On Today's Podcast
Why cannabis’s health effects are so hard to study
Cannabis seems to be everywhere, in many forms. We're learning more about its effect on teenage brains and its usefulness as a therapeutic.
Listen NowSeptember 11, 2026
Scientists used fossil records and AI tools to reconstruct a soundscape of a Jurassic forest. Shorter courses of antibiotics may actually reduce antimicrobial resistance. Plus, a new study found a group of genes associated with fibromyalgia. And, as black bears return to their historic ranges across the U.S., human encounters are increasing. How can bears and people live in harmony?
16:57
To Learn How Your Camera Works, Try Building One
The Bigshot Do-It-Yourself Digital Camera kit gives tinkerers a view of a camera’s anatomy.
16:51
Einstein’s Real Breakthrough? Quantum Theory
Einstein is best known for relativity, but was his quantum theory more revolutionary?
29:58
Chris Hadfield’s Lessons From Life in Orbit
Retired astronaut Chris Hadfield explores life floating through space and back on Earth.
Einstein’s Monster
An excerpt from “Einstein and the Quantum: The Quest of the Valient Swabian.”
8 Minutes, 42 Seconds to Space
An excerpt from “An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth.”
Time Traveling at La Brea Tar Pits
The SciFri staff visited La Brea Tar Pits, which is celebrating 100 years of excavation.
Mavericks Of The Bat World
Mexican free-tailed bats engage in aerial acrobatics reminiscent of the jet maneuvers in “Top Gun.”
Am I A Psychopath?
An excerpt from “The Psychopath Inside: A Neuroscientist’s Personal Journey into the Dark Side of the Brain.”
12:09
The Real-Life Walking Dead
People suffering from Cotard’s syndrome believe they are dead or no longer exist.
17:29
Uncovering the Brain of a Psychopath
Neuroscientist James Fallon’s brain scan matched the patterns in the scan of a psychopath.
12:26
Climate Change Aids Toxic Slime’s Advance
Toxic blooms of cyanobacteria are choking lakes and rivers worldwide, due in part to warmer waters.
3:59
Discover the Inner Beauty of the Naked Mole Rat
How do naked mole rats live to 30 years without getting cancer?
22:44
Craig Venter: Life at the Speed of Light
In his latest book, Venter imagines printing out flu vaccines and teleporting Martian DNA.
23:27
Science Goes To The Movies: ‘Gravity’
Astronauts separate fact from fiction in Alfonso Cuarón’s “Gravity.”
Great Balls of Lightning!
The phenomenon has impressed people for centuries, but it has yet to be created in the lab.
The Inner Beauty of Naked Mole Rats
How do naked mole rats live to 30 years without getting cancer? Research by Vera Gorbunova and Andrei Seluanov of the University of Rochester shows how these aesthetically challenged creatures live long, cancer-free lives.
Show, Not Tell: The Rise of the Infographic
Data visualizations are all the rage these days. Here’s a sampler of science-based ones to feed both your brain and your eyes.
11:31
New Fossil May Trim Branches of Human Evolution
Could Homo erectus, Homo habilis, and the rest of the Homo genus be one species?
24:27
Logging In to the Brain’s Social Network
Neuroscientist Matthew Lieberman explores how our brains connect to the social world.