On Today's Podcast
As Companies Build Data Centers For AI, Communities Push Back
A boom in construction of AI data centers is facing backlash over soaring electricity and water usage, and the resulting utility hikes.
Listen NowDecember 5, 2025
A boom in construction of AI data centers is facing backlash over soaring electricity and water usage, and the resulting utility hikes. Plus, to save spotted owls in the Pacific Northwest, one plan suggests killing thousands of barred owls. And, geologist Anjana Khatwa explains how embracing wonder and awe adds to our scientific understanding of the rocks that form our planet.
46:40
Science of Slumber: How Sleep Affects Your Memory
How much sleep does your brain need? Experts discuss the links between sleep, memory, and cognition.
Below the Feathers
Artist Katrina van Grouw looks past the feathers to see the beauty in birds.
Our Award-Winning Video
“Step Into an Optical Illusion” was awarded top prize at Science Online’s Cyberscreen Film Festival. Congratulations Flora!
How to Cook on Mars (Recipe Included)
Whipping up a yummy Martian snack isn’t as hard as it might seem.
36:13
Preserving Science News in an Online World
Experts discuss how the internet impacts public perception of science.
4:50
Dung Beetles Use Cosmic GPS to Find Their Way
Dung beetles use light from the Milky Way to help them navigate at night.
5:08
How Owls Turn Heads
How do these birds turn their heads 270 degrees without damaging their blood vessels?
47:18
Are We Losing the Race Against Climate Change?
China burns as much coal as the rest of the world combined. But it also leads in clean tech, and has a national climate change policy in place. A look at how the world is tackling climate change–with or without us.
How Owls Turn Heads
How do owls turn their heads 270 degrees without damaging their blood vessels? X-rays and dissections may provide an answer.
And the Award Goes to…
The 2012 International Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge winners are in.
February Book Club Pick: ‘Gorillas in the Mist’
Dian Fossey’s memoir of her work with the gorillas is next on our reading list.
Spider Webs, Tractor Beams, and Beer
This week, I’m focusing on some really geeky—I should say Benjie*—research that caught my eye. Be ready for some gorgeous graphics and hi-tech talk.
SciFri Book Club Open Thread: ‘The Andromeda Strain’
Here are some ideas to get the conversation started.
The Minimalist Brain
Artist Greg Dunn combines his two passions: neuroscience and Asian-inspired painting.
19:20
Canine Conundrum: How Dog Became Man’s Best Friend
Scientists have long debated how—and when—dogs first became domesticated.
22:42
Shoring Up the Nation’s Crumbling Coastlines
Can beaches be rebuilt to face fiercer storms and rising seas? Is there even enough sand to do it?
4:27
Months After Sandy, Mucking and Gutting
Mold has become a concern for residents of a Sandy-damaged neighborhood in Queens.
7:12
Cold Snap Shakes Up Winter Weather Outlook
Climatologist Jeff Weber explains why this winter could pack a punch.