April 25, 2025
Understanding the psychological and neurological components of chronic pain may lead to better treatments. Plus, vocal researchers are learning how death metal singers safely produce extreme vocal distortions, in hopes of improving vocal health care. And, researchers isolated one kind of cone in the eye and aimed lasers at it to allow subjects to see a super vibrant teal shade they call “olo.”
6:52
Why Your Dentist Is Wrong About Flossing, a Stellar Void, and More
Paltry evidence in support of flossing, and more science news from the week.
10:13
The Physics of the Fastest Swim Strokes
The speediest strokes may not be the splashiest. What are the fluid dynamics behind the dolphin and fish kick?
17:45
The Vulnerability Of U.S. Voting Systems
If hackers are targeting the servers of political campaigns, might attacks on election systems themselves soon follow?
5:27
Read ‘Oryx and Crake’ With the #SciFriBookClub
This summer, enter Margaret Atwood’s dystopian world of bioengineering gone wild.
16:51
Is a Healthier English Bulldog Possible?
If breeding is to save the debilitated bulldog, more genetic diversity is probably necessary. But is there enough?
12:09
The Replication Game: How Well Do Psychology Studies Hold Up?
Researchers have created a new system to test influential papers for reproducibility.
17:35
The World According to Microbes
In “I Contain Multitudes,” author Ed Yong examines the connections between species and ecosystems—from a microbial point of view.
Alone in a Post-Apocalyptic World
Margaret Atwood’s novel “Oryx and Crake” is told from the perspective of the lone human survivor of a mysterious catastrophe.
5:31
How Can We Keep the Endangered Vaquita from Vanishing?
Researchers are investigating a conservation strategy that would place some vaquitas in preserves in their natural habitat.
33:36
Margaret Atwood On The Science Behind ‘Oryx And Crake’
In this archival interview, the award-winning author calls the novel a form of “speculative fiction.”
The Sands Of Earth, And Beyond
Gary Greenberg uses 3D microscopes to inspect the diversity of sand grains.
7:17
A Health Check-Up for Dolly’s ‘Sister Clones’
Four sheep cloned from the same cell line as Dolly got a health check-up and showed no physical signs of premature aging.
9:37
A Creative Approach to Controlling a Deadly Snail
Freshwater snails take more lives than sharks each year.
17:06
Staying Healthy in Space
Weightlessness and radiation both take a toll on the body, in ways we still don’t fully understand.
11:26
Should People Be Made Stronger, Faster, or Smarter Through Technology?
A new survey finds many Americans are dubious about using certain new technologies for human enhancement.
17:31
How Hashtags, Texts, and Tweets Are Influencing Digital Language
What’s the difference between this, THIS, and #this?
4:18
New Zealand Chooses to Save Prey Over Predator
The plan to save native avian species means targeting non-native predators.
7:43
A New Antibiotic in the Nose, A Possible Ancient Ancestor of All Life, and More
How our own nasal microbiome could lead to new antibiotics, plus other short topics in science.
16:44
A Celebration of the Life in Flight Around Your Porch Light
We join the fifth annual celebration of National Moth Week.