Facial Recognition, Hummingbird Vision, Moon Lander. June 19, 2020, Part 2
Protests Shine Light On Facial Recognition Tech Problems Earlier this month, three major tech companies publicly distanced themselves from the facial recognition tools used by police. IBM CEO Arvind Krishna explained their company's move was because of facial recognition’s use in racial profiling and mass surveillance (https://www.ibm.com/blogs/policy/facial-recognition-susset-racial-justice-r...
47m Jun 19, 2020
47m
Doctor Burnout, International Doctors. June 19, 2020, Part 1
A Crisis Of Health In Healthcare Workers Content Warning: This segment contains talk of suicide. For help for people considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/) : 1-800-273-8255 Depression and anxiety are extremely common in healthcare workers (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/healthcare-coronavirus-burnout/) , and they hav...
48m Jun 19, 2020
48m
Proactive Policing, The Social Brain. June 12, 2020, Part 2
In the 1980s and 1990s, in the midst of rising crime rates and a nationally waning confidence in policing, law enforcement around the country adopted a different approach to addressing crime. Instead of just reacting to crime when it happened, officers decided they’d try to prevent it from happening in the first place, employing things like “hot spots” policing and “stop and frisk,” or “terry s...
47m Jun 12, 2020
47m
Anthony Fauci On The Pandemic’s Future. June 12, 2020, Part 1
During the pandemic, immunologist Anthony Fauci has gained fame as “America’s doctor.” He’s a leading scientist in the government’s response to COVID-19, and a celebrated teller of truths—uncomfortable as they may be—like how long the world may have to wait for a vaccine, or the lack of evidence for using the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine on COVID-19 patients. He’s also not new to public heal...
47m Jun 12, 2020
47m
Breast Cancer Cultural History, Butterfly Wings. June 5, 2020, Part 2
‘Radical’ Explores The Hidden History Of Breast Cancer  Nearly 270,000 women are diagnosed (https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/annual-cancer-facts-and-figures/2019/cancer-facts-and-figures-2019.pdf)  with breast cancer every year, along with a couple thousand men. But the disease manifests in many different ways, meaning few patients have the same...
47m Jun 05, 2020
47m
Police Behavior Research, Dermatology In Skin Of Color, Coffee Extraction. June 5, 2020, Part 1
This week, the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and other Black Americans by police brutality and racial inequality continue to fuel demonstrations around the nation. In many cities, police are using tear gas, rubber bullets, and other control tactics on protesters.  A history of 50 years of research (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/protests-police-behavior/) reveals what makes ...
47m Jun 05, 2020
47m
Bio-Inspired Concrete, Nose Microbiome, Space News. May 29, 2020, Part 2
The human microbiome—our own personalized bacteria profile—plays a part in our health. The different parts of our body, from our skin to our gut, each have their own microbial profile. A team of researchers decided to explore the bacteria living inside our nose, publishing this week in the journal Cell Reports. Microbiologist Sarah Lebeer, one of the authors of the study, discusses what benefic...
47m May 29, 2020
47m
Vaccine Rate Decrease, Mind-Body Music. May 29, 2020, Part 1
One unintended consequence of families sheltering at home is that children’s vaccination rates have gone way down (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/childhood-vaccinations-covid-19/) . In New York City, for example, vaccine doses for kids older than two dropped by more than 90 percent. That could mean new outbreaks of measles and whooping cough, even while we’re struggling with COVID-19. J...
47m May 29, 2020
47m
Ancient East Asian Genomes, COVID And Clotting, And Cassowary Plumage. May 22, 2020, Part 2
The cassowary, a large flightless bird native to Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands, has a reputation for aggression and wickedly clawed feet that can cause serious injury. Indeed, they’ve been known to attack humans dozens of times, and even occasionally kill people. But they also have a beauty trick: Their glossy black body feathers have a structure for producing shine that’s never bef...
47m May 22, 2020
47m
Degrees Of Change: Regulatory Rollbacks. May 22, 2020, Part 1
The Trump administration is in the process of reversing nearly 100 environmental rules and regulations (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/epa-rollbacks/) —threatening air, water, and public health. For example, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has relaxed enforcement for air pollution violations, allowing emissions to continue unchecked du...
47m May 22, 2020
47m
Galileo, Home COVID Monitoring Tech, Origin Of The Feces. May 15, 2020, Part 2
Galileo’s Battle Against Science Denial Galileo Galilei is known as the father of observational astronomy. His theories about the movement of the Earth around the sun and his experiments testing principles of physics are the basis of modern astronomy. But he’s just as well known for his battles against science skeptics, having to defend his evidence against the political and religious critics a...
