Podcasts by Short Wave

Short Wave

New discoveries, everyday mysteries, and the science behind the headlines — in just under 15 minutes. It's science for everyone, using a lot of creativity and a little humor. Join hosts Emily Kwong and Regina Barber for science on a different wavelength.

If you're hooked, try Short Wave Plus. Your subscription supports the show and unlocks a sponsor-free feed. Learn more at plus.npr.org/shortwave

Further podcasts by NPR

Podcast on the topic Biowissenschaften

All episodes

Short Wave
How Glaciers Move — And Affect Sea Level Rise from 2023-12-11T08:00:59

Glaciers like the ones in Greenland are melting due to climate change, causing global sea levels to rise. That we know. But these glaciers are also moving. What we don't know is just how these two ...

Listen
Short Wave
Feeling Lonely? Your Brain May Process The World Differently from 2023-12-08T08:00:59

The U.S. is in the midst of a loneliness epidemic. And for a lot of people, the feeling is even more pronounced during the holidays. In addition to its emotional impact, chronic loneliness and soci...

Listen
Short Wave
A Star Is Born ... And Then What? Journey Through The Life Cycle of a star from 2023-12-06T08:00:59

Soon after the sun sets on winter nights, if you live in the northern hemisphere you can look into the sky and find the Orion constellation near the eastern horizon. Astrophysicist Sarafina El-Badr...

Listen
Short Wave
Don't Call It Dirt: The Surprising Science Of Soil from 2023-12-04T08:00:59

It's easy to overlook the soil beneath our feet, or to think of it as just dirt to be cleaned up. But soil wraps the world in an envelope of life: It grows our food, regulates the climate and makes...

Listen
Short Wave
These Penguins Take 10,000 Little Naps A Day — Seconds At A Time from 2023-12-01T08:00:59

Sleep. It's an essential biological function that has long intrigued scientists. Researchers have studied everything from mice to fruit flies in the lab to get a better understanding of what happen...

Listen
Short Wave
The International Race To Create Human Eggs And Sperm In The Lab from 2023-11-29T08:00:59

In which we meet the pioneers of one of the most exciting — and controversial — fields of biomedical research: Listen

Short Wave
Monday Night Football And Pursuing Two Careers With John Urschel from 2023-11-27T08:00:59

As kids, some of us dream of multiple careers: being an astronaut AND the next president. Or digging up dinosaurs AND selling out concert stadiums. As we get older, there's pressure to pick one...

Listen
Short Wave
What Fossilized Poop Can Teach Us About Dinosaurs from 2023-11-24T08:00:59

Walking into Karen Chin's office at the University of Colorado, Boulder, one of the first things you might notice is that petrified poops are everywhere. They're in shallow boxes covering every sur...

Listen
Short Wave
The Thanksgiving Quest For The (Scientifically) Best Turkey from 2023-11-22T08:00:59

Turkey is the usual centerpiece of the Thanksgiving dinner, but it's all too easy to end up with a dry, tough, flavorless bird. For NPR science correspondent Listen

Short Wave
3 Major Ways Climate Change Affects Life In The U.S. from 2023-11-20T08:00:59

Every five years, the United States government releases the National Climate Assessment, a comprehensive analysis of how climate change is affecting the country. The fifth assessment was recently r...

Listen
Short Wave
Cutting A Teaspoon Of Salt Is Comparable To Taking Blood Pressure Medication from 2023-11-17T08:00:59

How much salt is too much salt?

Most likely, the amount you're consuming.

A new study published this week in the journal JAMA found that cutting one teaspoon of salt a day ...

Listen
Short Wave
Thousands of earthquakes in Iceland may spell a volcanic eruption from 2023-11-15T08:00:59

Saturday, the entire coastal town of Grindavik, Iceland was evacuated. That's because over the weekend, the country experienced nearly 2,000 earthquakes within 48 hours. And they've kept coming sin...

Listen
Short Wave
How Venus got caught up in an 18th century space race from 2023-11-13T08:00:59

In the 18th century the world was focused on Venus. Expeditions were launched in pursuit of exact measurements of Venus as it passed between Earth and the Sun. By viewing its journey and location o...

Listen
Short Wave
Trailblazing Computer Scientist Fei-Fei Li on Human-Centered AI from 2023-11-10T08:00:59

AI is popping up everywhere nowadays. From medicine to Listen

Short Wave
To Figure Out The Future Climate, Scientists Are Researching How Trees Form Clouds from 2023-11-08T08:00:59

If you've ever looked up at the clouds and wondered where they came from, you're not alone. Atmospheric researcher Lubna Dada is fascinated...

Listen
Short Wave
Mapping The Seafloor Is Daunting But Key To Improving Human Life from 2023-11-06T08:00:59

Scientists have mapped less than 25% of the world's seafloor. Experts say that getting that number up to 100% would improve everything from tsunami warnings to the Internet and renewable energy. Th...

Listen
Short Wave
Pulling An All-Nighter Is A Temporary Antidepressant from 2023-11-03T07:00:59

What your parents didn't tell you about pulling an all-nighter? It just might ease depression for several days. At least, that's what researchers found happens to mice in a Listen

Short Wave
Sky Vaccines: Ridding Raccoons Of Rabies En Masse from 2023-11-01T07:00:59

Every year, the USDA drops millions of oral rabies vaccines across fourteen states, mostly along the eastern seaboard. In urban and suburban areas, they use vehicles, but in rural areas, they drop ...

