On Today's Podcast
Teamwork Between Species Is The Key To Life Itself
“The Call of the Honeyguide” traces the mutualisms found throughout nature, from hunting pairs to the microbes all around us.
Listen NowSeptember 12, 2025
Octopuses can use their suckers to detect harmful microbes on the surface of objects like crab shells, or their own eggs. Plus, a new book charts the millennia-old history of our fascination with aliens, and how myth transformed into research. And, golden oyster mushrooms have escaped from home growing kits into the wild. Could they affect fungal diversity in North American forests?
11:59
Lasers Help Metal Resist Rust and Ice
Scientists use lasers to create super water-repellent metals.
17:20
Remembering the Moment Black Holes Went Mainstream
Forty-five years ago, a collaboration between Roger Penrose and Stephen Hawking transformed perceptions about black holes and the beginning of the universe.
8:39
Conserving Cuba’s Coral Reefs
Since 1970, Caribbean coral have declined by more than 50 percent, according to the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network.
7:54
Behind the Scenes of the Explorers Club
The Explorers Club houses artifacts from research expeditions over the last century, including the first exploration to the North Pole to the Apollo 11 moon mission.
12:05
Scientists Engineer Bacteria With Genetic ‘Kill Switch’
Genetic engineers have designed strains of E. coli that can survive only in the presence of a compound that doesn’t exist in nature.
17:18
Journeying to the Building Blocks of the Solar System
What can comets, asteroids, and protoplanets tell us about the formation of the solar system?
16:22
Put Down Your Phone, Give Your Brain a Break
Some studies suggest letting the mind wander spurs creativity and contemplation. Is it time to rethink our relationship with our phones and bring back boredom?
Take A Hike: Exploring Nature With Kids
Use these tips to safely explore the great outdoors on a family hike while building your observation skills.
Behind-the-Scenes at the Explorers Club
Tour the unique artifacts, including a yeti scalp and four-tusked elephant, collected by Explorers Club members during research expeditions over the last century.
Belize’s Blue Hole Offers Clues To Mayan Collapse
Sediment cores from around the Yucatán Peninsula support a theory as to what could have led to the Mayans’ demise.
12:23
Which Cyber Hacks Should We Worry About?
Molly Sauter explains the scope and severity of recent cyber attacks.
23:15
The Long Quest to Make Machines Talk
Brad Story, a professor of speech, language, and hearing sciences, walks us through the history of talking machines, and computer scientists Alan Black and Rupal Patel talk about making computerized voices more personal and engaging.
9:02
Sea Turtles Guided Home by Magnetic Sense
Female turtles return to the coastlines where they hatched using the earth’s magnetic fields as a navigational tool.
11:31
The SciFri Book Club Reads ‘The Lost City of Z’
The SciFri Book Club cracks the cover of our winter book pick: David Grann’s non-fiction tale of Amazonian exploration, “The Lost City of Z.”
11:57
Does the ‘Innate Genius’ Stereotype Widen the STEM Gender Gap?
In a new study, academics rated philosophy—where women are earning less than 35 percent of the Ph.D.s—as a field where candidates need raw talent for success.
13:38
Spinning Theories on Planet Rotation
Scientists modeled how an exoplanet’s atmosphere could keep its rotation from locking up.
11:56
Tablets and Smartphones Might Be Sapping Your Sleep
Researchers say using tablets and smartphones before bedtime can shift your circadian rhythms.
The SciFri Book Club Searches for Lost Cities
Journey into the Amazonian jungle with David Grann’s “The Lost City of Z.”
The Green Comet
You might be able to spot this bright, verdant comet with the naked eye.