46m May 15, 2020
46m
Global COVID Hotspots, Fact Check My Feed, Koji Fermenting. May 15, 2020, Part 1
Fact Check My Feed: Finding The Falsehoods In ‘Plandemic’ Science Friday continues to weigh the truth and sift through the seemingly never-ending stream of misleading claims about the novel coronavirus. This week, virologist Angela Rasmussen joins Ira to help us decipher the uncertainties around this week’s COVID-19 headlines. While what we know and don’t know about COVID-19 changes daily, some...
47m May 15, 2020
47m
Moon Maps, Brain Replay, Contact Tracing. May 8, 2020, Part 2
Have you ever had to learn something new and repeat it over and over—until it feels like you’re doing it in your sleep? Maybe you are. In research published this week in the journal Cell Reports, scientists monitored the brain activity of two people implanted with fine grids of neural electrodes as part of a brain-computer interface study for tetraplegia: paralysis of all four limbs. With the i...
48m May 08, 2020
48m
COVID-19 Inequalities. May 8, 2020, Part 1
Coronavirus is still hitting the U.S. hard. And breaking down infections by race shows a striking pattern: Black, Latino, and Native American people are hit much harder than other communities (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/covid19-inequality/) . National data shows black Americans account for nearly 30% of COVID-19 deaths, despite only being 13% of the population. In New York City, the...
47m May 08, 2020
47m
Evolutionary Biologist Neil Shubin, Bee Virus Behavior, Search for Lost Apples. May 1, 2020, Part 2
The Twists And Turns Of The Evolution Of Life On Earth In an evolutionary tree, neat branches link the paths of different species back through time. As you follow the forking paths, you can trace common ancestors, winding down the trunk to see the root organism in common.  Evolution in the real world is a little messier—full of dead ends and changes happening beneath the surface, even before ne...
47m May 01, 2020
47m
COVID-19 By The Numbers, 1918 Flu. May 1, 2020, Part 1
Navigating COVID-19 By The Numbers Ever since the first news about a new virus in China, we’ve been seeing projections, or models predicting how it might spread. But how are those models created (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/covid-math-models/) ? There’s a lot of math that goes into understanding what might come next. Ira turns to a group of scientists who make their living in crunchi...
48m May 01, 2020
48m
Vaccine Process, Hubble Space Telescope Anniversary, Alchemy Of Us. April 24, 2020, Part 2
Over 50 pharmaceutical companies and biotech firms around the world are now racing to develop vaccines for the coronavirus responsible for COVID-19. Anthony Fauci has said that it might be possible to develop a vaccine in as quickly as 12 to 18 months—but so far, researchers still don’t know which of several approaches might be most safe and effective. (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/pa...
49m Apr 24, 2020
49m
Valley Fever, Citizen Science Month Finale. April 24, 2020, Part 1
When you think of fungal infections, you might think athlete’s foot or maybe ringworm—itchy, irritating reactions on the skin. But other fungal diseases can cause much more serious illness. One of them is Valley Fever, caused by the soil fungus Coccidioides. In 2018, over 15,000 people were diagnosed with coccidioidomycosis, commonly known as Valley Fever, in the United States, mainly in the Am...
48m Apr 24, 2020
48m
COVID-19 Factcheck, Digital Earth Day, City Nature Challenge, Ancient Antarctic Forest. April 17, 2020, Part 2
Can Coronavirus Reactivate In Patients After Recovery? These days, newsfeeds are overloaded with stories of the coronavirus, but Science Friday continues to explain the science behind COVID-19 headlines (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/factcheck-my-feed-coronavirus-reactivate/) . Here, we learn about South Korea reports of 116 patients who recovered from the disease tested positive. Ange...
47m Apr 17, 2020
47m
Degrees of Change: Climate Anxiety and Depression. April 17, 2020, Part 1
You Aren’t Alone In Grieving The Climate Crisis As the consequences of unchecked climate change come into sharper focus—wildfires in the Amazon and Australia, rising seas in low-lying Pacific Islands, mass coral bleaching around the world—what is to be done about the emotional devastation that people feel as a result (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/climate-crisis-grief/) ? In 2007, Aust...
