# Jennifer Vail, "Friction: A Biography" (Harvard UP, 2026)

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-harvard-brief-7065267/jennifer-vail-friction-a-biography-harvard-up-2026
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-harvard-brief-7065267/jennifer-vail-friction-a-biography-harvard-up-2026.md
Podcast: [The Harvard Brief](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-harvard-brief-7065267)
Published: 2026-02-03T09:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/NBNK4452170649.mp3?updated=1770017519
Audio file: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/NBNK4452170649.mp3?updated=1770017519
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-harvard-brief-7065267/episodes/jennifer-vail-friction-a-biography-harvard-up-2026
Duration seconds: 2062

## Resource

Friction, the force that resists motion, is synonymous with difficulty and complication. If you’ve ever replaced tires worn smooth by the road or reached for a can of WD-40 to fix a creaking door hinge, then you know the headache this force can cause. In Friction: a Biography (Harvard UP, 2026), Dr. Jennifer Vail reveals beneath the difficulty and complication a force as enigmatic and intriguing as it is central to the human story. She traces how, from the moment we first harnessed the power of fire to the Industrial Revolution and beyond, the quest to manipulate friction has driven innovation, culture, and even our own evolution. Today, as scientists study friction in the most unexpected of places, they’re learning why some viruses lie dormant for years while others devastate our cells immediately; where elusive dark matter might be found; and how the climate crisis ought finally be addressed. And yet, for all they’ve learned, scientists still haven’t cracked the greatest mystery of all: how to bridge the distinct laws that govern friction at its largest and smallest scales. Connecting the discoveries of historical luminaries like Newton, da Vinci, and the Wright brothers to the latest breakthroughs in engineering, Friction is a captivating biography of this unsung hero of the physical world. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda’s interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts.

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-harvard-brief-7065267/episodes/jennifer-vail-friction-a-biography-harvard-up-2026/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-harvard-brief-7065267/jennifer-vail-friction-a-biography-harvard-up-2026.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.