On Today's Podcast
Can The Rise In Solar Power Balance Out Clean Energy Cuts?
Solar power adoption has been rising fast. Amid recent federal efforts to limit clean energy, will it make a dent in our climate impact?
Listen NowJanuary 2, 2026
A look back at the biggest science stories of 2025, and a few you may have missed. Plus, over the past year, most of your body has replaced itself cell by cell. What can we learn from other animals’ dramatic feats of regeneration? And, ultramarathoners can run with what seems like superhuman stamina. But are their bodies much different than the rest of ours?
16:59
Fact Check My Feed: Which COVID-19 Treatments Are Backed By Science?
Virologist Angela Rasmussen returns to explain the studies behind the stories on your news feed.
‘O Snail’ And Other Poems From Jane Hirshfield
Poet Jane Hirshfield writes prose about humanity and our planet while pondering the crises of refugees, justice, and climate in her new book of poems.
12:26
A New World, Shaped By COVID-19
A roundup of the COVID-19 stories that will define the “new normal,” including tracking spread through smartphone location data and ventilator triage.
27:09
Jane Goodall Reflects On 60 Years Of Research And Conservation
Jane Goodall on her research in the Gombe, and the need for hope and cooperation in the modern world.
6:07
The New ‘Science Diction’ Podcast Brings You: Vaccine
Here’s what cows have to do with your yearly flu shot.
12:27
What Can Vampire Bats Teach Us About Socializing In A Pandemic?
Illness changes how these small mammals interact. An expert says it’s not so different from how people are socializing amidst the coronavirus.
16:30
Poetry Wields Science In ‘Unaccountable’ Times
Poet Jane Hirshfield takes on crises both biological and human in her new book “Ledger.”
16:57
Fact-Checking Your Coronavirus News Feed
Experiencing COVID-19 information overload? Two experts offer clarity on the studies taking over news headlines this week.
Your Questions About COVID-19, Answered
You’ve had a lot of questions about the novel coronavirus. We’ve compiled answers and tips from health experts we’ve interviewed on the show.
6:44
What Does A ‘Pandemic’ Actually Mean?
What the World Health Organization’s declaration of a ‘pandemic’ means, and more from the week in science.
5:04
Is A New HIV-Prevention Drug Worth The Extra Cost?
With affordable generic PrEP drugs on the horizon, a new brand-name PrEP rollout complicates access to underserved communities.
4:44
Introducing Our New Podcast: Science Diction
A new podcast from Science Friday looks at the scientific backstories behind words.
29:33
How Will We Respond To The Latest Farm Crisis?
In the 1980s, farmers were pushed to the brink of suicide. Today, it might be worse.
17:05
Walking With The Dinosaurs Of Scotland’s Isle Of Skye
Paleontologists discovered tracks of middle Jurassic carnivorous dinosaurs and a stegosaurus in the area.
28:16
Coronavirus: Sanitizing, According To Science
The coronavirus is easy to kill with soap and water. We talk how it works, and why it matters for more people than you.
Science Diction: Cobalt
‘Cobalt’ takes its name from a pesky goblin—and mischief is baked into its name.
Science Diction: Dinosaur
The origin of the word ‘dinosaur,’ and the story of its self-sabotaging inventor.
Science Diction: Vaccine
The origin of the word ‘vaccine’ stretches back to a disease, a test subject, and… a cow.
Science Diction: Meme
The word ‘meme’ has more to do with evolutionary biology than the internet.