48m Apr 17, 2020
48m
Spring Sounds, Luxury Ostrich Eggs, ISeeChange. April 10, 2020, Part 2
Enjoying Spring From Quarantine You may be trapped inside, but outside, it’s bird migration season (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/spring-science-quarantine/) . Flowers are blooming from coast to coast, and even the bees are out getting ready for a year of productive buzzing around.  Producer Christie Taylor talks to Atlanta birder and Birds of North America host Jason Ward, and Nature ...
48m Apr 10, 2020
48m
Healthcare Ripple Effects, Resilient Flowers, Cancer Detection. April 10, 2020, Part 1
Routine Healthcare Is Falling Through The COVID-19 Cracks Our healthcare system is straining under the weight of the coronavirus epidemic, with hospital emergency rooms and ICUs around the country facing shortages of masks, ventilators, hospital beds, and medical staff. But the epidemic is also upsetting parts of the healthcare system that aren’t directly treating COVID patients. How are you su...
48m Apr 10, 2020
48m
SciFri Extra: Science Diction On The Word 'Quarantine'
Quarantine has been on many of our minds lately. The phrases “shelter in place” and “self-quarantine” have filled up our news, social media, and conversations since the first inklings of the coronavirus pandemic. But this is far from the first time cities and countries have used the practice of physical separation to battle the spread of disease.  You might think of Mary Mallon, who many know a...
17m Apr 07, 2020
17m
DIY Masks, Neanderthal Diet, Symbiotic Worms. April 3, 2020, Part 2
During the global COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals across the country are running low on PPE—personal protective equipment. This includes masks, gowns, face shields, and other important gear to keep healthcare workers safe. These supplies are the first line of defense between healthcare workers and potentially sick patients. Cloth masks are usually only advised as a last resort for healthcare worke...
47m Apr 03, 2020
47m
COVID-19 Supplies Shortage, Citizen Science Month, Mercury Discovery. April 3, 2020, Part 1
April is Citizen Science Month! It’s a chance for everyone to contribute to the scientific process—including collecting data, taking observations, or helping to analyze a set of big data. And best of all, a lot of these projects can be done wherever you happen to be personally isolating (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/citizen-science-quarantine/) . Caren Cooper, an associate professor a...
47m Apr 03, 2020
47m
SciFri Extra: Science Diction On The Word 'Cobalt'
Cobalt has been hoodwinking people since the day it was pried from the earth. Named after a pesky spirit from German folklore, trickery is embedded in its name.   In 1940s Netherlands, cobalt lived up to its name in a big way, playing a starring role in one of the most embarrassing art swindles of the 19th century. It’s a story of duped Nazis, a shocking court testimony, and one fateful mistake...
18m Mar 31, 2020
18m
Squid Lighting, Tongue Microbiome, Invasive Herbivores. March 27, 2020, Part 2
How Humboldt Squid Talk To Each Other In The Dark Cephalopods are masters of changing their bodies (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/humboldt-squid-skin-communication/) in response to their environments—from camouflaging (http://www.sciencefriday.com/articles/secrets-of-cephalopod-camouflage/)  to sending warning signals to predators (https://www.sciencefriday.com/articles/behaviors-of-th...
46m Mar 27, 2020
46m
COVID Near You Citizen Science, Fact-Check Your Feed. March 27, 2020, Part 1
These days, our newsfeeds are overloaded with stories of the coronavirus. This week, Science Friday continues to dig into the facts behind the speculation—the peer-reviewed studies and reports published by scientists investigating the virus. But what we know—and don’t know—about the new virus is changing daily, making it hard to keep up. Everyone, for example, wants to know more about possible ...
47m Mar 27, 2020
47m
SciFri Extra: Science Diction On The Word 'Dinosaur'
At the turn of the 19th century, Britons would stroll along the Yorkshire Coast, stumbling across unfathomably big bones. These mysterious fossils were all but tumbling out of the cliffside, but people had no idea what to call them. There wasn’t a name for this new class of creatures.  Until Richard Owen came along. Owen was an exceptionally talented naturalist, with over 600 scientific books a...
13m Mar 24, 2020
13m
Coronavirus Fact-Check, Poetry of Science, Social Bats. March 20, 2020, Part 2
As new cases of coronavirus pop up across the United States, and as millions of people must self-isolate from family and friends at home, one place many are turning to for comfort and information is their news feed. But our regular media diet of politics, sports, and entertainment has been replaced by 24/7 coverage of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Nearly every outlet is covering the pandemic ...
