Best Science Friday and WNYC Studios Podcasts (2025)

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How Did Ancient Humans Use The Acoustics Of Spaces Like Caves? 18:32

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1d ago18:32

18:32

The sound of a choir performing in a cathedral is iconic for a reason. It’s this beautiful human experience: being side-by-side with other people, feeling the sound vibrate through you, reverberating around the space. But how long has that been a part of our culture? And what role did sound play in the lives of people who lived during the Ice Age o…

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What The Sounds Of Melting Glaciers Can Tell Us 18:26

2d ago18:26

18:26

As the planet warms, the world’s glaciers are melting faster than snow can replenish the ice. That has implications for sea level rise, ocean currents, and global weather patterns. But collecting data at the edge of a melting glacier can be risky. Glaciologist Erin Pettit and her colleagues are listening to the sounds melting glaciers make—from the…

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How A Fringe Idea Led To Lifesaving Cancer Treatments 30:08

3d ago30:08

30:08

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…

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Why Is Bubonic Plague Still With Us? 12:24

4d ago12:24

12:24

For many people, bubonic plague is an illness that seems squarely situated in medieval times. But each year, a handful of human cases pop up in the western United States. Plague can be treated successfully with modern medicine. But why does it still exist, and how should we think about it both locally and globally? Plague researcher Viveka Vadyvalo…

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Don’t Let Their Name Fool You—Sea Slugs Are Awesome 23:31

5d ago23:31

23:31

Today we’re spotlighting an underappreciated group of marine creatures: sea slugs. Don’t let their humble name fool you. They come in vivid neon colors, with patterns that rival the most beautiful butterflies and feather-like external gills and tentacles. There are an estimated 10,000 species of sea slugs and they are incredibly diverse. Some are s…

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As Companies Build Data Centers For AI, Communities Push Back 11:48

8d ago11:48

11:48

There’s an enormous buildout of data centers underway across the country to fuel the AI boom. Hundreds of billions of dollars have already been spent on data centers, with talk of spending trillions more. And these data centers use a lot of power: According to the Times Picuayune, Meta’s new data center under construction in Louisiana will require …

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A Toast To Bats That Pollinate Agave, And Tracking Monarchs 18:28

9d ago18:28

18:28

You might think about bats as flitting around in the dark and hunting insects, but some species feed on fruits or flowers—and play an important role as pollinators. One place that role is crucial is in the relationship between bats and agave plants. Bat conservationist Kristen Lear joins Host Ira Flatow to describe efforts to restore agaves in the …

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A Startling Plan To Save Spotted Owls—From Barred Owls 16:10

10d ago16:10

16:10

The spotted owl has been a conservation flashpoint for more than 30 years. While habitat loss has been their historic foe, their most recent threat comes from within the owl family tree: the barred owl. Barred owls have expanded into the Pacific Northwest and are now outcompeting spotted owls for food and habitat. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service…

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Can A Microbe Conservation Movement Take Off? 12:34

11d ago12:34

12:34

A team of scientists is trying to jumpstart a global conservation movement, on par with efforts to save the rainforests or protect the oceans. But it might be even more ambitious because the target of their quest is invisible, everywhere, and mostly something we try to hand-sanitize away: microbes. So how do you conserve something that is everywher…

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How To Tap Into The Hidden Histories Of Rocks 19:12

12d ago19:12

19:12

When we try to commune with nature, many of us turn toward the living: a walk in the woods among swaying trees, chirping birds, blooming flowers. But earth scientist Anjana Khatwa says not to overlook the inanimate—don’t sleep on rocks. She joins Host Flora Lichtman to talk about her love for rocks beyond the scientific and her new book, The Whispe…

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Fingernails And Indigestion At The 2025 Ig Nobel Prizes 47:56

15d ago47:56

47:56

Each year, the Ig Nobel Prizes recognize scientific research that first makes you laugh, then makes you think. For instance, researchers who investigated the pizza preferences of lizards on the island of Togo. Or a man who kept track of his fingernail growth for 35 years. As is Thanksgiving tradition, we’re sharing highlights from this year’s Ig No…