Listen
Short Wave
Thanks, Neanderthals: How our ancient relatives could help find new antibiotics from 2023-10-30T07:00:59

Antibiotics have changed the world. They've made it possible to treat diseases that used to mean anything from discomfort to death. But no new classes of antibiotics have made it to the market sinc...

Listen
Short Wave
Scientist Just Made The Largest Brain Map Ever from 2023-10-27T07:00:59

The human brain has more than 170 billion cells. A newly published atlas offers the most detailed maps yet of the location, structure and, in some cases, function of more than 3,000 types of brain...

Listen
Short Wave
How Climate Change Is Testing The Endangered Species Act from 2023-10-25T07:00:59

Some people keep dogs in their backyards. In the Florida Keys, some residents have deer the size of a golden retriever in their yards. As sea levels rise and salt water climbs higher on the islands...

Listen
Short Wave
Why Gray Hair Is Coming For You from 2023-10-23T07:00:59

As a kid, host Aaron Scott would dress up for Halloween as an older version of himself — complete with a cane, a set of polyester britches and painted gray hair. These days, that costume is becomin...

Listen
Short Wave
Light Show! The Science Behind The Orionid Meteor Shower from 2023-10-20T07:00:59

We're about to hit peak Orionid meteor shower! According to NASA, it's one of the most beautiful showers of the year...

Listen
Short Wave
Why Scientists Are Reanimating Spider Corpses For Research from 2023-10-18T07:00:59

That spider you squished? It could have been used for science! Today, we're bringing you Halloween a little early – Short Wave style! Host Listen

Short Wave
How AI Is Speeding Up Scientific Discoveries from 2023-10-16T07:00:59

Artificial intelligence can code computer programs, draw pictures and even take notes for doctors. Now, researchers are excited about the possibility that AI speeds up the scientific process — from...

Listen
Short Wave
The Microbiologist Studying The Giant Floating Petri Dish In Space from 2023-10-13T07:00:59

Microbiologist Monsi Roman joined NASA in 1989 to h...

Listen
Short Wave
Florida Corals Are Dying. Can A 'Coral Gym' Help Them Survive? from 2023-10-11T07:00:59

Coral reefs in Florida have lost an estimated 90% of their corals in t...

Listen
Short Wave
Choose Your Own Adventure — But Make It Math from 2023-10-09T07:00:59

Ever read those Choose Your Own Adventure books of the '80s and '90s? As a kid, mathematician Pamela Harris was hooked on them. Years later she...

Listen
Short Wave
Body Electric: The Body Through The Ages from 2023-10-07T07:00

Being inside, hunching in front of a computer screen for hours at a time – these things take a toll on our minds and our bodies. Today on the show, TED Radio Hour's Listen

Short Wave
It's Fat Bear Week! from 2023-10-06T10:39:47

Y'all, it's the most wonderful time of the year: Fat Bear Week! Brown bears in Katmai National Park and Preserve are putting on the pounds before they hibernate. During this time, their metabolism...

Listen
Short Wave
Why Chilean Mummies Are Decomposing After 7,000 Years from 2023-10-04T07:00:59

Here on Short Wave, we're getting into the Halloween spirit a little early with a look at the world's oldest mummies. They're found in modern-day northern Chile. The mummies are well-prese...

Listen
Short Wave
Seaweed is piling up on beaches. This robot might be its match from 2023-10-02T07:00:59

A new robot is designed to sink sargassum before the stinky seaweed comes ashore. Blooms of sargassum, a leafy brown seaweed, have increased in size and number over the past decade. As the blooms h...

Listen
Short Wave
The Tiny Worm At The Heart Of Regeneration Science from 2023-09-29T04:10:59

A tiny worm that regenerates entire organs. A South American snail that can regrow its eyes. A killifish that suspends animation in dry weather and reanimates in water. These are the organisms at t...

Listen
Short Wave
Osiris-REx and the quest to understand the solar system's origin from 2023-09-27T04:10:59

In 2016, NASA launched a spacecraft to do something rarely attempted before: Collect space rocks from a potentially dangerous asteroid. The mission, named OSIRIS-REx, was successful. Tuesday, scien...

Listen
Short Wave
Itchy? Here's why from 2023-09-25T04:30:59

Ever had an itch you can't scratch? It can be maddening. And even though itch has a purpose — it's one of our bodies' alert systems — it can also go very wrong. Dermatologist Listen

Short Wave
Can't Match The Beat? Then You Can't Woo A Cockatoo from 2023-09-22T04:30:59

Today on the show, All Things Considered co-host Mary Louise Kelly joins Listen

Short Wave
Why Sustainable Seafood Is A Data Problem from 2023-09-20T04:30:59

The last several decades have taken a toll on the oceans: Some fish populations are collapsing, plastic is an increasing problem and climate change is leading to coral bleaching — as well as a host...

Listen
Short Wave
The James Webb Space Telescope Is Fueling Galactic Controversy from 2023-09-18T04:10

We're entering a new era of astrophysics. The James Webb Space Telescope is helping scientists test existing ideas and models of how the universe was created—on a whole new level. This telescope is...

Listen
Short Wave
The Latest COVID Booster Is Here. Should You Get It? from 2023-09-15T04:10:31

This week, the Food and Drug Administration approved new COVID vaccines this week. It comes at a time when COVID cases, hospitalizations and deaths are on the rise. It's also the first time that th...

