On Today's Podcast
Can A Billion-Dollar Barricade Keep Carp Out Of The Great Lakes?
A giant infrastructure project aims to block invasive carp from entering Lake Michigan, but Chicago’s polluted water already keeps them out.
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.
4:36
The Pros and Cons of Potential Development in National Parks
What are the impacts of more tourists and development at Grand Canyon National Park?
17:32
How Much Math Should Everyone Know? (Show Your Work.)
Educators argue over how to shake up math education, like ditching pre-calculus and emphasizing real-world thinking.
11:47
Where Do We Stand in the Fight Against Zika?
The viral storm has made landfall in the U.S, but a vaccine remains elusive.
22:40
The SciFri Book Club Talks ‘Oryx and Crake’
What can Margaret Atwood’s dystopia tell us about the here-and-now?
11:24
Decoding The Hacks Of ‘Mr. Robot’
Kor Adana, a writer for Mr. Robot, unpacks the toolkit of real-life hackers that inspired the show.
15:52
A Hand, a Fin, a Gene
What a fish and a rare amphibian can tell us about how limbs develop, grow, and even re-grow.
The Axolotl: A Cut Above the Rest
The axolotl is a Mexican salamander with an incredible ability: Cut its leg off, and the limb will grow right back!
7:57
A Quantum Satellite, 500-Year Floods, and Scanning Your Purchases
Science journalist Amy Nordrum describes a Chinese experiment designed to test quantum communication systems. Plus, why scanning your own groceries could lead to sticky fingers.
00:17:03
The Spicy Science of Chili Peppers
What gives the hot habanero and mild jalapeño their “heat profile”?
00:12:02
Our Bodies May Fight Infection Better by Day
Mice appear to be more susceptible to viral infection during their sleep cycle, suggesting that circadian rhythms can affect our immune systems.
16:46
A Fast-Paced Thriller That’s a Tour Through the Multiverse
In “Dark Matter,” Blake Crouch crafts a thriller based on physics’ spookiest phenomena.
8:10
The Race to Build a Smaller Rocket
Rocket entrepreneurs are in competition to be the Uber for small satellites.
8:22
What Makes the Solar System Like a Crime Scene?
An icy space object with a rebellious orbit may be a clue to the mystery of the early solar system.
00:17:16
I, Twitter Bot
The weird, beautiful, and helpful world of automated Twitter accounts.
4:01
What Will More Research-Grade Marijuana Mean for Medical Studies?
The Drug Enforcement Administration has expanded the number of marijuana manufacturers that can grow and provide the drug to medical researchers.
A Portal to the Multiverse
Author Blake Crouch tells the story of a man who invents a machine that can access multiple realities.
Chili Peppers
A look at where chili peppers’ signature heat comes from. Plus, which is the hottest of them all?
The Agony And Ecstasy Of Capsaicin
Marco Tizzano explains how capsaicin creates a chemical cascade inside your body and why emotions might make chili lovers think they can handle the heat.
Four Ways ‘Oryx and Crake’ Predicted the Future
Margaret Atwood’s book is fiction, but the cutting-edge research she writes about is real.
The Hottest Pepper in the World
Consuming the Carolina Reaper is “kind of like eating molten lava.”