Covering everything about science and technology -- from the outer reaches of space to the tiniest microbes in our bodies -- Science Friday is your source for entertaining and educational stories and activities. Each week, host Ira Flatow interviews scientists and inventors like Sylvia Earle, Elon Musk, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and more.
Ants can build awesome colonies underground. But did you know they can build tall towers too? A look at what engineers can learn by studying a social community of the ant kind. Plus, a filmmaker documents the devastation of bleached coral reefs in the warming oceans. Why he thinks dying coral could stir faster action on climate change.
The booming growth of solar and wind power is stressing out our ancient electrical grid. How can our grid get a grip? A look at that challenge, and some creative answers: from building neighborhood microgrids to inventing smarter transformers. Plus, a new Science Club challenge to keep you cool this summer.
The hidden wonders you might want to hit on a geeky science-themed road trip. Plus, researchers are working to understand the exceptional durability of an ancient building material. And why standardizing our mass measurements relies on an elaborate and exacting physics experiment.
A new Food Failures segment teaches us how to make delicious dishes without turning up the heat. Plus, President Trump has yet to name a presidential science advisor or directors for NASA and NOAA, and other key science positions.
From color to crunch, there are subtle cues that make our food taste better. Plus, a new autonomous system lets the Mars rover conduct research even while offline. And an experimental vaccine patch would deliver influenza vaccine via an array of dissolvable, microscopic needles.
USGS wildlife biologist Karyn Rode monitors how populations of polar bears are affected by shrinking sea ice and other changing conditions in the Arctic. Plus, how safety lapses at national nuclear weapons labs are making dangerous work even more hazardous.
The cephalopod celebration continues, with a look at technology inspired by the brainy creatures. Plus, researchers estimate that climate change effects could wipe out 39â59 percent of Ethiopian coffee farms in the future.
A new way to look at fetal health, using the placenta. Plus, the Kepler mission found thousands of new planet candidates, including 10 possible rocky worlds within their stars habitable zone. And a new video captures DNA in the act of replication.
The North American Great Lakes are changing under the influence of pollution, invasive species, and climate change. How well will they weather this stress?
Cephalopod Week kicks off with an octopus matchmaker and cephalopod defense moves. And how your mindset might change the way you metabolize a milkshake. And researchers look to a simple organism, the flatworm, to study how living in space might affect humans on a cellular level.
