On Today's Podcast
An ER Doctor Reflects On Hurricane Katrina, 20 Years Later
Dr. Erica Fisher was working at Charity Hospital when it flooded, trapping her and 1,600 other people inside during Hurricane Katrina.
Listen NowAugust 29, 2025
Archaeologists are taking another look at tattoos on preserved corpses and verifying ancient techniques with modern tattoo artists. Plus, an ER doctor reflects on Hurricane Katrina, 20 years later. And, we’re pulling a few of our favorite stories about the science of ice cream out of the freezer.
Dune Discussion Question: Week #3
The third discussion question for this summer’s SciFri Book Club selection, “Dune.”
Build Your Own Radio Telescope to Listen to Meteors
Even if it’s cloudy or you can’t get outside at night, you can still listen to the Perseid meteor shower using a simple FM radio setup or by building a radio telescope at home.
8:19
Listening In on Elephant ‘Mating Pandemonium’
In a ‘mating pandemonium’ event, a group of elephants roar after a pair of elephants mate.
21:23
Behind the Scenes at the City Morgue
Forensic pathologist Judy Melinek’s memoir “Working Stiff” goes behind the scenes at the New York City morgue.
16:08
Giving Viruses a License to Kill…Cancer
Scientists transform common viruses like measles and herpes into potential cancer treatments.
12:14
Can an Experimental Therapy Be Used to Treat Ebola?
A look at the experimental therapy used to treat two Americans who were infected with Ebola.
3:13
‘Lucy’ Debunked
A neurobiologist reveals sci-fi thriller “Lucy”‘s neuroscience bloopers.
13:47
Close Your Eyes and Listen to the Night Sky
If the bright “supermoon” drowns out the Perseid meteor shower this year, why not listen for meteors instead?
8:36
Can Science Build a Better Piano?
Scientists have created a 3D acoustical scan of the piano’s resonance—and say it could help refine the art of piano-making.
7:44
Algorithm Turns Everyday Objects Into Microphones
Sound waves trigger tiny vibrations in objects. By studying the vibrations, researchers can recreate the sounds that caused them.
Getting Hooked on Forensic Pathology
An excerpt from “Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner.”
Medical Mystery: The Pink Eye of Death
Can you solve this real-life medical mystery?
Meet the ‘Dune’ Readers: Kim Stanley Robinson and Sara Imari Walker
Sci-fi author Kim Stanley Robinson and astrobiologist and theoretical physicist Sara Imari Walker talk about returning to Frank Herbert’s Dune Planet.
The Heat Is On: Mating Pandemonium in African Forest Elephants
A researcher uses thermal imaging to study elephant mating behavior.
‘Dune’ Discussion Question: Week #2
The second discussion question for this summer’s SciFri Book Club selection, “Dune.”
‘Dune’ Pic: What’s this Mouse Got to Do With Paul Muad’Dib?
Ecologist Ned Dochtermann explains why the kangaroo mouse makes a perfect namesake for Paul Muad’Dib, the hero in Frank Herbert’s “Dune.”
12:06
Ebola Outbreak Continues in West Africa
Ebola specialist Daniel Bausch provides an on-the-ground view of treating the disease in West Africa.
17:26
How Ultramarathons Affect the Heart, Blood, and Brain
Exercise scientists Tamara Hew-Butler and Greg Whyte talk about how the body changes after dozens of hours in motion.
15:36
Can Animals Go Mad?
From depressed dogs to anxious gorillas, author Laurel Braitman explores mental illness in animals.