NPR: Science Friday Podcast
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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 interviews scientists, authors, and policymakers, and listeners can call in and ask questions as well. Hear it each week on NPR stations nationwide!
| Title | Podcast Description | Author/Reader | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Living Spaces That Stress Less | From switching to energy-efficient light bulbs and appliances, to collecting rainwater and installing photovoltaic panels, how are experts making buildings that use less energy and generate less waste? | National Public Radio | 00:17:47 |
| The Secret Life Of Caves | Pigmentless grotto salamanders, blind Ozark cavefish and parasitic horsehair worms are a few of the animals living in Missouri's 6,000-plus caves. We look at the biology, geology and history of underground attractions in the "Cave State." | National Public Radio | 00:30:14 |
| Can Biotech Crops Feed The Developing World? | Biotech has promised innovations like drought-resistant corn and vitamin-packed cassava to the developing world. But how has it delivered on those dreams? | National Public Radio | 00:47:57 |
| Yucca Mountain As Metaphor | When writer John D'Agata moved his mother to the suburbs of Las Vegas, he began looking at the history of the government's plan to store nuclear waste deep in Nevada's Yucca Mountain. | National Public Radio | 00:07:27 |
| Can Technology Solve Nuclear's Problems? | President Obama has pledged support for nuclear power, but problems including how to dispose of the waste persist. Ira Flatow and guests look at the latest nuclear technology, from microreactors to waste storage, and compare the cost of nuclear to other energy sources. | National Public Radio | 00:28:06 |
| Changing Behaviors To Save Energy | Energy Star labels and miles-per-gallon vehicle ratings aren't enticing enough consumers toward energy-saving options, according to economist Hunt Allcott. He explains how new research in behavioral economics might help lead consumers to better choices. | National Public Radio | 00:12:30 |
| Rock Out With A Homemade Electric Guitar | Forget the air guitar solos, go electric for under $10. Sound artist Ranjit Bhatnagar, a member of NYC Resistor, specializes in building cheap, D.I.Y. instruments. He explains how to make an electric guitar from a plank of wood, some wire, a magnet and a guitar string. | National Public Radio | 00:04:52 |
| Fossil Pushes Back The Age Of Dinosaurs | A fossil in Tanzania suggests dinosaurs appeared 10 million years earlier than previously thought, according to a Nature study. Christian Sidor, of the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture at the University of Washington, discusses the origin of dinosaurs. | National Public Radio | 00:12:56 |
| Harnessing Thoughts To Control A Computer | Researchers decoded electrical brain signals without implanting electrodes, according to a new study. Instead, Jose L. Contreras-Vidal and colleagues monitored brain activity with EEG sensors on the scalp, using them to reconstruct hand movement and drive a robot. | National Public Radio | 00:17:12 |
| Tracking The Geologic Impacts Of Earthquakes | The earthquake that shook Chile was powerful enough to push up the Andes a few feet, shift Earth's axis and even speed up Earth's spin. Ross Stein, a geophysicist at the U.S.G.S., explains the fallout of the quake and the physics that triggered it. | National Public Radio | 00:12:03 |
| The Early Picture Of Darwin Evolves | Charles Darwin is often depicted as an old, bearded genius, but what was he like as a young man? The movie "Creation" explores young Darwin's inner turmoil. Director Jon Amiel and Darwin's descendant Randal Keynes hold forth. | National Public Radio | 00:22:16 |
| The Small Parts That Drive The Universe | How do you take pictures of objects that are too small to photograph? George Whitesides and Felice Frankel, co-authors of the image-heavy book "No Small Matter: Science on the Nanoscale", discuss nanoscience and the process of photographing particles smaller than photons. | National Public Radio | 00:25:42 |
| Can Underwater Parks Protect Coral? | With global threats like ocean warming and acidification, it's a tough time to be a coral. Marine ecologists John Bruno and Elizabeth Selig discuss if local management through Marine Protected Areas had any positive effect. | National Public Radio | 00:04:18 |
| Study Suggests Sperm Whales Herd Prey | Data from GPS and depth sensing instruments suggest sperm whales may herd squid to make capturing their prey easier. "Science News's" Sid Perkins reports on this and other findings presented at the American Geophysical Union's Ocean Sciences Meeting in Portland. | National Public Radio | 00:06:47 |
