On Today's Podcast
How do you study microplastics in a plastic-filled lab?
Measuring microplastics can be hard, partly because they're everywhere—including the lab. One researcher is working on solutions.
Listen NowMay 1, 2026
Birds are living dinosaurs whose ancestors include T. rex and giant penguins. Understanding their past can help us imagine their future. Plus, an executive order issued by President Trump aims to fast-track research for psychedelics, including ibogaine. What is it? And, measuring microplastics can be hard, partly because they’re everywhere—including the lab. One researcher is working on solutions.
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.
9:57
Shakespeare’s Sonnets, Encoded in DNA
If all the world’s information were encoded as DNA, it would fit in the back of a station wagon.
5:06
Turning Girl Scout Cookies Into Graphene
Scientists have transformed baked goods into graphene, worth two million times the price of gold.
24:17
The Book Club Catches ‘The Andromeda Strain’
The Science Friday book club chats about Michael Crichton’s 1969 classic sci-fi thriller.
Mold Compounds Sandy’s Destruction
The Rockaways, a Queens, N.Y. neighborhood, is still recovering from Sandy. Debris from fires lingers on the streets, and buildings torn apart by the storm are crumbling on the beach. But those with restored heat and power have another concern: mold.
Water on Mars, Sea Creatures, NFL Concussions
Once more, lots of intriguing stories making the news this week. Here are a few of my favorites.
An Illustrated Guide to the Mysterious
In a new book, artists illustrate the big (and not-so-big) questions in science.
Researchers Dig In to the Genetics of Burrowing
Complex behaviors, such as the way some mice dig burrows, can be affected by changes to just a handful of genes.
12:04
Inventors Design Lamp Powered Entirely by Gravity
The gravity-powered device uses a weight to generate up to 30 minutes of light as it descends.
17:01
Colossal Quasar Clump Too Huge to Exist, in Theory
Astronomers have discovered a clump of 73 quasars spanning four billion light years at its widest point — that’s like 40,000 Milky Way galaxies lined end-to-end.
17:35
How Do You Fend Off the Flu?
Aside from getting the flu shot, how do you outsmart the wily flu virus? Hoard hand sanitizer? Dodge door knobs? Or quietly slink away from a coughing commuter?
11:59
Dementia Takes the Stage in ‘The Other Place’
Laurie Metcalf is a scientist suffering from the dementia she studies in the play ‘The Other Place.’
23:52
Edward Tufte Wants You to See Better
The “Galileo of graphics” discusses his latest project: helping people to see information through “fresh” eyes.
10:22
Beijing Grapples with Record Air Pollution
Severe smog is raising concerns about the cost of China’s rapid industrialization.
A Spider Charade
The octopus may be the king of camouflage, but if there’s an animal whose name is synonymous with deception, it’s the spider.
Cyberspace Sneaking: Sending Secret Messages Via Skype
Polish researchers have devised a way to send encrypted messages using Skype.
What 17 Months in Isolation Looks Like (On a Mars Mission)
For 520 days, six men lived together in a simulated mission to Mars. Here’s what their home away from home looked like.
Arctic Research: Carhartts, Polar Bears, and Duct Tape
What does a modern Arctic explorer wear to work? And what does the modern explorer (mature male) do if he has to pee?
7:45
Pap Test May Detect More Than Just Cervical Cancer
Routine pap tests may be capable of spotting signs of ovarian and uterine cancers.