Science Friday

Scientists using LIGO detected a third gravitational wave, this time from two colliding black holes located 3 billion light-years away. Plus, the tale of actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr.

Scientists report the first scientific results from the Juno mission, now in orbit around Jupiter. Plus reviving a case for foundational science that dates back to Einstein. And Leland Melvin on the perseverance and different communities that helped launch his career into space.

Amber Yang, 18, won Intel’s Young Scientist Award with her novel space debris tracker. Plus, a look at the White House’s proposed science budget.

A look at efforts to improve forensics after the death of a key federal commission. Plus, when should the government alert the computer industry about software flaws that could become cyberweapons? And the story of meteorite hunter Nina Lanza, and what life is really like in Antarctica.

Moldy compost? Compacted soil? Here comes some soil science to help your garden spring into shape. Plus how one researcher plays pretend to shed light on species survival in a warming climate.

The team of paleoanthropologists that discovered fossils of Homo naledi in a South African cave two years ago say the bones are between 335,000 and 236,000 years old. Plus, Science Friday has a new show! Undiscovered tells the back stories of great scientific discoveries.

We have been microwaving our food for 50 years. Why are some people still worried about their safety? And new research looks at the connections between the  oceans, the phytoplankton and bacteria that live in them, and the aerosolized materials that can end up high in the atmosphere.

On China’s most influential microblogging platform, a watch aficionado named Boss Hua accuses a government official of corruption. But, his posts aren’t censored. So what disappears into the black box of Chinese censorship...and what stays online? A team of social scientists cracked this question—by mistake—with big data.

Introducing Undiscovered, a brand-new podcast spinoff from SciFri! On China’s most influential microblogging platform, a watch aficionado named Boss Hua accuses a government official of corruption. But, his posts aren’t censored. So what disappears into the black box of Chinese censorship…and what stays online? A team of social scientists cracked this question—by mistake—with big data.

In Jeff VanderMeer’s latest book, a future world overrun by biotech mutants still has hope. And scientists investigate the genetic pathway that leads to better endurance in mice.