47m Mar 21, 2020
47m
Jane Goodall, Coronavirus Update, Science Diction. March 20, 2020, Part 1
60 years ago this year, a young Jane Goodall entered the Gombe in Tanzania to begin observations of the chimpanzees living there. During her time there, Goodall observed wild chimpanzees in the Gombe making and using tools—a finding that changed our thinking about chimps, primates, and even humans. Now, Goodall travels the world as a conservationist, advocate for animals, and United Nations Mes...
48m Mar 21, 2020
48m
SciFri Extra: Science Diction On The Word 'Vaccine'
For centuries, smallpox seemed unbeatable. People had tried nearly everything to knock it out—from herbal remedies to tossing back 12 bottles of beer a day (yep, that was a real recommendation from a 17th century doctor), to intentionally infecting themselves with smallpox and hoping they didn’t get sick, all to no avail. And then, in the 18th century, an English doctor heard a rumor about a po...
13m Mar 17, 2020
13m
Farmers’ Stress, Tiny Dino-Bird Discovery. March 13, 2020, Part 2
The Farm Crisis of the 1980s was a dark time for people working in food and agriculture. U.S. agricultural policies led to an oversupply of crops, price drops, and farms closures. At the same time, the rate of farmer suicide skyrocketed. The industry struggled, until organizations like Farm Aid and others popped up to give voice to the crisis. But farm advocates agree that farmers are in the mi...
48m Mar 13, 2020
48m
Coronavirus: Washing and Sanitizing, Science Diction, New HIV PrEP Drugs. March 13, 2020, Part 1
The number of people in the U.S. confirmed to be infected with the pandemic-level respiratory coronavirus continues to rise, even as testing and diagnosis capacity continues to lag behind other nations. In the meantime, epidemiologists are urging people all over the country to take actions that help “flatten the curve,” to slow the rate of infection so the number of cases don’t overwhelm the he...
47m Mar 13, 2020
47m
SciFri Extra: Science Diction On The Word 'Meme'
Remember that summer when the internet was one Distracted Boyfriend after another—that flannel-shirted dude rubbernecking at a passing woman, while his girlfriend glares at him? Everyone had their own take—the Boyfriend was you, staring directly at a solar eclipse, ignoring science. The Boyfriend was youth, seduced by socialism, spurning capitalism. The Boyfriend could be anyone you wanted him ...
14m Mar 10, 2020
14m
Astronaut Training, Marsquakes, Whale Migration. March 6, 2020, Part 2
Do You Have The ‘Right Stuff’ To Be An Astronaut? If you’ve ever considered being an astronaut, this might be your chance to land that dream job. This week, NASA opened applications for a new class of astronaut candidates (https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/561186900) . It’s a full-time position based in Houston, Texas, paying over $104,000 per year. Job duties would include “conducting...
48m Mar 06, 2020
48m
Coronavirus Genetics, Prosthetic Hands. March 6, 2020, Part 1
A New Trick For Dexterity In Prosthetic Hands Researchers working on the next generation of prosthetic limbs have a few fundamental engineering problems to overcome. For starters, how can people using prosthetic limbs effectively signal what motions they want to perform?  A team of researchers may have a solution: A surgical technique that uses muscle tissue to amplify the nerve signals. Partic...
48m Mar 06, 2020
48m
Coronavirus Preparedness, Facebook’s History. Feb 28, 2020, Part 2
This week, the world’s attention has turned to the spread of the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, that was first detected in Wuhan, China, late in 2019. More countries are finding cases, and in the United States, a California patient has become the first known case of possible “community spread”—where the patient had not traveled to affected areas or had known exposure to someone who had been inf...
47m Feb 28, 2020
47m
Degrees of Change: Building Materials. Feb 28, 2020, Part 1
In order to slow a warming planet on track to increase by 2 degrees celsius, nearly every industry will be forced to adapt: airlines, fashion, and even the unglamorous and often overlooked building materials sector.  Just like the farm to table movement, consumers are increasingly thinking about where the raw materials for their homes and cities come from, and how they impact climate change. An...
48m Feb 28, 2020
48m
Coronavirus Update, Genuine Fakes, Neanderthal News. Feb. 21, 2020, Part 2
What Is Real And Fake? There are two ways to grow a diamond. You can dig one up from the Earth—a product of billions of years of pressure and heat placed on carbon. Or you can make one in a lab—by applying lots of that same heat and pressure to tiny starter crystals—and get it made much faster.  Put these two objects under a microscope and they look exactly the same. But is the lab-grown diamon...
