Listener supported WNYC Studios.

We've all heard about mysterious drones in the news recently, but what might they actually be?

It may be that there were some operations either for security purposes or for research

purposes. And the military, they're a we can either confirm nor deny group. They may just not want to

talk about it. It's Friday, December 20th, the best day of the week. It is Science Friday.

I'm SciFRI producer Kathleen Davis. There's been a lot of questions and concerns about sightings of suspected drones over New Jersey and along the

eastern seaboard, so much so that the Federal Aviation Administration has banned most

drones from flying in parts of New Jersey

out of an abundance of caution. We'll talk to one drone expert about the current rules and

regulations around drones, who currently has access to them, and what really might be happening

here. But first, here's Ira Flato with the biggest science stories of the week.

Over the past five years, a lot of words have been written about an invasive insect known

casually as the murder hornet. But this week, the USDA and the Washington State Department

of Agriculture announced that the insect had been eradicated in the U.S. Our long national nightmare is over.

Joining me now to talk about that and other stories from the week in science is

Maggie Kerth, science writer, editorial lead at Carbon Plant in Minneapolis.

Welcome back.

Hi.

Thanks so much for having me.

You want to give us a thumbnail on this murder hornet?

Refresh my memory, please.

Oh, Ira, it seems like just yesterday we were freaking out about that murder hornet together.

...