Deck the halls with boughs of science!
4:00
Growing Christmas Trees In A Warming World
Oregon is responsible for a quarter of the country’s Christmas trees. It’s also dealing with increased heat waves that are threatening its tree industry.
Capture The Scents Of The Season
Create a scent that captures the essence of the winter season—and explore why the smell of evergreens [or ‘sugar cookies’] can remind you of the holidays.
12:13
Nature’s Own Holiday Light Show
The aurora usually sticks close to the poles. But shifting magnetic field lines allow it to sometimes be seen far south of the Arctic.
16:44
How Can Math Make Your Holidays Merrier?
Wrapping oddly shaped gifts, picking a Secret Santa, and decorating your tree can all be tackled using math.
10:00
May Your Holiday Cheer Be Bright (But Not Overloaded)
Tips for keeping your holiday lights safe this season.
6:35
The Secret Life Of Mistletoe (When It’s Not Christmas)
This parasitic plant grows in deserts and forests around the world and steals trees’ nutrients.
Have Yourself A Mathy Little Christmas
Tips for a geometrically superior holiday season.
16:20
Food Failures: Cookie Science Secrets
In this episode, “Cooking for Geeks” author Jeff Potter gives home bakers tips on how to achieve cookie perfection using different sugars, fats, and flours.
12:26
Does Your Christmas Tree Have Good Genes?
Scientists are studying the environmental and genetic factors that cause Christmas trees to drop their needles.
Perhaps Another Reason to Spike That Eggnog?
A perennial holiday mystery: will alcohol kill bacteria in homemade eggnog?
Snowflake Safari
Next snowstorm, grab a magnifying glass and try snowflake hunting.
Boughs Of Folly: Science Blunders In National Lampoon’s ‘Christmas Vacation’
What can we learn from the Griswolds’ many mishaps?
The Fight Against Blight: Restoring the American Chestnut
Researchers have developed a blight-resistant species that’s nearly identical to the American chestnut tree.
The Man Who Froze Snowflakes In Time
Wilson Bentley brought the beauty of snow crystals to the public using a technique called photomicrography.
Christmas Tree Combustion
A home holiday experiment that explores combustion using festive fuels such as fir, pine, spruce, and cedar.
A Christmas Tree Grows In Oregon
The country’s Christmas tree capital is Oregon, where Douglas and noble firs reign thanks to accommodating climate and soil.
Yet Another Reason To Spike That Eggnog
A perennial holiday dilemma: will alcohol kill the bacteria in homemade eggnog?
11:52
Don’t Stress! How To (Probably) Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions
A lack of discipline isn’t what might undermine your goals, but rather an abundance of stress.
33:56
A Celebration Of The 2023 Christmas Bird Count
Birders across the world band together to record the number of birds in their communities from Dec 14 to Jan 5.
11:50
Keeping The Bubbly In Your Holidays, With Fizzical Science
We pour over the science of the effervescent bubbles of champagne.
4:22
How To Create Your Own Holiday Scent Memories
Why our brains connect smells to memories—and how to capture your favorite seasonal scents.
16:28
How Science Can Keep Your Christmas Tree Merry And Bright
Science Friday is coming in hot with tips to help keep your holidays stress- and needle-free.
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Thanksgiving Science
From cranberries to turkey snoods to giant balloons, Thanksgiving is stuffed full of science.
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