48m Feb 21, 2020
48m
Ask A Dentist. Feb. 21, 2020, Part 1
Brushing Up On Tooth Science Most of us spend our time at the dentist holding our mouths open, saying “ahhh,” and occasionally sticking out our tongues. But if you could ask a dentist anything, what would you want to know (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/ask-a-dentist-tooth-science/) ? Ira asks University of Utah researcher Rena D’Souza and UPenn’s Mark Wolff about cavity formation, the ...
48m Feb 21, 2020
48m
Building A Ghost Heart, The Effect Of Big Tech. Feb 14, 2020, Part 2
The human heart is one of the most complicated organs in our body. The heart is, in a way, like a machine—the muscular organ pumping about 2,000 gallons of blood in an adult human every day. But can we construct a heart in the lab? Some scientists are turning to engineering to find ways to preserve that constant lub dub when a heart stops working. One team of researchers created a biohybrid hea...
47m Feb 14, 2020
47m
Great Lakes Book Club Wrap-Up, California Groundwater. Feb 14, 2020, Part 1
The Great Lakes hold 20% of the world’s surface drinking water, with Lake Superior holding half of that alone. The lakes stretch from New York to Minnesota, and cover a surface area of nearly 100,000 square miles—large enough to cover the entire state of Colorado. And they’re teeming with life. Fish, phytoplankton, birds, even butterflies call the lakes home for some portion of their lives. But...
47m Feb 14, 2020
47m
SciFri Extra: The Marshall Islands Stare Down Rising Seas
The Republic of the Marshall Islands is a country of 58,000 people spread across 29 coral atolls (https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/atoll/) in the Pacific Ocean. And in a world where seas are both rising and acidifying, the Marshall Islands are exceptionally vulnerable: Those atolls rise a mere two meters above the original ocean height on average, and rely on the health and conti...
15m Feb 13, 2020
15m
Tech And Empathy, The Ball Method. Feb 7, 2020, Part 2
How Tech Can Make Us More—And Less—Empathetic Much of technology was built on the promise of connecting people across the world, fostering a sense of community. But as much as technology gives us, it also may be taking away one of the things that makes us most human—empathy. (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/tech-empathy/) Meet Alice Ball, Unsung Pioneer In Leprosy Treatment In 1915, an i...
48m Feb 07, 2020
48m
Degrees Of Change: How Native American Communities Are Addressing Climate Change. Feb 7, 2020, Part 1
How Native American Communities Are Addressing Climate Change Indigenous peoples are one of the most vulnerable communities when it comes to the effects of climate change. This is due to a mix of cultural, economic, policy and historical factors. Some Native American tribal governments and councils have put together their own climate risk assessment plans. Native American communities are very d...
48m Feb 07, 2020
48m
Breast Cancer Cultural History, Butterfly Wings. Jan 31, 2020, Part 2
‘Radical’ Explores The Hidden History Of Breast Cancer  Nearly 270,000 women are diagnosed (https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/annual-cancer-facts-and-figures/2019/cancer-facts-and-figures-2019.pdf)  with breast cancer every year, along with a couple thousand men. But the disease manifests in many different ways, meaning few patients have the same...
48m Jan 31, 2020
48m
Coronavirus Update, Invasive Species. Jan 31, 2020, Part 1
Tracking The Spread Of The Coronavirus Outbreak This week, the World Health Organization declared (https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/01/30/798894428/who-declares-coronavirus-outbreak-a-global-health-emergency)  that the coronavirus outbreak—which began in Wuhan, China—is a public health emergency of international concern. Nearly 8,000 cases have been confirmed worldwide. Chinese sc...
48m Jan 31, 2020
48m
SciFri Extra: Revisiting Unique Science Stories Of 2019
2020 has just begun, but we’re still celebrating all the amazing work done by science journalists in 2019. Thanks to them, we’ve been informed on stories like the new illnesses linked to vaping, the first image of a black hole, and the increase in youth-led climate change protests. At our year in review event at Caveat in NYC on December 18, 2019, three science storytellers—Arielle Duhaime-Ross...
34m Jan 28, 2020
34m
Coronavirus, Great Lakes Drinking Water. Jan 24, 2020, Part 1
A novel coronavirus—the type of virus that causes SARS, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and common cold symptoms—has killed 18 people, and sickened more than 600. In response, Chinese officials have quarantined several huge cities (https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/china-coronavirus/) , where some 20 million people live. In this segment, Ira talks with epidemiologists Saskia Popes...
47m Jan 24, 2020
47m