| Life Imitates Math | In his new book, "The Calculus of Friendship", math professor and writer Steven Strogatz looks back on his 30-year correspondence with his high school math teacher. Can calculus, differential equations and chaos theory help explain the complex nature of human relationships? | National Public Radio | 00:24:28 |
| Grizzlies Move Into Polar Bear Turf On Hudson Bay | Reporting in "The Canadian Field-Naturalist", researchers write of grizzly bears in Canada's Wapusk National Park, on the shores of the Hudson Bay - land previously inhabited only by polar bears. Author Robert Rockwell discusses potential competition. | National Public Radio | 00:12:29 |
| Scientists Study Dolphins As Model Of Human Health | Dr. Stephanie Venn-Watson of the National Marine Mammal Foundation discusses why dolphins may have evolved a diabetes "on/off switch," and Dr. Hendrik Nollens of the University of Florida talks about what scientists can learn by studying papillomavirus infections in dolphins. | National Public Radio | 00:30:55 |
| Toxin Triggers Epilepsy In Sea Lions And Humans | Just one exposure to the algal toxin domoic acid can trigger epilepsy in sea lions and humans. NOAA scientist John Ramsdell discusses the one known human case of epilepsy from domoic acid poisoning, and what scientists can learn from similar cases of epilepsy in sea lions. | National Public Radio | 00:12:25 |
| Communicating Science In A Post-Newspaper Era | As newspapers and cable news cut science coverage, where can the science-curious get reliable science and technology news? Ira Flatow and guests discuss how the Internet - including blogs and social media - is filling the coverage gap. Plus, spicing up screenplays with science. | National Public Radio | 00:47:48 |
| Jane Goodall Works To Help Humans, Too | She won fame as a primatologist studying wild chimpanzees on the shores of Tanzania's Lake Tanganyika. Fifty years later, Jane Goodall is fighting climate change and helping women in developing countries pursue environmental projects. | National Public Radio | 00:25:13 |
| The 'Immortal' Story Of One Woman's Cells | In The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, author Rebecca Skloot tells the story of Henrietta Lacks' 'immortal cells' - cells taken from a tumor on her cervix and kept alive to multiply in laboratories around the world - and how Lacks' children discovered their connection to the cells. | National Public Radio | 00:22:38 |
| Studying Leaves With Physics And Fluorescent Dye | Leaves have an intricate web of veins that transport nutrients and water and provide structural support. But what determines the pattern of venation? Physicists Marcelo Magnasco and Eleni Katifori investigated this question using sophisticated algorithms and a little glow-in-the-dark dye. | National Public Radio | 00:04:59 |
| Jumbo Squid Invade California Coastal Waters | Humboldt squid have been spotted in increasing numbers off the coast of California. The adaptable animals can reach seven feet long and weigh up to 100 pounds. Marine biologist William Gilly and other researchers are trying to understand the reasons for the population shift. | National Public Radio | 00:12:50 |
| Government Plans 'National Climate Service' | A century after the Weather Bureau began to offer regular forecasts, the government is proposing the creation of a similar service focused on climate change and its effects. NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco discusses the proposed 'National Climate Service.' | National Public Radio | 00:17:48 |
| Listening To Love Songs of African Clawed Frogs | For many, romantic music is a key part of a Valentine's Day celebration. Biologist Darcy Kelley studies the communications of South African clawed frogs, including their underwater love songs. What can their music reveal about communication elsewhere in the animal kingdom? | National Public Radio | 00:12:28 |
| Experts Say 'Gene Doping' To Be Next Sports Scandal | Cheating athletes used to rely on steroids to pump up performance. Then they discovered erythropoietin and human growth hormone. What's next? Gene doping, or genetic manipulation, according to Doctor Theodore Friedmann, chair of the World Anti-Doping Agency's Gene Doping Expert Group. | National Public Radio | 00:17:50 |
| Is Depression Overdiagnosed In America? | Roughly 27 million Americans took prescription antidepressants in 2005, making them the most commonly prescribed class of medications in America. Ira Flatow and guests discuss depression, from how it's diagnosed and treated to how antidepressants stack up against psychotherapy and placebos. | National Public Radio | 00j:30:17 |
| Fossilized Feathers Hint At Dinosaur Color | Dinosaurs are often portrayed as a drab green or grey, but some may have been much brighter. Reporting in Science, Jakob Vinther and colleagues analyzed the fossilized feathers of 150-million-year-old dinosaur Anchiornis huxleyi and found its plumage was surprisingly flashy. | National Public Radio | 00:04:53 |
