Science Friday And WNYC Studios Podcasts

How AI Is Changing The Pharmaceutical Research Pipeline by SciFriBy SciFri

Smart toilets are powered by AI to give users more insight into their health.By SciFri

This critical element has been crucial to farming—and is also responsible for causing massive toxic algae blooms.By SciFri

CITES, the pioneering international treaty ratified 50 years ago, aimed to regulate trade in wildlife species—and it’s still expanding.By SciFri

Understanding how naked mole-rats are fertile for their whole lives may help answer questions about human reproduction.By SciFri

A new, soft robotics material could usher in self-repairing prosthetics.By SciFri

The state will receive $2 billion dollars to reconnect the Mississippi River to its nearby marshes, but local shrimpers and oyster harvesters aren’t convinced.By SciFri

Stop Flushing Your Health Data Down The Toilet You could be flushing important information about your health right down the toilet—quite literally. Pee and poop can tell you a lot about your health, so what if your waste…didn’t go to waste? What if, instead, it could tell you more about your health? Like number one, it can catch a condition like di…

At Long Last, More Regulations For Forever Chemicals This week, the EPA proposed the first national standards for drinking water that would set limits on the amount of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) chemicals that would be allowed in water systems. There are thousands of different PFAS chemicals, which are often used industrially for pr…

Tips And Tricks To Grow Your Garden In A Changing Climate For many of us, spring is right around the corner—or already here—which means it’s time to start thinking about what is going into your garden this year. But largely thanks to climate change, our seasons are getting wonkier every year. Gardens are feeling the heat as climate change affects t…

Horticulturists weigh in on how you can best adapt your garden to new extremes.By SciFri

Despite Superconductor Breakthrough, Some Scientists Remain Skeptical This week, researchers unveiled a new superconductor which they say works at room temperature. Scientists have been working on identifying new superconductors for decades—materials that can transmit electricity without friction-like resistance. However, previously discovered supe…

The lake’s water level has significantly declined since the 1980s. But local scientists and politicians are optimistic they can save it before it’s too late.By SciFri

The new superconductor has exciting potential uses, but the team behind the breakthrough recently had another superconductor study retracted.By SciFri

Astrophysicists are divided over a new theory suggesting dark energy comes from supermassive black holes.By SciFri

Eli Lilly Finally Caps Cost Of Insulin by SciFriBy SciFri

A new study shows the creaky voice effect some people love to hate is important for echolocation in the deep ocean.By SciFri

Author Max Fisher takes a deep dive into how big tech has accumulated so much unchecked power.By SciFri

The maritime archeologist who found the storied wreck discusses the mission and his new book.By SciFri

A project aims to make large-scale solar plants more efficient and reliable.By SciFri

Tiny red dots observed by the Webb telescope have some astronomers pondering theories of galactic formation.By SciFri

From multiverses to volcanoes, this year’s Academy Award nominees include many pictures where science drives the plot.By SciFri

Scientists recruited the help of the emerald ash borers’ natural predator to keep their population in check.By SciFri

Insulin Maker Eli Lilly Finally Caps The Drug’s Cost In 1923, drug manufacturer Eli Lilly became the first company to commercialize insulin. Since then, its cost has skyrocketed. But this week, the company announced that it is capping the cost of insulin at $35. This comes as a huge relief to many Americans, since insulin has become the face of pha…

Inside The ‘Chaos Machine’ Of Social Media Despite social media’s early promises to build a more just and democratic society, over the past several years, we’ve seen its propensity to easily spread hate speech, misinformation and disinformation. Online platforms have even played a role in organizing violent acts in the real world, like genocide aga…

Calls by a killer whale (Orcinus orca) consistent with three voice registers. First a few echolocation clicks (M0 register), followed by a call and a “whistle” that are probably in the M1 and M2 register, respectively. Credit: Olga Filatova, University of Southern DenmarkBy SciFri

The three voice registers of a bottlenose dolphin in sequence. First a few echolocation clicks (M0 register), followed by “bursts” in the M1 register and finally a “whistle” in the M2 register. Credit: Coen Elemans, University of Southern Denmark & Peter Madsen, Aarhus UniversityBy SciFri

Eyes On A Court Case Over Medication Abortion by SciFriBy SciFri

The Oscar-nominated documentary follows two brothers on their mission to save black kites.By SciFri

An engineered wooden wrapper helps seeds bury themselves in damp soil.By SciFri

An astrophysicist explains the science behind some of history’s most notorious astronomical omens.By SciFri

A conversation with rapper and academic Sammus about what the intersections between hip-hop and AI mean for music.By SciFri

The Shasta Dam helped turn the state into an agricultural cornucopia—but it destroyed the home of the Winnemem Wintu.By SciFri

A groundbreaking policy passed three decades ago ordered institutions to return Native American remains. Many have failed to do so.By SciFri

From the stars to cicadas, this self-taught Black scientist left a long legacy.By SciFri

A Medication Abortion Drug Faces Potential Nationwide Restriction A federal court case underway in Texas this week could have big implications for medication based abortion care across the U.S. The case involves the FDA’s approval of the drug mifepristone, which is used as part of a two-drug combination in most medication abortions. The plaintiffs …

‘All That Breathes:’ A Story Of Two Brothers Saving New Delhi’s Raptors The Oscars are right around the corner, and one of the nominees in the documentary category is called “All That Breathes.” It tells the story of two brothers—Nadeem and Saud—who dedicate their lives to rescuing black kites, a type of raptor that dominates the skies of New Delhi…

An artificial tongue helps researchers understand how texture impacts what people like about chocolate.By SciFri

Amid historic drought, what realistic solutions are available to stabilize the future of water in the western U.S.?By SciFri

A new book celebrates the beautiful and underappreciated seaweeds shaping coastlines around the world.By SciFri

Mice fed with the mushroom had better hippocampal memory—a result that may guide new treatments for dementia.By SciFri

At a recent community meeting, East Palestine residents raised concerns were raised about air and water quality.By SciFri