Audio
Listen to Science Friday live on Fridays from 2-4 p.m. ET, or listen to our daily podcast
May 2, 2025
An astronomer explores the cosmos and the limits of what science can test. Plus, how the mysterious properties of pasta—like how it bends, coils, and breaks—have been tested by physicists for decades. And, millions of years ago, iguanas somehow got from North America to Fiji. Scientists think they made the trip on a raft of fallen vegetation.
6:50
Frozen in Time, a Giant Virus
A virus large enough to be seen through a light microscope was recovered from the Siberian permafrost.
7:39
Pacemaker Researchers Swap Batteries for Biology
With gene therapy, scientists reprogram pig heart cells to improve heartbeat.
12:09
Scientists Call Whales the ‘Engineers’ of the Ocean Ecosystem
Whales stabilize the ocean ecosystem through a mechanism scientists call the “whale pump,” or fecal plumes.
23:02
The Surprisingly Predictable Patterns of Random Choice
In his new book, “Rock Breaks Scissors,” author William Poundstone decodes the patterns in big data, sports, and human behaviors.
10:58
What’s So Bad About Being Alone With Your Thoughts?
A study finds that many people would rather shock themselves than be alone with their thoughts.
12:04
Could Inducing Hypothermia Help Revive Trauma Patients?
In a procedure called “Emergency Preservation and Resuscitation,” doctors would replace the blood of patients with cold saline to help buy valuable operating time.
16:54
Concerns Rise Over Pesticide Use, Birds, and Bees
Neonicotinoid pesticides have been banned in the E.U. but are still approved for use in the U.S. while the EPA reviews them.
10:58
Keeping an Eye on Wayward Studies
Ivan Oransky, co-founder of the Retraction Watch blog, discusses what happens when scientific studies go bad.
The ABCs of 3D
Makerbot’s Bre Pettis explains what you need to know to try your own 3D printing.
15:58
A Web of Doubt
Author Charles Seife spots the falsehoods and fakes that make their way onto the information super highway.