Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: A Coral Catastrophe?
A third of the world's reef-building coral species are vulnerable to extinction, a group of researchers says. We'll talk with one of the authors of a report about the plight of corals, and discuss whether anything can be done to turn...
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: How to Rate Energy Star?
Consumers often look for the Energy Star seal when buying appliances and devices. But is this a useful parameter when so many products meet this standard? And what other strategies could be used to change a person's behavior so that they...
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: Poop and Paddle
Adam Katzman, the inventor and builder of the toilet-boat, says it's meant to be more inspirational than practical. "Poop and Paddle" demonstrates how sewage and rainwater can be converted to cattails and clean water. [4:02]
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: How to Pick the Perfect Peach
A discussion with Russ Parsons, author of How to Pick a Peach: The Search for Flavor From Farm to Table, who talks about the history of food crop distribution, and the difficulty of buying produce that tastes fresh. Things are changing...
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: The Body Farm
Join Ira Flatow for a talk with Body Farm founder and forensic anthropologist Bill Bass on what bones can tell police about a crime. [17:24]
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: Childhood Vaccinations
When kids head back to school, there is always talk about the childhood vaccinations required in much of the country. Parental resistance to vaccines has diseases such as measles on the rise.
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: A Highway for Wind Power
Google, Good Energy, and other investors threw financial support behind an idea to build a multi-billion-dollar power distribution line for offshore wind farm projects. The company called it "a superhighway for clean energy," collecting...
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: Building a Synth, Bit by Bit
A toy kit made by littleBits and Korg teaches you how electronic music is made while you put it together.
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: Mold Compounds Sandy's Destruction
A community organizer and a mycologist discuss the incidence of mold in buildings hit by Hurricane Sandy three months earlier. Volunteers are stripping buildings of all materials contaminated by mold so the structures can be treated....
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: Olympic Ski Jump Training in the Wind Tunnel
In this video, we see how U.S. Olympic ski jumpers learn to perfect their aerodynamic technique with the help of a wind tunnel and a physics professor. Aired Feb. 4, 2014. [2:57]
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: Study May Link Pro Football, Brain Decline
A discussion with Everett Lehman from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health about a research finding that professional football players have a higher incidence of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and...
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: Technology Could Give Athletes an Edge at Olympic Park
Sports technology has been making huge advances in recent years. When Oscar Pistorius ran in the 2012 London Olympics, he ran on prosthetic legs. In this interview, Philippa Oldham from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers recommends...
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: 17 Year Cicadas Primed to Emerge
After spending 17 years underground, hear about the mysterious behavior of these periodical monsters!
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: Batter Up!
Ira and guests talk about the physics and materials science that go into the making of a baseball bat.
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: Battling Blight
Learn from a tomato farmer in Pennsylvania describe his battle with late blight during the summer of 2009.
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: The Secretly Speedy Life of Plants
Plants have a reputation for staying put. But some plants are moving so quickly, we can't see their motions. Biologist Joan Edwards and physicist Dwight Whitaker broke out the high-speed cameras to capture the story of exploding peat...
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: Bees Emerging After a Hard Winter
Apiculturist Eric Mussen discusses the plight of the modern honeybee and the threats the tiny pollinators face from disease and pesticides.
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: Getting the Springtime Buzz on Bees
A look at research into the behavior of bees as they work at pollinating flowers. Caffeine, which is present in nectar, turns out to be something that helps bees to remember types of flowers they have visited. Aired Mar. 8, 2013 [29:21 min]
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: 1957 Sputnik News Reel
Presents audio and video news reels of the launch of the first space shuttle, Sputnik, in 1957 along with related information and links.
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: The Fabulous Fungi
In this hour of Science Friday, we'll take a look at all things fungal -- from shiitakes to mold, and everything in between.
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: The Future of Fast Acting Depression Medication
Find out about studies of the drug Ketamine, and how it affects the brain and depression.
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: Researchers Solve Checkers, Once and for All
Researchers report in the journal Science that after sorting through 500 billion billion possible moves, they've been able to create a computer program that will never lose a game of checkers.
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: Most Cited Science
In academic circles, citations are a measure of success. We'll talk about some of the year's most-cited papers, and why other scientists found them so noteworthy.
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: Elephant Health
Research published this week indicates that elephants in protected areas in the wild live longer, healthier lives than those in captivity. [23 mins. 10 secs.]