On Today's Podcast
What Lies Beneath The Outer Layers Of A Star?
Astronomers found a supernova whose lighter outer layers had been stripped away, revealing an inner shell rich in silicon and sulfur.
Listen NowAugust 22, 2025
Humans drove wolves nearly to extinction in the American West. Reintroducing them in 1995 was, and still is, controversial. Plus, the FDA and HHS plan to eliminate petroleum-based food dyes as part of the MAHA agenda. What does science say about their effects on health? And, astronomers found a supernova whose lighter outer layers had been stripped away, revealing an inner shell rich in silicon and sulfur.
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.”
Do Other Animals Show Handedness?
Humans aren’t the only species where righties outnumber lefties.
Birding As A Gateway To Environmental Education
Get tips and tricks for exploring birding with learners in this story about Audubon New York’s For The Birds! program.
The Operation That Created ‘Patient H.M.’
Author Luke Dittrich retells the story of the surgery his grandfather performed on Henry Molaison, which resulted in an unintended, life-changing side effect.
16:57
As Automation Advances, Are Jobs in Danger?
As “robots that can weld cars” give way to “robots that can drive cars,” what’s ahead for the workforce?
9:48
Rio Redux: A Second Life for the City’s Olympic Architecture
City officials plan to repurpose Olympic structures as schools, dormitories, and community parks.
7:29
This Battery Will Self-Destruct in 30 Minutes
New research in the emerging field of transient electronics brings us one step closer to a spy-movie future.
12:17
Debating Science in the 2016 Election
A group proposes 20 science-based policy questions for the presidential candidates to address in the months ahead.
17:18
On the Hunt for New Particles in Physics
What could sterile neutrinos, gravitons, and axions tell us about the Standard Model?
4:17
People Don’t Like Clickbait. You’ll Never Believe Facebook’s Reaction.
Can Facebook’s new algorithm tackle clickbait?
7:49
The ‘World Champion of Doping,’ Rio Record-Breaking, and More
Reporter Maggie Koerth-Baker talks about the East German heavyweight lifter Gerd Bon, and why marathoners won’t break records in Rio.
16:27
Remembering Henry Molaison, the Man Who Kept Forgetting
The most famous patient in neuroscience is the subject of a new book by the grandson of the man who changed his brain forever.
Getting Fundamental With Lisa Randall
The theoretical particle physicist offers advice to aspiring scientists.
The Microbes We Share
Science writer Ed Yong describes the diverse ways that scientists and citizen scientists are studying our microbiomes.
SciFri Book Club Live: A Conversation with Margaret Atwood
Come talk “Oryx and Crake” with the author herself!
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?