Science Friday

4.4 (6.3K)
Life Sciences
Updated Daily

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.

4h ago

AI + turfgrass science in the most high-tech World Cup yet

The 2026 World Cup will be the largest one yet, and FIFA is trying to make it the most high-tech, too. The federation has partnered with tech giant Lenovo to launch Football AI Pro, which is designed to analyze over 2,000 different metrics and deliver real-time insights to coaches, players, and analysts. Guest Host Jane Lindholm chats with ESPN writer Ryan O’Hanlon about how AI analytics actually play out in soccer. Plus, how a team of researchers grew 16 stadiums’ worth of FIFA-class turf. Turfgrass scientist Jackie Lyn Guevara breaks down the importance of perfectly uniform turf, how the turf was designed, and what she’ll be looking out for during the matches. Guests: Ryan O’Hanlon is a staff writer at ESPN and the author of “Net Gains: Inside the Beautiful Game's Analytics Revolution.” Dr. Jackie Lyn "Jack" Guevara is an assistant professor in the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences at Michigan State University. Other episodes you may enjoy: We’re All Being Played By Metrics The Surprising Science Of Why Sneakers Squeak Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Follow our show on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Bluesky @scifri and sign up for our newsletters. Got a science question that’s keeping you up at night? Call us: 877-472-4374 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

20 min
1d ago

How extreme athletes like Alex Honnold keep their cool

Elite athletes spend a lot of time training their bodies for strength, endurance, coordination, and precision. But what about their brains? Can psychology help athletes achieve peak performance? Joining Flora Lichtman to talk about this are professional climber Alex Honnold and Jessica Bartley, psychologist for U.S. Olympians and Paralympians. Guests: Alex Honnold is a professional climber, founder of the Honnold Foundation, and host of the Planet Visionaries Podcast: in partnership with the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative. Dr. Jessica Bartley is senior director of psychological services for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee. Other episodes you may enjoy: Can Better Equipment Eliminate Concussions In Sports? Olympic Ski Mountaineering, And Mountain Goat Climbing Feats Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Follow our show on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Bluesky @scifri and sign up for our newsletters. Got a science question that’s keeping you up at night? Call us: 877-472-4374 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

23 min
2d ago

Parenting tips from the animal kingdom

If you’ve ever been a child, had a child, or seen a child face down in a supermarket aisle screaming, you know that parenting can be tough. But humans aren’t the only ones raising their young, so how do animals deal with toddlers that won’t follow directions or little ones that are constantly begging for snacks? Parent and science journalist Elizabeth Preston, who wrote the book “The Creatures' Guide to Caring,” joins Host Flora Lichtman to tackle some SciFri listeners’ parenting problems, from dawdling to the bedtime pop-out. Read an excerpt from “The Creatures' Guide to Caring: How Animal Parents Teach Us That Humans Were Born to Care.” Guest: Elizabeth Preston is a science journalist and the author of “The Creatures' Guide to Caring.” Other episodes you may enjoy: How Do Animals Understand Death? Why It Took Decades For This Octopus To Be Recognized Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Follow our show on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Bluesky @scifri and sign up for our newsletters. Got a science question that’s keeping you up at night? Call us: 877-472-4374 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

21 min
4d ago

Wait, is my washing machine playing Schubert?

A few weeks ago, we talked to two sonic branding experts who compose music for household appliances. And we played for them a song “sung” by a washing machine that they didn’t really appreciate. But many of our listeners immediately identified the tune, a famous melody by 19th-century composer Franz Schubert. And, as our guest tells us, it’s not just any tune—it’s one of Schubert’s most beloved compositions, “The Trout,” which he returned to several times during his short but prolific career. L. Michael Griffel, a Schubert expert and former head of the music history department at The Julliard School, joins us for our mea culpa to “Die Forelle.” A transcript for this episode will be added to the original segment page: Who’s composing music for my washing machine? Subscribe to this podcast. Follow our show on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Bluesky @scifri and sign up for our newsletters. Got a science question that’s keeping you up at night? Call us: 877-472-4374 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

6 min
5d ago

A virus hunter in Nigeria has thoughts on the Ebola outbreak

The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring Uganda is caused by the Bundibugyo virus. There’s no specific treatment or vaccine for this strain, unlike the more common Zaire strain that caused the 2014 outbreak. Molecular biologist Christian Happi has dedicated his career to improving genomic sequencing capabilities and virus monitoring across the continent of Africa. He joins Flora to discuss the challenges of the current outbreak and his vision for better disease surveillance. Guest: Dr. Christian Happi is a distinguished professor at Redeemer’s University and runs the Institute of Genomics and Global Health in Nigeria. Other episodes you may enjoy: Inside the Nebraska quarantine facility responding to hantavirus Can ‘Suggestion-Box Science’ Make Public Health More Useful? Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Follow our show on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Bluesky @scifri and sign up for our newsletters. Got a science question that’s keeping you up at night? Call us: 877-472-4374 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

20 min
6d ago

How did Neanderthals deal with illness and injuries?

