Science Friday

Today, November 8, 2024, marks Science Friday’s 33rd broadcast anniversary. One of the most beloved interviewees on Science Friday over the years was the late neurologist and author Dr. Oliver Sacks, who shared his insights into neuroscience, art, and what it means to be human . Recently, Sacks’ long-time collaborator Kate Edgar published a book of Dr. Sacks' letters. And earlier this fall, the Ne...

In a Chinese study, donor CAR-T cells sent autoimmune diseases into remission. There’s hope that the therapy is scalable. And, scientists used decades of yellow-bellied marmot research to find a way to measure how adverse events affect wild animals’ survival. CAR-T Cell Therapies Show Promise For Autoimmune Diseases For decades, immunologists have explored CAR-T cell therapy as an effective tool t...

Think back to the last time you went to the doctor’s office. Chances are, at the start of the visit, they took your temperature, pulse, and blood pressure—your “vitals.” But how did they take your blood pressure? The medical literature that describes safe blood pressure ranges is all based on readings taken with the patient sitting with feet flat on the floor, legs uncrossed, back supported, and t...

Have you ever been stuck in traffic and thought, if only this highway was a little wider so it could fit more car s? You aren’t alone. Many states have been expanding their highways . New York Governor Kathy Hochul recently announced a $1.3 billion project to expand one of the state’s highways for an estimated maximum six-minute travel savings. Other highway-widening projects are underway in Texas...

Abortion was on the ballot in 10 states, and seven of them passed constitutional amendments defending abortion rights. Also, this ginormous number has a whopping 41,024,320 digits, which isn’t very helpful for mathematicians but is certainly exciting for math nerds. Seven States Passed Ballot Measures To Protect Abortion Rights This week, science was on the ballot in many states. Voters across the...

Author and naturalist Sy Montgomery discusses chicken intelligence and her experience raising a flock in New Hampshire. And, snapshots from over the years could provide researchers with valuable data about how penguin colonies have shifted. Chickens Have Friendships, Memories, And Reputations Chickens don’t exactly have a reputation of being the sharpest creatures in the animal kingdom. Yet, talk...

In the 1960s, the urban air pollution crisis in America had reached a fever pitch: Cities were shrouded in smog, union steelworkers were demanding protections for their health, and the Department of Justice was mounting an antitrust lawsuit against the Detroit automakers for conspiracy to pollute. But all that changed when Richard Nixon signed the Clean Air Act of 1970 . The law set national limit...

On Sunday, more than 50,000 athletes are expected to compete in the New York City Marathon, one of the largest, and most elite marathons in the world. Running a continuous 26.2 miles is a major physical challenge. But what exactly is happening in the body when running such a long distance? Joining guest host Rachel Feltman to answer questions from long-distance runners is Dr. Brandee Waite, Direct...

Gender-affirming care is on the ballot in this presidential election. These treatments, which can include hormone therapy and surgeries, can be lifesaving for trans people. But they could be impacted by the results of this election. This year alone, states have considered 182 bills aimed at prohibiting gender-affirming care. It’s become a central part of Donald Trump’s campaign, which has stated t...

Two years ago, energy companies scrambled for offshore wind contracts. At a recent auction, the demand was significantly lower. Plus, artist Sarah Rosalena uses Indigenous weaving, ceramics, and sculpture practices to create art that challenges tech’s future, in a segment from earlier this year. Maine Offshore Wind Auction Draws Few Bids Offshore wind is coming to the Gulf of Maine. Earlier this w...

Great news for the nearly-extinct monarch butterflies, which will pass through the area as they migrate back to Mexico. Also, to find out how blood affects aging, scientists can surgically connect two animals and let blood circulate between them. After California’s Park Fire, A Second Bloom of Milkweed Don Hankins examines a bright yellow-green patch in the meadow. The land all around is charred b...

Did you know that there are ten quintillion—or 10,000,000,000,000,000,000—individual insects on the planet? That means that for each and every one of us humans, there are 1.25 billion insects hopping, buzzing, and flying about. A new book called The Insect Epiphany: How Our Six-Legged Allies Shape Human Culture celebrates the diversity of the insect world , as well as the many ways it has changed...