Listen
Short Wave
Animal Crossing: The Destructive Nature of Roads from 2023-09-13T04:10:54

40 million miles of road unite us. They also cause mass destruction for many species. Today, environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb and host Listen

Short Wave
Why A Proposed Marine Sanctuary Could Make History from 2023-09-11T04:30:43

More than 5,000 square miles of central California coast could soon become the newest national marine sanctuary in the United States. It could also make history as one of the first federal sanctuar...

Listen
Short Wave
Air Pollution May Be Increasing Superbugs from 2023-09-08T04:10:13

Today on the show, All Things Considered co-host Ari Shapiro joins Aaron Sco...

Listen
Short Wave
Recurring UTIs: The Infection We Keep Secretly Getting from 2023-09-06T04:10:27

Have frequent, burning pee? Cramping or the urge to pee even though you just went? If you haven't yet, you probably will eventually—along with an estimated 60% of women and 10% of men. That's the l...

Listen
Short Wave
The Deadly Toll Heat Can Take On Humans from 2023-09-04T04:10:53

This year, the hottest July ever was recorded — and parts of the country were hit with heat waves that lasted for weeks. Heat is becoming increasingly lethal as climate change causes more extreme h...

Listen
Short Wave
Food Allergies Are On The Rise. Are You Affected? from 2023-09-01T04:10:26

Food allergies have risen in the United States over the last few decades. Research suggests that 40 years ago the actual prevalence of food allergies was Listen

Short Wave
'Speedboat Epidemiology': Eradicating Disease One Person At A Time from 2023-08-30T04:15:16

Smallpox is a deadly virus. At one point, it killed almost 1 in 3 people who had it. Almost 300 million of those deaths were in the 20th century alone. It was extremely painful, highly contagious a...

Listen
Short Wave
What Do We Do With Radioactive Wastewater? from 2023-08-28T04:10:07

Workers in Japan started releasing treated radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean on Thursday. Reactors at the plant began melting down after a 2011...

Listen
Short Wave
A Tale Of Two Lunar Landing Attempts from 2023-08-25T04:30:28

A journey through some of the latest science stories catching our eyes. This time, we consider the Russian and Indian lunar landing attempts, how scientists are reconstructing music from people's b...

Listen
Short Wave
What Made Hilary Such A Weird Storm from 2023-08-23T04:10:21

One name has been on millions of minds — and all over the news — in the past week: Hilary.

It's been decades since a storm like this has hit Southern California, so even some scient...

Listen
Short Wave
Fixing Our Failing Electric Grid... On A Budget from 2023-08-21T04:10:20

It's no secret that our electric grid is a flaming hot mess — and in order to reduce emissions, the U.S. needs to get a lot more renewables onto the grid. But there's a problem: Our electric grid i...

Listen
Short Wave
The Key To Uncovering An Ancient Maya City? Lasers from 2023-08-18T04:10:15

Today we enter into the plot of a summer blockbuster adventure movie. Regina talks to NPR reporter Listen

Short Wave
Is Math Real? from 2023-08-16T04:10:18

Kids ask, "Why?" all the time. Why does 1+1=2? Why do we memorize multiplication tables? Many of us eventually stop asking these questions. But mathematician Dr. ...

Listen
Short Wave
Sperm Can't Really Swim And Other Surprising Pregnancy Facts from 2023-08-14T04:10:38

There's the birds and the bees. And then there's what happens after. The process that leads to the beginning of pregnancy has a lot more twists and turns than a happenstance meeting. Today...

Listen
Short Wave
The Fish That Conceal Themselves To Hunt from 2023-08-11T04:10:03

All Things Considered host Juana Summers joins Regina G. Ba...

Listen
Short Wave
The Science Of Happiness Sounds Great. But Is The Research Solid? from 2023-08-09T04:30:08

How do we really get happier? In a new review in the journal Nature Human Behavior, researchers Listen

Short Wave
Black Metallurgists, Iron And The Industrial Revolution from 2023-08-07T04:10:31

The ability to create wrought iron cheaply has been called one of the most significant innovations in the British Industrial Revolution. It's known today as the Cort process, named after British ba...

Listen
Short Wave
This Sausage-Shaped Part Of Your Brain Causes Out-Of-Body Experiences from 2023-08-04T04:15:34

Ever felt like you were watching yourself and the rest of the world from outside of your body? Or floating above yourself? Well, scientists finally know what part of your brain is causing that sens...

Listen
Short Wave
The Secrecy Of The Horseshoe Crab Blood Harvest from 2023-08-02T04:15:27

For decades, humans have harvested the blood of horseshoe crabs, which is used to test whether many of our vaccines and medicines are contaminated with harmful bacterial toxins. But the horseshoe c...

Listen
Short Wave
Christmas in July! Celebrate With Hilarious Research from 2023-07-31T13:16:57

Would you survive as a doctor in The Sims 4? What's the appropriate amount of free food to take from a public sample station before it's considered greedy? And how much of an impact do clo...

Listen
Short Wave
The Jackson Water Crisis Through A Student Journalist's Eyes from 2023-07-29T04:15:14

In this special episode, we hear from the high school grand prize winner of NPR's Student Podcast Challenge: Georgianna McKenny. A rising senior at the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Scienc...

