Koalas with the bodies of lions. Elephants the size of your dog. Gigantic, 8-foot-tall sloths. These aren’t creatures found in science fiction: They walked our planet a million years ago, during the Ice Age.That’s the focus of the third season of the Apple TV series <a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/prehistoric-planet-ice-age-season-3/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank">“Prehistoric Planet,”</a> which uses the latest paleontology research and photorealistic CGI to reimagine the lives of ancient creatures. So far, the series has focused on dinosaurs, but now it’s taking that same approach to the huge and strange-looking animals that roamed the tundras and deserts of the <a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/prehistoric-planet-ice-age-season-3/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank">Ice Age.</a>Joining Host Ira Flatow to thaw out the new research featured in the show are two of its scientific consultants, paleontologist Darren Naish and La Brea Tar Pits curator Emily Lindsey.Guests: Dr. Darren Naish is a paleozoologist and author based in Southampton, U.K.Dr. Emily Lindsey is a paleoecologist, curator, and excavation site director at the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum in Los Angeles, California. Transcript available at <a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/prehistoric-planet-ice-age-season-3/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank">sciencefriday.com.</a>
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<description>&lt;p&gt;Koalas with the bodies of lions. Elephants the size of your dog. Gigantic, 8-foot-tall sloths. These aren’t creatures found in science fiction: They walked our planet a million years ago, during the Ice Age.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;That’s the focus of the third season of the Apple TV series &lt;a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/prehistoric-planet-ice-age-season-3/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank"&gt;“Prehistoric Planet,”&lt;/a&gt; which uses the latest paleontology research and photorealistic CGI to reimagine the lives of ancient creatures. So far, the series has focused on dinosaurs, but now it’s taking that same approach to the huge and strange-looking animals that roamed the tundras and deserts of the &lt;a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/prehistoric-planet-ice-age-season-3/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank"&gt;Ice Age.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Joining Host Ira Flatow to thaw out the new research featured in the show are two of its scientific consultants, paleontologist Darren Naish and La Brea Tar Pits curator Emily Lindsey.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Guests: Dr. Darren Naish is a paleozoologist and author based in Southampton, U.K.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Dr. Emily Lindsey is a paleoecologist, curator, and excavation site director at the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum in Los Angeles, California. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Transcript available at &lt;a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/prehistoric-planet-ice-age-season-3/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank"&gt;sciencefriday.com.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://pod.link/73329284" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Subscribe to this podcast.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;i&gt; Plus, to stay updated on all things science,&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/newsletters/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;strong&gt;sign up for Science Friday's newsletters&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;i&gt;.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

The nature documentary series uses new research and photorealistic CGI to bring the huge, bizarre animals of the Ice Age back to life.

‘Prehistoric Planet’ Defrosts Strange Animals Of The Ice Age

Since 1955, when Congress passed the Polio Vaccination Assistance Act, the federal government has been in the business of expanding access to vaccines. That is, until this year.2025 has been filled with almost <a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/2025-vaccine-policy-change/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank">daily news stories</a> about federal agencies, under the direction of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., casting doubts about vaccine safety, including unsubstantiated claims about links to autism. These agencies have also been taking steps that could roll back access to vaccines, including for <a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/2025-vaccine-policy-change/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank">hepatitis B and COVID-19.</a>But we’ve found it very hard to sort out what these talking points and recommendations mean in practice. KFF Health News journalists Jackie Fortiér and Arthur Allen join Host Flora Lichtman to discuss, one year in, what this administration’s stance on vaccines has meant practically—for vaccine access, and vaccine uptake.Guests: Arthur Allen is senior correspondent at KFF Health News and author of Vaccine: The Controversial Story of Medicine's Greatest Lifesaver.Jackie Fortiér is a Peggy Girshman fellow covering health policy at KFF Health News.Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at <a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/2025-vaccine-policy-change/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank">sciencefriday.com.</a>
<a href="https://pod.link/73329284" target="_blank">Subscribe to this podcast.</a> Plus, to stay updated on all things science,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/newsletters/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank">sign up for Science Friday's newsletters</a>.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Since 1955, when Congress passed the Polio Vaccination Assistance Act, the federal government has been in the business of expanding access to vaccines. That is, until this year.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;2025 has been filled with almost &lt;a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/2025-vaccine-policy-change/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank"&gt;daily news stories&lt;/a&gt; about federal agencies, under the direction of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., casting doubts about vaccine safety, including unsubstantiated claims about links to autism. These agencies have also been taking steps that could roll back access to vaccines, including for &lt;a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/2025-vaccine-policy-change/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank"&gt;hepatitis B and COVID-19.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;But we’ve found it very hard to sort out what these talking points and recommendations mean in practice. KFF Health News journalists Jackie Fortiér and Arthur Allen join Host Flora Lichtman to discuss, one year in, what this administration’s stance on vaccines has meant practically—for vaccine access, and vaccine uptake.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Guests: Arthur Allen is senior correspondent at KFF Health News and author of Vaccine: The Controversial Story of Medicine's Greatest Lifesaver.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Jackie Fortiér is a Peggy Girshman fellow covering health policy at KFF Health News.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at &lt;a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/2025-vaccine-policy-change/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank"&gt;sciencefriday.com.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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After a year of near-daily headlines about changes to vaccine policy, what has actually changed? And what do we need to know?

