On Today's Podcast
Can ‘Suggestion-Box Science’ Make Public Health More Useful?
An epidemiologist's visit to her hometown helped her understand how to put positive community impact at the center of public health research.
Listen NowMarch 6, 2026
Astronomer and Queen guitarist Brian May teams up with astrophysicist Derek Ward-Thompson to bring the cosmos to 3D. Plus, Frances Arnold’s game-changing technique of “directed evolution” creates enzymes with unusual capabilities. And, how did we come to think of society's toughest problems as something for individuals to manage rather than governments to regulate?
A Jaguar Needs a Root Canal? The Dentist Is In
Veterinary dentist Brook Niemiec treats an ark of animals, from man’s best friend to lions, tigers, and bears.
#ObserveEverything: Staff Picks, Week #3
A class keeps tabs on fruit decomposition, someone spies mystery in a lake, and a hiker sits down with an ant.
11:45
Taking the Temperature of Rising Seas
Researchers are trying to better understand ocean water temperatures, which is an important factor in rising sea levels.
27:42
Atul Gawande: On Being Mortal
In his book “Being Mortal,” surgeon Atul Gawande argues that more medicine may not be better medicine in end-of-life care.
6:04
How to Make Quark Soup
Brookhaven National Laboratory cooks up tiny ephemeral batches of quark-gluon soup that are said to be the most “perfect” fluid ever discovered.
12:04
The Race to Contain, Rather Than Cure, Ebola
With production of experimental treatments slow-going, rapid diagnostic testing could be the best bet for containing the ongoing Ebola outbreak.
7:23
How Did the Violin Get Its Shape?
From its role in biological systems to cultural products, “shape is information that can tell us a story,” says biologist Dan Chitwood.
10:10
Your Home, Your Bacteria
The surfaces in a home reflect the distinct blend of bacteria that inhabit the people that live there.
17:08
Is MSG Bad for Your Health?
Four decades of scientific studies suggest the food additive MSG may not deserve its toxic reputation.
#ObserveEverything: Staff Picks, Week #2
A celestial event, citizen science, and a variety of natural wonders drew observations in week 2 of Science Friday’s Science Club.
How to Make Quark Soup
Using massive feats of engineering, Brookhaven National Laboratory has devised a recipe for cooking up tiny ephemeral batches of this quark-gluon soup, a fluid which physicists Paul Sorensen say is the most “perfect” fluid ever discovered.
Fukang Pallasite: One of the Rarest Types of Meteorite
This rare type of meteorite offers insight into asteroid formation, as well as earth’s geologic processes.
#ObserveEverything: Staff Picks, Week #1
We observe: you’re amazing! Staff picks from the first week of Science Club’s #ObserveEverything
12:08
Do Chimps Have Culture?
Researchers say a real-world case of ‘monkey see, monkey do’ might model the origins of human culture.
16:59
Mining the Internet for Clues to Chinese Censorship
Protests continue in Hong Kong, but only glimpses of the activity make it into mainland China due to censorship.
16:38
Dance and Physics Collide in “Quantum”
Choreographer Gilles Jobin took inspiration from the movements of physics for his piece “Quantum.”
7:00
A Whiff of What’s to Come: What Sense of Smell Says About Health
Older adults’ sense of smell might be a strong indicator of their risk of mortality within a five-year span.
22:34
Community Labs Practice Do-It-Yourself Biology
In DIY biology labs across the country, citizen scientists take the tools of synthetic biology into their own hands.