Leading up to the November election, Science Friday is covering top science issues on the ballot. For voters, those top issues include abortion. Since the Dobbs ruling overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, many states have curtailed access to abortion, and 13 states have a total abortion ban. The election season in particular, there’s been a focus on abortions in the third trimester of pregnancy. S...

Walter Byrd remembers the first time sewage came bubbling out of his toilet like it was yesterday. “It was just pumping up through there,” Byrd says. “One of the bathrooms was so full of waste, at least 4 inches high in there. It smelled just like a hog pen.” He sopped up the murky, foul-smelling water and doused the floor with bleach. But the sewage kept coming. On rainy days, it overflowed from...

Some paleontologists argue the ancient footprints found in South Korea show flight may have evolved in multiple dinosaur lineages. And, COP16 will tackle questions like who should profit from non-human DNA, and who is responsible for financing critical conservation projects. Do Fossil Prints Show Dinosaur Flight Evolved More Than Once? Researchers studying tracks fossilized in Cretaceous-era lakes...

Throughout history, humans have given a lot of thought to death. We’ve grappled with our mortality, created elaborate burial rituals, and contemplated how best to mourn the loss of a loved one. But what about other animals? How do they understand death? Scientists have begun looking at this question more closely in the last two decades. For example, chimpanzees have a wide variety of responses to...

Pregnancy is a hugely transformative experience, both in how it can change someone’s day-to-day life, and how it affects the body . There’s a key part of the body that’s been under-researched in relation to pregnancy: the brain. Those who have been pregnant often talk about “pregnancy brain,” the experience of brain fog or forgetfulness during and after pregnancy. There’s also the specter of postp...

Metaphors can help us understand complicated scientific concepts. But they can also have a downside. And, a pair of musicians wrote a concept album inspired by moths—and found that humans have more in common with the insects than they expected. How Metaphor Has Shaped Science, For Better Or Worse Here at Science Friday, we’re big fans of metaphors . They can make complicated scientific concepts ea...

On October 14, NASA launched Europa Clipper , its largest planetary mission spacecraft yet. It’s headed to Jupiter’s icy moon Europa, which could have a giant ocean of liquid water hidden under its icy crust. And where there’s water, scientists think there may be evidence of life. The spacecraft is equipped with nine different instruments and will complete nearly 50 flybys of Europa, scanning almo...

Two giant pandas on loan from China have arrived at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. Also, originally from Central Asia, Kernza doesn’t need to be replanted every year, unlike crops such as corn and soybeans. Pandas Return To Washington, D.C., Zoo On Tuesday, two VIPs (Very Important Pandas) arrived at Washington’s Dulles International Airport, en route to new quarters at the Smithsonian’s National...

The Basics Of How Health Misinformation Spreads Health misinformation can circulate quickly on social media: false claims about vaccines, ads pushing suspicious-looking supplements, politicians making claims about contraception or abortion that don’t match the science. As November nears, Science Friday is spotlighting the science that’s shaping the election with a short series about health misinfo...

What exactly is … everything? What is space-time? At one extreme, you’ve got the weird rules of quantum physics that deal with subatomic particles. At the other extreme, you’ve got the vast expanses of space, such as spinning galaxies and black holes. By mapping the cosmic microwave background, surveying the distribution of galaxies around the sky, and listening for gravitational waves, researcher...

A common worry among older adults is how their brains and bodies might decline as they age. A small but fortunate group will live past their 95th birthdays, while staying cognitively sharp and free of major health complications. They’re called “SuperAgers.” Researchers are working to figure out some of the genetic factors behind SuperAgers’ longevity—and how that knowledge might help the rest of t...

For years, Asheville, North Carolina, has been billed as a “climate haven,” a place safe from the touch of climate change-exacerbated disasters. But last month, Hurricane Helene called that label into question. Some of the worst damage of the storm occurred inland, in Western North Carolina. Data visualization designer David McConville lived in Asheville for about 20 years, before moving to Califo...

Hurricane Milton caused a major storm surge, but also a reverse one. And, Lake Michigan's surface temperature has been above average nearly every day this year so far. All five Great Lakes are heating up. The Science Behind Hurricane Milton On October 9, Hurricane Milton made landfall in Siesta Key, Florida, then barrelled across the state. This comes just a couple of weeks after Hurricane Helene...