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Science Friday
@scifri.bsky.social
190K followers 130 following 2.4K posts
Entertaining & educational conversations about science, tech, + more. Hosted by Ira Flatow and Flora Lichtman. From WNYCStudios.
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Science writer and oncologist Siddhartha Mukherjee discusses what we get wrong about cancer, and why he leans into nuance as an author: buff.ly/92LxRAd
"If you want to understand your disease in a metaphorical way, if you want to think of it as an enemy, think of it as an enemy. If that’s harmful to you, if you feel as if that’s going to hurt you, don’t do it. There’s no one way of thinking about cancer." —Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee
December 1, 2025 at 12:48 PM
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🤔 What do you get when you subscribe to our weekly newsletter? The most essential science news headlines, plus a spoonful of the awe-inspiring: buff.ly/DkmfNKd
Subscribe to Science Friday's Week in Science newsletter to join 20,000 curious minds exploring the world of science every week!
November 30, 2025 at 10:55 PM
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In "Why We Die," chemist Venki Ramakrishnan takes readers on a riveting journey to the frontiers of biology—and asks whether we must be mortal: buff.ly/qvGgX9p
"We should accept aging as a process in life...I think understanding why we age and how we age gives us better tools for how to live. If we know the things that cause aging that would help with that process." —Venki Ramakrishnan
November 30, 2025 at 3:04 PM
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🦇 If humans aged like the longest-lived bat species, we’d live for hundreds of years—and that bat is just one of many superagers in the animal kingdom: buff.ly/YlatJbX
"Generally, animals that are larger tend to live longer. Bats are a clear exception. If you plot, for example, 200 different mammalian species on a graph-so longevity versus body mass-bats would be off the line." —Dr. Vera Gorbunova
November 29, 2025 at 1:18 PM
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Happy Science Friday! Here’s what we’re covering today on the show. Listen on your local public radio station, 2-4 p.m. ET. 🏆 🏋🏽🪴

Learn more here: buff.ly/uWWEb7I
November 28, 2025 at 3:10 PM
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Which American pharmacist developed a scale to measure the spiciness of chili peppers?

A. Wilbur Scoville
B. Norville Rogers
C. John Pemberton
D. Dr. Pepper

🧵 3/4
Which American pharmacist developed a scale to measure the spiciness of chili peppers? A. Wilbur Scoville B. Norville Rogers C. John Pemberton D. Dr. Pepper
November 27, 2025 at 9:41 PM
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Pandas are unable to detect what basic taste?

A. Sweet
B. Sour
C. Bitter
D. Umami

🧵 2/4
Pandas are unable to detect what basic taste? A. Sweet B. Sour C. Bitter D. Umami
November 27, 2025 at 9:41 PM
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Last week, Flora Lichtman and @parttimegenius.bsky.social co-host Mangesh Hattikudur quizzed one lucky listener with food science trivia. Put your Thanksgiving party to the test with two questions from the episode. 🐼 🌶️

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November 27, 2025 at 9:41 PM
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🦃 🎈From turkey snoods to giant balloons, Thanksgiving is giving science. Explore our holiday-themed collection, stuffed with audience favorites: buff.ly/LmjsZ56
Science Friday's Thanksgiving Science Collection. [Image of a Thanksgiving table with a plate full of turkey, green beans, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce at its center.]
November 27, 2025 at 12:52 PM
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Come nerd out with SciFri's Ira Flatow and award-winning physicist Sean M. Carroll on Friday, Dec. 5 at WNYC's The Greene Space. Enjoy an open bar, incredible food, and big ideas to match. Buy your tickets here: buff.ly/GuOdK0S
Join Us In NYC For "Big Mysteries" and meet SciFri Host Ira Flatow! [A headshot of Ira Flatow in a recording studio]
November 27, 2025 at 12:41 AM
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Canned pumpkin is usually not pumpkin at all. Need we say more? 🎃

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Canned pumpkin is not derived from your everyday jack-o'-lantern. "It's actually either a Hubbard [squash]... or more like a butternut type of squash," Hernandez says.
November 26, 2025 at 7:07 PM
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The main difference between summer and winter squash is maturity. Summer squash is harvested mere days after pollination. Winter squash is harvested much later, giving it time to develop a thicker skin.

