July 4, 2025
In this archival show, undersea archaeologist Robert Ballard shares adventures from beneath the waves and his love for deep-sea exploration. Plus, research suggests that we share parts of our microbiome with people in our social networks beyond family members. And, a book uses science and the benefit of hindsight to figure out how to survive some of history’s biggest disasters.
16:51
The Story Of Aerosols: From Spray Can To Ocean Spray
Aerosols do play a role in climate change, but not the one you might think.
7:38
There’s A New Urban Air Polluter On The Block
Volatile organic compounds like wall paints and cleaning agents are becoming our cities’ biggest sources of air pollution.
9:32
How UV Light Could Zap The Flu Bug
A type of UV light could be used to disable proteins in the flu virus.
12:17
The Physics Of Figure Skating
Those leaps and spins are a physics demonstration in action.
Science Friday Live In Oxford, Ohio
On Saturday, April 21, Science Friday heads to Oxford, Ohio to reveal nature’s secrets.
6:56
SpaceX Car Launch And A Hot Getaway By Bombardier Beetles
SpaceX successfully launched the Heavy Falcon rocket with two of the three boosters safely landing back onto the launch pad.
5:01
The Earth’s Ozone Woes Haven’t Gone Away Yet
While the ozone layer above the poles is on the mend, the health of the layer in middle latitudes is less clear.
12:16
Chocolate: Brought To You By Bugs
A menagerie of insects thrive among cacao trees—and that biodiversity might help boost yields.
7:54
Putting The Immune System To Work Against Cancer
A new immune-boosting injection treatment that produces quick results with few side-effects in mice shows promise for human trials.
9:06
The Genetic Mystery Of The Invasive Crayfish Clones
As the marbled crayfish spreads throughout waters in Europe, scientists sequence the genome of the all-female species to try to understand how they reproduce clonally.
16:46
Venomous Or Poisonous—Can You Spot The Difference?
Poisonous and venomous creatures are often misclassified. But it turns out, there’s a big difference between the two.
34:35
Farewell, ‘Frankenstein’
The Science Friday Book Club nerds out about ‘Frankenstein’ one last time.
Get In The Love-y, Dove-y, Science-y Valentines Spirit
Share these punny science valentines with the special scientist in your life.
The Real Scientific Revolution Behind ‘Frankenstein’
Mary Shelley’s classic novel was written in a world where the dead twitched.
What You Said: How Does ‘Frankenstein’ Fit Into Your Modern Life?
Mary Shelley’s novel turns 200 this year, but its lessons are far from old.
Science Friday In Hawai’i
On July 6th and 7th, enjoy First Take With Science Friday, live from the Aloha State!
How Do Infections Spread In Plants?
Students model the interaction of biotic and abiotic factors in a plant disease system, then use their data to inform recommendations to farmers to limit disease transmission.
6:55
Running Out Of Time—And Water—In Cape Town
Plus, California’s coffee lawsuit, a satellite lost and found, and an orca whale says “hello.”
4:45
Looking Beyond Honeybees
We need domestic bees. But what happens to wild bees when they share a space?
10:46
‘Please Call Me Back. It’s About “Frankenstein.”’
The Science Friday Book Club receives a call for help. Plus, how Frankenstein is still relevant to today’s high school students.