On Today's Podcast
What A Tea Party With A Bonobo Taught Us About Imagination
Is the capacity to imagine unique to humans? Scientists thought so—but a pretend tea party with a bonobo named Kanzi suggests otherwise.
Listen NowFebruary 13, 2026
An evolutionary biologist weighs in on mating and dating in the age of apps. Is pair bonding passé? Is single the new married? Plus, the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, or RHIC, has ceased operation. What’s next for particle physics? Add, researchers are homing in on how kids reap long-term health benefits from getting dirty, whether cuddling furry pets or playing with friends.
29:41
The Women Who Made The Internet
Silicon Valley may be notoriously male-dominated today. But a new book tells the stories of the women who have been building the internet since day one.
Celebrate Spring At The Orchid Social
On Monday, April 9, in New York City, join Ira Flatow for a Science Friday garden party.
Science Friday Live In Salt Lake City
On Saturday, September 15, Science Friday heads to Salt Lake City to learn about local science.
Science Friday Live in Pittsburgh
On Saturday, May 19, Science Friday heads to Pittsburgh to talk local science.
6:33
Through FM Radio, The Sound Of The First Stars Forming
Astronomers catch a signal from the formation of the first stars in the galaxy through radio static.
5:29
Outsmarting Credit Card Fraud Of The Future
As credit card chip technology advances in the U.S., are we doing enough to stop other kinds of fraud?
10:24
Shine Brightly, Little Neutron Star
A massive magnetic field sheds new light on neutron stars that appear impossibly bright.
11:58
In A Noted Food Lab, The Glass May Be Half Empty
Journalist Stephanie Lee describes dubious research in a lab noted for its eye-catching food studies.
24:31
Medical ‘Cures’ That Did More Harm Than Good
Aspirin is much better for headaches than a red-hot iron to the forehead—but ancient Greek physicians prescribed the latter ‘cure.’
9:55
Searching For A Path To Greater Grains
Researchers have uncovered a mechanism that causes one mutant strain of sorghum to bear three times the seeds.
23:33
Does The ISS Have A Future Among Private Space Competition?
What will happen to the ISS as public companies reach for a piece of space real estate?
The ‘Murderous’ Medical Practice Of The 18th Century
For centuries, people thought mercury was a safe, easy remedy for everything from melancholy to syphilis.
The Mystery Of The Namibian Fairy Circles
The strange circles that dot the desert in Southern Africa have stumped scientists for decades. But math and ecology might have an answer.
Make A Memory Wire Circuit
Use nitinol or “memory” wire as a model muscle in this paper circuit activity.
7:32
Why You Don’t See ‘Goosefoot’ On Your Thanksgiving Dinner Table
Native American crops you’ve never heard of, a new timeline for plants, and measuring the stench of the Neolithic era.
4:49
A Case Of Mistaken (Equine) Identity
Researchers discover there are no more wild horses left anywhere on Earth.
25:11
How To Spot The Engineering Tricks Hidden In Buildings
It takes a lot of crafty physics to keep a skyscraper standing. A structural engineer tells the secrets of her trade.
8:05
Do Florida’s Flamingos Really Belong There?
New research argues that flamingos are a species native to Florida, and should be protected.
16:51
Were Neanderthals Artists?
Uranium dating of art in Spanish caves turns up a number too old to be human. And if it’s true—what does art have to do with complex thought?
29:48
For These Robots, Squishy Is Superior
Roboticists are turning to fleshy substances like mouse, insect, and sea slug muscles to build a fleet of bio-inspired robots.