🧵 3/5
November 26, 2025 at 7:07 PM
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All giant pumpkins are thought to come from a single variety developed by a farmer in Canada in the 1970s.

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A photo of giant pumpkins on a lawn. Caption: All giant pumpkins are thought to come from a variety called Dill's Atlantic Giant. It was developed by a farmer in Canada in the 1970s.
November 26, 2025 at 7:07 PM
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It's squash, pumpkin, and gourd season! Test your knowledge on these colorful fall favorites with Chris Hernandez, director of the University of New Hampshire’s squash, pumpkin, and melon breeding program.

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November 26, 2025 at 7:07 PM
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JADES-GS-z14-0 is one of the most distant galaxies ever observed using the James Webb Space Telescope. According to a recent study, it may have a "dark star" at its core. That is, if dark stars actually exist: buff.ly/8pOGELL
Science Friday's Picture of the Week: An image of the JADES-GS-z14-0 galaxy, one of the most distant galaxies ever observed by the James Webb Space Telescope.
November 26, 2025 at 1:43 PM
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Looking for last-minute, science-proof Thanksgiving inspiration? 🍽️

Chef Dan Souza shares a vegan butternut squash recipe with an audience member. Plus, the heat physics of the perfect apple pie: buff.ly/QhRTcj0
November 25, 2025 at 9:34 PM
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After immigrating to the U.S. from Lebanon, neuroscientist @ardemp.bskyverified.social found belonging in science—and did Nobel-winning work on the sense of touch: buff.ly/boCE6ZY
"I've gotten wonderful letters from elementary school kids from here to Los Angeles and Armenia saying things like, 'You look like me. I never thought science was a possibility. If you can do it, maybe I can do it.'" —Dr. Ardem Patapoutian
November 24, 2025 at 1:07 PM
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These 400-year-old tables show real human nerves and veins. Now, they live on in @realgdt.bsky.social's "Frankenstein": buff.ly/bMx7jnF
November 23, 2025 at 9:49 PM
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🎸 @Phish.com has toured for over 40 years. One of the draws of the band's performances are finding moments of flow, a feeling of being locked in or in the zone. Now, bassist @mike-gordon.com is on a mission with scientists to better understand this feeling: buff.ly/AnTxWBy
"It's almost like I can conjure up and feel and see images from my night dreams while I'm in the middle of the jam onstage with all the people around." —Mike Gordon
November 23, 2025 at 1:50 PM
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Memories aren't frozen in time, asserts neuroscientist Steve Ramirez. His research shows how memory manipulation could revolutionize the way we treat brain disorders: buff.ly/Snxy8gs
"Memories are intertwined with our own sense of self and identity. There's an aphorism of 'You can't step in the same river twice? I think it's the same thing with memory, that you can't exactly recall the exact same memory twice." —Dr. Steve Ramirez
November 22, 2025 at 3:22 PM
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Is it all in the hips? Scientists break down woodpeckers’ head-hammering moves. Plus, find out what makes one ant a queen and another a worker: buff.ly/YnWryK4
An image of a downy woodpecker, the species the team of researchers analyzed in the new study, on a tree.
November 21, 2025 at 11:25 PM
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Happy Science Friday! Here’s what we’re covering today on the show. Listen on your local public radio station, 2-4 p.m. ET. 🐦‍⬛🧬⛲

Learn more here: buff.ly/EPCJdly
November 21, 2025 at 3:10 PM
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Be in the know about our Friday show! 📻 Sign up for SciFri's Radio Preview weekly newsletter now: buff.ly/Q5KmiTD
SciFri Radio Preview Receive an exclusive, weekly sneak peek, and find out first when we'll be taking your questions for our show.
November 20, 2025 at 10:52 PM
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Scientists picked through a dozen bearded vulture nests. They discovered hundreds of human artifacts, including a *very* old sandal: buff.ly/yvE7n6O
November 20, 2025 at 1:19 PM
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Quiz time! We recently covered some interesting dinosaur news. Do you know what this fossil is? Leave us your best guess in the comments.👇🏽
November 20, 2025 at 2:05 AM