On Today's Podcast
What is the Kelvin wave on the West Coast?
El Niño is driving a Kelvin wave up the West Coast, raising sea levels. What is it, and how does it work?
Listen NowOctober 9, 2026
A new mRNA flu vaccine promises a closer match to circulating flu strains. An estimated 2 billion tons of dust are lofted into the air each year, affecting ecosystems, the atmosphere, and the weather. Plus artist David Byrne sits down with Flora for a conversation on why some ideas go dormant, and then reawaken. And, a Cephalopod Week finale featuring death spirals, cannibalism, and more.
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.
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.