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Science Friday is your trusted source for news and entertaining stories about science.
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.
Welcome To The Bone Room
Biologist and functional morphologist Steve Huskey has nothing to hide, despite the hundreds of skeletons in his closet.
The Logic Of Blame
When it comes to blame and logic, it may be more useful to understand the system rather than the individual.
The Pursuit Of ‘Pure’ Food
Nineteenth century milk sellers used formaldehyde to preserve their product. Just how far have food regulations come?
The Origin Of The Word ‘Alcohol’
“The cause of (and solution to) all life’s problems” is derived from Arabic. But the word ‘alcohol’ originally referred to a method of manufacturing makeup, among other things.
Pakistan Faces A Water War On The Horizon
In his new book, Jeff Nesbit unpacks the rising political tensions between India and Pakistan as a critical water source begins to shrivel up. Will it trigger a nuclear war?
The Origin Of The Word ‘Meme’
What does LOLcats have to do with evolutionary biology?
A Day With Fossil Hunters
Science Friday treks with paleontologists on the fossil hunt in Utah’s dusty canyons.
How Did A Computer Beat A Chess Grandmaster?
Some say Garry Kasparov was more than capable of defeating Deep Blue—but he underestimated the ability of the algorithm.
The Origin Of The Word ‘Quarantine’
‘Trentino’ just doesn’t have the same ring to it.
The Biology Behind Our Emotions
In his new book “The Disordered Mind,” neuroscientist Eric Kandel explores how we control our emotions.
The Origin Of The Word ‘Cocaine’
It’s a tale of a leaf, a graduate student, and alkaloid science.