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Science Friday is your trusted source for news and entertaining stories about science.
Put Saturn’s Ring On It With Science Valentines
There’s only one way to say ‘I love you’ in 2019: with science.
Unfolding Stories In Maps Of The Grand Canyon
View historic maps of the Grand Canyon that tell tales of exploration of the national park.
‘You Press The Button.’ The Rest Is History.
You thought the hand-wringing around cell phone cameras was bad? Learn how controversial even adding a button to cameras was in this excerpt from Rachel Plotnick’s “Power Button.”
Trekking Around The World With Ira
Wish you were here! Ira gives us a little taste of local science as he travels the world.
The Geologists Who Control Lava
The molten material can be a menace of destruction in nature, but a geologist and an artist are investigating how it maneuvers.
SciFri Extra: Charly Evon Simpson On ‘Behind The Sheet’
In this extended interview, playwright Charly Evon Simpson discusses the enslaved women whose bodies paved the way for modern gynecology.
The Season The Earth Shattered
In N.K. Jemisin’s novel “The Fifth Season,” the earth lashes back when humans begin to harm the planet—leaving behind a barren, broken world.
The Doctor Who Saved Hamilton’s Son’s Life
David Hosack was much more than just the doctor present at the Hamilton-Burr duel. He was also a respected botanist who founded the first botanic garden in the U.S.
The Science Behind The Five-Second Rule
Let’s dig into the science and history of this urban myth.
Do Babies Experience Schadenfreude?
Author Tiffany Watt Smith and her nine-month-old baby meet with a developmental psychologist to find out what makes infants laugh—and when humans begin to experience joy out of other’s misfortunes.
The Best Of Science Friday, 2018
From Usain Bolt and volcanoes to a kid scientist-to-be and caterpillars, the Science Friday staff share their favorite stories from 2018.
The Mass Extinction Detectives
The End Triassic extinction paved the way for the dinosaurs by killing their competition—in an event that looks like climate change today.
How Do We Read Differently With Screens?
Author Maryanne Wolf writes that reading-brain circuits are shaped by environmental factors. What does that mean in the digital age?
In Three Billion Heartbeats
Cardiologist Sandeep Jauhar vividly remembers when his grandfather died from a heart attack—a memory that fed his fascination with the “life-giving” organ.
Why Your Dog Is More Efficient Than A Laundry Machine
In this excerpt from ‘How to Walk on Water and Climb Up Walls,’ David Hu explains why the wet-dog shake is so efficient.
Help SciFri Track The ‘Flu Near You’
SciFri and Flu Near You are teaming up to track the flu.
What’s The Most Important Science Issue To You In Your State?
Tell us what local science issue you care most about!
The Problem With The Plasma
In this excerpt from “Nine Pints,” Rose George explains how issues with the 1970s American plasma led to a contaminated supply.