Listen
Short Wave
Peanuts, Pets And Poopy Shores from 2023-07-28T04:15:59

For most infants, introducing peanuts early can help prevent allergies later on — but a new study reveals most caregivers don't know that. Why? Plus — some summertime advice for keeping pets cool i...

Listen
Short Wave
Why Babies Babble And What It Can Teach Adults About Language from 2023-07-26T04:10:46

In which we metaphorically enter the UCLA Language Acquisistion Lab's recording castle, guided by linguistics researcher Dr. Megha Sunda...

Listen
Short Wave
The Scorpion Renaissance Has Arrived from 2023-07-24T04:15:52

Scorpions: They're found pretty much everywhere, and new species are being identified all the time. Arachnologist L...

Listen
Short Wave
'Oppenheimer' And The Science Of Atomic Bombs from 2023-07-21T04:10:54

Christopher Nolan's new film 'Oppenheimer' chronicles the life and legacy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the first director of Los Alamos National Laboratory and so-c...

Listen
Short Wave
This Cellular Atlas Could Lead To Breakthroughs For Endometriosis Patients from 2023-07-19T04:15:04

For people with endometriosis—a mysterious disease where endometrial tissue grows outside of the uterus—medical visits can be especially frustrating. It takes some patients years (on average, ten y...

Listen
Short Wave
Meet The Residents Of The Great Pacific Garbage Patch from 2023-07-17T04:10:48

Trash from humans is constantly spilling into the ocean — so much so that there are five gigantic garbage patches in the seas. They hang out at the nexus of the world's ocean currents, changing sha...

Listen
Short Wave
Sea squirts and 'skeeters in our science news roundup from 2023-07-14T04:10:30

Science in the headlines: An amazingly preserved sea squirt fossil that could tell us something about human evolution, a new effort to fight malaria by genetically modifying mosquitos and why arche...

Listen
Short Wave
This Is Canada's Worst Fire Season In Modern History. It's Not New from 2023-07-12T04:10:25

Canada is having its worst fire season in modern history. The fires have burnt more than 20 million acres, casting hazardous smoke over parts of the U.S. and stretching Canadian firefighting resour...

Listen
Short Wave
The Only Nuclear-Powered Passenger Ship EVER from 2023-07-10T04:30:48

In the Port of Baltimore, a ship is docked that hasn't transported passengers for more than 50 years. It's the NS Savannah and it's designated a National Historic Landmark. That's because ...

Listen
Short Wave
What Geologists Love — And Lament — About Cult Classic 'The Core' from 2023-07-07T04:15:35

20 years ago, the cult classic movie 'The Core' was released in theaters. From the start, it's clear that science is more a plot device than anything — but some scientists love it anyway. Today, Sc...

Listen
Short Wave
Tick Check! Meet Your Backyard Bloodsuckers from 2023-07-05T04:15:41

We hope you had a restful holiday! Maybe even got outside for some relaxing fresh air. If so, you might've come across cute and not-so-cute critters like ticks. With ticks in mind, we're heading to...

Listen
Short Wave
The Chemistry Behind A Perfect Barbeque from 2023-07-03T04:10:52

Chefs will tell you, cooking is not just an art — it's a science. And the spirit of summer barbecues, NPR science correspondent Sydney L...

Listen
Short Wave
Why This Gravitational Waves News Is A Big Deal from 2023-06-30T04:10:12

New gravitational waves, why orcas might be attacking boats and a new robot prototype inspired by animals: it's all in our latest roundup of science news, with All Things Considered host <...

Listen
Short Wave
An unexpected forest in the ocean from 2023-06-28T04:10:42

Salomé Buglass discovered an unexpected kelp forest while studying underwater mountains in the Galapagos. Kelp—a type of seaweed—usually grows in shallower, cooler areas. So why was an entire kelp ...

Listen
Short Wave
A Smarter Way To Use Sunscreen from 2023-06-26T15:59:35

Sunscreen: we should all be using it, but we might not all be using it the right way. In fact, the type of sunscreen you use may not be nearly as important as using it effectively. With th...

Listen
Short Wave
Rethinking The Lab Rat from 2023-06-23T04:10:13

For generations, scientists have leaned on seven key species, including rats and mice, for research. They're called model organisms and they've been standardized over the year — removing as much in...

Listen
Short Wave
This Satellite Could Help Clean Up The Air from 2023-06-21T04:15:22

In pockets across the U.S., communities are struggling with polluted air — often in neighborhoods where working class people and people of color live. A new NASA satellite called Listen

Short Wave
New Star Trek Season, Same Ol' Sci-Fi from 2023-06-19T04:10

Season 2 of the critically acclaimed Star Trek: Strange New Worlds premiered June 15 (streaming on Paramount+ Listen

Short Wave
A Newly-Discovered Asteroid And What's Beneath The Ice On Enceladus from 2023-06-16T04:10:02

All Things Considered host Ari Shapiro returns to nerd-our with Short Wave hosts Listen

Short Wave
Give Rivers Space: The Simple Flood Risk Fix from 2023-06-14T04:15:12

With much of California's massive snowpack yet to melt, downstream communities remain on high alert for flooding. Hundreds of homes were destroyed or damaged during the record-breaking winter, whic...

Listen
Short Wave
Life Lessons From Supernovae from 2023-06-12T04:10:31

For many scientists, science isn't something they check in and out of — it permeates their whole lives. That's true for Sarafina El-Badry Nance, an astrophysici...

