
Peek Inside A Mechanical Calculator
This machine was a predecessor to the electronic calculator.
SciFri Book Club: Vote for a Book to Beat the Winter Blues
Help the SciFri Book Club pick its next book.