On Today's Podcast
When, and where, did bats first take to the sky?
An analysis of bat genomes and fossil records has shown that the flying mammals first took wing in Europe some 60-65 million years ago.
Listen NowOctober 30, 2026
When, and where, did bats first take to the sky? Online clinics are prescribing GLP-1 microdoses formulated by compounding pharmacies. Are they safe and effective? Terence Tao says mathematics is about understanding, not just right answers, and quick AI solutions are forcing soul-searching in the field. Plus, how chatbots are changing language, and what life was like for T. rex.
17:14
Less Flashy Fossils Offer Paleoclimate Clues
Uncharismatic microfauna, such as insects and mollusks, are giving scientists at La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles a glimpse of the city’s cool, humid past.
12:27
From The Lab To The Silver Screen: The Birth of CGI
Animator Tom Sito explains how scientists and engineers kickstarted Hollywood’s digital animation revolution.
17:23
Science In The Writers’ Room
Hollywood T.V. and film writers explain how they balance scientific accuracy and storytelling.
17:22
Making Hollywood’s Digital Doubles
Now that Hollywood’s visual effects wizards can create convincing “digital actors,” will we still need the real thing?
11:55
Experimental Therapy Saves Monkeys From Deadly Dose of Ebola
ZMapp, the cocktail of antibodies used to treat two American aid workers infected with the Ebola virus, spared 18 severely ill monkeys from death.
No Waffling On The Numbers
Three delicious math games you can play on your waffles to build math fact fluency and geometry skills, from the folks at Bedtime Math.
What Can We Learn From On-Screen Psychopaths?
Few psychopaths who terrorize the big screen could pass a reality check, but those who do can be used as teaching tools for aspiring psychiatrists.
The Ultimate Bachelor Pad: Great Bowerbird’s Bower
Male great bowerbirds build these structures strictly to attract females for mating.
Classroom Strategy: Image of the Day
Three approaches for using images as gateways to instruction in grades 4-16.
22:52
Can the Bacteria in Your Gut Send Messages to Your Brain?
Researchers discuss how the microbiome might play a role in anxiety, depression, and autism.
6:51
Microbes Thrive in Antarctic Lake Buried Beneath Ice
Microbes have made a home in a lake trapped beneath an 800-meter-thick ice sheet in Antarctica.
17:38
The SciFri Book Club Talks ‘Dune’
The SciFri Book Club concludes its discussion of Frank Herbert’s ecological epic, “Dune.”
12:21
Oceans Act As the World’s Thermostat
Global temperatures hit a plateau at the turn of the 21st century. Now researchers say they’ve discovered where that missing heat was hiding: in the oceans.
7:34
Making “Masstransiscope”
A filmmaker uses science to transform the New York City subway into a movie theater.
9:49
Neanderthals and Modern Humans Mingled for Millennia
New, more accurate radiocarbon dating suggests the two cultures co-existed in Europe for nearly 5,000 years.
7:59
‘Evolutionary Misfit’ Finds Its Way Into the Family Tree
Scientists piece together how a 14-legged Cambrian worm is related to modern animals.
Tar Noir: Paleoforensics at the La Brea Tar Pits
Using paleoforensics, researchers recount the grim details of life and death at the the La Brea Tar Pits.
Millions Of Fossils Can’t Be Wrong
The Page Museum’s Chief Curator, John Harris, explains how paleontological and climatological research at the museum relies upon on tar pit’s prolific fossil deposits.
10 Questions for Biruté Mary Galdikas, Orangutan Expert
The primatologist chats about her adventures with the red ape, her affinity for the forest, and her advice to budding conservationists.