WNYC

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Channel • 21 Shows

Life Sciences

Life Sciences

Updated twice weekly
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Series
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Documentary

Updated weekly
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Visual Arts

Updated 09/08/2017
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Politics

Updated daily
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Updated daily
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Comedy Interviews

Updated 23/10/2019

3 DAYS AGO

Are Ultramarathoners Just Built Different?

‘Tis the season for exercise resolutions. For a select few, an ultramarathon—a race of 50, 100, or even more miles—may be on the table for 2026. But is there a limit to what our bodies can endure? And what makes ultramarathoners capable of these tremendous feats? Joining Host Flora Lichtman are sports medicine expert Brandee Waite and biological anthropologist Andrew Best. Guests: Dr. Brandee Waite is the director of UC Davis Health Sports Medicine in Sacramento, California. Dr. Andrew Best is an assistant professor of biology at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

3 days ago

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18 min
4 DAYS AGO

Your Cells Are Always Building A Whole New You

In the last year, you’ve basically replaced your body weight in new cells. So yes, it’s a new year, new you. To ring in 2026, we’re talking about starting anew, and drawing inspiration from tiny worms that embody the ultimate growth mindset—they can regrow a whole body from just a tiny piece of their tail. In this festive episode, Host Flora Lichtman talks with biologist Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado, a pioneer in the field of regeneration, about the science of regeneration and the biology lessons we can carry into the new year. Guest: Dr. Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado is a biologist and president and chief scientific officer of the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in Kansas City, Missouri. Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

4 days ago

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18 min
5 DAYS AGO

A Look Back At 2025 In Science, From Federal Cuts To Space Junk

This has been a busy year in science, from government budget cuts and policy changes affecting research, to the record rise of renewables, to the surge in AI, and everything in between. Science journalists Sophie Bushwick and Maggie Koerth join Host Ira Flatow to unpack some of the year’s top stories, and some you might have missed. Guests: Sophie Bushwick is a freelance science journalist and editor based in New York. Maggie Koerth is climate and weather editor for CNN, based in Minneapolis. Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

5 days ago

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16 min
26/12/2025

Tangling With Entanglement And Other Big Ideas In Physics

What have we learned in recent years about black holes? Can entangled quantum particles really communicate faster than light? What’s the story behind Schrödinger’s Cat? And, in this weird liminal space between the holidays, what even IS time, really? Physicist Sean Carroll and Host Ira Flatow tackled those big questions and more at a recent event at WNYC’s Greene Space in New York City. Carroll’s book The Biggest Ideas in the Universe: Space, Time, and Motion is the SciFri Book Club pick for December. Guest: Dr. Sean Carroll is the Homewood Professor of Natural Philosophy at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

26/12/2025

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36 min
19/11/2025

Hawai‘i: Yo-Yo Ma and the Whales

Yo-Yo Ma has wanted to use his cello to communicate with whales for half his life. And, in Hawai’i he got a chance. With help from the Polyneisan Voyaging Society and hula master Snowbird Bento, Yo-Yo learns about the ancient art of Hawaiian chant, what one local singer describes to him as their “contribution to the orchestra of the world.” Then Ana and Yo-Yo board a legendary canoe, Hōkūleʻa, with local fishermen, seafaring captains, and marine biologists. The musicians play cello for whales through the hull of the ship, all in the red glow of volcano Mauna Loa’s active eruption. Featuring music by Yo-Yo Ma and Snowbird Bento Listen to the Our Common Nature EP Credits: Our Common Nature is a production of WNYC and Sound Postings Hosted by Ana González Produced by Alan Goffinski Editing from Pearl Marvell Sound design and episode music by Alan Goffinski Mixed by Joe Plourde Fact-checking by Ena Alvarado Executive Producers are Emily Botein, Ben Mandelkern, Sophie Shackleton, and Jonathan Bays. Our advisors are Mira Burt-Wintonick, Kamaka Dias, Kelley Libbey, and Chris Newell Episode photo by Austin Mann; Episode and show art by Tiffany Pai Our Common Nature is a production of WNYC and Sound Postings. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts Yo-Yo Ma wants to know: what place do you love most? What reminds you that you are part of the Earth? Snap a photo of your favorite place on the planet and share it on social with the tag #ourcommonnature Visit the website at ourcommonnaturepodcast.org

