Science Friday

Preeti Simran Sethi, a science writer and Rosalyn Carter Mental Health Journalism Fellow, joins to discuss the enduring effects of childhood trauma on adult health. She explores pioneering research on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), revealing troubling correlations between early trauma and later health issues. Sethi critiques the inclusivity of current methodologies, emphasizing the need for diverse perspectives in trauma research. She also highlights the power of resilience and supportive experiences in overcoming past adversities.

Dr. Harold Varmus, a Nobel laureate and former director of the NIH, discusses critical budget cuts threatening U.S. biomedical research. He highlights how layoffs and halted grants could jeopardize scientific integrity and innovation. Varmus emphasizes the importance of continued investment in health research and the potential loss of talent as researchers look for alternative careers. The conversation also dives into the implications of new leadership at the NIH and the need for political support to protect scientific progress.

Fungal networks in the ground ferry crucial nutrients to plants. But how do brainless organisms form complex supply chain networks? Also, in this year’s baseball spring training, the new Automated Ball-Strike System is helping settle challenges to home plate pitch calls.Scientists Observe Fungi Creating Complex Supply ChainsAs the leaves start to pop out, it’s natural to look up and admire the trees. But actually, there’s a lot of action happening underneath your feet. Beneath you is a complex network of fungal trade routes carrying essential nutrients to the roots of plants, mined from the soil by fungus. It’s a subterranean supply chain.But how exactly do these complex networks form? How does the fungus decide where to ship which resources, or where to build roads? Basically, how does a brainless thread make decisions?Host Flora Lichtman is joined by Dr. Toby Kiers, an author on a recent study of those networks, and professor of evolutionary biology at Vrije University in Amsterdam. She’s also the executive director of the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN).A Rookie Robot Umpire Takes The FieldBaseball fans are eagerly awaiting opening day. And while spring training is a time for teams to test out new players and strategies, it’s also a time for Major League Baseball to trial new rules and procedures. One of the things that the league has been testing this year is a robotic system to call balls and strikes.The Automated Ball-Strike System, which is based on the same technology used for line judging in tennis, isn’t calling every pitch, but is used to back up a challenge system at the plate. The tech is already in use in Triple-A games, and could make it to the major leagues in the years ahead. Baseball writer Davy Andrews joins Host Ira Flatow to talk about the technology, and how it could subtly change the rules of the game.Transcripts for each segment will be available after the show airs on sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

Layoffs at the agency, which releases weather forecasts and monitors extreme weather, could have serious implications. Also, funds for climate and sustainability-focused farming projects have been indefinitely frozen, even though the USDA has already signed contracts.10% Of NOAA Staff Laid Off, With More Cuts PossibleThe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, better known as NOAA, impacts and provides services for Americans every day. The agency releases daily weather forecasts and monitors extreme weather, and it also conducts research into global weather and climate change.Along with many other federal science agencies, NOAA is being subjected to layoffs in the name of cost-cutting: 10% of the agency’s workforce has been laid off, with 1,000 more cuts potentially to come. According to Dr. Timothy Gallaudet, acting NOAA administrator during Trump’s first term, this is likely to lead to declines in quality of service and access to information about weather events.Host Flora Lichtman speaks to Umair Irfan, science correspondent at Vox, who has been covering the turmoil at NOAA. They also discuss other science stories of the week, including the death of prolific blood donor James Harrison.Frozen Climate And Conservation Funds Leave Farmers In LimboAround the country, farmers are planning and planting this year’s crops. It can be uncertain work, made even more tenuous by some of the Trump administration’s changes to climate and conservation policies.The administration has frozen billions of dollars in grants to farmers for sustainable agriculture, conservation, and “climate smart” projects. In some cases, farmers had already signed contracts with the government and begun work on these projects.While some funding from the Inflation Reduction Act was recently released, many farmers across the country are still in limbo.Host Flora Lichtman talks with Patrick Brown, a farmer in Warren County, North Carolina; and Dr. Kitty O’Neil, an agricultural climate resiliency specialist at Cornell University’s Cooperative Extension about the future of farming in a changing climate.Transcripts for each segment will be available after the show airs on sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

It’s March 14, or Pi Day, that day of the year where we celebrate the ratio that makes a circle a circle. The Greek letter that represents it is such a part of our culture that it merits our irrational attention.Joining Host Ira Flatow to help slice into our pi’s is Dr. Steven Strogatz, professor of math at Cornell University and co-host of Quanta Magazine’s podcast “The Joy Of Why.” They talk about how pi was “discovered,” the ways it’s figuring into recent science, and how AI is changing the field of mathematics.Transcripts for each segment will be available after the show airs on sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

When you imagine prehistoric life, it’s likely that the first thing that comes to mind are dinosaurs: long-necked Apatosauruses, flying Pterosaurs, big toothy Tyrannosaurs. But what don’t get as much attention are the prehistoric plants that lived alongside them.Plants, shrubs, and trees played a key part in the food chains of dinosaurs, and many dinosaurs evolved to match the plant life available to them. The Apatosaurus’ long neck, for example, developed to reach leaves high up in prehistoric trees.Joining Host Flora Lichtman to defend the importance of prehistoric plants is Riley Black, author of the new book When the Earth Was Green: Plants, Animals and Evolution’s Greatest Romance. She’s based in Salt Lake City, Utah.Read an excerpt from When the Earth Was Green at sciencefriday.com.Transcripts for each segment will be available after the show airs on sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

In this engaging conversation, Gregory O’Corry-Crowe, a research professor specializing in narwhals, shares fascinating insights about these elusive Arctic whales. He discusses how recent drone studies reveal the remarkable ways narwhals use their lengthy tusks for hunting and play. The conversation also touches on the challenges these creatures face due to climate change. Additionally, astronomer Dean Regas adds excitement by detailing the upcoming total lunar eclipse, providing tips to witness this breathtaking celestial event.

A sweeping new study on one of the most beloved insects, maybe the only truly beloved insect—the butterfly—details its rapid population decline in the United States. The new research, published in the journal Science widens the butterfly net and looks at how more than 500 species have fared over the past 20 years.Researchers found that many populations are taking a nosedive. What’s causing the downswing, and is there anything we can do?Host Flora Lichtman talks with two of the study authors, Dr. Elise Zipkin, Red Cedar distinguished professor of quantitative ecology and director of the ecology, evolution and behavior program at Michigan State University; and Dr. Nick Haddad, professor of integrative biology also at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan.Transcripts for each segment will be available after the show airs on sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

Dr. Atul Gawande, a surgeon and former head of global health at USAID, and Dr. Salim Abdool Karim, an epidemiologist and director at the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa, delve into the fallout from the U.S. dismantling USAID. They discuss the devastating effects of funding cuts on vital health initiatives battling diseases like HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis. The conversation highlights the ethical dilemmas faced by clinical trial participants and the geopolitical ramifications of U.S. withdrawal from global health leadership, especially as rivals like China rise.

Kevin Scholtes, an engineer at Firefly Aerospace, shares insights into the groundbreaking challenges of developing the Blue Ghost lunar lander. Dr. Nicky Fox, a NASA administrator, elaborates on the scientific instruments aboard, aimed at probing lunar regolith and dust. Both guests highlight the significance of the lander's successful commercial moon landing, marking a new era in space exploration. They also address the growing political activism among scientists against recent government interference in science, reflecting an urgent call for defending scientific integrity.