Science Friday And WNYC Studios Podcasts

But experts still say it’s important to protect as many people as possible.By SciFri

A global collaboration of 300 scientists unveils the second-ever picture of a black hole, the Milky Way’s own supermassive Sagittarius A*.By SciFri

A new book chronicles what happened in the minutes, days, weeks, and years after the infamous asteroid hit the Earth.By SciFri

In 2020, over half of American abortions were medication abortions. What will happen to access to these pills if Roe v. Wade is overturned?By SciFri

For millions of years, birds in the Aleutians lived without predators. Then rats arrived.By SciFri

Campsites At National Parks ‘Harder Than Getting Beyonce Tickets’ by SciFriBy SciFri

Abortion Pills Are Used For Most U.S. Abortions. What Are They? The draft Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade means abortion access is once again in jeopardy. Nearly half of U.S. states will immediately ban abortion upon a Roe v. Wade overturn. Medication abortion, or abortion by pill, is currently the most common method of abortion in t…

As COVID Cases Rises, Effectiveness Of Vaccines Lessens In Kids As parts of the country continue to see waves of infection from the omicron variant of COVID-19, parents of children over age five have taken heart at the availability of vaccines—while parents of kids five and under have continued to wait for an approved dose. But even as the case num…

Like it or not, our plates are showing the changes in ocean ecosystems.By SciFri

The Seafaring Life Of ‘Modern-Day Captain Nemo,’ Robert Ballard In 1985, oceanographer Robert Ballard was sent on a secret deep-sea search operative with a very specific mission: to seek two sunken nuclear submarines. Ballard, who by then had explored the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and helped design deep-sea research submersibles, was assigned by the U.S. …

How Grief Rewires The Brain Being a human can be a wonderful thing. We’re social creatures, craving strong bonds with family and friends. Those relationships can be the most rewarding parts of life. But having strong relationships also means the possibility of experiencing loss. Grief is one of the hardest things people go through in life. Those wh…

Plus, more info about the holdup in COVID-19 vaccines for children under five.By SciFri

Judges are seeing skyrocketing numbers of separated parents arguing over whether to vaccinate their children.By SciFri

COVID-19 spurred global scientific collaboration, but sharing virus specimens remains complicated. Plus, the role of global politics in monitoring disease.By SciFri

Though some types of dogs come with a reputation, new genetic analysis finds that breed is a poor predictor of behavior.By SciFri

The Arctic and Antarctic are the two fastest-warming regions on Earth. Here’s how climate change is altering our poles.By SciFri

Hydrogen fuel cells have some advantages over battery-powered electrics, but infrastructure challenges remain.By SciFri

Global shipping giant Maersk has ordered a dozen cargo ships that run on methanol. Can it make a difference?By SciFri

What’s Up With The Spike In Hepatitis Among Young Kids? This spring, there’s been a strange spike in hepatitis cases among young children. Hepatitis can leave kids with stomach pain, jaundice, and a generally icky feeling. 169 cases have been recorded globally, and one death. A majority of these cases have been found in the United Kingdom, with the…

Your Dog’s Breed Doesn’t Always Determine How They’ll Behave The dog world abounds with stereotypes about the personalities of different breeds. The American Kennel Club describes chihuahuas as “sassy,” and malamutes as “loyal,” while breed-specific legislation in many cities target breeds like pit bulls as stereotypically aggressive. But do these …

While climate change is a global challenge, there are still many things you can personally do to make a small difference.By SciFri

We examine how effective the IPCC Report can be at generating climate policy. Plus, a look at promising climate solutions in development.By SciFri

A new carbon removal industry is booming, but how much should we rely on it—and invest in it—to reach our climate goals?By SciFri

An engineering feat will soon reconnect habitats cut off from each other by Highway 101 for 75 years.By SciFri

Researchers have found marine life colonizing the giant, swirling patch of trash in the Pacific Ocean.By SciFri

Breaking PET down to its building blocks with enzymes could give it a better chance for a second (or third) life.By SciFri

Indigenous scientist and author Jessica Hernandez on what it might mean to heal—rather than conserve—endangered landscapes.By SciFri

Building The World’s Largest Animal Crossing Outside of LA There’s a spot on Highway 101 in Agoura Hills, it’s pretty inconspicuous. There’s brown and green rolling hills on either side of the highway. Homes are sprinkled here and there. And then a small metal gate that leads off on a hiking trail. You probably wouldn’t know it, but soon this spot …

Celebrating Earth Day With Sustainable Action Today is Earth Day, when many people around the world are taking time to think about their relationship with the planet and to focus on activities helping to mitigate the existential problems our environment faces. And we will be doing the same: devoting our program to Earth Day stories, ideas, and issu…

FDA Approves First Breathalyzer COVID Test The FDA approved a new COVID breathalyzer test, which gives results in just three minutes. It’s the first test that identifies chemical compounds of coronavirus in breath. The testing unit is about the size of a piece of carry-on luggage and is intended to be used in medical offices and mobile testing site…

Scientists still know surprisingly little about the planet, which has only been visited by spacecraft once.By SciFri

A perfect storm of factors has resulted in COVID-19 case counts being so inaccurate they may be missing a current surge in cases.By SciFri

Where an infusion of cash might make the most progress toward fixing the planet’s problems.By SciFri

A classic film in the 1970s took on the collapse of civil society in 2022. Almost 50 years later, was it right?By SciFri

NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan on a new directorate that he says will partner basic research with commercial applications.By SciFri

Ongoing drought makes it more important to understand data about snow and rivers.By SciFri

A new COVID breathalyzer test returns results in three minutes. Plus, a twisting tale about moon dust, and other recent science news.By SciFri

Did ‘Soylent Green’s’ Predictions About 2022 Hold Up? In the spring of 1973, the movie Soylent Green premiered. The film drops us into a New York City that’s overcrowded, polluted, and dealing with the effects of a climate catastrophe. Only the city’s elite can afford clean water and real foods, like strawberry jam. The rest of the population relie…

Scientists still lack data to determine best intervals for COVID-19 booster doses.By SciFri

Garden gurus and vegetable specialists give advice for planning, prepping, and planting your best garden yet.By SciFri