Listen
Short Wave
How To Stay Safe Amid Wildfire Smoke from 2023-06-09T04:15:32

Smoke from Canadian wildfires is causing poor air quality in parts of the U.S. This smoke can have dangerous health effects because it carries fine particulates known as PM 2.5. With millions of pe...

Listen
Short Wave
Behold! The Dulcet Tones Of Cosmic Rays from 2023-06-07T04:15:04

Teppei Katori loves two things: particle physics and music. Naturally, he combined the two. Today on Short Wave, Teppei talks to host Listen

Short Wave
The Rise Of The Dinosaurs from 2023-06-05T04:15:58

Dinosaurs ruled the earth for many millions of years, but only after a mass extinction took out most of their rivals. Just how that happened remains a mystery — sounds like a case for paleoclimatol...

Listen
Short Wave
Helping A Man Walk Again With Science from 2023-06-02T04:10:54

This week's science news roundup reunites All Things Considered host Ailsa Chang with Short Wave hosts Listen

Short Wave
Why Melting Ice In Antarctica Is Making Hurricanes Worse In Texas from 2023-05-31T04:10:54

Ice in Antarctica is melting really quickly because of climate change. That's driving sea level rise around the world, and the water is rising especially fast in the seaside city of Galveston, Texa...

Listen
Short Wave
What Happens When An Infant Loses Half Their Brain? from 2023-05-29T04:30:44

Mora Leeb was 9 months old when surgeons removed half her brain. Now 15, she plays soccer and tells jokes. Scientists say Mora is an extreme example of a process known as brain plasticity, which al...

Listen
Short Wave
Galaxies Are Older Than We Thought — That's A Big Deal from 2023-05-26T04:10:11

If you ask a physicist or cosmologist about the beginnings of the universe, they'll probably point you to some math and tell you about the Big Bang theory. It's a scientific theory about how the en...

Listen
Short Wave
When Your Body Rejects The Kidney It Needs from 2023-05-24T04:15:12

In February 2021, pandemic restrictions were just starting to ease in Hawaii, and Leila Mirhaydari was finally able to see her kidney doctor. Transplanted organs need diligent care, and Leila had b...

Listen
Short Wave
Two Squirrely Responses To Climate Change from 2023-05-22T04:15:58

Kwasi Wrensford studies two related species: the Alpine chipmunk and the Lodgepole chipmunk. The two have very different ways of coping with cli...

Listen
Short Wave
The Physics Behind The Perfect Gummy Candy from 2023-05-19T04:10:51

This week for our science news roundup, superstar host of All Things Considered Ari Shapiro joins Short Wave hosts Listen

Short Wave
Why You Can't Tell Your Race From A DNA Test from 2023-05-17T04:10:10

Race is a social construct — so why are DNA test kits like the ones from 23andMe coded like they reveal biological fact about the user's racial makeup? This episode, Short Wave Scientist i...

Listen
Short Wave
Long COVID Scientists Try To Unravel Blood Clot Mystery from 2023-05-15T04:15:04

The COVID-19 public health emergency has ended, but millions across the globe continue to deal with Long COVID. Researchers are still pursuing basic questions about Long COVID — its causes, how to ...

Listen
Short Wave
Move over, humans—lemurs have rhythm, too from 2023-05-12T04:10:54

There's a lot for scientists to learn about the origins of humans' musical abilities. In the last few years, though, they've discovered homo sapiens have some company in our ability to make musical...

Listen
Short Wave
We Need To Talk About Teens, Social Media And Mental Health from 2023-05-10T04:10:41

This week, the American Psychological Association issued its first-of-kind guidelines for parents to increase protection for children online. It comes at a time of rising rates of depression and an...

Listen
Short Wave
What Could We Do With A Third Thumb? from 2023-05-08T04:30:10

Today on the show, we meet a prosthetic designer and a neuroscientist fascinated with understanding how the brain and body might adapt to something we haven't had before — a third thumb. Listen

Short Wave
Some people get sick from VR. Why? from 2023-05-05T04:10:24

Another week comes by, and luckily so does our roundup of science news. This time, we've got some questions about better understanding our health: Why do some people get motion sickness from virtua...

Listen
Short Wave
Will Artificial Intelligence Help — Or Hurt — Medicine? from 2023-05-02T04:10:41

A doctor's job is to help patients. With that help, often comes lots and lots of paperwork. That's where some startups are betting artificial intelligence may come in. The hope is that chatbots cou...

Listen
Short Wave
Shoring Up The Future With Greener Batteries from 2023-05-01T04:30:35

Today on the show, next-generation energy innovators Bill David and Serena Cussen challenged us to think about the future of clean energy storage. They spoke to Emily Kwong at the 2023 annual meeti...

Listen
Short Wave
SUPERBLOOM: An Upside To The California Downpours from 2023-04-28T04:10:24

California's wet winter has devastated many local communities. It has also benefited some of the state's endangered ecosystems. Those benefits are on full display in California's largest remaining ...

Listen
Short Wave
Worm Blobs In The Bowels Of The Earth from 2023-04-26T04:10:07

In the toxic waters of Sulphur Cave in Steamboat Springs, Colo. live blood-red worm blobs that have attracted international scientific interest. We don special breathing gear and go into the cave w...

