On Today's Podcast
mRNA Vaccine For Pancreatic Cancer Continues To Show Promise
In the wake of funding cuts to mRNA vaccine research, we revisit a February story about a promising vaccine for pancreatic cancer.
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.
17:24
Did Dark Matter Doom the Dinosaurs?
Physicist Lisa Randall explores the theory that a disc of dark matter could have been responsible for the catastrophic collision that extinguished the dinosaurs.
15:23
It All Started With a Hoverboard: How Back to the Future II Envisioned 2015
Academy Award-nominated visual effects art director John Bell talks about how he imagined the then-distant world of 2015 for “Back to the Future II.”
11:53
The Mysterious Flicker Behind Star KIC 8462852
Astronomers explore theories behind a distant star with a mysterious glow, including swarming comets and alien megastructures.
17:27
Government Glitches: What Happens When IT Projects Fail
Bob Charette reflects on a decades-worth of IT fails in government and what can be done to improve the outcome of these projects.
Cosmic Connections: Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs
An excerpt from “Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs.”
16:32
Build A Cabinet Of Curiosities
In his book “Cabinet of Curiosities,” nature writer Gordon Grice shares tips for building your own natural history collection.
The Hunt for Dark Matter
Deep in an abandoned gold mine in rural South Dakota, a team of physicists are hunting for astrophysical treasure.
This ’70s Artist Painted Our Future In Space
Forty years ago, artist Rick Guidice teamed up with NASA scientists to envision the space civilizations of the future.
Build A Cloud Chamber
Observe the radioactive particles all around you by building a cloud chamber using a clear container, dry ice, and a little rubbing alcohol.
Science Friday Goes to St. Paul
On November 3rd, Science Friday will join Minnesotans to talk the science of superheroes.
12:09
Sexual Harassment Allegations, Doggie Dementia, and Cuban Internet
BuzzFeed News science reporter Azeen Ghorayshi talks about the sexual harassment accusations against astronomer Geoff Marcy, as well as other selected short subjects in science.
22:40
Can Science Help Build Happier Cities?
Cognitive neuroscientist Colin Ellard studies how our streetscapes shape our bodies, brains, and behavior.
11:07
The Hunt for Dark Matter
In this week’s Video Pick, scientists hunt for dark matter deep below the Earth’s surface.
11:44
Forecasting the Flu
Researchers seek to track the flu using nasal swabs and search engine queries.
23:13
Do Or DIY This Halloween
Green fire, magic mirrors, fiber optic fairy wings—just a few of the ways to geek out this Halloween with do-it-yourself projects.
10:57
Can You Hear Me Now? Why Mobile Audio Still Lags
Will services like HD voice—which doubles the sample rate for voice calls—clear up our mobile audio quality issues?
Did Dark Matter Kill the Dinosaurs?
The invisible stuff that comprises a quarter of the universe could be more complex that previously thought.