| President Obama's Science Spending | The president's proposed budget was unveiled this week. How did science make out? This hour Ira Flatow and guests look at the budgets of the major U.S. scientific institutions. How are research, alternative energy development and space travel affected? And will Congress sign on? | National Public Radio | 00:43:13 |
| Sean Carroll On The Mysteries Of Time | It's easy to find a dictionary definition of "time." But ask a group of theoretical physicists and the answer isn't as clear. Sean Carroll of CalTech discusses the mysteries of time in his book, "From Eternity to Here: The Quest for the Ultimate Theory of Time." | National Public Radio | 00:24:48 |
| Could An Asteroid Slam Earth Without Warning? | The $4 million the United States spends each year to detect near-Earth comets and asteroids is not nearly enough to detect all potentially threatening objects, according to a new report. Faith Vilas and Michael A'Hearn, two authors on the report, discuss options for keeping Earth safe. | National Public Radio | 00:22:41 |
| Mystery Of The Bdelloid Dry Spell Solved | Bdelloid rotifers haven't had sex for 30 million years and that's puzzling. Most asexual animals are doomed to extinction. Reporting in the journal Science, Paul Sherman and Chris Wilson explain the extraordinary adaptations that allow these rotifers to persist in celibacy. | National Public Radio | 00:17:48 |
| Stargazing At The Opera | The Hayden Planetarium in New York takes opera to the moon with a new production of "Il Mondo Della Luna." Diane Paulus and Philip Bussmann talk about merging cosmos footage with music, how science can enhance the arts and the future of technology and theater. | National Public Radio | 00:17:45 |
| NASA Prepares Spirit For Winter On Mars | NASA rover Spirit is stuck in the Martian dust. But don't give up yet, says Steven Squyres, principal investigator of the Mars Exploration Rover Mission. Squyres discusses tactics for freeing Spirit and what projects are on the horizon for the rover if it survives the Martian winter. | National Public Radio | 00:11:51 |
| Machines Slowly Master Face Recognition | Facial recognition technology is already used at border crossings, the DMV and photo-management software. But how do machines stack up against humans? Ira Flatow and guests discuss what facial recognition technology can and can't do, and talk about privacy issues concerning its use. | National Public Radio | 00:35:42 |
| Scientists Grow Neurons From Stem Cells | Reporting in The Journal of Neuroscience, researchers write of creating working neurons from embryonic stem cells. When transplanted into an infant mouse brain, the cells hooked into the correct brain areas, as normal neurons would. Study author James Weimann discusses the findings. | National Public Radio | 00:12:01 |
| What's In That Fish Stick? Give It A DNA Test | Brenda Tan and Matt Cost, high school seniors from Trinity School in New York City, used a technique called DNA barcoding to find out what species were present in over 200 animal products. Their results suggest buyers should beware! | National Public Radio | 00:05:50 |
| FDA Cautions Against Chemical In Plastics | Last week, the FDA warned against exposure to a chemical called BPA, found in hard plastics. But how dangerous is the chemical? Gardiner Harris, of The New York Times, discusses the FDA's statement, and what it indicates about the future of the organization. | National Public Radio | 00:12:01 |
| 'Denying' Science Could Be Dangerous | Genetically modified food, vaccines and synthetic biology are all hot-button issues. But they shouldn't be, according to guest Michael Specter, author of the new book Denialism. He argues that the scariest threat is not science itself, but the reluctance to discuss it. | National Public Radio | 00:17:00 |
| The Technology Behind Texting For Aid | People have texted millions of dollars in donations to victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Is this the new model for philanthropy? Timothy Ogden, editor in chief of Philanthropy Action, explains the technology and the future of charity work in the information age. | National Public Radio | 00:11:37 |
| Is There A Biological Basis For Race? | The 2010 census form has a box to check for race, but what do the categories mean? Some scientists say there's no biological basis for dividing people into races. Others say race can be an important marker for disease. Ira Flatow and guests look at the science of race. | National Public Radio | 00:35:21 |
| Deal Suggests Bright Solar Future In China | The Chinese government has pledged that 15 percent of its energy will come from renewable sources by 2020. To that end, China announced a contract with California's eSolar to build one of the biggest solar plants in history. Bill Gross, CEO of eSolar, discusses the project. | National Public Radio | 00:12:02 |
