Science Friday: About
Airs Friday at 3PM on 93.9 FM
Science Friday is a weekly science talk show from NPR, broadcast Fridays at 3PM on 93.9 FM. Each week, Science Friday's host Ira Flatow, a veteran science journalist, looks at science topics that are in the news brings an educated, balanced discussion to bear on the scientific issues at hand. Panels of expert guests join Flatow, a veteran science journalist, to discuss science -- to take questions from listeners during the call-in portion of the program.
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Latest Stories from Science Friday
Breaking Out Of A Web Of Fear
Friday, May 25 2012 10:51 PM
Reporting in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers write that a brief therapy session with people who had a lifelong phobia of spiders resulted in lasting changes to brain areas that process fear. A panel of experts discuss the results, debilitating fear and ways to overcome it.
Tick Talk: Lyme Disease Under The Microscope
Friday, May 25 2012 10:51 PM
Banking giant JPMorgan's multibillion-dollar trading loss is blamed on an executive's absence due to Lyme disease. And a mild winter has some scientists predicting a busy tick season ahead. A panel of experts discuss how the infection is contracted, why it's often misdiagnosed and the most effective treatment options.
What's The Secret To Great Tomato Flavor?
Friday, May 25 2012 10:51 PM
Horticulturalist Harry Klee is on a mission to bring great taste back to the supermarket tomato. To do so, he asks taste-testers to rate the most flavorful fruits, and analyzes each winning variety's chemical profile. Then he uses his 'chemical recipe' to breed high-yield, better-tasting hybrid tomatoes.
Humans, The World's 'Superomnivores'
Friday, May 25 2012 10:50 PM
In his book The Omnivorous Mind: Our Evolving Relationship with Food, neuroanthropologist John S. Allen discusses the history of human eating, from foraged foods on the savannah to four-star meals cooked by celebrity chefs, and discusses why crunchy foods like tempura and fried chicken have universal appeal.
Monster Turtle Fossil Discovered In Colombian Mine
Friday, May 25 2012 10:50 PM
Reporting in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, researchers write of discovering a car-sized turtle they named Carbonemys cofrinii. Edwin Cadena, who found the fossil, describes the giant reptile's lifestyle 60 million years ago, and what it may have dined on--like baby alligators.
The Itching Question That's More Than Skin Deep
Friday, May 18 2012 10:24 PM
Studies show that the power of suggestion can induce itchiness — but scientists don't know what this irritation is, what causes it, or why it feels so good to cure. Marc Abrahams, editor of the Annals of Improbable Research, talks about how talking about the science of itches might have you scratching right now.
From Rooftops And Abandoned Lots, An Urban Harvest
Friday, May 18 2012 10:24 PM
From rooftop apiaries in Paris to a vegetable-and-chicken farm in Philadelphia, agriculture has come to the city. Urban farmer Mary Seton Corboy and food writer Jennifer Cockrall-King talk about the future of food in the city. Plus, Tama Matsuoka Wong gives tasty tips for eating garden weeds.
On Eve Of Launch, SpaceX Head Talks About Mission
Friday, May 18 2012 10:24 PM
SpaceX is set to launch its Dragon spacecraft to rendezvous with the International Space Station this weekend. If successful, it will be the first commercially developed, launched and operated craft to meet the ISS. SpaceX head Elon Musk talks about the launch, and his other project, Tesla Motors.
Rerouting Working Nerves To Restore Hand Function
Friday, May 18 2012 10:24 PM
A paralyzed man with a spinal cord injury to the C7 vertebrae is able to move his fingers again. Surgeons at Washington University School of Medicine rerouted working nerves in the patient's upper arms to restore some hand function. Dr. Ida Fox discusses the procedure described in the Journal of Neurosurgery.
Stroke Victims Think, Robotic Arm Acts
Friday, May 18 2012 10:24 PM
Reporting in Nature, researchers write that two individuals, both paralyzed by stroke, made reach-and-grasp movements using a thought-controlled robotic arm. One participant was even able to a sip a drink by herself. Neuroengineer Dr. Leigh Hochberg discusses the paper and the ongoing trial.
Planning For A Solar Sky Show
Friday, May 18 2012 10:23 PM
On May 20th, skywatchers in the western third of the United States will be treated to an annular solar eclipse, a sight not seen here in 18 years. Dean Regas of the Cincinnati Observatory shares tips for viewing the eclipse, and tells how solar observers can safely get a peek at the elusive 'ring of fire.'
'The Garbage-Men' Rock A Trashy Sound
Friday, May 11 2012 10:53 PM
The Garbage-Men is a band of high school-aged musicians who play instruments made out of recycled cereal boxes, buckets, and other materials they've rescued from the trash. Guitarist Jack Berry and drummer Ollie Gray talk about the band and their signature "trashy" sound.
Tracking The Spread Of A Nasty Virus
Friday, May 11 2012 10:53 PM
When members of a travel soccer team in Oregon fell ill last year, the details of how the disease spread through the team were mysterious. Kimberly Repp, an epidemiologist in Washington County, Oregon, describes the medical detective work that led epidemiologists through the chain of transmission of the norovirus.
Sizing Up Americans In 'The Weight Of The Nation'
Friday, May 11 2012 10:53 PM
A new four-part documentary airing on HBO next week looks at America's growing weight problem. John Hoffman, vice president of HBO Documentary Films and executive producer of The Weight Of The Nation, describes his three year-project to document the causes and effects of being overweight and obese in America.
Disguising Secret Messages, In A Game Of Spy Vs Spy
Friday, May 11 2012 10:53 PM
Last May, German investigators found secret files embedded in a pornographic video on memory cards being carried by a suspected al Qaeda operative. Peter Wayner describes the history and technology of the technique for hiding information, known as steganography.
The Case For A Presidential Science Debate
Friday, May 11 2012 10:53 PM
A group of science advocates say the American president should have the basic scientific know-how to understand policy challenges, evaluate options and devise solutions. Ira Flatow and guests discuss how a presidential science debate can help voters decide if a candidate is up for the job.
Why Race Could Color The Vote Against Obama
Friday, May 11 2012 10:52 PM
A new study shows eligible voters who favored whites over blacks- either consciously or unconsciously- also favored Republican candidates relative to Barack Obama. Psychologist Anthony Greenwald discusses the results and why racial attitudes continue to predict voter preference in 2012.
Gazing Into The Cloud, From Storage to Servers
Friday, May 04 2012 10:51 PM
Apple and Amazon want to store your music in 'the cloud,' while companies from Google to Microsoft to Zoho offer ways to wrangle your office documents there. But what exactly is the cloud, and is the time right to start using it? Technology experts Tony Bradley and Nicholas Carr look at the switch away from traditional desktop computing.
Cracking The Egg Sprinkler Mystery
Friday, May 04 2012 10:51 PM
If you spin a hard-boiled egg in a pool of milk, the milk will wick up the sides of the egg and spray off at the egg's equator. Engineer Tadd Truscott, of Brigham Young University, launched an investigation to figure out why this happens — complete with a custom-built spinning apparatus, billiard balls and high speed video cameras.
Is Thorium A Magic Bullet For Our Energy Problems?
Friday, May 04 2012 10:51 PM
As the search for cheap, safe and non-carbon emitting sources of energy continues, a band of scientists say the answer may be nuclear reactors fueled by thorium. Others caution that thorium reactors pose waste and proliferation risks. Ira Flatow and guests discuss the pros and cons of thorium reactors.