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Science Friday

Science Friday, as heard on PRI, is a weekly discussion of the latest news in science, technology, health, and the environment hosted by Ira Flatow. Ira interviews scientists, authors, and policymakers, and listeners can call in and ask questions as well.

society & culture

All Episodes

18:13

637: How Poisons Have Shaped Life On Earth

Science Friday ·

2023/11/02

When you think of poisons, you might think of chemicals like cyanide, arsenic, or the deadly concoction left out for rats. But have you thought of acorns? What about the cup of coffee you had this morning? Or the mums growing in your window box? Toxicity is all in the eye—or bloodstream—of the beholder. A new book describes the story of nature’s endless array of toxins, and how they shaped life on earth, including ours. Guest host Flora Lichtman talks with Dr. Noah Whiteman, evolutionary biologist

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18:04

635: Placenta Research May Help Explain Pregnancy Loss

Science Friday ·

2023/11/01

Content warning: This interview includes discussion of miscarriage and pregnancy loss, and may be triggering for some listeners. The placenta is an incredible body part. It’s the only organ grown temporarily, created during pregnancy and discarded after birth. It has the enormous job of supporting the growth of a fetus, protecting it from infection and inflammation. When something goes wrong with the placenta, it can result in the loss of a baby. For something that can be so devastating to expectant

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13:02

634: A Common Cold Medicine Ingredient Doesn’t Work....

Science Friday ·

2023/10/31

Twenty years ago, scientists found that phenylephrine, listed as a decongestant in many cold medicines, didn’t work. What can you use instead? In September, an advisory committee for the Food and Drug Administration unanimously confirmed that phenylephrine—a common ingredient in cold medicines, including some types of Mucinex and Robitussin—doesn’t work. For many physicians, pharmacists, and cold-sufferers, this came as no surprise. Phenylephrine’s ineffectiveness had been an open secret in the

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30:42

633: Diving Into Elon Musk’s Mind

Science Friday ·

2023/10/30

There’s a name that’s hard to escape these days, particularly if you’re in the technology world—Elon Musk. He’s involved with Tesla electric cars, home solar and battery installations, SpaceX rockets, Starlink satellites, and the company that once was known as Twitter. Woven through his array of enterprises is a mix of technical savvy, confident ego, and sometimes impulsive decision-making. Biographer Walter Isaacson has tried to sort through the competing influences behind the entrepreneur and his

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18:59

636: RSV Drug Shortage & Beech Leaf Disease

Science Friday ·

2023/10/27

RSV has reached epidemic levels in the southern US. Also, beech leaf disease is spreading rapidly in Massachusetts. RSV Drug For Infants In Short Supply Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is a common illness that—for most—looks like a common cold. But for infants, it can be an intense illness, leading to hospitalization. That’s why it was a relief for parents and physicians when an immunization drug for all infants was approved in July. However, it’s become clear the demand for the drug is greater

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18:27

632: When Studying Ecology Means Celebrating Its Gifts

Science Friday ·

2023/10/26

In a conversation from 2019, bestselling author Robin Wall Kimmerer discusses the role of ceremony in our lives, and how to celebrate reciprocal relationships with the natural world. Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants, was first published nearly a decade ago—but in 2020, the book made the New York Times best-seller lists, propelled mainly by word of mouth. The book explores the lessons and gifts that the natural

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20:37

632: Unlocking The Mysteries Of A Metal-Rich Asteroid

Science Friday ·

2023/10/25

Last week, NASA’s Psyche spacecraft launched successfully from the Kennedy Space Center. It’s now on a six-year trip to an asteroid, also called Psyche, located in the solar system’s main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Unlike previously studied asteroids, it’s not composed mostly of rock or ice. The Psyche spacecraft's target is largely made of metal, thought to be around 60% iron and nickel. The mission won’t actually land on the asteroid—all of its observations will happen from orbit, and

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18:42

631: Rapidly Evolving Trout & Ancient Hyper-Apex...

Science Friday ·

2023/10/24

Research shows some rapidly evolving trout are altering Wyoming's aquatic ecosystems. Plus, paleontologists pieced together a level of apex predators with no modern equivalent. In Wyoming’s Mountain Lakes, Stocked Trout Are Evolving Quickly Anglers across the West love to fish in high, alpine lakes, and Wyoming’s Wind River Range is nearly unbeatable for this experience. Around this time of year, frost covers the tips of trees at sunrise, and there’s plenty of room along the lonesome blue waters

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18:27

630: Finding Meaning In The Cosmos

Science Friday ·

2023/10/23

In her new memoir, astrobiologist Dr. Aomawa Shields describes how a quest for life in the cosmos helped her find meaning on Earth. One of the biggest, most intriguing questions in the world is quite simple: Are we alone in this universe? Astronomer and astrobiologist Dr. Aomawa Shields looks for signs of life in outer space by analyzing the climate and habitability of small exoplanets far beyond our solar system. Dr. Shields’ path to science was a winding one. Through childhood and into her adult

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24:56

630: ‘Clean Hydrogen Hub’ Awardees & Formula One Car...

Science Friday ·

2023/10/20

Seven “clean energy hubs” will receive a total of $7B to develop forms of hydrogen production with minimal carbon emissions. And, ahead of the US Grand Prix, an aerodynamicist breaks down the recent engineering changes to F1 cars. Department Of Energy Announces ‘Clean Hydrogen Hub’ Awardees The Department of Energy announced seven “clean hydrogen hubs,” which will receive a cumulative $7 billion. Each group will use a host of different approaches to produce hydrogen fuel with little or no

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17:39

628: What Is Your Cat Doing When You're Not Watching?

