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?
6:34
A Newly Discovered Virus That Lives in Our Gut
Researchers discovered a virus that lives in the gut of half of the world’s population.
10:59
What’s the Real Cost of Your Steak?
Cattle require 28 times more land and 11 times more irrigation water than eggs or poultry.
17:21
The SciFri Book Club Introduces Dune
Sci-fi author Kim Stanley Robinson and astrobiologist Sara Imari Walker introduce the SciFri Book Club’s summer selection: “Dune”.
11:45
New Online Tracking Tool Evades Privacy Settings
A new online tracker is snooping on visitors to over 5,600 popular sites—and it’s nearly impossible to block.
17:25
HIV/AIDS Update
A round-up of the latest HIV/AIDS research news and an update from the International AIDS Conference in Melbourne, Australia.
10:09
‘Moth-ers’ Celebrate Less-Loved Lepidopterans
Elena Tartaglia, a co-founder of National Moth Week, gives tips on spotting butterflies’ neglected cousins.
6:09
Oarfish: The Ultimate Fish Tale
Little is known about the monstrously long oarfish, its life cycle, and how it navigates its deep sea environment.
Oarfish: The Ultimate Fish Tale
Thought to the be inspiration of sea serpent stories, the monstrously long oarfish provokes wonder in nearly all who witness it. Yet despite our fascination, little is known about this fish, its lifecycle, and how it navigates its deep-sea environment.
The Caterpillar With the Candy-Cane Stripe
This silk moth symbolizes National Moth Week, which has gone global.
The SciFri Book Club Reads Dune
This summer’s pick is a bona fide science fiction classic: Frank Herbert’s ecological epic, “Dune.”
Fashion Circuit
Add some pizzazz to your favorite clothing and accessories using some wire, tape, a battery, and an LED.
12:09
Scientists Call Whales the ‘Engineers’ of the Ocean Ecosystem
Whales stabilize the ocean ecosystem through a mechanism scientists call the “whale pump,” or fecal plumes.
7:39
Pacemaker Researchers Swap Batteries for Biology
With gene therapy, scientists reprogram pig heart cells to improve heartbeat.
6:50
Frozen in Time, a Giant Virus
A virus large enough to be seen through a light microscope was recovered from the Siberian permafrost.
16:24
App Chat: Plugging In to the Outdoors
Reporter Bob Parks guides us through his favorite outdoor and camping apps.
22:14
As California Dries Up, Locals Hope for El Niño
A third of California is now clenched by exceptional drought, and this week the state announced $500 fines for water-wasters. But many residents continue to hope for rain.
20:51
Fashioning The Future
A scientist and a designer imagine fashion’s high-tech future.
5:49
Smarty Pants: Testing the Quality of Textiles
Confidence in how well our garments suit us shouldn’t be taken for granted—we owe much to textile quality assurance.
Sea, Temperature, CO2 Levels All Rise in 2013
NOAA releases its State of the Climate Report for 2013.
The Two-Toned Beauty of Harlequin Bug Eggs
These tiny black-and-white cylinders each host a life-sucking insect.