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Science Friday

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.

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47 episodes
daily
Avg 16 min
English

Episodes 47

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#1393
Yesterday · 18 min
Black bears are moving into the neighborhood. How do we coexist?
As black bears return to their historic ranges across the U.S., human encounters are increasing. How can bears and people live in harmony?
#1392
Saturday · 17 min
Is a shorter course of antibiotics OK? + Genetic risk of fibromyalgia
Shorter courses of antibiotics may reduce antimicrobial resistance. Plus, a new study finds a group of genes associated with fibromyalgia.
#1391
Friday · 18 min
Why cannabis’s health effects are so hard to study
Cannabis seems to be everywhere, in many forms. We're learning more about its effect on teenage brains and its usefulness as a therapeutic.
#1390
Thursday · 12 min
Did scientists just find a dark matter particle? Maybe
The LUX-ZEPLIN detector picked up a strange signal that scientists haven’t cracked yet. Could it be a dark matter interaction?
#1389
Wednesday · 18 min
Why physics and philosophy need each other
Physicist Carlo Rovelli urges conversations between physics and philosophy in a search for answers about the universe.
#1388
September 8 · 18 min
Recall rodeo: A food safety update + Why cars are catching fire
Food recalls abounded this summer, but was it unusual? Plus, why some modern cars burst into flames, even when turned off.
#1387
September 7 · 18 min
Is there science behind the ‘nervous system reset’?
In March 2026, we explored the science behind the much-hyped idea that you can "reset" your nervous system by stimulating the vagus nerve.
#1386
September 4 · 30 min
For Jennifer Chayes, math is a 'native tongue'
Jennifer Chayes’ game-changing ideas in math and computer science helped pave the way for today’s innovations in machine learning and AI.
#1385
September 3 · 11 min
What an mRNA melanoma vaccine may mean for cancer treatment
Moderna and Merck say an mRNA vaccine reduced melanoma recurrence in a clinical trial. Could this usher in a new era of cancer treatment?
#1384
September 2 · 9 min
Why it's so hard to tell the age of a fungus
One of the world’s largest organisms is an Oregon fungus thought to be over 8,000 years old. But what does age mean to a fungus, anyway?
#1383
September 1 · 18 min
The power of the stories we tell about the ocean
The ocean is in trouble. But the sea has a hold on us, and the stories we tell about it are helping turn the tide.
#1382
August 31 · 18 min
What should astronauts do first when they reach Mars?
Our January 2026 conversation about the goals for a crewed mission to Mars. Plus, updates on NASA's mission to survey the asteroid Psyche.
#1381
August 28 · 18 min
AI is everywhere in healthcare now. Doctors are conflicted
Medical AI tools are transcribing patient visits, responding to doctors' questions, and analyzing scans. What are the benefits—and the risks?
#1380
August 27 · 12 min
How much worse was that storm because of climate change?
We know that climate change causes weather to be more extreme, more often. Attribution science tries to nail down exactly by how much.
#1379
August 26 · 18 min
How GPS shaped our world
How GPS transformed from a niche military technology to one we rely on every day.
#1378
August 25 · 14 min
The ancient Roman doctrine guiding modern environmental fights
In an effort to protect natural resources, environmentalists and tribes are using state-level public trust doctrines to fight development.
#1374
August 24 · 13 min
What are the mysterious ‘little red dots’ in images of space?
Little red dots appear all over images from the James Webb Space Telescope. They may belong to a new cosmic category called black hole stars.
August 22 · 5 min
Could we live in a dinosaur world?
If you got sucked back to dino times, you might get snacked on by a giant meat-eater. But what other dangers would you face?
#1373
August 21 · 12 min
Do microplastics in the body affect pregnancy?
Microplastics have been found throughout the body, including in placentas and reproductive organs. What does that mean for pregnancy?
#1372
August 20 · 12 min
Making a case for physicists to join climate research
Physics and climate science use the same basic principles, but institutions often keep them separate. Morgan O’Neill is trying to change that.

Showing 1–20 of 47 episodes