Listen
Short Wave
The News Roundup Goes Intergalactic from 2023-04-24T04:15:40

It's our latest roundup of science news! This time, with Ailsa Chang of NPR's All Things Considered, who joins us to discuss ...

Listen
Short Wave
Fire And Ice: Linking Intense Wildfire And The Melting Arctic from 2023-04-21T04:10:06

In the Arctic Ocean, sea ice is shrinking as the climate heats up. In the Western U.S., wildfires are getting increasingly destructive. Those two phenomena are thousands of miles apart, but scienti...

Listen
Short Wave
The Race To Protect Millions Of People From Melting Glaciers from 2023-04-19T04:10:54

Melting glaciers are leaving behind large, unstable lakes that can cause dangerous flash floods. Millions of people downstream are threatened.

In today's episode, NPR Climate Desk reporter ...

Listen
Short Wave
Where are the whales? Scientists find clues thousands of miles away from 2023-04-17T04:15:56

Endangered North Atlantic right whales are disappearing from their native waters, a serious danger for a species with only 340 animals left. The mystery behind this change took NPR's climate report...

Listen
Short Wave
Are Rats Running This Podcast? from 2023-04-14T10:34:07

This week, New York City crowned Kathleen Corradi its first rat czar. The new position is part of a multipronged approach from city officials. Reporter and New Yorker Listen

Short Wave
Peep The Delightful Science Of Chickens from 2023-04-12T05:24:02

When Tove Danovich decided to dabble in backyard chicken keeping, she embraced a tried and true journalistic practice — reading everything ther...

Listen
Short Wave
Launching Into Space — Sustainably! from 2023-04-10T04:10:52

In 1957, the Space Age began with the launch of Sputnik, the first artificial satellite. Since then, the number of objects humans have h...

Listen
Short Wave
News Round Up: Mammoth Meatballs, Stressed Plants And Apologetic Robots from 2023-04-07T04:10:55

In this Friday round up of science news we can't let go, not everything is as it seems. Meatballs are not made of fresh meat from the cattle range. Robots are keeping something from you. And plants...

Listen
Short Wave
Allergies Are Weird. So Are Cats from 2023-04-05T04:15:08

Katie Wu is a bona fide cat person. She has two of them: twin boys named Calvin and Hobbes. Every night, they curl up in bed with he...

Listen
Short Wave
Why We Should Care About Viruses Jumping From Animals To People from 2023-04-03T04:15:25

The phenomenon of zoonotic spillover — of viruses jumping from animals to people — is incredibly common. The question is: which one will start the next pandemic? NPR science desk correspondent Mic...

Listen
Short Wave
Eunice Foote: The Hidden Grandmother Of Climate Science from 2023-03-31T04:15:13

Today, most climate science is done with satellites, sensors and complicated computer models. But it all started with a pioneering female physicist and two glass tubes. Eunice Foote, the woman behi...

Listen
Short Wave
Why Scientists Just Mapped Every Synapse In A Fly Brain from 2023-03-29T04:10:53

To really understand the human brain, scientists say you'd have to map its wiring. The only problem: there are more th...

Listen
Short Wave
Perennial Rice: Plant Once, Harvest Again And Again from 2023-03-27T04:15:27

Rice is arguably the world's most important staple crop. About half of the global population depends on it for sustenance. But, like other staples such as wheat and corn, rice is cultivated annuall...

Listen
Short Wave
News Round Up: Algal Threats, An Asteroid With Life's Building Blocks And Bee Maps from 2023-03-24T04:15:59

After reading the science headlines this week, we have A LOT of questions. Why did the Virgin Islands declare a state of emergency over a large blob of floating algae? What can a far-off asteroid t...

Listen
Short Wave
Why Pandemic Researchers Are Talking About Raccoon Dogs from 2023-03-23T04:10:15

A few weeks ago, raw data gathered in Janaury 2020 from Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan, China — the early epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic — was uploaded to an online virology database....

Listen
Short Wave
If ChatGPT Designed A Rocket — Would It Get To Space? from 2023-03-22T04:10:04

From text churned out by ChatGPT to the artistic renderings of Midjourney, people have been taking notice of new, bot-produced creative works. But how does this artificial intelligence software far...

Listen
Short Wave
What we lose if the Great Salt Lake dries up from 2023-03-21T04:10:30

Dotted across the Great Basin of the American West are salty, smelly lakes. The largest of these, by far, is the Great Salt Lake in Utah.

But a recent report found that water diversions for ...

Listen
Short Wave
Venus And Earth: A Tale Of Two 'Twins' from 2023-03-20T04:10:08

Planetary scientists announced some big news this week about our next-door ...

Listen
Short Wave
Tweeting Directly From Your Brain (And What's Next) from 2023-03-18T04:10:03

Our friends at NPR's TED Radio Hour podcast have been pondering some BIG things — specifically, the connection between our physical, mental, and spiritual health. In this special excerpt, what if y...

Listen
Short Wave
Flying Into Snowstorms ... For Science! from 2023-03-17T04:10:52

For the past few winters, researchers have been intentionally flying into snowstorms. And high in those icy clouds, the team collected all the information they could to understand—how exactly do wi...

Listen
Short Wave
Could de-extincting the dodo help struggling species? from 2023-03-16T04:10:07

As a leading expert on paleogenomics, Beth Shapiro has been hearing the same question ever since she started working on ancient DNA: "The only question that ...

