09/18/2015

Arctic Mosquito Swarms, Our Shrinking Moon, and a ‘Dislike’ Button

12:18 minutes

Climate change is shrinking habitat ranges and causing population declines in species worldwide, but one group is thriving in the warmer temperatures: Arctic mosquitoes. Washington Post reporter Rachel Feltman discusses why these insects are booming, and shares other science stories making headlines this week.

Plus, at a Q&A at Facebook headquarters this week, Mark Zuckerberg announced that the social network is working on something akin to the “dislike” button that some users have long desired. Slate senior technology writer Will Oremus explores the good and bad of Facebook’s move beyond the thumbs-up.

Segment Guests

Rachel Feltman

Rachel Feltman is a freelance science communicator who hosts “The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week” for Popular Science, where she served as Executive Editor until 2022. She’s also the host of Scientific American’s show “Science Quickly.” Her debut book Been There, Done That: A Rousing History of Sex is on sale now.

Will Oremus

Will Oremus is a senior technology writer for Slate in New York, New York.

Meet the Producers and Host

About Alexa Lim

Alexa Lim was a senior producer for Science Friday. Her favorite stories involve space, sound, and strange animal discoveries.

About Annie Minoff

Annie Minoff is a producer for The Journal from Gimlet Media and the Wall Street Journal, and a former co-host and producer of Undiscovered. She also plays the banjo.