| Watching TV Could Shorten Your Life | Daily TV viewing is statistically associated with an increase in the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and other medical causes, according to a new study in Circulation. Study author David Dunstan explains the findings. | National Public Radio | 00:12:08 |
| The Laser Turns 50: A Birthday Bash | In 1960, a physicist shined a flash bulb into a ruby crystal tube and the first laser was born. Ira Flatow and guests discuss the history of the laser, the intrigue surrounding its invention and why you can't pick up the phone or get in a car without having a laser to thank. | National Public Radio | 00:23:31 |
| The Doomsday Clock Takes A Step Back | The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has reset its famous "Doomsday Clock," a symbolic marker of how close the world is to annihilation by humans. Physicist Lawrence Krauss explains why the scientists feel a bit more optimistic about the world's chances for survival. | National Public Radio | 00:11:34 |
| Eric Kandel Reminisces About Memory | Neuroscientist and Nobel Prize winner Eric Kandel has been studying the molecular basis of memory for more than 50 years. His life and career are the subject of a new documentary, "In Search of Memory." Kandel discusses the state of memory research and shares his own memories. | National Public Radio | 00:35:36 |
| Dispute Over 'Fracking' For Natural Gas | Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, uses water and an array of chemicals to push apart underground rock formations, releasing natural gas for collection. Environmental groups want more regulation of the chemicals used in fracking; industry groups say more rules aren't necessary. | National Public Radio | 00:12:18 |
| Stashing Carbon Dioxide In Rocks | Basalt formations off the East Coast of the U.S. could suck up a billion tons of carbon dioxide, according to a new study. Paleontologist Paul Olsen, of Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, explains how to get the CO2 into the rocks, and why scientists believe it won't leak out. | National Public Radio | 00:17:50 |
| Obesity Trumps Smoking As American Health Burden | Reporting in the "American Journal of Preventive Medicine," researchers write that the American obesity epidemic is eating away at gains in health and life expectancy achieved by anti-smoking campaigns. | National Public Radio | 00:22:02 |
| Distant Galaxies, Exoplanets Star At Space Meeting | Astronauts outfitted the Hubble Space Telescope with a powerful new camera last year. Now it has spotted the most distant galaxies known to science. "Science News" writer Ron Cowen chats about this and other news presented at the American Astronomical Society meeting this week. | National Public Radio | 00:08:07 |
| Calling All Puzzle Gurus: 65 Math Mysteries | Father-daughter team Eric and Natalie Yoder share brainteasers from their new book, "One Minute Mysteries: 65 Short Mysteries You Solve With Math." Get your slide rule ready and see if you can solve their stumpers. | National Public Radio | 00:17:48 |
| Deciphering The Psychology of Pricing | What mental tricks do retailers employ to push products? William Poundstone, author of "Priceless: The Myth of Fair Market Value (and How To Take Advantage of It)," talks about the science of pricing and shares tips for savvy shopping. | National Public Radio | 00:23:55 |
| One Too Many? Coffee Isn't The Cure | Reporting in the journal "Behavioral Neuroscience," researchers found that caffeine was no help in countering the effects of alcohol on learning and decision making, at least in mice. Thomas Gould, psychologist at Temple University, explains the findings. | National Public Radio | 00:06:26 |
| Forget Sledding, Try A Snowflake Safari | Winter weather means more than skiing and snowmen. Bullet rosettes, stellar plates and capped columns are just a few of the crystal varieties commonly found in snowstorms. Science Friday asked Kenneth Libbrecht, physicist at Caltech and snowflake expert, for guidance on snowflake hunting. | National Public Radio | 00:05:06 |
| Breaking Into The 'Department Of Mad Scientists' | What happens when scientific research borders on science fiction? Michael Belfiore, author of the new book "The Department of Mad Scientists," talks about the bizarre projects happening behind the scenes at DARPA - the secretive research arm of the Department of Defense. | National Public Radio | 00:16:22 |
| Citizen Scientists Count Birds For Christmas | For over a century, volunteers have been looking for larks and spotting sparrows in the annual Christmas Bird Count. Ornithologists David Bonter and Glenn Olson talk about this year's most exciting finds, and expert birder Bill Schmoker reviews the best gear for bird nerds. | National Public Radio | 00:26:41 |