Science Friday ·

2023/10/19

In a conversation from 2019, Ira and the researchers behind a “catcam” study discuss the secret lives of your feline friends. If you want the real scoop on what your cat is doing while you’re away, researchers are studying that very question, using cat cameras. Our feline friends spend quite a lot of time outside of our line of sight, and we imagine them napping, bathing, playing, hunting. But that’s merely speculation. To get the data, researchers need to catch them in the act. Maren Huck, Senior

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24:54

629: The Stories Of The First Six Women Astronauts

Science Friday ·

2023/10/18

If you were asked to name the early astronauts, you probably wouldn’t have much trouble; Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, John Glenn come to mind easily enough. But what if you had to name women astronauts, besides Sally Ride? It’s a question that even space nerds might have trouble answering. A new book from space reporter Loren Grush centers those women’s stories. The Six: The Untold Story of America’s First Women Astronauts goes deep into the histories, triumphs, and tragedies of Sally Ride, Judy

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33:50

627: A Mathematician Asks ‘Is Math Real?’

Science Friday ·

2023/10/17

When math is based on abstract concepts, how do we know it’s correct? Dr. Eugenia Cheng takes on that question in a new book. The concept of math has been around for a long time, developing independently in many different cultures. In 1650 BC, the Egyptians were creating math textbooks on papyrus, with multiplication and division tables. Geometry, like the Pythagorean theorem, was used in ancient Greece. And negative numbers were invented in China around 200 BC. Some mathematical concepts are

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13:47

628: The mRNA Vaccine Revolution

Science Friday ·

2023/10/16

You’ve probably heard that there’s an updated COVID-19 vaccine on the market, and maybe you’ve already gotten your updated booster. But there are new kinds of vaccines in development that go beyond just tweaking protection to better cover circulating variants. In one promising development, researchers adapted the decades-old MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine into one covering measles, mumps, and multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2—and, rather than a shot, they delivered that experimental vaccine

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19:13

626: Ancient Human Footprints & 'Ring Of Fire' Eclipse

Science Friday ·

2023/10/13

A new analysis of ancient footprints in New Mexico adds to the debate about when humans arrived in North America. Plus, astronomer Dean Regas offers tips for safe viewing of Saturday’s eclipse. New Data Support Human Arrival In North America 22,000 Years Ago In 2021, scientists uncovered ancient human footprints in White Sands, New Mexico. Dating of the footprints suggested that people arrived in North America thousands of years earlier than anthropologists had thought. It sparked fierce debate

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19:11

623: Saltwater Wedge In The Mississippi & Kenya's...

Science Friday ·

2023/10/12

A Saltwater Wedge Is Moving Up The Mississippi River As the Mississippi River drops to one of its lowest levels in recent history, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said salt water from the Gulf of Mexico could threaten drinking water as far north as New Orleans’ French Quarter if no action is taken. On Friday, the Corps announced plans to avoid that scenario by building upon an existing underwater barrier that has been in place to block the progression of salt water from intruding farther upriver

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18:51

625: How Artists And Scientists Collaborated To Make...

Science Friday ·

2023/10/11

How Artists And Scientists Collaborated To Make Art About HIV This past July, the 12th International Conference on HIV Science was held in Brisbane, Australia. But this wasn’t your typical scientific conference. Yes, findings were presented on the latest in HIV research, but it culminated in a museum exhibition. 12 HIV-positive artists were paired with 12 scientists, and each pair collaborated on a piece of art, largely based on the scientists’ research. One of the pieces attracted a bit more

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19:07

622: Full-Body MRIs Promise To Detect Disease Early....

Science Friday ·

2023/10/10

The latest trend in celebrity health care is full-body MRI scans, with influencers like Kim Kardashian endorsing them. These scans aren’t covered by health insurance, and run over $2,000 out of pocket. Typically, a new diagnostic tool is marketed to doctors and radiologists. But companies like Prenuvo are now marketing directly to consumers. They claim that their scans will catch early signs of cancer, aneurysms, liver diseases and even multiple sclerosis. It’s an appealing promise. If you can

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18:08

623: Meet The Doctor Who Solves Medical Mysteries

Science Friday ·

2023/10/09

A news story was circulating a few months ago—a woman in Australia came into the hospital with abdominal pain. She was increasingly forgetful and struggling with depression. Her doctors were stumped for over a year. What was causing her symptoms? Turns out she had a three-inch parasitic worm living in her brain. They took it out, and she recovered. How do doctors crack cases like this? How do you even know to check for a brain worm? This is the specialty of Dr. Joe DeRisi. When doctors run into a

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25:57

624: mRNA Research Wins Nobel Prize & Lightning On Venus

Science Friday ·

2023/10/06

An mRNA Advance Wins A Nobel Prize This week, a handful of scientists scattered around the world got surprise telephone calls announcing that they will be receiving Nobel Prizes. On Monday, the prize in medicine or physiology was announced. It went to Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman, scientists who developed the modifications to mRNA that made the biomolecule a viable strategy for creating vaccines. On Tuesday, the Nobel in physics went to Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz and Anne L’Huillier, who

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