On Today's Podcast
Tracking The Toxic Fallout Of The LA Fires
Urban fires can release all kinds of chemicals. One year after fires hit Los Angeles, scientists are trying to understand the toxic fallout.
Listen NowJanuary 23, 2026
An epidemiology study finds that variations in one gene play a major role in determining the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Plus, X’s Grok AI is undressing users, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg with fake imagery online. What can we do about deepfakes? And, Louisiana communities continue collecting data on industrial pollution, despite a law restricting its use.
How Dogs Are Helping Us Understand Ourselves
Dogs are helping improve our understanding of various human maladies and how we might treat them.
How a London Sewer Inspired a Search for Unusual Sounds
What might be considered a sound “defect” can be fascinating to listen to.
Letting the Inner Athlete Shine, With a Techno-Boost
For Olympians, there’s interplay between natural athletic ability and suits that provide that extra edge.
Use Clues to Solve an Ice Mystery
Use the physical characteristics of ice to determine where and how several mystery samples could have been frozen.
9:15
Artificial Muscles Flex Using Fishing Line and Thread
Researchers create superhuman strength from sewing thread and fishing line.
20:13
Building an Open ‘Internet of Things’
Will the ‘Internet of Things’ be open to developers—or hindered by proprietary smart boxes?
16:48
App Chat: Social Media Gets Newsy
Ellis Hamburger, a reporter at The Verge, talks about why social media giants are betting on news.
6:51
Beneath a Sleeping Volcano, Magma Mush Lies in Wait
Despite what Hollywood might show you, there’s no big tank of liquid rock under a volcano. Stored magma spends most of its time as a crystalline mush.
22:37
The Science Behind The World’s Strangest Sounds
Acoustic engineer Trevor Cox recorded the world’s longest reverberation.
6:55
Olympians Look to Science for a Competitive Edge
Physiologist and aerospace engineer Troy Flanagan shares the science behind Olympic training.
9:41
Can Technology Build a Better Athlete?
Will the next big Olympics competition be a race for more technology?
Forecasting Avalanches
Using field tests and a deep understanding of how to identify weaknesses in the snow pack, staff members from the Utah Avalanche Center forecast avalanches and take preventive measures.
Why Olympic Curling Stones Come From This Scottish Island
A small Scottish island is now the sole source of Olympic curling stone granite.
Meet John Weller, Our Winter Nature Photo Contest Judge
This nature photographer is drawn to pictures that capture a subject’s essence and tell a story.
Sports Science
Exploring the science, physiology, and tech behind sports and athletics.
The Internet’s Dark Side, Exposed in Three New Films
Three documentaries raise important questions about Internet use, from its effect on our personal relationships to our right to access information.
SciArts at Sundance: Web Junkie
Science Friday attended the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and had a conversation with Shosh Shlam and Hilla Medalia, the directors of the feature documentary film, “Web Junkie.”
A Nanoparticle Heart
This heart-shaped nanoparticle contains a trio of elements that helps drive the oxidation of ethanol in fuel cells.
Test the Finger Wrinkle Hypothesis
Perform an experiment to determine whether smooth or wrinkled fingers are better at holding wet objects. The experiment requires only a water bottle, paperclip, and plastic ruler.
Downloads: Video, student data sheet, illustrated instructions
8:43
Stem Cell Research Update
Researchers in a recent study report creating stem cells in 30 minutes through an acid bath.