On Today's Podcast
What The Label Of ‘Genius’ Tells Us About Our Society
In “The Genius Myth,” Helen Lewis argues that who we call a genius reveals more about our values than any objective measure of brilliance.
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?
David Livingstone’s Beetles
A museum curator has discovered a box of beetles containing specimens collected during a famous expedition.
47:30
Ig Nobel Prizes Salute Science’s Strange and Silly
In a Science Friday holiday tradition, we’re playing highlights from this year’s 24th First Annual Ig Nobel awards ceremony.
29:27
Does Your Genome Belong to Your Family, Too?
Should doctors share information about your risky genes with your family, since they, too, might harbor that suspect DNA sequence?
16:55
An Art Movement Where Art and Science Collide
In the new art movement “art-sci,” artists take inspiration from science, use scientific techniques in their artwork, and inspire new science.
How a Bohemian Engineer Helped Blend Art and Science
An excerpt from “Colliding Worlds.”
Cranberries, With A Side Of Science
Some tasty facts about the popular Thanksgiving treat.
Truth, Educated Guesses, and Speculations in ‘Interstellar’
An excerpt from “The Science of Interstellar.”
What Exactly IS a Comet?
Gather evidence from interviews with scientists about comets, then create a wordy illustration of comet characteristics.
17:27
Would You Trust a Robot to Schedule Your Life?
Given access to your Google calendar, a personal assistant named Amy will happily schedule all your appointments. The catch? She’s a machine—a digital personal assistant.
16:58
Food Failures: The Science Of Side Dishes
Find out how to avoid Turkey Day trip-ups in this episode of our “Food Failures” series.
5:50
‘Hot’ for Turkey
Female wild turkeys parse the courtship performances of males to determine their genetic potential.
11:41
Ghosts of Early Language May Linger in the Brain
Chinese adoptees living in Canada, who now speak only French, still process Chinese sounds as native speakers do, even if they have no conscious recall of word meaning.
27:43
Into The Wormhole: The Science Of ‘Interstellar’
It’s a sci-fi epic set among black holes, wormholes, and tesseracts. But director Christopher Nolan and physicist Kip Thorne say “Interstellar” doesn’t break the laws of physics.
11:58
Meet The Brain Scoop’s Emily Graslie
YouTube science star Emily Graslie takes viewers behind the scenes of natural history museums with “The Brain Scoop.”
Q&A With Emily Graslie
More with the Field Museum’s Chief Curiosity Correspondent and host of the “The Brain Scoop” on YouTube.
‘Hot’ For Turkey
Female wild turkeys parse the courtship performances of males to determine their genetic potential.
Green Politics
How will the midterm election results, climate change “debate,” and trends in renewable energy affect the 2016 election?
Awareness in a Damaged Brain
While people in a vegetative state appear physically unresponsive, a new study reveals that some might be aware to a degree.
Snotty Plots: How Do You Graph A Sneeze?
Simulate a sneeze with paint, then graphically determine where most of it lands.
11:47
The First Touchdown On A Comet
The European Space Agency’s Philae lander is the first probe to touch down on a comet.