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.
The Fight Against Blight: Restoring the American Chestnut
Researchers have developed a blight-resistant species that’s nearly identical to the American chestnut tree.
Christmas Tree Combustion
A home holiday experiment that explores combustion using festive fuels such as fir, pine, spruce, and cedar.
11:54
Does Mars Have What It Takes to Support Life?
NASA’s Curiosity rover finds evidence of methane and organics on the Red Planet.
23:12
Scientists Speak Out About Attacks on Science
Bioengineer John Dabiri and conservation biologist Terrie Williams, two targets of Senator Tom Coburn’s 2014 “Wastebook” look beyond the caricatures painted by politicians and pundits to tell the story of their research.
9:21
Weighing In on the ‘Good Carb, Bad Carb’ Debate
Curbing “high glycemic” carbs may not benefit healthy eaters.
7:09
Under The Influence Of Beer Foam
A team of fluid mechanics researchers at Princeton University dive into the anti-sloshing physics of foam.
7:20
Moving Ice May Mean More Melting for Greenland
By 2060, Greenland’s seasonal “supraglacial” lakes will double in number and move farther inland.
22:09
Science Goes To The Movies: ‘The Imitation Game’
SciFri’s scientist-film critics weigh in on the Alan Turing biopic.
10:53
Making Space a More Democratic Place
What if anyone could 3-D-print a satellite in space? Or jet from the Earth to the Moon, using just the hydrogen found in a two-liter bottle of water?
Under The Influence Of Beer Foam
A team of fluid mechanics researchers at Princeton University dive into the anti-sloshing physics of foam.
Peek Inside A Mechanical Calculator
This machine was a predecessor to the electronic calculator.
SciFri Book Club: Vote for a Book to Beat the Winter Blues
Help the SciFri Book Club pick its next book.
Five Books Guaranteed To Make Kids Love Science
These kids’ books spark science curiosity with playful illustrations and facts to match.
Recipe: Jeff Potter’s Patent-Violating* Chocolate Chip Cookies
How to make cookies that stay chewy on the inside with crispy outer edges.
11:52
Evidence Mounts for Liquid Water on Mars
NASA reveals new evidence for a large lake that could have existed for millions of years on Mars.
17:22
Alan Alda Challenges Scientists to Answer: What Is Sleep?
Alan Alda’s Flame Challenge asks scientists to answer the big questions that keep them up at night to 11-year-olds around the world.
16:20
Food Failures: Cookie Science Secrets
In this episode, “Cooking for Geeks” author Jeff Potter gives home bakers tips on how to achieve cookie perfection using different sugars, fats, and flours.
20:28
DIY Holiday Gift Hacks
Avoid the long lines and hack your holiday gifts, from homemade perfume to 3-D printed ornaments.
26:00
The Best Science Books of 2014
Science writers Deborah Blum and Annalee Newitz join Ira to share their favorite science books of 2014.
The Underwater Robot That Could
Using data from a robot, scientists have created the first detailed, 3-D maps of Antarctic sea ice thickness.