On Today's Podcast
Teamwork Between Species Is The Key To Life Itself
“The Call of the Honeyguide” traces the mutualisms found throughout nature, from hunting pairs to the microbes all around us.
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?
17:38
From Strava to Facebook to Venmo, You May Be Leaking Data
Your online activities may be showing the world more than you think about your personal life.
7:02
Huntington’s Disease Makes Its Mark Early On
New research shows that decades before outward signs of the neurological illness show, Huntington’s disease will affect the development of an embryo.
9:41
The Naked Mole Rat Defies The Laws Of Aging
These rodents not only live for thirty years or more, but “age” could be meaningless to them.
24:16
How China Is Reinventing Its Energy Economy
China’s thirst for energy is rising. But to save its cities from suffocating pollution, leaders are looking to carbon-free energy sources and electric vehicles.
Science Facts: GMOs
Use these facts when talking with friends and family who don’t believe GMOs can be safe.
What You Said: Was Dr. Victor Frankenstein A Good Scientist?
And what makes a “good” scientist, anyway? SciFri listeners weigh in.
Uber, But For Scientists
The gig economy isn’t just for graphic designers and Uber drivers. Some scientists are forsaking academia—and not always by choice.
Science Friday Presents: Frankenfest!
Science Friday celebrates the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley’s classic live in New York City.
7:08
NASA Gets Its Moment In The Sun (Finally)
A new NASA heat shield makes a mission to the sun’s atmosphere possible.
5:09
Is Offshore Wind ‘Picking Up Steam’ On Lake Erie?
For years, its been a slow process building wind turbines in the Great Lakes. Now, a new initiative is picking up speed.
11:31
Flu’s Fatal Side Effect: Heart Attacks
Flu infection boosts the risk of heart attack six fold. An infectious disease physician explains why—and how to protect yourself.
11:52
Is Music A Shared Language?
Researchers tested if listeners could identify lullabies, dance, love, and healing songs from different cultures.
23:52
Jellyfish, The Misunderstood Genius Of The Sea
The untold story of jellyfish is one of perception versus reality.
9:58
How To Grow Your Own Crystals
At the United States Crystal Growing Competition, chemistry gleams and sparkles.
22:14
Boosting Vaccination Rates, One Conversation At A Time
What we’re learning about how to convince people that vaccines are safe and necessary.
How Jellyfish Helped A Marine Biologist Find Her Calling
Juli Berwald recounts not the not-so-straight path that led to her work as a marine biologist.
Science Facts: Vaccines
Use these facts when talking with friends and family who don’t “believe” in vaccinating their children.
What You Said: Frankenstein, Today
SciFri listeners weigh in on Frankenstein, Silicon Valley’s tech monsters, and the ethics of modern inventions.
7:44
A Michigan Fireball, An Omnivorous Shark, And An Ancient Epidemic
An exploding meteor gave a spectacular sky show near Detroit.
4:32
As Trump Pushes Offshore Drilling, Local Lawmakers Push Back
How states like California could put up their own barriers to proposed drilling rules.