On Today's Podcast
A Delicious But Invasive Mushroom Could Affect Fungal Diversity
Golden oyster mushrooms have escaped from home growing kits into the wild. Plus, the ancient origin story of the humble potato plant.
Listen NowSeptember 5, 2025
A sand dune is much more than just a big pile of sand. But how do sand dunes work, and what else do scientists want to know about sand? Plus, candles, hairstyling products, and other common items can produce toxic air pollution that lingers in our homes. And, former CDC scientist Demetre Daskalakis left his post, citing political interference and a lack of science in decision-making at the agency.
5:26
Endangered Sawfish Reproduce Asexually
Female smalltooth sawfish were found to undergo ‘virgin births’ in southern Florida.
5:34
A Potential ‘Missing Link’ Between the Brain and Immune System
Researchers describe previously undiscovered lymphatic vessels in the brains of mice.
A Human Sundial
Why does the length and direction of our shadow change throughout the day? It all comes back to rotation and position of our planet relative to the sun.
The Story Behind That Iconic Milk Drop Picture
An engineer creates a perfect liquid crown using innovative flash photography.
The Origin Of The Word ‘Sun’
You’ve heard of “heliocentric.” So why don’t we call it the “helio?”
The Medical Wonders Of Worm Spit
David Kaplan explains how bioengineers at Tufts University craft silk into a myriad of medical materials.
11:52
The Thirty-Meter Telescope, A Cancer-Killing Virus, and a Fossil Find
Hawaii Public Radio reporter Molly Solomon talks about a new proposal for Hawaii’s Thirty-Meter Telescope, and reporter Rachel Feltman sums up the week in science news.
10:24
Chew on This: Jaw Fossils Provide Evidence of New Hominin
Scientists uncover evidence of new hominin species in the Afar region of Ethiopia.
24:16
One Year Aboard The Space Station
Astronaut Scott Kelly—aboard the International Space Station—and his Earth-bound twin brother, Mark, talk about the effects of living in space for one year.
11:59
How Did the Beefsteak Tomato Get So Beefy?
Biologist Zach Lippman describes the genetics behind the oversized beefsteak tomato.
25:55
The Limits of Artificial Intelligence
Scientists have unveiled a robot that can sustain injury to one of its six legs, think for a few minutes, and devise a more efficient way to walk.
7:59
We’re at Least a Little Like Yeast
Scientist swap out yeast genes for human ones, with an almost 50 percent success rate.
Solar Convection
Use hot and cold water to see how fluids at different temperatures move around in convection currents in this DIY Sun Science Activity from Lawrence Hall of Science.
Limpet Teeth Tell of Daily Grind
The title-holder for strongest biological material goes to a small mollusk.
A Date Palm Named Methuselah
An excerpt from “The Triumph of Seeds,” by Thor Hanson.
12:04
Retracted Research, 3.3 Million-Year-Old Stone Tool, and Panda Guts
In this week’s news roundup, Rachel Feltman of The Washington Post joins us for a roundup of her top science stories of the week.
24:40
The Small But Mighty Seed
Biologist Thor Hanson describes the dizzying diversity of seeds. A new documentary, “Seeds of Time,” portrays the fight to save them.
9:19
In Your Skin, a Catalog of Sun-Induced Mutations
“Normal” human skin cells can contain a surprisingly large number of sun-induced mutations in their DNA, a new study has found.
12:17
Plankton Goes Viral
A multi-year scientific expedition gives scientists new insights into the oceana’s viral communities.