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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.
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.
16:43
Simulating the Red Planet, on the Pale Blue Dot
What’s it like to live—and cook—on Mars? To find out, researchers are simulating Mars missions in Russia and on the slopes of a Hawaiian volcano.
29:43
The Fallacies of Fat
In “Fat Chance,” obesity doc Robert Lustig deconstructs the mythology on fat and exercise.
7:00
Getting a Handle on Why Fingers Wrinkle
Only a handful of researchers (ever) have looked into why fingers get pruney after a water bath.
4:14
How E-Waste Is Becoming a Big, Global Problem
More than 2.5 million tons of electronic waste is produced each year in the U.S.
27:31
Doctors Turn to Genetics to Search for Cancer’s Achilles Heel
Understanding the genetic drivers of cancer may revolutionize treatment options in the future.
7:45
Pap Test May Detect More Than Just Cervical Cancer
Routine pap tests may be capable of spotting signs of ovarian and uterine cancers.
6:31
Negative Temperatures That Are Hotter Than the Sun
Scientists have cooled potassium gas to one billionth of a degree below absolute zero. But in the quantum world, that’s actually “hotter” than the sun. How is that possible?
16:40
A Journey to the Oort Cloud, Where Comets Are Born
The comet ISON, discovered by two amateur astronomers last year, will zoom past Earth next fall. But where did it come from?
17:03
‘Full Planet, Empty Plates’
In his new book, Lester Brown says the world’s food supply is tightening—and the reasons are many.