Radio
Listen to Science Friday live on Fridays from 2-4 p.m. ET
September 29, 2023
A neuroscientist discusses how your brain filters visual inputs. Plus, two stories about jellyfish—tracking a freshwater jelly that’s spreading across the US, and the surprising finding that one species of jelly may be able to learn. And, researchers are learning that placebos might be more effective when patients are told they’re receiving them.
10:59
What’s the Real Cost of Your Steak?
Cattle require 28 times more land and 11 times more irrigation water than eggs or poultry.
6:34
A Newly Discovered Virus That Lives in Our Gut
Researchers discovered a virus that lives in the gut of half of the world’s population.
12:04
Mosquito-Borne Viruses Raise Public Health Concern
This summer, two different and currently untreatable mosquito-borne viruses were identified on the East Coast.
5:49
Smarty Pants: Testing the Quality of Textiles
Confidence in how well our garments suit us shouldn’t be taken for granted—we owe much to textile quality assurance.
20:51
Fashioning The Future
A scientist and a designer imagine fashion’s high-tech future.
22:14
As California Dries Up, Locals Hope for El Niño
A third of California is now clenched by exceptional drought, and this week the state announced $500 fines for water-wasters. But many residents continue to hope for rain.
16:24
App Chat: Plugging In to the Outdoors
Reporter Bob Parks guides us through his favorite outdoor and camping apps.
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.