Science Friday

10/09/2026

Science Friday’s staff had a blast playing our card game during Cephalopod Week, so grab some friends and join in on the fun!

Thank you to Grand Gamers Guild for teaming up with us to make a game all about the chambered nautilus.

This 18-card deck pairs with an online answer portal where you will solve puzzles, search for clues in an aquarium, and race to find a missing science expert before time runs out!

Every purchase supports Science Friday so order your copy today!
sciencefriday.com/articles/endangered-rescue-chambered-nautilus-game

10/09/2026

We’re nominated for a Signal Awards in their Science category!

If Science Friday has sparked your curiosity, taught you something new, or has been a fun part of your commute, please vote for us!

Vote now before Oct. 15th: https://bit.ly/4eoRbvB

10/08/2026

From their three hearts to their doughnut-shaped brains, octopuses are fascinating creatures that are also biologically wired to die after they reproduce.

We spoke with cephalopod expert Z. Yan Wang to learn more about octopus death spirals and to answer some listener questions for Science Friday’s Cephalopod Week!

Listen to our podcast episode "The punk rock life of cephalopods" or hear it on your local public radio station this Friday.
https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/punk-rock-life-of-cephalopods/

And if you’re celebrating World Octopus Day, check out our Cephalopod Week Spotlight for more stories, games, and activities.
https://www.sciencefriday.com/spotlights/cephalopod-week/

10/07/2026

Cephalopods are having a Hollywood glow-up. 🎬🐙

From monsters to villains to teachers, their on-screen roles have been changing as people understand them more.

We explore the different movies cephalopods have starred in with our latest Science Goes To The Movies newsletter.

Check out the article on our website and dive into our other cephalopod content that we’re dropping all week long.
https://www.sciencefriday.com/articles/cephalopods-in-the-movies/

If you’ve been loving our cephalo-bration, join our Sea of Support with a donation!
https://donate.sciencefriday.com/seaofsupport

Cephalopod characters have shown up in movies for over a century. But as our understanding of them has changed, so have their on-screen roles.

10/06/2026

David Byrne is no stranger to bringing extraordinary ideas to life. But what about the ideas that are ahead of their time? How do we reawaken them?

Flora chatted with David about his new book “Sleeping Beauties: Why Good Ideas Go Dormant and How They Wake Up,” and which “sleeping beauties” resonated with him most.

We did film the whole interview so you can watch this special episode on our YouTube or website. https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/how-important-ideas-get-reawakened-with-david-byrne/

10/06/2026

Join us on October 8th for a Cephalopod Week Q&A!

Livestream will be on Science Friday’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/live/O4X5kdvUj-g?si=MDvEpFIg_Ns2k-Z8

Learn about the endangered chambered nautilus, celebrate its cephalopod cousins like the octopus, and discover the ocean’s amazing biodiversity.

We’ll be chatting with marine biologist Dr. Gregory Barord, Director of Science and Outreach for Save the Nautilus, and answering questions from the chat. Cephalopod fans of every age are welcome!

When: Thursday, October 8 at 1 pm ET / 10 am PT
Where: Science Friday’s YouTube channel (link above)
Tickets: Free! RSVP for reminders below ⤵️
https://www.sciencefriday.com/articles/discover-the-chambered-nautilus-with-dr-gregory-j-barord/

10/05/2026

It’s Cephalopod Week! All week long we’ll be celebrating our favorite cephalopods with stories, games, educational activities, virtual events, and lots more! Dive in on our website at sciencefriday.com/cephalopodweek.

We’re kicking it off with a nautilus as our .

A nautilus begins life with a small shell. As it grows, it adds progressively larger chambers, helping it control buoyancy and creating its iconic spiral shape.

People have claimed the nautilus shell is an example of the golden ratio, but is that true? The golden ratio is a number associated with spirals, rectangles, art, architecture, and patterns in nature. So Christopher Bartlett, an art professor from Towson University, decided to put the nautilus shell to the test.

Follow along at home or in the classroom with our free nautilus math activity! It has a worksheet, suggested questions, and other educational resources. Link in bio.
https://www.sciencefriday.com/educational-resources/nautilus-shell-golden-ratio/

10/04/2026

AI is changing fast and we want to hear how it’s showing up in your life.

Is an AI agent your new thought partner? Or are you using AI in ways you never expected? What’s changed since AI and how do you feel about it?

Call and tell us about it at 877-4-SCIFRI.

10/03/2026

There’s a new crater on the moon and it’s unlikely to happen again in our lifetimes.

Created by a comet or asteroid striking the moon between April 11 and May 22, 2024, it is the largest, newly formed crater discovered in our solar system.

Flora spoke with planetary scientist Tyler Powell about what we can learn from this rare impact.

Listen to our podcast episode “Examining a new lunar crater + searching for signs of alien technology.”
https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/examining-a-new-lunar-crater-searching-for-signs-of-alien-technology/

Image credit: NASA Goddard/Intuitive Machines/Robert Wagner

10/03/2026

We need your help with a story about attachment styles.

They’re often used to describe how someone acts in a relationship and supposedly your attachment style traces back to your childhood.

We want to know if you’ve heard of them before and how it has impacted you. Like do you have a rule that you never date someone with avoidant attachment? Or maybe you think of yourself as anxiously attached but you’re trying to be a secure attachment person.

Tell us how attachment styles have shown up in your life and what questions you have about it. Leave us a voicemail at 877-4-SCIFRI.