On Today's Podcast
A Trailblazing Geneticist Reflects On Her Life And Work
Dr. Mary-Claire King was the first to link a gene to hereditary cancer risk with the identification of BRCA1. She was just getting started.
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?
6:44
What Does A ‘Pandemic’ Actually Mean?
What the World Health Organization’s declaration of a ‘pandemic’ means, and more from the week in science.
5:04
Is A New HIV-Prevention Drug Worth The Extra Cost?
With affordable generic PrEP drugs on the horizon, a new brand-name PrEP rollout complicates access to underserved communities.
4:44
Introducing Our New Podcast: Science Diction
A new podcast from Science Friday looks at the scientific backstories behind words.
29:33
How Will We Respond To The Latest Farm Crisis?
In the 1980s, farmers were pushed to the brink of suicide. Today, it might be worse.
17:05
Walking With The Dinosaurs Of Scotland’s Isle Of Skye
Paleontologists discovered tracks of middle Jurassic carnivorous dinosaurs and a stegosaurus in the area.
28:16
Coronavirus: Sanitizing, According To Science
The coronavirus is easy to kill with soap and water. We talk how it works, and why it matters for more people than you.
Science Diction: Cobalt
‘Cobalt’ takes its name from a pesky goblin—and mischief is baked into its name.
Science Diction: Dinosaur
The origin of the word ‘dinosaur,’ and the story of its self-sabotaging inventor.
Science Diction: Vaccine
The origin of the word ‘vaccine’ stretches back to a disease, a test subject, and… a cow.
Science Diction: Meme
The word ‘meme’ has more to do with evolutionary biology than the internet.
Subscribe To Our New Podcast ‘Science Diction!’
Calling all word nerds! Science Friday has a new podcast called ‘Science Diction.’ Subscribe and listen to the trailer now!
8:00
A Human Trial For CRISPR Gene Therapy
The clinical trial was performed on cells inside a human eye. Plus a satellite rescue mission, parrot probability, and more in this week’s News Roundup.
3:46
What You Don’t Know About Well Water Could Hurt You
Residents in Kansas who use private wells face uncertainty about what’s in their water.
9:57
All Thumbs: A New Trick For Dexterity In Prosthetic Hands
Surgery and AI are teaming up to make artificial limbs more intuitive and user-friendly—and expanding the capabilities of the next generation of prosthetics.
6:22
Name That Call: Test Your Animal Sound Trivia
Can you guess the chirp, squeak, and growl? Put your knowledge to the test in our quiz with Google Earth.
12:05
Could A “Marsquake” Knock Down Your House?
What studying seismic activity on mars tells us about the red planet.
17:07
Do You Have The ‘Right Stuff’ To Be An Astronaut?
NASA is accepting applications for a new class of astronaut candidates. Do you have what it takes?
16:22
New Insight Into Whales On The Go
Researchers found a link between whale strandings and solar storms that may hint at magnetic navigation. Plus, the answer to whale migration may lie in skincare.
17:18
Looking To The Genome To Track And Treat The New Coronavirus
Scientists have sequenced the genome of the new coronavirus from two patients in Washington state.