On Today's Podcast
How New Jersey tamped down PFAS in drinking water
In 2018, New Jersey began limiting PFAS “forever chemicals” in drinking water. Levels of the regulated chemicals have dropped as much as 55%.
Listen NowApril 17, 2026
Tracy Scott’s dad walked on the moon. Now, she studies the lives and families of other Apollo-era astronauts. Plus, recordings from a decades-long research project in Florida are helping scientists decode dolphin whistles. And, inventor Simone Giertz rose to YouTube fame with comically bad robots. Now she designs comically useful objects for our very normal problems.
Give Yourself A Hand With DIY Gripper
What high-tech materials are required for making a robotic hand that can pick up almost anything? Coffee grounds and a latex balloon.
T-Rex’s Rep, a Flying Bike, Living the High Life, and Mosquito Appetites
A roundup of science stories or studies that blow our mind, tickle our funny bone, or generally strike our fancy.
8:27
Not-So-Sweet Side Effects of Artificial Sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners may negatively affect how the body metabolizes sweet foods.
21:11
Protecting Your Online Privacy
Worried about your online privacy? There are services that can help secure your information.
10:38
U.K. Team Plans E.T. Search
A newly formed group in the UK will join the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
5:50
Desktop Diaries: Jill Tarter
“People have described my office as an eight-year-old’s daydream,” says SETI scientist Jill Tarter.
8:22
Tracking Shifting Sands Along the Nation’s Coast
Hurricane Sandy tore through New York’s Fire Island, setting off debate about coastal management.
16:48
Surf’s Up for Pathogenic Viruses and Bacteria, Too
A gulp of seawater can expose swimmers to pathogens like norovirus, salmonella, and adenovirus.
8:21
Mysterious Radio Bursts, Sent From Deep Space
Physicists say the distant radio blasts could be traces of evaporating black holes.
12:03
Trying to Energize the Push for a Smart Grid
Can the country build an electrical system that can better adapt to a range of changing conditions?
Desktop Diaries: Jill Tarter
As the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute’s first employee, Tarter has accumulated E.T.-themed office ornaments for the last 30 years—including a bottle of wine to be opened “only upon detection of Extraterrestrial signal.”
Building Better Broccoli, a Nose Spray for Alzheimer’s?, Bedtime Blunders, and More
A roundup of science stories or studies that blow our mind, tickle our funny bone, or generally strike our fancy.
Operation Strawberry: One Artist’s Mission to Revive a Heritage Fruit
Through social networking and word of mouth, artist Leah Gauthier is helping preserve the Marshall strawberry, a fragile, juicy, heirloom plant. Just call her Jane Strawberryseed.
Rich Diversity of Life May Be Locked In Antarctic Lake
A new study suggests that a bevy of bacteria and other life could be dwelling in Lake Vostok.
Playing the Ol’ Armonica
Benjamin Franklin invented an instrument that takes musical glasses to a whole new level.
29:05
Is Alternative Medicine Really ‘Medicine’?
In his new book, Paul Offit writes that many alternative treatments are unproven, or worse, harmful.
9:59
Building a Liver From Stem Cells
Researchers say they have created a functional human liver using induced pluripotent stem cells.
7:47
Writing Tunes to Tune In To
A behind-the-notes look at the creation of Science Friday’s new theme music.
7:51
Can White Blood Cells Spread Cancer?
Researchers say they may have found a new way that cancer spreads.
14:16
With Rising Temperatures, Infrastructure Falters
Hot weather means more than just sweaty brows and a yearning for the pool.