On Today's Podcast
What The Label Of ‘Genius’ Tells Us About Our Society
In “The Genius Myth,” Helen Lewis argues that who we call a genius reveals more about our values than any objective measure of brilliance.
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?
17:23
Personalized Immunotherapy Shows Promise Beyond Cancer
CAR T Cell therapy, currently approved to treat several forms of blood cancer, is now in early clinical trials to treat autoimmune disorders like lupus and multiple sclerosis.
11:55
Feeling Hopeless About Climate Change? Try Playing These Video Games
How do you make a video game about climate change that’s fun to play? The annual Climate Jam competition aims to do just that.
5:13
Analogue Animation: Turning The Pages Of A Flipbook Machine
J.C. Fontanive brings birds and bees to life through automated ‘flipbooks,’ with some help from discarded clock and bicycle components.
17:22
What You Need To Know About Monkeypox
Following the declaration of a new public health emergency, experts answer SciFri listener questions—and clear up misinformation.
A New Tell-All Memoir Written By The Milky Way
Astronomer and folklorist Moiya McTier’s new book is a saucy memoir that shows why our galaxy needed to tell its own story.
Expert Q&A: How To Manage COVID Risk As New Variants Emerge
You asked updated questions about staying safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. We compiled answers from expert epidemiologists.
The Never-Ending Flipbook Machines
This Queens-based artist created a way to turn flipbooks of fluttering hummingbirds and butterflies into moving sculptures.
12:15
White House Declares Monkeypox Outbreak A Public Health Emergency
A public health emergency designation can open up additional resources to combat the growing number of monkeypox cases in the United States.
17:16
Engineering and Infrastructure In A Collapsing Climate
Our infrastructure isn’t ready for extreme heat or rising floodwaters. An engineer on what needs to change.
17:23
New Steps Toward A Vaccine For Cancer
Progress in understanding the immune system is offering hope for promising new cancer treatments in the form of vaccines.
5:47
Restoring A Sensitive Ecosystem, One Wildflower At A Time
Protecting important habitats, like the sandplain grasslands of the Atlantic Coast, is critical in a changing climate.
10:38
A Fish By Any Other Name: Inside The Effort To Bring ‘Copi’ To Dinner
This invasive fish has a new moniker, one that experts hope will encourage more restaurants to place it on their menus.
10:28
A Teen Inventor Builds A Fingerprint Scanner for Gender Equity
16-year-old Elizabeth Nyamwange’s fingerprint scanner uses blockchain technology to make proof of identity more accessible worldwide.
6:07
Remembering Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek’s Pioneering Lieutenant Uhura
The actress broke new ground on television, and inspired many viewers to enter science and technology careers.
12:14
What’s Inside A Sudden, Second Chance At A Climate Bill
A political scientist who advised for the Inflation Reduction Act explains the bill’s goals, and the politics that led to its creation.
Menstruation: Another Way Humans Are Unique In The Animal Kingdom
From this SciFri Book Club pick, a peek inside the vast—and still relatively under-researched—part of the human body: the uterus.
12:19
Decades Of Alzheimer’s Research Could Be Based On Fraudulent Data
Plus, the moon may have pockets of pleasant temperature, and why a space vacation would be terrible for global warming on Earth.
16:38
Higher Temperatures Are Bad For The Body
As the world heats up, the human body will be put under increased strain.
12:03
Protecting Piping Plovers Isn’t A Walk On The Beach
Piping plovers face a myriad of threats: predators, flooding, and human development. But volunteers are intervening to help them survive.
4:58
This Glove Takes Inspiration From An Octopus’ Arm
When a team of engineers were designing a glove that could pick up objects underwater, they turned to octopus’ arms for inspiration.