Science Friday

Guests Mahnaz Dar and Jennifer Swanson recommend the best science books for kids in 2023. Topics include interactive ocean exploration, math concepts and friendship, and a biography of astrophysicist Cecilia Payne. They also discuss the importance of conservation and recommend STEM graphic novels. Other recommendations include coding books and interactive books from National Geographic Kids and DK Books.

Guest host Flora Lichtman talks with Dr. Jenna Lester and Dr. Roxana Daneshjou about their study on AI-powered chatbots perpetuating racist ideas in medicine. They tested chatbots like ChatGPT and Google’s Bard and found that they provided incorrect, racist information. The conversation explores racial bias in large language models, the inclusion of race in measuring kidney function, algorithmic justice, and the potential and limitations of AI chatbots in healthcare.

Scientists observe exoplanet with clouds of sand in its atmosphere. Tense seismic situation in Iceland may lead to volcanic eruption. Discrepancy in life expectancy between US men and women. Effort to control drug lord's escaped hippos in Colombia. Astronauts lose tool bag in space.

Chef Dan Souza from Cook's Illustrated and America's Test Kitchen joins host Ira to answer listener questions about the science behind holiday cooking. Topics include evenly cooking turkey and preventing the 'airplane hanger' effect in apple pie, vegan-friendly Thanksgiving recipes, deep frying turkeys, and different varieties of potatoes for Thanksgiving dishes.

The podcast explores the importance of infrastructure and its social impact, including the delivery and collection of water and sewage. There is a conversation with Dr. Deb Chachra and a phone call from a listener. The challenges of high-speed rail in the US are discussed, along with the role of the Tennessee Valley Authority in the Green New Deal.

Explore the breeding efforts and distinctions between gourds and squashes. Learn about the different varieties of pumpkins and traits sought after by pick farmers. Discover the sweetness of squash and the challenges of designing new foods like squash and pumpkins.

One year after the release of ChatGPT, this podcast explores how schools have adjusted, concerns of teachers and parents, misconceptions and challenges of AI in education, positive student response, and the importance of student voice, data privacy, and transparency.

A new ESA telescope aims to understand the influence of dark matter and dark energy on the universe. The first colorful images from the Euclid telescope are unveiled, paving the way for a 3D map of the cosmos. Astronomers discover the oldest known black hole using JWST and the Chandra Observatory. Discussions include ultraprocessed foods, AI regulation, renaming birds, and a fish with electrolocation abilities. The discovery of a supermassive black hole confirms a theory of black hole formation, and insights into black hole formation are explored with the discovery of a unique X-ray quasar.

Author Stephen Porder discusses how carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus shape life on Earth, including the role of cyanobacteria in pollution, the impact of land plants on climate, and the significance of phosphorus. The evolution of nitrogen utilization and the development of the Haber Bosch process are also explored. The interconnectedness of the five elements in defining life on Earth and the need for sustainable management is emphasized.

Dr. Ayanna Elizabeth Johnson, marine biologist and co-founder of Urban Ocean Lab, curates the 'Climate Futurism' exhibit exploring multiple climate futures. Erica Deeman discusses her art installation using seeds from England and Jamaica. The exhibit emphasizes the need for inclusive and just futures amidst climate change. The podcast also explores the Army Corps of Engineers' plan to transport salmon using a giant vacuum and the alternative solution of draining reservoirs for fish passage.