Ira Flatow

SciFri's Charismatic Creature Carnival kicks off with mantis shrimp vs. the hellbender salamander. Plus, a new study shows common terms for climate change are confusing to the public.

Climate data suggests that a crucial ocean circulation pattern is already changing. Plus, debunking the latest COVID-19 home remedy. And how was the first bread discovered?

With pediatric COVID-19 cases rising, parents are weighing difficult decisions about the school year. Plus, air quality experts are skeptical of high-tech air purifier companies.

New fossils offer a theory to why ancestors of birds survived the mass extinction that killed other dinosaurs. Plus, scientists learn about medieval life from bones of ordinary people.

Now that Pfizer’s vaccine is fully approved, what’s next for the pandemic? Plus, As we move away from fossil fuels, how do we make renewables work for everyone?

Scientists are studying what a prosthetic device they’re calling a “Third Thumb” does to your brain. Plus, the healing power of nostalgia. 

A network of seismological sensors are now being used to study endangered elephants. And, speculative fiction author Margaret Atwood on how she pulls inspiration from news headlines.

Electric fish, like humans, use pauses in communication to make a point. Plus, a new book documents the biggest scientific crimes in history.

If we make decisions based on data, what happens when the data is wrong? Plus, a deep dive into a bird that’s “wrong in every way,” according to a researcher who loves them.

Epidemiologist Dr. Céline Gounder untangles rapidly changing pandemic updates. Plus, a plan to replace an aging oil pipeline spurs heated debates over safety, amid a worsening drought.

Experts estimate over a billion sea creatures were scorched during the Pacific Northwest’s record-breaking heat wave. Plus, whistleblowers allege “atmosphere of fear” at the EPA. 

Biden’s Surgeon General talks about the COVID-19 pandemic, and beyond. Plus, the promise of blockchain has drawn attention for years. But what can it really do?

A mystery illness is affecting American songbirds. Plus, why our sweat is useful and even worth celebrating. And what might be behind the dimming of the red giant star Betelgeuse.

What’s next for new battery technology? Plus, people getting seriously ill from COVID-19 in the U.S. are overwhelmingly from unvaccinated populations.

Lanternflies, an invasive and damaging pest, have carved out a foothold on the East Coast—and experts worry it could spread. And how seashells can be an oracle of ocean health.

Pulitzer Prize winner John McPhee on the geology of North America and the craft of writing.

Benjamin Franklin's experiments extended way beyond a key and a kite. Plus, whether you’re a seasoned grower or a budding green-thumb, we’ve got science-based summer gardening advice.

With the COVID Delta variant on the rise, how worried should you be about it? Plus, Edgar Allen Poe’s interest in science.

A much-anticipated government report examines “unexplained aerial phenomena” seen by Navy pilots. And people experiencing mild cognitive decline may benefit from playing music.