How Did Vaccine Policies Actually Change In 2025?

This year, comet <a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/comet-3i-atlas-iss/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank">3I/Atlas</a> broke into our solar system, but also the zeitgeist. This dirty snowball is a visitor from another solar system, and it’s only the third interstellar object we’ve ever spotted. And today, it's closer to us than ever before—just 170 million miles away.Astronomy experts Stefanie Milam and Hakeem Oluseyi join Host Flora Lichtman to dish about 3I/ATLAS and how it captured the spotlight in a way that maybe no other big hunk of rock ever has.Plus, the sun is setting on the ISS, and the plan is to eventually crash it  into the ocean. But wouldn’t it be cooler to send it into deep space instead? A listener pleads his case.Guests: Dr. Stefanie Milam is an astrochemist at NASA and a project scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope. She studies comets and interstellar objects.Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi is an astrophysicist and CEO of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific.Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at <a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/comet-3i-atlas-iss/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank">sciencefriday.com.</a> 
<a href="https://pod.link/73329284" target="_blank">Subscribe to this podcast.</a> Plus, to stay updated on all things science,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/newsletters/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank">sign up for Science Friday's newsletters</a>.

<description>&lt;p&gt;This year, comet &lt;a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/comet-3i-atlas-iss/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank"&gt;3I/Atlas&lt;/a&gt; broke into our solar system, but also the zeitgeist. This dirty snowball is a visitor from another solar system, and it’s only the third interstellar object we’ve ever spotted. And today, it's closer to us than ever before—just 170 million miles away.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Astronomy experts Stefanie Milam and Hakeem Oluseyi join Host Flora Lichtman to dish about 3I/ATLAS and how it captured the spotlight in a way that maybe no other big hunk of rock ever has.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Plus, the sun is setting on the ISS, and the plan is to eventually crash it  into the ocean. But wouldn’t it be cooler to send it into deep space instead? A listener pleads his case.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Guests: Dr. Stefanie Milam is an astrochemist at NASA and a project scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope. She studies comets and interstellar objects.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi is an astrophysicist and CEO of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at &lt;a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/comet-3i-atlas-iss/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank"&gt;sciencefriday.com.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://pod.link/73329284" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Subscribe to this podcast.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;i&gt; Plus, to stay updated on all things science,&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/newsletters/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;strong&gt;sign up for Science Friday's newsletters&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;i&gt;.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Comet 3I/Atlas is just the third known object to visit us from outside our solar system. So yes... we'll be talking about aliens.

Why Astronomers Are Excited About Comet 3I/ATLAS’ Close Approach

While on a sampling trip in California’s Lassen Volcanic National Park, researchers stopped to sample a rather boring stream on their hike to Boiling Springs Lake. But when they incubated that water sample back in the lab, they discovered an amoeba that could still move and divide at 145 F, <a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/fire-amoebas-lava-exoplanet-atmosphere/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank">a new record</a> for a eukaryotic cell. Microbiologist Angela Oliverio joins Host Flora Lichtman to describe the “fire amoeba,” Incendiamoeba cascadensis.Plus, planetary scientist Johanna Teske takes us to exoplanet TOI-561b, a far-off <a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/fire-amoebas-lava-exoplanet-atmosphere/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank">“wet lava ball”</a> which was recently observed by the James Webb Space Telescope. Researchers believe that the planet has the strongest evidence yet of an atmosphere on a rocky planet outside our solar system.Guests: Dr. Angela Oliverio is an assistant professor in the department of biology at Syracuse University.  Dr. Johanna Teske is a staff scientist at Carnegie Science Earth and Planets Laboratory in Washington, D.C.Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at <a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/fire-amoebas-lava-exoplanet-atmosphere/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank">sciencefriday.com.</a>
<a href="https://pod.link/73329284" target="_blank">Subscribe to this podcast.</a> Plus, to stay updated on all things science,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/newsletters/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank">sign up for Science Friday's newsletters</a>.