Listen
Short Wave
It's Boom Times In Ancient DNA from 2023-03-15T04:15:03

Research into very, very old DNA has made huge leaps forward over the last two decades. That has allowed scientists like Bet...

Listen
Short Wave
How To Bake Pi, Mathematically (And Deliciously) from 2023-03-14T04:10:32

This March 14, Short Wave is celebrating pi ... and pie! We do that with the help of mathematician Eugenia Cheng, Scientist In Residence at the Schoo...

Listen
Short Wave
How Well Does A New Alzheimer's Drug Work For Those Most At Risk? from 2023-03-13T04:30:02

A new drug for Alzheimer's disease, called lecanemab, got a lot of attention earlier this year for getting Listen

Short Wave
Ocean World Tour: Whale Vocal Fry, Fossilizing Plankton and A Treaty from 2023-03-10T05:30:13

Reading the science headlines this week, we have A LOT of questions. Why are more animals than just humans saddled — er, blessed — with vocal fry? Why should we care if 8 million year old plankton ...

Listen
Short Wave
'Are You A Model?': Crickets Are So Hot Right Now from 2023-03-09T05:15:26

Have you ever wondered how biologists choose what animal to use in their research? Since scientists can't do a lot of basic research on people, they study animals to shed light on everything from h...

Listen
Short Wave
The Race To Save A Tree Species from 2023-03-08T05:30:39

The whitebark pine is a hardy tree that grows in an area stretching from British Columbia, Canada south to parts of California and east to Montana. It's a keystone species in its subalpine and timb...

Listen
Short Wave
The $20 Billion Deal To Get Indonesia Off Coal from 2023-03-07T05:30:25

Indonesia is the world's largest exporter of coal for electricity. And it's also an emerging economy trying to address climate change. The country recently signed a highly publicized, $20 billion ...

Listen
Short Wave
Rome wasn't built in a day, but they sure had strong concrete from 2023-03-06T05:10:33

The Roman Colosseum is a giant, oval amphitheater built almost two thousand years ago. Despite its age and a 14th century earthquake that knocked down the south side of the colosseum, most of the 1...

Listen
Short Wave
Chanda Prescod-Weinstein's Disordered Cosmos from 2023-03-03T05:15:14

Chanda Prescod-Weinstein is a theoretical physicist at the University of Ne...

Listen
Short Wave
Honoring The 'Hidden Figures' Of Black Gardening from 2023-03-02T05:10:33

When Abra Lee became the landscape manager at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, she sought some advice about how to best do the job. ...

Listen
Short Wave
This Navy vet helped discover a new, super-heavy element from 2023-03-01T05:30:22

As a kid, Clarice Phelps dreamed of being an astronaut, or maybe an explorer like the characters on Star Trek. Her path to a career...

Listen
Short Wave
What DNA kits leave out: race, ancestry and 'scientific sankofa' from 2023-02-28T05:15:39

Population geneticist Dr. Janina Jeff is the host and executive producer of In Those Genes, a hip-hop inspired podcast that uses genetics to uncover...

Listen
Short Wave
Measuring Health Risks After A Chemical Spill from 2023-02-27T05:10:23

This week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold a public hearing about its remediation plan for cleaning up chemicals in and around East Palestine, Ohio. It follows the derailment of...

Listen
Short Wave
Ancient Seeds: A Possible Key To Climate Adaptation from 2023-02-24T05:10:37

In the Bekaa Valley region of Lebanon, there is a giant walk-in fridge housing tens of thousands of seeds. They belong to the International Center for Agricultural...

Listen
Short Wave
Seriously...what IS life? from 2023-02-23T05:10:16

In this Back To School episode we consider the "List of Life": the criteria that define what it is to be a living thing. Some are easy calls: A kitten is alive. A grain of salt is not. But...

Listen
Short Wave
Understanding Earthquake Aftershocks from 2023-02-22T05:10:32

Monday another earthquake struck southeastern Turkey, near the Syrian border. This time, the quake registered as a m...

Listen
Short Wave
The Fungal Science Behind HBO's 'The Last of Us' from 2023-02-21T05:15:35

The video game series that spawned the new hit HBO drama, The Last of Us, is the zombie genre with a twist. Instead of the standard viral pandemic or bacterial disease that's pushed humani...

Listen
Short Wave
Life Kit: Help Save The North American Bird Population from 2023-02-20T05:10:12

Many of us are off today for President's Day. In the meantime, we want to share this episode from our friends at NPR's Life Kit podcast. In it, they discuss the importance of birds as an "indicator...

Listen
Short Wave
News Round Up: Chocolate, A Solar Valentine And Fly Pheromones from 2023-02-17T05:10:13

After reading the science headlines this week, we have A LOT of questions. Is chocolate really that good for your health? How do solar flares affect life on earth? And what's the big deal ...

Listen
Short Wave
The Science Fueling Disney's 'Strange World' from 2023-02-16T05:10:26

In Disney's new animated feature 'Strange World,' a band of multigenerational explorers journeys to the center of their fantastical homeland. Along the way, they fend off, make friends with, and un...

Listen
Short Wave
Congrats! It's A Tomato from 2023-02-15T05:10:59

A few years ago, a team of scientists set out on a field expedition in the rugged, dry Northern Territory of Australia. There, they found a plant that was both strange and familiar hiding in plain ...