19/11/2025

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44 min
24/12/2025 · BONUS

Ana’s Thanks, Plus the Hunt for a Long-Lost Musical Masterpiece

Host Ana González is back to thank you all for sharing your amazing photos from our Common Nature! She is also sharing an episode from The Broadside Show from our friends at WUNC about the hunt for a long-lost musical masterpiece. Perhaps more than any other art form, the 20th century was shaped by jazz. And piano player and composer Mary Lou Williams was there at nearly every turn. In recent years, historians have documented and dissected her career and its big impact on American music. But the final chapter of her life—spent teaching at Duke University—was shrouded in mystery. Until now. Link to original episode here (WUNC) Transcript here Our Common Nature is a production of WNYC and Sound Postings. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts Yo-Yo Ma wants to know: what place do you love most? What reminds you that you are part of the Earth? Snap a photo of your favorite place on the planet and share it on social with the tag #ourcommonnature Visit the website at ourcommonnaturepodcast.org

24/12/2025 · Bonus

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23 min
29/12/2025

What The Sigma Is Algospeak?

Gen Alpha slang can seem unintelligible to adults, but linguist and TikToker Adam Aleksic argues language development in the internet age is worth legitimate study. In a conversation from July, Adam talks to Host Flora Lichtman about how algorithms and social media are changing the way we speak, and discusses his new book, Algospeak: How Social Media is Transforming the Future of Language. Guest: Adam Aleksic is a linguist and content creator posting educational videos as the “Etymology Nerd” to an audience of more than three million. He is the author of Algospeak: How Social Media is Transforming the Future of Language. Transcript is available on sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

29/12/2025

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19 min
10/12/2025

How A Fringe Idea Led To Lifesaving Cancer Treatments

In cancer research, the “seed and soil” hypothesis posits that the tumor is like a seed of misbehaving cells taking root in the body. Whether it grows—and where it grows—depends on the conditions, or soil. Since this hypothesis was proposed more than 100 years ago, most research and treatments have focused on the seed, or tumor. For nearly 50 years, Rakesh Jain has been studying the soil. But in a seed-focused field, his work was seen as wasteful and radical. Now, that very same research has led to seven FDA-approved treatments for diseases including lung and liver cancer, and earned him a National Medal of Science in 2016. Host Flora Lichtman talks with Jain about how his fringe idea led to lifesaving cancer treatments. Guest: Dr. Rakesh K. Jain studies the biology of tumors at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital as a professor of radiation oncology. Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

10/12/2025

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30 min
02/11/2017

Citizens United

Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission is one of the most polarizing Supreme Court cases of all time. So what is it actually about, and why did the Justices decide the way they did? Justice Anthony Kennedy, often called the “most powerful man in America,” wrote the majority opinion in the case. In this episode, we examine Kennedy’s singular devotion to the First Amendment and look at how it may have influenced his decision in the case.

02/11/2017

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1h 1m
25/12/2025

The Science Of Thriving In Winter—By Embracing It

Health psychologist Dr. Kari Leibowitz traveled to some of the coldest, darkest places on earth to learn how people there don’t just survive, but thrive in winter. She says that one of the key ingredients is adopting a positive wintertime mindset by focusing on and celebrating the good parts of winter. In a conversation from January, Flora Lichtman talks with Dr. Kari Leibowitz, author of How to Winter: Harness Your Mindset to Thrive on Cold, Dark, or Difficult Days, about saunas, cold plunges, candles, and other small ways to make winter a season to look forward to rather than dread. Plus, she responds to some of our audience’s own tips to make the season enjoyable. Guest: Dr. Kari Leibowitz is a health psychologist and author of How to Winter: Harness Your Mindset to Thrive on Cold, Dark, or Difficult Days. She’s based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Transcript is available at sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

25/12/2025

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18 min

WNYC is New York's public radio podcast home, producing award-winning shows like Radiolab, On the Media, The New Yorker Radio Hour, Science Friday, and more. Our podcasts bring groundbreaking journalism, unforgettable storytelling, and essential conversations to millions of listeners across the city and around the world.