On Today's Podcast
Olympic Ski Mountaineering, And Mountain Goat Climbing Feats
The mountaineering history behind "skimo," a new Winter Olympic event. Plus, research into a true alpine champion, the mountain goat.
Listen NowFebruary 6, 2026
The mountaineering history behind "skimo," a new Winter Olympic event. Plus, new USDA dietary guidelines tell us to “eat real food.” Should policymakers get highly processed foods out of our stores and school lunches? And, it's easier than ever for companies to collect your personal data and compile it into a profile for advertisers, ICE, and other agencies.
How to Make an Artificial Muscle Out of Fishing Line
You’ll need fiber, some weights, a motor, and a heat gun to get you started.
Pick the Winner of SciFri’s Winter Nature Photo Contest
Time to choose your favorite winter snapshot out of our 10 finalists.
A Beer Bottle Prank Is A Lesson In Fluid Mechanics
Scientists used a high speed camera to study how tiny carbon dioxide bubbles in beer rapidly expand and rise.
Make a Model of a Home Made From Shipping Containers
Watch an interview with a couple who built a home from shipping containers. Then, design and construct a scale model of a unique shipping container home using printed templates, and estimate the cost of flooring and paint based on model dimensions.
29:13
On Social Media, the Kids Are All Right
In “It’s Complicated”, Internet scholar Danah Boyd debunks myths about teens’ online lives.
9:09
Your Brain on Jazz
Researcher and musician Charles Limb created an fMRI-safe keyboard to study the effects of jazz on the brain.
6:47
This Fish Sucks
Adam Summers of the University of Washington’s Friday Harbor Labs details how the northern clingfish takes the art of suction to new heights.
16:13
A Diverse Energy Diet, to Face a Changing Climate
U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz talks about progress on President Obama’s “all-of-the-above” energy strategy.
5:45
Pulsar Pulverizes Incoming Asteroids
A pulsar 37,000 light-years from Earth collided with a billion-ton asteroid.
7:32
A 10,000-Year Stopover En Route to the New World
The ancestors of Native Americans may have lived for millennia on the Bering land bridge before fanning out across the Americas.
16:45
Making Sense Out Of Bitcoin
Bitcoin is a digital currency that was created by an anonymous developer in 2009.
For Privacy, Teens Use Encoded Messages Online
This excerpt from “It’s Complicated” explores how advances in technology afford teens new ways of communicating secretively.
This Fish Sucks
Adam Summers of the University of Washington’s Friday Harbor Labs, details how the Northern Clingfish takes the art of suction to new heights.
How Dogs Are Helping Us Understand Ourselves
Dogs are helping improve our understanding of various human maladies and how we might treat them.
How a London Sewer Inspired a Search for Unusual Sounds
What might be considered a sound “defect” can be fascinating to listen to.
Letting the Inner Athlete Shine, With a Techno-Boost
For Olympians, there’s interplay between natural athletic ability and suits that provide that extra edge.
Use Clues to Solve an Ice Mystery
Use the physical characteristics of ice to determine where and how several mystery samples could have been frozen.
9:15
Artificial Muscles Flex Using Fishing Line and Thread
Researchers create superhuman strength from sewing thread and fishing line.
20:13
Building an Open ‘Internet of Things’
Will the ‘Internet of Things’ be open to developers—or hindered by proprietary smart boxes?
16:48
App Chat: Social Media Gets Newsy
Ellis Hamburger, a reporter at The Verge, talks about why social media giants are betting on news.