History & Culture

Princess Leia and the Conundrum of Language Translation

The following is an excerpt from The Art of Language Invention, by David J. Peterson. Listen to SciFri on October 2, 2015, to hear Peterson talk more about linguistics and inventing languages. When I was a kid, the original Star Wars trilogy had just completed its initial run in theaters, and Star Wars was everywhere. […]

Agatha Christie: From Pharmacist’s Apprentice to Poison Expert

Aziz Ansari on How to Date Better

SciFri Book Club Meet-Up

Science Diction: Thermometer

Join the SciFri Book Club This Summer

The SciFri Book Club is back in session! Last winter, we ventured deep into the gnat-infested Amazon jungle with David Grann’s tale of Victorian-era exploration, The Lost City of Z. This time, the only bugs are in the hardware. Join us as we read Tracy Kidder’s true story of computer engineering heroism, The Soul of a New […]

What Do You Know About Science?

This week on Science Friday, we’re going to talk about a recent study on expertise—and we need your help. We want you to unleash the geek, and let us know how familiar you are with a variety of scientific concepts. Take a moment and fill out the form below. Then, tune in this Friday for […]

A Sleepless Night Aboard the Spaceship

The following is an excerpt from Aurora, the new novel by Kim Stanley Robinson. Listen to SciFri on July 17, 2015, to hear Robinson discuss more about the book. Sometime in the middle of the night, Freya wakes and sees a light is on in the kitchen. Dim and bluish; the light from their screen. […]

The Antenna That Detected the Big Bang

The following is an excerpt from The Geek Atlas, by John Graham-Cumming. Listen to SciFri on July 10, 2015, to hear him talk about other destinations in the book. Horn Antenna, Holmdel, NJ 40° 23′ 26.61″ N, 74° 11′ 5.57″ W Down a private road on top of Crawford Hill in Holmdel, New Jersey, is […]

Science Diction: Dinosaur

Everybody likes a good dinosaur story, but one of the best dinosaur stories of them all centers on the man who gave these remarkably extinct beasts their name. He was Sir Richard Owen (1804-1892). In his day, Sir Richard was a celebrated naturalist and founder of the British Museum of Natural History. Some time around 1839, Sir […]