June 27, 2025
In his new book, a former FDA commissioner unpacks the latest science on metabolism, weight loss, and how GLP-1 drugs actually work. Plus, the first images from the brand new Vera C. Rubin Observatory have finally been unveiled. And, researchers have observed a population of orcas that use kelp tools to scratch their backs.
15:36
‘ResearchKit’ Taps iPhone Users for Clinical Trials
Apps on the new platform allow iPhone users to enroll in clinical trials on heart health, Parkinson’s, or asthma. But critics say the smartphone-driven studies have flaws.
22:48
Rise of the Bot Author
Algorithms already write financial and sports news articles. Could they break into fiction?
14:52
SciFri Celebrates π
This year holds an unusually special treat for enthusiasts of the constant π: March 14, 2015 approximates π not just to the usual three digits (3.14) but to five: 3.14.15.
6:45
Food Failures: Crafting Pie Crust
The science behind baking the perfect pie crust.
0:35
How An 11-Year-Old Named A (Dwarf) Planet
Venetia Burney, age 11, came up with the name “Pluto” for a newly-discovered planet 85 years ago this week.
The Art of Scent in Los Angeles
A nonprofit in Los Angeles opens the door on the secretive world of perfuming.
Beauty and the Brain: Understanding Our Responses to Art
The field of neuroaesthetics uses techniques of neurology to understand our response to art.
There Is Such a Thing As Too Much Medical Care
An excerpt from “Less Medicine, More Health.”
22:06
One Hundred Years of General Relativity
Albert Einstein published his theory of general relativity on December 2, 1915.
9:03
Dawn Arrives at Ceres
Mission director and chief engineer Marc Rayman gives an update on the Dawn mission, scheduled to arrive in orbit around dwarf planet Ceres this week.
14:31
Avoid the Doctor—For Your Health
How much medical care is too much medical care?
17:27
The Interstellar Tourist’s Guide to Exoplanets
Exoplanet hunter Sara Seager explains how biosignature gases could help identify life on exoplanets, and The Takeaway’s John Hockenberry takes Ira on a futuristic tour of exoplanet vacation destinations.
12:08
Fossil Jaw Turns Back Clock on Human Evolution
A newly discovered fossil jaw pushes the date of Homo’s evolution back to 2.8 million years ago.
15:39
Balancing Surveillance: Privacy and Security in the Digital Age
Is it possible to keep our personal information secure in the digital age?
0:39
Mysteries of the Mars Plume
Wayne Jaeschke, a patent attorney and amateur astronomer, captured a photo of a wispy cloud rising 120 miles into the Martian atmosphere.
Step Inside A Mad Scientist’s Lab
Take a video tour of the California-based prop shop Jadis, where technological curiosities both real and imagined intermingle.