<description>&lt;p&gt;While on a sampling trip in California’s Lassen Volcanic National Park, researchers stopped to sample a rather boring stream on their hike to Boiling Springs Lake. But when they incubated that water sample back in the lab, they discovered an amoeba that could still move and divide at 145 F, &lt;a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/fire-amoebas-lava-exoplanet-atmosphere/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank"&gt;a new record&lt;/a&gt; for a eukaryotic cell. Microbiologist Angela Oliverio joins Host Flora Lichtman to describe the “fire amoeba,” &lt;i&gt;Incendiamoeba cascadensis&lt;/i&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Plus, planetary scientist Johanna Teske takes us to exoplanet TOI-561b, a far-off &lt;a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/fire-amoebas-lava-exoplanet-atmosphere/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank"&gt;“wet lava ball”&lt;/a&gt; which was recently observed by the James Webb Space Telescope. Researchers believe that the planet has the strongest evidence yet of an atmosphere on a rocky planet outside our solar system.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Guests:&lt;br /&gt;Dr. Angela Oliverio is an assistant professor in the department of biology at Syracuse University. &lt;br /&gt;Dr. Johanna Teske is a staff scientist at Carnegie Science Earth and Planets Laboratory in Washington, D.C.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at &lt;/i&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/fire-amoebas-lava-exoplanet-atmosphere/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;i&gt;sciencefriday.com.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://pod.link/73329284" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Subscribe to this podcast.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;i&gt; Plus, to stay updated on all things science,&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/newsletters/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;strong&gt;sign up for Science Friday's newsletters&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;i&gt;.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

A newly identified amoeba can survive at the temperature of a medium-well steak. Plus, a distant lava planet shows signs of an atmosphere. 

‘Fire Amoeba’ Likes It Hot, And A Faraway Lava Planet

Videos of humanoid robots dancing, <a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/humanoid-robots-reality/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank">doing cartwheels,</a> putting clothes in a washing machine, and serving drinks are all over social media. And tech CEOs are telling us to prepare for the forthcoming humanoid army that’s going to totally change our lives for the better.But what’s real? Where are we with this technology? Are these humanoids robots ready to take washing the dishes off our plates, or work beside us in warehouses?Tech journalist James Vincent became an expert on the subject when he toured humanoid robot factories and rubbed shoulders with robots themselves for a <a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/humanoid-robots-reality/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank">feature story</a> he wrote for Harper’s Magazine. He joins Host Flora Lichtman with perspective on the hype.Guest: James Vincent is a journalist who’s written for The Verge and The Guardian, and author of the book Beyond Measure: The Hidden History of Measurement. Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at <a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/humanoid-robots-reality/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank">sciencefriday.com. </a>
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<description>&lt;p&gt;Videos of humanoid robots dancing, &lt;a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/humanoid-robots-reality/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank"&gt;doing cartwheels,&lt;/a&gt; putting clothes in a washing machine, and serving drinks are all over social media. And tech CEOs are telling us to prepare for the forthcoming humanoid army that’s going to totally change our lives for the better.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;But what’s real? Where are we with this technology? Are these humanoids robots ready to take washing the dishes off our plates, or work beside us in warehouses?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Tech journalist James Vincent became an expert on the subject when he toured humanoid robot factories and rubbed shoulders with robots themselves for a &lt;a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/humanoid-robots-reality/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank"&gt;feature story&lt;/a&gt; he wrote for &lt;i&gt;Harper’s Magazine&lt;/i&gt;. He joins Host Flora Lichtman with perspective on the hype.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Guest: James Vincent is a journalist who’s written for &lt;i&gt;The Verge&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;The Guardian&lt;/i&gt;, and author of the book &lt;i&gt;Beyond Measure: The Hidden History of Measurement&lt;/i&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at &lt;a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/humanoid-robots-reality/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank"&gt;sciencefriday.com. &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://pod.link/73329284" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Subscribe to this podcast.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;i&gt; Plus, to stay updated on all things science,&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/newsletters/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;amp;utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;strong&gt;sign up for Science Friday's newsletters&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;i&gt;.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Humanoid robots are all over social media, doing everything from dancing to serving drinks. But are they really going to show up in our lives?

What’s The Reality Behind The Humanoid Robot Hype?

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