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.
Alan Turing at 100
A look at the man who helped create the modern world–and was promptly forgotten by it.
Meet the Energy-Saving Gadgets of the Future
Floors that generate electricity from footsteps. A GPS that outsmarts traffic jams. Innovations like these could be the next big thing–and we have student inventors to thank.
Spider-Man Gets a Physics Lesson
Do the laws of physics apply to superheroes? Sort of, says James Kakalios.
Will China Blast Past America in Space?
China just ticked off another accomplishment in space: its first manned docking in orbit. Next stop…the Moon?
Voyager 1 Bids Farewell To The Solar System
Voyager 1 is leaving the solar system, making it the first spacecraft to enter interstellar space.
More to the Universe Than Meets the Eye
The universe is full of invisible stuff. Take dark matter–you can’t spot it with your eyes, but it outnumbers visible matter five to one!
Field Trip! Can You Stomach It?
Philadelphia’s Mütter Museum has a lot of heart, and other organs too.
Can 3D Printers Reshape the World?
From batteries to bikinis, a look at what’s in the queue for 3D printers.
Tall Buildings a Cut above the Rest
Desert towers with their own sunscreen are among the world’s best skyscrapers.
What Your Brain Looks Like When You Lose Self-Control
New pictures show what happens in the brain when you pass up the pie, but later eat the pudding.
Medical Oddities from the Bowels of the Mütter
“Disturbingly informative,” is how museum director Robert Hicks describes Philadelphia’s Mütter Museum—items of interest include a gangrenous hand, wax models of extinct diseases, deformed bones and body parts.
Bones, Books, and Bell Jars
In her new book, Bones Books and Bell Jars, physician and photographer Andrea Baldeck documents the collection of medical texts, instruments, and specimens at Philadelphia’s Mütter Museum.
How the Morning-After Pill Works
Growing scientific evidence weakens claims that the morning-after pill is tied to abortion.
Mapping the Microbial Make-Up of Healthy Humans
Scoping out the trillions of germs that call the healthy human body home.
Bacterial Armor Imaged, Down to the Details
Images of a bacterium reveal a protective protein coat akin to the chainmail of a medieval knight.
Desktop Diaries: Sylvia Earle
A moray eel, a flock of geese, and a shrunken head are just a few of things found in and around Her Deepness’ office.
Virus Hunter Recalls Discovery of Ebola and HIV
Would you be brave enough to go deep into the African jungle to investigate a deadly new virus? Peter Piot was, and he’s here to tell the tale.
Putting a Friendly Face on Statistics
Turning data into faces makes people take notice.
Neanderthals: The Oldest Cave Painters?
A red disk painted in a Spanish cave over 40,800 years ago could be the work of Neanderthals.
Desktop Diaries: Sylvia Earle
In the latest installment of Science Friday’s Desktop Diaries series, Her Deepness takes us on a tour on her Oakland office.