On Today's Podcast
Who Wants To Smell An Ancient Embalmed Mummy?
Chemists and perfumers are using new techniques to bring ancient scents back to life, from mummies to a 5,000-year-old incense burner.
Listen NowFebruary 6, 2026
The mountaineering history behind "skimo," a new Winter Olympic event. Plus, new USDA dietary guidelines tell us to “eat real food.” Should policymakers get highly processed foods out of our stores and school lunches? And, it's easier than ever for companies to collect your personal data and compile it into a profile for advertisers, ICE, and other agencies.
16:28
It’s Spacetime And Science Season At The Oscars
From multiverses to volcanoes, this year’s Academy Award nominees include many pictures where science drives the plot.
How Big Tech’s Obsession With Engagement Destabilized Society
Investigative journalist Max Fisher chronicles how social networks prioritized profits and ideals over society’s wellbeing.
What Makes A Superbloom So Super?
A super bloom a desert phenomenon where massive amounts of wildflowers bloom at exactly the same time. How is it possible?
Sustainable Tech For The City Of Ember
The classic young adult novel The City Of Ember is a dystopian struggle for survival underneath the surface of the Earth. But what if they had made use of aquaponics and geothermal power? Find out in this claims, evidence, and reasoning STEM challenge that lives up to this novel’s compelling premise.
Science Friday in Traverse City: Great Lakes Stories with IPR
On April 26, join Ira Flatow and the Interlochen Public Radio Points North team in Traverse City, MI for an evening of local science stories.
Build A Model Dinosaur
Gather fossil evidence of natural history, physiology, and behavior to design and build a model dinosaur–then animate it!
Celebrate Biodiversity for Citizen Science Month
April is Citizen Science Month and Science Friday is an official partner! Join us for crowdsource science projects celebrating biodiversity.
Community Science
You can do science anywhere. Learn about crowd, collaborative, community and citizen science projects for anyone to participate in!
12:18
A Medication Abortion Drug Faces Potential Nationwide Restriction
An upcoming ruling in Texas could restrict access to the medication abortion drug mifepristone nationwide.
8:27
A New Twist On Sowing Seeds
An engineered wooden wrapper helps seeds bury themselves in damp soil.
9:08
A Long History Shadows Fight Over California’s Shasta Dam
The Shasta Dam helped turn the state into an agricultural cornucopia—but it destroyed the home of the Winnemem Wintu.
17:07
Rapper And Scholar Sammus Confronts AI In Hip-Hop
A conversation with rapper and academic Sammus about what the intersections between hip-hop and AI mean for music.
17:03
Appreciating The Brilliance Of Benjamin Banneker
From the stars to cicadas, this self-taught Black scientist left a long legacy.
11:43
‘All That Breathes:’ A Story Of Two Brothers Saving New Delhi’s Raptors
The Oscar-nominated documentary follows two brothers on their mission to save black kites.
5:32
The Supernatural Side Of Astronomical Events
An astrophysicist explains the science behind some of history’s most notorious astronomical omens.
12:13
Why Won’t Museums Return Native American Human Remains?
A groundbreaking policy passed three decades ago ordered institutions to return Native American remains. Many have failed to do so.
Hack Your Food With Water-Loving Hydrogel Polymers
Hack your food with materials science as you use water-loving hydrogels to grow vegetables from scraps and make a batch of “hot” ice cream.
Earth Facts And Films: Test Your Knowledge At Movie Trivia Night
On April 14, meet us at the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, NY for a Science Goes To The Movies-themed battle of the brains!
12:09
UFOs? Balloons? Spy Cams? Here’s What’s Going On
And no, they’re not aliens. Yet. Plus, how AI is being used in drug development, and the startups trying to remove methane from the air.
17:25
How The Western U.S. Could Rebuild Its Water Infrastructure
Amid historic drought, what realistic solutions are available to stabilize the future of water in the western U.S.?