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?
Jump In Jerboas!
These adorable critters bounce about on long, springy legs—appendages that just might help us better understand and manipulate the growth of human bones.
Boughs Of Folly: Science Blunders In National Lampoon’s ‘Christmas Vacation’
What can we learn from the Griswolds’ many mishaps?
11:52
Stranded Sea Lions, Warming Lakes, and Floating Schools
Sea lions struggle to navigate after domoic acid exposure, and communities around the world try to innovate in the face of climate change.
21:56
Backing Up the World Wide Web
The average lifespan of a web page is 100 days. How can we archive quickly changing web and digital content?
10:32
So You Want to Be an Astronaut?
As NASA begins “astronaut candidate” selection, Administrator Charles Bolden explains what it means to have the “right stuff.”
12:00
What If There Were Webcams in ‘Home Alone’?
CNET editor Ry Crist discusses the increasing options of do-it-yourself security devices.
17:14
Do Scientists Have the Duty to Speak Out?
The popular anti-terrorism slogan, “If you see something, say something,” asks citizens to speak up if they see a potential threat. But does that apply to scientists?
7:19
Cell Implant Treats Inflammation Before It Starts
Designer cells detect inflammatory compounds that foreshadow an autoimmune attack, pumping out anti-inflammatory compounds in response.
9:06
Keeping Tabs on ‘Hate’ Through Google Searches
Google searches could gauge public sentiment on controversial views that polls and surveys can’t always measure.
Motorcycles, Music, and a ‘Miracle’ Drug: Which Oliver Sacks Book Should We Read for the SciFri Book Club?
The SciFri Book Club celebrates the literary legacy of Oliver Sacks by reading one of his modern classics. Help us pick it!
Building A ‘Beest’ Fit For The Beach
Dutch artist Theo Jansen has spent 25 years constructing massive sculptures designed to crawl, scuttle, and stride along the beach.
How To Make Your Own Lightsaber
One “Star Wars” fan shares best practices for a DIY lightsaber.
The Week-After Science Friday Quiz! 12/14/15
What do you know about bananas and Pluto?
12:03
The State of Nuclear Power, Climate Refugees, and Bad News for Bananas
Journalists Maggie Koerth-Baker and Roberto Ferdman discuss the state of nuclear power around the world, as well as the fungal threat to bananas.
22:08
Why Science Needs Failure to Succeed
Neuroscientist Stuart Firestein says that in science, “one must try to fail because it is the only strategy to avoid repeating the obvious.”
12:48
Will Ambition Be Built Into the Climate Agreement?
Will a coalition for 90 nations, including the United States, negotiate a more ambitious climate plan?
12:14
Fighting Cancer With Your Own Immune System
Former president Jimmy Carter declared himself cancer-free this week as a result of—among other things—a cancer immunotherapy drug.
10:24
Pluto Comes Into Focus
Photos from the New Horizons mission reveal icy plains, craters, and mountains on Pluto.
24:37
The Best Science Books of 2015
We’re making our book list and checking it twice: It’s the Best Science Books of 2015.
Can Failure Be an End in Itself?
Science is constantly being revised, and failure is crucial to the process.