If you look up where medicine originated, or the earliest medical interventions, you’ll probably find yourself reading about ancient Greece or Egypt or Mesopotamia. But what about before that? How did early humans treat illnesses or cope with injuries? What did a Neanderthal do if she broke a rib or had a toothache? Flora digs into these questions with archaeologist Penny Spikins and microbiologist Laura Weyrich. They chat about ancient treatments like antibiotics and root canals, why Neanderthals were always getting hurt, and how they took care of themselves—and each other. Guests: Dr. Penny Spikins is a professor of the archaeology of human origins at the University of York in England. Dr. Laura Weyrich is an associate professor of anthropology and bioethics at Pennsylvania State University. Other episodes you may enjoy: What Did It Feel Like To Be An Early Human? Your Pain Tolerance May Have Been Passed Down From Neanderthals Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Follow our show on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Bluesky @scifri and sign up for our newsletters. Got a science question that’s keeping you up at night? Call us: 877-472-4374 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

18 min
Jun 3

Looking for life in the clouds of Venus

A group of researchers and private investors are planning a series of privately funded missions to Venus, hoping to find signs of life. That may seem like a startling possibility. Although Venus is a close neighbor to Earth, it has a smothering atmosphere of carbon dioxide that has allowed the planet’s surface to heat to temperatures that would melt lead. There’s crushing pressure. And to top it off, there are clouds of sulfuric acid. Astrophysicist and planetary scientist Sara Seager joins Host Ira Flatow to explain why she thinks life on Venus might be possible, high up in the clouds. Seager has conducted lab experiments that indicate various biomolecules could survive there, despite the toxic conditions. She’s leading a series of proposed private missions to the planet, to study the atmosphere, conduct habitability studies, and even bring back a sample of Venusian cloud material. Guest: Dr. Sara Seager is an astrophysicist and a professor of physics, planetary science, and aeronautics and astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Other episodes you may enjoy: Bizarre exoplanet clouds + Counting insects with weather radar The lucky breaks that make our Earth home Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Follow our show on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Bluesky @scifri and sign up for our newsletters. Got a science question that’s keeping you up at night? Call us: 877-472-4374 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

27 min
Jun 2

Meet the drug developer taking on wildlife diseases

Many of the forces driving species to extinction—habitat destruction, pollution, climate change—also fuel the spread of disease. And plants and animals around the globe are facing their own little pandemics, from cancer to fungal diseases. But what if we could treat them with cutting-edge medicines? Is there something drug developers could do to help? Chemist Tim Cernak thinks so. He has been developing drugs for people for 20 years, but his patient roster has started to include sea turtles, frogs, and giant reptiles. He talks with Flora about why he’s making drugs for wildlife and why more chemists should join in. Guest: Dr. Tim Cernak is an associate professor of medicinal chemistry at the University of Michigan. Other episodes you may enjoy: Raising A New Generation Of Bat Conservationists In West Africa How Conservation Efforts Brought Rare Birds Back From The Brink Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Follow our show on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Bluesky @scifri and sign up for our newsletters. Got a science question that’s keeping you up at night? Call us: 877-472-4374 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

12 min

See All (1.3K)

Ira Flatow

Host
Flora Lichtman

Host
Christian Happi

Guest
Roland W. Kays

Guest
Ruth Y. Oliver

Guest
Marcelo Suárez-Orozco

Guest
David Sing

Guest
Elske Tielens

Guest
Mary Claire King

Guest
Rodney Schmaltz

Guest

4.4

out of 5

6,279 Ratings

All of the above

2d ago

fan of in the bubble

There has not been an episode that I have not enjoyed. I’m curious about so much and I love Science Friday. It fills my curiosity beyond measure
Best science podcast out there

2d ago

mooneyk

I’ve listened to Science Friday’ for 30 years and it is the only podcast I listen to every day. I work professionally as a researcher in biology and the things I already know are treated very accurately and I listen to learn about things I don’t know. It’s entertaining and fun on top of all that.
Fall In Love With Science Every Episode

4d ago

LewickiLuke

Flora’s sincerity and excitement is so contagious. The topics covered are so diverse, and I never know what I’m going to learn each episode- and I love that. This podcast brings a sense of awe to my life in way no other one does. It’s easily my favorite show to recommend.
The Happy Hour at the End of the Radio Week

May 28

The Real Chris Fish

Thanks Flora for being one of the most thoughtful and impactful voices of science for the next generations. On a foundation of curiosity, compassion and joy that Ira and many other voices have established, your agility of mind and breadth of understanding expands what science contributes to today, and also who chooses to be a scientist. Thanks to producer Shoshannah Buxbaum and all of the SciFri team for 35 years of getting us together on “the back porch at the end of the radio week” to relax, have fun, meet new people, and learn cool stuff. Thanks for creating and sustaining this great tradition! ❤️🎵🔬🔭💫

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.