On Today's Podcast
Building a digital ant gallery, from the ground up
How a particle accelerator, a robot, highspeed cameras, and 2,000 ants came together to paint a picture of biological diversity.
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” dives change.
17:12
Will We Ever Know How Moderate Drinking Affects Our Health?
The National Institutes of Health just shut down a major study of the health effects of ‘moderate’ alcohol consumption. Now what?
15:47
After 8 Undersea Days, Cephalopod Week 2018 Draws To A Close
We wrap our tentacles around our cephalo-bration of octopus, squid, cuttlefish, nautilus, and other undersea friends.
12:29
The Coyotes Of Chicago
WBEZ’s Curious City and wildlife biologist Chris Anchor explore how coyotes living in Chicago make a home in an urban environment.
17:40
Science Friday Presents: ‘Two Wrongs Don’t Make A Meteorite’
A scientist goes toe-to-toe with capitalism for a meteorite prize in a play performed live in Chicago’s Harris Theater.
24:56
How Abstract Math Can Analyze Social Injustice
Abstract math can be a tool to better understand power structures in society, says mathematician Eugenia Cheng, and to examine the injustice between groups.
Model The Texture-Changing Structures of Cuttlefish Skin: Papillae
Recreating this impressive feat of camouflage takes only a balloon and a bit of duct tape.
Haikus By Cephalo-Poets
The mighty cephalopod never fails to inspire. This year, cephalo-lovers around the world set their tributes to verse.
The Seamstress And The Secrets Of The Argonaut Shell
Known since Aristotle, no one understood the argonaut octopus—until a 19th-century seamstress turned naturalist took it upon herself to solve its mysteries.
The Making Of The Octopus In ‘20,000 Leagues Under The Sea’
In the first major underwater film production, three key inventions helped create an iconic scene featuring an impossibly large cephalopod.
9:31
A Daily Audio Diary Of The Narwhal
Researchers have collected the sounds of a group of narwhals in order to monitor how the animals are affected by manmade sounds.
Bobtails + Bacteria = BFF
This tiny squid works with bacteria to camouflage itself.
Cephalopod Inc.
Will cephalopods one day be as ubiquitous in labs as mice and fruit flies?
7:06
Waiting For Opportunity To Call
The little Mars rover that could is sleeping through a massive dust storm. Will it have enough power to wake up again?
4:43
Water Fountains Everywhere But Fewer Drops To Drink
The Chicago Park District may shut down nearly half of its water fountains due to lead contamination.
17:37
A New Story For One Of The Planet’s Oldest Creatures
The history of the dinosaurs is being rewritten by young scientists digging up new discoveries in the golden age of dinosaur fossil hunting.
16:34
SciFri’s Tentacled Spectacle Cephalopod Week Returns
Like a kraken rising from the depths, Cephalopod Week is back!
11:42
A Possible Dark Side To Gene-Editing Technique CRISPR
New research indicates that for some cell types, CRISPR could lead to cancer.
24:42
A Hue Of A Different Color
There’s a whole spectrum of science that explores how light and matter interact to give us the rainbow. Chemists and biologists alike are seeking new ways to make shades we take for granted.
‘The Dinosaur Looked Just Like A Bird.’
On average, a new species of dinosaur is discovered every week. Meet the paleontologists who are uncovering them.