May 9, 2025
Some car designers are turning from touchscreen controls back to physical buttons. Two researchers explain why that could be better. Plus, geneticists used CRISPR gene editing to grow bigger tomatoes and eggplants without sacrificing flavor. And, an executive order could change the political tides for deep sea mining.
28:01
How Artists Made Code Their Paintbrush
Reflecting on the history and future of coding and technology in art.
How Do Scientists Know What Dinosaurs Looked Like?
Put yourselves in the shoes of a paleontologist and paleoartist as you try to recreate what dinosaurs looked like using the same methods as the experts.
4:13
A Phone Call From A Penguin Colony
Science Friday education director Ariel Zych calls in live from Antarctica.
7:51
Meet The Vampire-Like Beetles That Prey On Ants
One group of ground beetles has evolved to live in ant nests and feed on hapless workers.
3:52
The Complex Problem Of The Invasive Common Reed
Common reeds are invading New England marshlands—but could this “stubborn bully of a plant” help marshes weather climate change?
15:25
The Silent Tremors Of Volcanoes, Caught On Mic
Researchers are using the inaudible vibration of air in volcanic craters to learn more about what’s going on deeper down.
11:51
Saturn Put A Ring On It Only Relatively Recently
Saturn’s rings are estimated to have only formed millions of years ago, which is much younger than the planet itself.
23:26
Doctors Failed To Disclose When Drug Companies Were Paying Them
A ProPublica and New York Times investigation found that dozens of doctors failed to disclose their industry ties in scientific journals.
6:19
The Cold Case That Began A DNA Forensics Revolution
The investigative podcast “Bear Brook” explores the first case to use consumer genetic testing to find a killer.
17:07
100 Years Of Your Daily Weather Forecast
How has the field of weather prediction improved over the past 100 years, and what challenges do forecasters still face?
SciFri Extra: Charly Evon Simpson On ‘Behind The Sheet’
In this extended interview, playwright Charly Evon Simpson discusses the enslaved women whose bodies paved the way for modern gynecology.
Book Club: ‘The Fifth Season’
Living on a broken earth in a broken society isn’t easy. Delve into the first installment of N.K. Jemisin’s award-winning “Broken Earth” trilogy.
7:42
The Battle Of The Hard Drives
Two companies are exploring very different methods to expand the storage capacity of hard disk drives.
4:40
Shrimpers Turn To Social Media To Sell Their Wares
Environmental and economic factors have weakened the prices shrimpers can get at the dock—so some are advertising direct to consumers on Facebook instead.
24:47
How Would A Green New Deal Work?
The idea of a Green New Deal has existed for more than a decade. But what would it actually look like in practice?
11:38
Antarctic Ice Is Melting—And It’s Melting Faster
The rate of ice mass loss from the Antarctic ice sheet has accelerated sixfold over the past 40 years.
17:34
Peering ‘Behind The Sheet’ Of Gynecology’s Darker History
A new play introduces us to the enslaved women whose bodies paved the way for modern gynecology.
16:38
Learning Earth’s Impact History With Lunar Craters
The moon may have gotten its distinct pockmarked appearance more recently than you think.