June 27, 2025
In his new book, a former FDA commissioner unpacks the latest science on metabolism, weight loss, and how GLP-1 drugs actually work. Plus, the first images from the brand new Vera C. Rubin Observatory have finally been unveiled. And, researchers have observed a population of orcas that use kelp tools to scratch their backs.
How Stephen Hawking Got Sucked Into Black Holes
An excerpt from “My Brief History.”
What’s the Best Way to Dispose of Pet Poop?
Prevent disease by tossing feces in the trash.
12:02
Do Your Gut Bacteria Influence Your Metabolism?
The microbes in your gut may help determine if you are thin or obese.
17:32
Life From Mars
Could Mars have been a better starting point for the origins of life on Earth?
12:48
Alzheimer’s Potential Missing Link
An existing drug has been shown to block a key protein implicated in Alzheimer’s disease and restore memory in mice.
3:49
SciFri Snapshot: Monty Hall
The Monty Hall Problem: using probability to win a car…or a goat.
9:24
Worldwide Researchers Flock to Penguin Meeting
The Eighth International Penguin Conference is being held this week.
20:19
Wildfires Consume Funds Flagged for Prevention
Fire historian Steve Pyne says our fire system resembles our health care system—it’s focused on emergencies and not prevention.
6:48
NASA Craft to Sniff Moondust, Test Laser Broadband
The Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer will suck up dust and gas above the Moon.
10:11
This Doc’s Prescription? Use This App, Twice Daily
Cardiologist Eric Topol says smartphone apps give him a better day-to-day view of patients’ health.
The Rim Fire, As Seen From Space
NASA’s MISR experiment snaps pictures of Earth, keeping tabs on environmental attributes from aerosols to smoke plumes.
10 Questions for Eric Kandel
The Nobel Prize winner talks about his passion for science and art, where he does his best thinking, and why he likes bow ties.
28:50
New Clues to Memory Glitch Behind ‘Senior Moments’
One memory-related gene may retire later in life, leaving you wondering, “Where’d I put my keys?”
16:55
Space Telescope Reawakened for an Asteroid Hunt
NASA will give the dormant WISE space telescope a new task, enlisting it in the hunt for near-Earth asteroids.
22:57
Diagnosing Self-Destruction
Scientists still have little idea what spurs people to take their own lives.
6:40
Ancient Beads with an Otherworldly Origin
Iron beads made from meteoric metals predate the Iron Age.
16:34
How to Make a Beer Home Brew
How to brew the perfect ale and lager from your stove top.
9:02
Study Correlates Copper Intake and Alzheimer’s in Mice
Could copper in drinking water contribute to Alzheimer’s disease in mice?
24:59
A Telescope Fails, but the Hunt for Exoplanets Continues
Although the Kepler planet-hunting telescope is no longer operating, discoveries remain to be made in its data.
12:22
A Robot Lab to Survey the Sea Floor
Researchers are developing a DNA-sampling robot for undersea exploration.