| The Truth About Holiday Hazards | Are mistletoe and poinsettia something to be worried about this time of year? Poison expert Edward Krenzelok explains how to avoid accidental poisonings this season, and how to keep the holidays toxin-free. | National Public Radio | 00:05:29 |
| For Happiness, Spend Money On Experiences | A few duds under the tree? Return them for cash and go to dinner. Psychologists say people report feeling happier when they spend their money on experiences rather than objects. Study author Ryan Howell, from San Francisco State University, explains the results and speculates on whether the findings extend to gift-giving. | National Public Radio | 00:06:20 |
| Profiling Frank Oppenheimer | Author K.C. Cole writes about physicist and Exploratorium-founder Frank Oppenheimer in "Something Incredibly Wonderful Happens." Cole, a friend of Oppenheimer's, digs into FBI files and personal memories to describe the complex man also called the "Uncle of the Atomic Bomb." | National Public Radio | 00:22:09 |
| Taking On Santa Skeptics With Science | Attention unbelievers: A new book uses science to explain just how Santa is able to deliver so many presents in one night, how he knows whether you've been naughty or nice and how he stays trim eating so many cookies. Author Gregory Mone discusses his book "The Truth About Santa." | National Public Radio | 00:11:58 |
| Looking Back At The Year In Science | Ira Flatow and a panel of science writers and editors discuss the top science stories of 2009, from the discovery of water on the moon to the unveiling of human ancestor Ardipithecus ramidus to public health controversies like the new mammography guidelines and the swine flu vaccine. | National Public Radio | 00:44:35 |
| Working Weekends At A Psych ER | Dr. Julie Holland ran the weekend shift at Bellevue's psychiatric emergency room for nine years. In her new memoir Weekends at Bellevue, Holland describes the patients she encountered - from the manic to the criminally insane - and the reasons she eventually left the job. | National Public Radio | 00:39:59 |
| 'Genetic Fossils' Change Extinction Picture | Woolly mammoths and ancient horses may have been roaming the North American steppes longer than scientists thought. Evolutionary biologist Eske Willerslev describes how his team used DNA samples taken from permafrost cores to recalculate when the animals may have disappeared. | National Public Radio | 00:07:25 |
| Eggnog: Spike And Let It Sit, For Safety | A perennial holiday dilemma: Will alcohol kill bacteria like salmonella in homemade eggnog? Microbiologists Vince Fischetti and Raymond Schuch, from The Rockefeller University, ran an experiment in the lab to see whether salmonella can survive in a vat of spiked eggnog. | National Public Radio | 00:05:03 |
| Report Adds Up Americans' Daily Appetite For Data | In the consumer report "How Much Information?" University of California technology management professor Roger Bohn writes that average Americans consume about 34 gigabytes of data daily across all media, including television, radio, computer games, music and the Internet. | National Public Radio | 00:12:47 |
| Data Mining Spurs Innovation, Threatens Privacy | By analyzing cell phone movements and online search queries, scientists can monitor traffic in real time and track disease outbreaks more efficiently, but at what cost to privacy? Computer scientists Tom Mitchell and Deborah Estrin discuss the pros and cons of crowd sourcing personal data. | National Public Radio | 00:22:21 |
| Deep Ocean Volcano Hot Topic At Geophysics Meeting | At the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union this week, high-definition footage of a deep ocean volcano spewing lava into the water wowed attendees. Science News reporter Sid Perkins reports on that and other meeting news, including earthquake tracking on Twitter. | National Public Radio | 00:07:52 |
| Erasing Fears By Thinking About Them | Fearful memories can be updated — and the fear erased — without drugs, a new study in the journal Nature suggests. Study author Elizabeth Phelps, a psychologist at New York University, explains the findings and the implications for treating anxiety disorders. | National Public Radio | 00:12:38 |
| What To Get That Special Geek | Droid or iPhone? Zune or Touch? Netbook or MacBook? With holiday shopping in full swing, Ira Flatow talks with gadget guru Mark McClusky, senior editor for products at Wired magazine, about the top technologies of 2009, and the biggest flops. What gizmos are on your wish list? | National Public Radio | 00:21:57 |
| U.S. Government Sponsors High-Stakes Balloon Hunt | The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) released 10 red weather balloons across the country and offered $40,000 to the first group to locate them all. Riley Crane, of MIT, explains how his team bagged the prize by locating the balloons in fewer than nine hours. | National Public Radio | 00:12:29 |
