Science Friday
Episodes
The evolution of an enzyme engineer who changed chemistry
Science Friday host Flora Lichtman interviews Nobel laureate Dr.
Why is brain cancer so hard to treat?
How can astronaut food be better?
Host Flora Lichtman discusses the future of space cuisine with retired astronaut Clayton Anderson and chef David Skinner.
The reality of living with extreme heat in India
Science Friday host Flora Lichtman interviews Dr.
Tracking shark populations, one shark at a time
Catherine McDonald, director of the Shark Research and Conservation Program at the University of Miami, discusses field methods for monitoring shark populations and analyzing their health.
The Black women codebreakers of the Cold War
Dr.
Asha de Vos’ journey from deck hand to marine science leader
Dr.
Why worry about my data If I have nothing to hide?
Science Friday revisits an interview with Georgetown Law professor Laura Moy regarding data privacy amid new state laws and federal proposals.
Peering through dust clouds to the center of the galaxy
Science Friday host Flora Lichtman interviews Nobel laureate Andrea Ghez about her groundbreaking discovery of the supermassive black hole at the Milky Way's center.
Why a paper about relocating coastal communities hit a nerve
Host Flora Lichtman discusses the complexities of climate-induced relocation with Jessica Dandridge-Smith and Dr.
How do you piece together what life was like in Pompeii?
Science Friday explores daily life in ancient Pompeii through interviews with archaeobotanist Dr.
Hold the lettuce: Updates on the 'explosive' cyclospora outbreak
Science Friday host Flora Lichtman interviews Rutgers food safety expert Byron Chavez about a widespread Cyclospora outbreak linked to shredded…
A space telescope launch + Alvin submersible check-up
Host Flora Lichtman interviews Jackie Townsend about the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which is launching ahead of schedule to map dark energy and discover exoplanets.
How does a tick bite cause a red meat allergy?
Science Friday explores alpha-gal syndrome, a severe red meat allergy triggered by Lone Star tick bites.
What will our reaction be when we discover aliens?
Science Friday hosts Dr.
Beautiful botflies, luscious leeches, and the wonder of parasites
Science Friday host Flora Lichtman interviews entomologist Dr.
China's booming biotech, from a brain implant to drug discovery
Science Friday explores China’s approval of the Neo brain-computer interface, with Wired’s Emily Mullen discussing its potential for paralysis patients and comparison to US rivals like Neuralink.
Reconnecting with the night sky and reining in light pollution
Host Ira Flatow discusses light pollution with author Craig Childs, who recounts his bicycle journey from Las Vegas to dark desert skies to document the transition.
Amid shifting politics, can we build stable global health systems?
Flora Lichtman interviews Dr.
How does the gut-brain connection work?
Host Flora Lichtman interviews Dr.
Investigating ‘flow state’ with the bassist from Phish
Phish bassist Mike Gordon and neuroscientist Dr.
How the US patent system keeps drug prices high
Science Friday host Flora Lichtman interviews Tahir Amin, author of *Pharma Monopoly*, about how the US patent system drives high drug prices.
What was science like in America 250 years ago?
Host Ira Flatow and historian Dr.
An artificial cell eats, grows, and reproduces. Is it alive?
Science Friday hosts Dr.
Growing lunar potatoes + Dealing with razor-sharp moon dust
Host Flora Lichtman explores challenges for NASA’s Artemis lunar base with Dr.
Even Nobel Prize winners deal with imposter syndrome
Flora Lichtman interviews Nobel laureate Dr.
Squirrel poop drops Ice Age clues + The neuroscience of laughter
Dr.
Promising new treatments for pancreatic cancer and ALS
This episode highlights two major medical breakthroughs.
That chlorine smell at the pool? It’s pee
Science Friday host Flora Lixman interviews Purdue University professor Dr.
Under proposed rule, science funding must pass political review
Science Friday host Ira Flatow interviews Holden Thorpe, editor-in-chief of the Science Family of Journals, about a proposed OMB rule that would insert political review into federal grant funding.
Can you learn to love the scorpion?
This episode explores scorpions through two lenses: paleontology and modern biology.
FDA approves a well-known sunscreen ingredient—finally
Science Friday discusses the FDA’s approval of Bematrizinol, the first new U.
Why do sports announcers talk like that?
Sociolinguist Dr.
Swords, cannibalism, poison: inside the world of killer microbes
Science Friday explores microbial warfare with Dr.
When music transports you to a different place
Host Flora Lichtman interviews Dr.
A vast whale graveyard + Zombie sea cucumbers
This Science Friday episode explores two marine discoveries.
Should we bring mountain lions back to the Northeast?
Science Friday host Jane Lindholm interviews Dr.
Blue Origin explosion hits NASA timeline + Artemis III crew
Science Friday examines how Blue Origin’s New Glenn explosion impacts NASA’s Artemis timeline and the upcoming Artemis 3 mission.
Why can I handle tequila but not rum?
Science Friday explores the chemistry and health impacts of alcohol with Dr.
AI + turfgrass science in the most high-tech World Cup yet
Host Jane Lindholm explores the 2026 World Cup’s integration of AI and turf science.
How extreme athletes like Alex Honnold keep their cool
Science Friday explores the mental side of sports with Dr.
Parenting tips from the animal kingdom
Science journalist Elizabeth Preston discusses her book, *The Creature's Guide to Caring*, exploring how animal parenting strategies offer insights into human child-rearing.
Wait, is my washing machine playing Schubert?
Science Friday host Flora Lichtman apologizes for previously mocking a washing machine melody, which listeners identified as Schubert’s “The Trout.
A virus hunter in Nigeria has thoughts on the Ebola outbreak
Dr.
How did Neanderthals deal with illness and injuries?
Science Friday explores the origins of prehistoric medicine with Dr.
Looking for life in the clouds of Venus
MIT astrophysicist Dr.
Meet the drug developer taking on wildlife diseases
Dr.
Can the shingles vaccine stave off dementia?
Science Friday explores vaccines' unintended health benefits, featuring Dr.
Inside the Nebraska quarantine facility responding to hantavirus
Science Friday explores the National Quarantine Unit in Omaha, Nebraska, currently housing 18 Hantavirus-exposed cruise ship passengers.
Surveying wildlife along Lewis and Clark's route, 220 years later
Dr.