NPR: Science Friday Podcast
NPR: Science Friday Podcast
Science Friday, as heard on NPR, is a weekly discussion of the latest news in science, technology, health, and the environment hosted by Ira Flatow. Ira interscientists, authors, and policymakers, and listeners can call in and ask questions as well. Hear it each week on NPR stations nationwide -- ...
Real-Life Physics Problems Star On TV
The stars of The Big Bang Theory are two fictional Caltech physicists, but the physics problems they study are real. Bill Prady, the program's co-creator and executive producer, talks about including real-world science in the script, from dark matter to ...
Book Recounts Challenges Of Eradicating Smallpox
In Smallpox: The Death of a Disease, Dr. D.A. Henderson recounts the history of the deadly virus, from the development of the first vaccine in the late 18th century to his involvement in the successful global eradication campaign in the 1960s and 70s.
Debating Benefits, Risks Of Routine Mammograms
New guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommend women start getting routine mammograms at age 50, not 40. Ira Flatow and guests take a closer look at the guidelines and what they mean for women's health.
Talking Turkey About Holiday Stress
The holiday season is here and for many that can mean a surge in stress. But what is stress exactly? Science Friday hit the streets of New York City to gauge stress levels and consulted with experts on the effects of stress and strategies for how to cope.
Personalizing Solar Power
Researchers are hoping to improve solar energy installations by coupling a solar panel to an efficient hydrolysis unit that splits water into oxygen and hydrogen. Daniel Nocera of MIT says the approach could lead to personal solar power units that could ...
Rethinking The Human Future In Space
With NASA reporting a "significant amount" of water on the lunar surface, is it time to re-examine our priorities regarding living and working in space? Mark Sykes, director of the Planetary Science Institute, talks about why and how people should ...
Brushing Up On Tropical Diseases
Dengue fever, malaria and other tropical diseases took center stage at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene conference. Nathan Seppa of Science News offers details, including a strange story of palm trees, fruit bats and human infection.
One-Woman Show Explores Human Side Of Health Care
Actress Anna Deavere Smith traveled across the country interviewing people about their thoughts on health care. From an injured bull rider to a medical school dean, she recounts what she heard through monologues in her latest documentary-style theater ...
Two Graphic Novels Explain Science, Colorfully
Moving beyond traditional superheroes, two new graphic novels recount the epic tales of scientists and the research that made them famous. Ira Flatow talks with authors Michael Keller and Apostolos Doxiadis about their graphic novels on natural selection ...
Clone That Smile, Digitally
Researchers have figured out how to track the facial expressions of one person and map those movements onto a digital image of another person's face in real time. The result is something like a digital video puppet, which psychologists say may reveal ...
Therapists Split On Multiple Personalities
Can people develop different personalities in response to abuse? Some therapists say up to one percent of the population suffer from dissociative identity disorder. Others say the disease doesn't exist, or is very rare. Two therapists discuss the ...
Sailing Through Space, On A Starboard Tack
In the vacuum of space, photons — not wind — may someday fill the sails of lightweight spacecraft, propelling them without need for engines or fuel. Louis Friedman, executive director of The Planetary Society, discusses the society's plans ...
Do Moon Craters Harbor Caches Of Water Ice?
A NASA rocket slammed into a lunar crater in October. A spacecraft followed later, taking inventory of kicked-up debris and sending data to Earth. Scientists have now analyzed those data, which may reveal whether the moon harbors significant quantities ...
Considering Values In The Health Care Debate
As health care legislation moves through Congress, bioethicist Thomas H. Murray asks if enough attention is being paid to concepts such as justice, fairness and liberty. Murray and health care economist Len Nichols discuss the role of values in the ...
Considering Values In The Health Care Debate
As health care legislation moves through Congress, bioethicist Thomas H. Murray asks if enough attention is being paid to concepts such as justice, fairness and liberty. Murray and health care economist Len Nichols discuss the role of values in the ...
Giving Athletes A Heads-Up On Concussions
Football players take a lot of hits, but when does hard-headed play go too far? New research suggests that head trauma can do lasting damage. Two brain researchers talk about what happens in the brain when a player gets hit, and how athletes can better ...
Students Build Living Microbial Machines
At the 2009 International Genetically Engineered Machine competition, undergraduates from all over the world unveiled the living machines they'd created with snippets of DNA, from bacteria that change color when they detect pollutants to ones that ...
Students Build Living Microbial Machines
At the 2009 International Genetically Engineered Machine competition, undergraduates from all over the world unveiled the living machines they'd created with snippets of DNA, from bacteria that change color when they detect pollutants to ones that ...
Can Oceans Survive The Human Appetite For Seafood?
Faced with declining fish stocks, many nations are looking for sustainable ways to have their fish — and eat it too. But how much fishing is too much? Oceanographer Sylvia Earle discusses this and other topics in her book The World is Blue: How Our ...