On Today's Podcast
Inside The Race To Save Wild Axolotls
Lake Xochimilco in Mexico City is the only place where axolotls live in the wild, and they face growing threats.
Listen NowOctober 31, 2025
Why do we find joy in the scary and the macabre? Two psychology experts weigh in on humans’ affinity for horror and desire to get spooked. Plus, tales of the amazing capabilities of bats, spiders, and snakes. And, a guided tour of some of the world’s spookiest lakes.
Will China Blast Past America in Space?
China just ticked off another accomplishment in space: its first manned docking in orbit. Next stop…the Moon?
Voyager 1 Bids Farewell To The Solar System
Voyager 1 is leaving the solar system, making it the first spacecraft to enter interstellar space.
More to the Universe Than Meets the Eye
The universe is full of invisible stuff. Take dark matter–you can’t spot it with your eyes, but it outnumbers visible matter five to one!
Field Trip! Can You Stomach It?
Philadelphia’s Mütter Museum has a lot of heart, and other organs too.
Can 3D Printers Reshape the World?
From batteries to bikinis, a look at what’s in the queue for 3D printers.
Tall Buildings a Cut above the Rest
Desert towers with their own sunscreen are among the world’s best skyscrapers.
What Your Brain Looks Like When You Lose Self-Control
New pictures show what happens in the brain when you pass up the pie, but later eat the pudding.
Medical Oddities from the Bowels of the Mütter
“Disturbingly informative,” is how museum director Robert Hicks describes Philadelphia’s Mütter Museum—items of interest include a gangrenous hand, wax models of extinct diseases, deformed bones and body parts.
Bones, Books, and Bell Jars
In her new book, Bones Books and Bell Jars, physician and photographer Andrea Baldeck documents the collection of medical texts, instruments, and specimens at Philadelphia’s Mütter Museum.
How the Morning-After Pill Works
Growing scientific evidence weakens claims that the morning-after pill is tied to abortion.
Mapping the Microbial Make-Up of Healthy Humans
Scoping out the trillions of germs that call the healthy human body home.
Bacterial Armor Imaged, Down to the Details
Images of a bacterium reveal a protective protein coat akin to the chainmail of a medieval knight.
Desktop Diaries: Sylvia Earle
A moray eel, a flock of geese, and a shrunken head are just a few of things found in and around Her Deepness’ office.
Virus Hunter Recalls Discovery of Ebola and HIV
Would you be brave enough to go deep into the African jungle to investigate a deadly new virus? Peter Piot was, and he’s here to tell the tale.
Putting a Friendly Face on Statistics
Turning data into faces makes people take notice.
Neanderthals: The Oldest Cave Painters?
A red disk painted in a Spanish cave over 40,800 years ago could be the work of Neanderthals.
Desktop Diaries: Sylvia Earle
In the latest installment of Science Friday’s Desktop Diaries series, Her Deepness takes us on a tour on her Oakland office.
How ‘Flame’ Malware Hijacks a Computer
This malware spies, eavesdrops and writes home with data from infected computers.
Identifying the Real Culprit Behind Killer Vascular Diseases
A study finds stem cells are to blame for blocked arteries that cause heart attacks and stroke.
The Winning Answer to a Burning Question
The winner of Alan Alda’s ‘Flame Challenge’ draws on animation, song and a physics background.