Science Friday
By Science Friday and WNYC Studios
Covering the outer reaches of space to the tiniest microbes in our bodies, Science Friday is the source for entertaining and educational stories about science, technology, and other cool stuff.
Episodes (11)
Science Friday
Can the shingles vaccine stave off dementia?
A groundbreaking body of research suggests the shingles vaccine may reduce the risk of developing dementia by up to 20% over seven years—far beyond its intended purpose of preventing shingles. This surprising link emerged from a rare natural experiment in coun
Science Friday
Meet the drug developer taking on wildlife diseases
Dr. Tim Cernak, a medicinal chemist at the University of Michigan, is pioneering a radical shift in drug development: creating targeted therapies for wildlife facing extinction from diseases like chytrid fungus in frogs and cancer in sea turtles. What started
Science Friday
Looking for life in the clouds of Venus
Dr. Sarah Seeger, a leading astrophysicist known for her work on exoplanets, has shifted her focus to Venus—our nearest planetary neighbor—because of a radical hypothesis: life might exist in its sulfuric acid clouds. Despite the planet's hellish surface, the
Science Friday
Parenting tips from the animal kingdom
The episode explores a radical idea: human parenting isn't meant to be a solo act, but a deeply cooperative endeavor rooted in our evolutionary past. Drawing from animal behavior, science journalist Elizabeth Preston reveals that many species—like gorillas, ma
Science Friday
How extreme athletes like Alex Honnold keep their cool
Elite climbers like Alex Honnold don't just rely on physical strength—they master their minds to stay calm under extreme pressure. In a revealing conversation with Science Friday, Honnold and U.S. Olympic psychologist Dr. Jessica Bartley expose the hidden ment
Science Friday
AI + turfgrass science in the most high-tech World Cup yet
The 2026 World Cup is not just a global sporting spectacle—it’s also a high-stakes laboratory for AI and turfgrass science. While FIFA and Lenovo tout Football AI Pro as a revolutionary tool that analyzes over 2,000 metrics in real time, Ryan O'Hanlon, ESPN’s
Science Friday
Why can I handle tequila but not rum?
The science behind why people react differently to various alcohols—like feeling great after tequila but crashing after rum—comes down to more than just chemistry. While ethanol is the common denominator in all alcoholic drinks, the real differences lie in the
Science Friday
Blue Origin explosion hits NASA timeline + Artemis III crew
The explosion of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket during a ground test has thrown NASA's Artemis timeline into uncertainty, threatening the agency's ambitious goal to land humans on the moon by 2028. The blast destroyed both the spacecraft and Blue Origin's sole
Science Friday
Should we bring mountain lions back to the Northeast?
The idea of reintroducing mountain lions to the Northeast—long absent since the 1800s—is gaining traction as a bold ecological restoration effort. Dr. Mark Elbrock of Panthera argues that bringing back this apex predator isn’t just about reviving a lost specie
Science Friday
A vast whale graveyard + Zombie sea cucumbers
A newly discovered whale necropolis in the Indian Ocean—stretching 745 miles and containing whale remains dating back over 5 million years—has stunned paleontologists. Nick Pienzen, a fossil whale expert, calls it a 'megacite' where whale bones litter the seaf
Science Friday
When music transports you to a different place
A single song can instantly transport you to a forgotten moment, a distant place, or even a fantasy world—this phenomenon, known as a 'musical daydream,' is not just poetic but deeply rooted in neuroscience. Dr. Elizabeth Margulis, director of Princeton's Musi
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