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Why Is Working Out Good For Your Mental Health? 17:27

16d ago17:27

17:27

A good workout can make you feel triumphant. And even if that isn’t your relationship with exercise, you’ve probably heard that working out can lift your mood, fight depression, and make you more resilient when life knocks back. But why exactly does exercise improve mental health? Is it all about those endorphins? Does the type or duration of a wor…

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Everything You Never Knew About Squash And Pumpkins 12:11

17d ago12:11

12:11

It’s a wonderful time of the year: squash, pumpkin, and gourd season. But how do those giant, award-winning pumpkins grow so big? And what’s the difference between a gourd and a squash? In a conversation from 2023, Ira talks with Dr. Chris Hernandez, director of the University of New Hampshire’s squash, pumpkin, and melon breeding program to explor…

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Where Does Plastic And Other Trash Go After We Throw It Away? 18:29

18d ago18:29

18:29

Have you ever gotten to the end of, say, a jar of peanut butter and wondered if it should go in trash or recycling? If it’s worth rinsing out? And where will it actually end up? Journalist Alexander Clapp had those same questions, and went to great lengths to answer them—visiting five continents to chronicle how our trash travels. Along the way, he…

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‘A Many-Headed Beast’: Telling The Story Of Cancer 18:43

19d ago18:43

18:43

Twenty years ago, a young oncologist started journaling to process his experience treating cancer patients. That cathartic act became the Pulitzer Prize-winning book The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer. Fifteen years after the book was published, how has our understanding of preventing and treating cancer changed? Host Flora Lichtman…

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African Grey Parrots Are Popular—And It’s Fueling Illegal Trade 13:45

22d ago13:45

13:45

African grey parrots are internet stars. It’s easy to see why—the charismatic birds sing, tell jokes, and sling profanities. But how do the endangered birds get from African forests to your feed? Wildlife crime reporter Rene Ebersole joins Host Flora Lichtman to describe her investigation into the global parrot trade, and the black market for wild …

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Attention, Trivia Nerds! It’s A Food Science Fact Feast 12:01

23d ago12:01

12:01

After years of getting your emails and phone calls, we know that SciFri listeners are in the 99th percentile when it comes to nerdy knowledge. We’re putting your fact retention skills to the test with the first ever Super Food Science Excellence Trivia Blowout (SFSETBO). Host Flora Lichtman teams up with trivia kingpin Mangesh Hattikudur, co-host o…

Science Friday And WNYC Studios Podcasts

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Science Friday and WNYC Studios

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Undiscovered

Science Friday and WNYC Studios

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Universe of Art

Science Friday and WNYC Studios

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SciFri

SciFri

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Science Diction

Science Friday and WNYC Studios

1
How Did Ancient Humans Use The Acoustics Of Spaces Like Caves? 18:32

1
What The Sounds Of Melting Glaciers Can Tell Us 18:26

1
How A Fringe Idea Led To Lifesaving Cancer Treatments 30:08

1
Why Is Bubonic Plague Still With Us? 12:24

1
Don’t Let Their Name Fool You—Sea Slugs Are Awesome 23:31

1
As Companies Build Data Centers For AI, Communities Push Back 11:48

1
A Toast To Bats That Pollinate Agave, And Tracking Monarchs 18:28

1
A Startling Plan To Save Spotted Owls—From Barred Owls 16:10

1
Can A Microbe Conservation Movement Take Off? 12:34

1
How To Tap Into The Hidden Histories Of Rocks 19:12

1
Fingernails And Indigestion At The 2025 Ig Nobel Prizes 47:56

1
Why Is Working Out Good For Your Mental Health? 17:27

1
Everything You Never Knew About Squash And Pumpkins 12:11

1
Where Does Plastic And Other Trash Go After We Throw It Away? 18:29

1
‘A Many-Headed Beast’: Telling The Story Of Cancer 18:43

1
African Grey Parrots Are Popular—And It’s Fueling Illegal Trade 13:45

1
Attention, Trivia Nerds! It’s A Food Science Fact Feast 12:01