| Can Coffee Lower The Risk of Prostate Cancer? | New research suggests coffee is more than a pick-me-up; it may help protect against prostate cancer. Researcher Kathryn Wilson describes the results of a preliminary study showing that men who drank more coffee lowered their risk of developing an aggressive type of prostate cancer. | National Public Radio | 00:11:33 |
| Breast Cancer Gene Patents Challenged | A landmark lawsuit is challenging the patents Myriad Genetics holds on the so-called breast cancer genes — patents that make Myriad the sole provider of a crucial genetic test. Do patents on genes spur research and innovation, or harm patients? Two experts share their views. | National Public Radio | 00:29:45 |
| Gauging The Climate In Copenhagen | Scientists, policymakers, activists and skeptics from around the world have gathered in Denmark's capital to figure out how to deal with the threat of climate change. Elliot Diringer of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change describes the negotiations and the sticking points. | National Public Radio | 00:06:49 |
| Can Science Make Psychotherapy More Effective? | More rigorous scientific training in clinical psychology graduate programs would turn out more competent clinicians, researchers write in Psychological Science in the Public Interest. But not all psychologists agree. | National Public Radio | 00:35:24 |
| Bird Feeders Speed Up Evolution, May Split Species | Reporting in Current Biology, researchers write of a warbler that has quickly evolved an unorthodox migration path to England to take advantage of backyard bird feeders. Study author Martin Schaefer explains how the clever migrants could become a distinct warbler species. | National Public Radio | 00:12:24 |
| Paralyzing Worms With Light | Feed nematode worms a particular light-sensitive chemical and after the meal, the worms become paralyzed when exposed to UV light. Remarkably, the effects can be reversed under visible light, Neil Branda and colleagues report in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. | National Public Radio | 00:03:21 |
| Cataloging Earth's Carbon Content | A new project dubbed the "Deep Carbon Observatory" aims to describe the carbon under the Earth's surface. Principal investigator Robert Hazen talks about the project and its relevance to energy supplies, the environment and our understanding of how life on Earth originated. | National Public Radio | 00:18:52 |
| NASA Works To Free 'Spirit' | The Mars exploration rover dubbed "Spirit" has been stuck in sand since April. NASA's project manager for the rovers, John Callas, describes attempts to free Spirit, and explains how the rover might continue to collect data from its present location if those attempts fail. | National Public Radio | 00:13:22 |
| Particle Smasher Is Fired Up (Again) | After being down for more than a year for repairs, the Large Hadron Collider at CERN is running again. Physicist Drew Baden explains what went wrong with the Collider, how it was fixed, and what scientists are hoping to find by smashing beams of particles into each other. | National Public Radio | 00:12:24 |
| They Might Be Giants Sings About Science | In Here Comes Science, the band They Might Be Giants tackles the scientific process, plasma physics, the role of blood in the body and the importance of DNA, all in song. Band members John Linnell and John Flansburgh discuss the album and play some science tunes. Originally broadcast Sept. 25, 2009. | National Public Radio | 00:26:36 |
| Cheese: Chemistry Rolled Into Every Wheel | Can science explain what makes Stilton stinky and goat cheese gooey? Liz Thorpe, vice president of Murray's Cheese in New York and author of the book The Cheese Chronicles, talks about the science and business of making cheese in America. Originally broadcast Aug. 14, 2009. | National Public Radio | 00:21:23 |
| Ig Nobel Prizes Salute Silly Science | The winners of this year's Ig Nobel Prizes include the inventor of underwear that doubles as an emergency gas mask, researchers who created diamonds from tequila, and more. The Igs honor research that "first, makes you laugh, then, makes you think," according to Marc Abrahams, the master of ceremonies and the editor of Annals of Improbable Research. | National Public Radio | 00:47:12 |
| 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 magnetic monopoles. | National Public Radio | 00:06:24 |
| 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. | National Public Radio | 00:15:37 |
| 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. | National Public Radio | 00:26:05 |
| 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. | National Public Radio | 00:05:21 |
| 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 get many houses off the grid. | National Public Radio | 00:12:29 |
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