On Today's Podcast
The Human Obsession With Aliens Goes Way, Way Back
A new book charts the millennia-old history of our fascination with aliens, and how myth transformed into research.
Listen NowSeptember 12, 2025
Octopuses can use their suckers to detect harmful microbes on the surface of objects like crab shells, or their own eggs. Plus, a new book charts the millennia-old history of our fascination with aliens, and how myth transformed into research. And, golden oyster mushrooms have escaped from home growing kits into the wild. Could they affect fungal diversity in North American forests?
Model The Texture-Changing Structures of Cuttlefish Skin: Papillae
Recreating this impressive feat of camouflage takes only a balloon and a bit of duct tape.
Haikus By Cephalo-Poets
The mighty cephalopod never fails to inspire. This year, cephalo-lovers around the world set their tributes to verse.
The Seamstress And The Secrets Of The Argonaut Shell
Known since Aristotle, no one understood the argonaut octopus—until a 19th-century seamstress turned naturalist took it upon herself to solve its mysteries.
The Making Of The Octopus In ‘20,000 Leagues Under The Sea’
In the first major underwater film production, three key inventions helped create an iconic scene featuring an impossibly large cephalopod.
9:31
A Daily Audio Diary Of The Narwhal
Researchers have collected the sounds of a group of narwhals in order to monitor how the animals are affected by manmade sounds.
Bobtails + Bacteria = BFF
This tiny squid works with bacteria to camouflage itself.
Cephalopod Inc.
Will cephalopods one day be as ubiquitous in labs as mice and fruit flies?
7:06
Waiting For Opportunity To Call
The little Mars rover that could is sleeping through a massive dust storm. Will it have enough power to wake up again?
4:43
Water Fountains Everywhere But Fewer Drops To Drink
The Chicago Park District may shut down nearly half of its water fountains due to lead contamination.
17:37
A New Story For One Of The Planet’s Oldest Creatures
The history of the dinosaurs is being rewritten by young scientists digging up new discoveries in the golden age of dinosaur fossil hunting.
16:34
SciFri’s Tentacled Spectacle Cephalopod Week Returns
Like a kraken rising from the depths, Cephalopod Week is back!
11:42
A Possible Dark Side To Gene-Editing Technique CRISPR
New research indicates that for some cell types, CRISPR could lead to cancer.
24:42
A Hue Of A Different Color
There’s a whole spectrum of science that explores how light and matter interact to give us the rainbow. Chemists and biologists alike are seeking new ways to make shades we take for granted.
‘The Dinosaur Looked Just Like A Bird.’
On average, a new species of dinosaur is discovered every week. Meet the paleontologists who are uncovering them.
Earth’s History In A Column Of Coral
Take a look back in time by examining x-ray images of the insides of corals.
Kelp: It’s What’s For Dinner
Meet the farmers who want to make cheap, environmentally friendly kelp America’s next favorite vegetable.
Lost And Found In A Museum’s Archive
Specimens from a voyage in 1906 sat in a jar for more than a century, until one scientist named them.
7:20
Breast Cancer Advances, Slower Hurricanes, and Peacock Problems
New research finds that not all women with breast cancer need chemotherapy. Plus, more stories in this week’s News Round-up.
4:50
Marine Habitats Are Protected—But Are They Effective?
Ten percent of the world’s oceans are on track to be protected by 2020. But do they need to be?