Listen
Short Wave
Mix Up LOVE, And You Get V-O-L-E from 2023-02-14T05:30:26

You may have heard of the "love hormone," or oxytocin. But you may not know that scientists have relied on cuddly rodents like the prairie vole to help us understand how this protein works in our b...

Listen
Short Wave
Meet One Engineer Fixing A Racially Biased Medical Device from 2023-02-13T05:30:02

During the COVID-19 pandemic, one measurement became more important than almost any other: blood oxygen saturation. It was the one concrete number that doctors could use to judge how severe a case ...

Listen
Short Wave
Lightning Protection: Lasers, Rockets or Rods? from 2023-02-10T05:10:41

Every year, lightning is estimated to cause up to 24,000 deaths globally. It starts forest fires, burns buildings and crops, and causes disruptive power outages. The best, most practical technology...

Listen
Short Wave
The Social Cost of Carbon Is An Ethics Nightmare from 2023-02-09T05:10:39

One of the most important tools the federal government has for cracking down on greenhouse gas emissions is a single number: the social cost of carbon. It represents all the damage from carbon emis...

Listen
Short Wave
Why Can't We Predict Earthquakes? from 2023-02-08T05:15:16

In the wake of the massive earthquake in Turkey and Syria, many scientists have been saying this area was "overdue" for a major quake. But no one knew just when: No scientist has "ever predicted a ...

Listen
Short Wave
Who Gets The First Peek At The Secrets Of The Universe? from 2023-02-07T14:49:52

The James Webb Space Telescope is by far the most powerful space-based telescope ever deployed by the United States. But it is only one instrument, and scientists all over the world have to share. ...

Listen
Short Wave
Can You See What I See? from 2023-02-06T05:15:38

Everyone sees the world differently. Exactly which colors you see and which of your eyes is doing more work than the other as you read this text is different for everyone. Also different? Our blind...

Listen
Short Wave
A Dirty Snowball, Cancer-Sniffing Ants And A Stressed Out Moon from 2023-02-03T05:30:22

A green comet, cancer-sniffing ants, stealthy moons ... hang out with us as we dish on some of the coolest science stories in the news! Today, Short Wave co-hosts Listen

Short Wave
A Fatal Virus With Pandemic Potential from 2023-02-02T05:30:25

The Nipah virus is on the World Health Organization's short list of diseases th...

Listen
Short Wave
The Ancient Night Sky And The Earliest Astronomers from 2023-02-01T05:10:49

Moiya McTier says the night sky has been fueling humans' stories about the universe for a very long time, and informing how they explain the natural world...

Listen
Short Wave
Can you teach a computer common sense? from 2023-01-31T05:15:09

Over the past decade, AI has moved right into our houses - onto our phones and smart speakers - and grown in sophistication. But many AI systems lack something we humans take for granted: common se...

Listen
Short Wave
Gas Stoves: Sorting Fact From Fiction from 2023-01-30T05:15:10

Gas stoves are found in around 40% of homes in the United States, and they've been getting a lot of attention lately. A recent interview with Richard Trumka, the commissioner of the U.S. Consumer P...

Listen
Short Wave
Meet The Bony-Eared Assfish And Its Deep Sea Friends from 2023-01-27T05:30:52

Yi-Kai Tea, a biodiversity research fellow at the Australian Museum in Sydney, has amassed a social media following as Listen

Short Wave
6 Doctors Swallow Lego Heads ... What Comes Out? from 2023-01-26T05:30

As an emergency physician at Western Health, in Melbourne, Australia, Dr. Andy Tagg says he meets a lot of anxious paren...

Listen
Short Wave
The Math And Science Powering 'Everything Everywhere All At Once' from 2023-01-25T05:10:08

Film directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (collectively: Daniels) reimagined the multiverse movie in their breakout film Everything Everywhere All At Once. Tuesday, the film received...

Listen
Short Wave
Our Perception Of Time Shapes The Way We Think About Climate Change from 2023-01-24T05:10:56

Most people are focused on the present: today, tomorrow, maybe next year. Fixing your flat tire is more pressing than figuring out if you should buy an electric car. Living by the beach is a lot mo...

Listen
Short Wave
Fossil CSI: Cracking The Case Of An Ancient Reptile Graveyard from 2023-01-23T05:30:52

This mystery begins in 1952, in the Nevada desert, when a self-taught geologist came across the skeleton of a massive creature that looked like a cross between a whale and a crocodile. It turned ou...

Listen
Short Wave
New Tech Targets Epilepsy With Lasers, Robots from 2023-01-20T05:15:23

About three million people in the United States have epilepsy, including about a million who can't rely on medication to control their seizures. For years, those patients had very limited options. ...

Listen
Short Wave
What Cities Should Learn From California's Flooding from 2023-01-19T05:10:24

Winter storms have flooded parts of California, broken levees and forced thousands to evacuate. Climate change is altering the historic weather patterns that infrastructure like reservoirs and wate...

Listen
Short Wave
Time Is So Much Weirder Than It Seems from 2023-01-18T05:15:10

Time is a concept so central to our daily lives. Yet, the closer scientists look at it, the more it seems to fall apart. Time ticks by differently at sea level than it does on a mountaintop. The un...

Listen
Short Wave
A Course Correction In Managing Drying Rivers from 2023-01-17T05:10:42

Historic drought in the west and water diversion for human use are causing stretches of the Colorado and Mississippi rivers to run dry. "The American West is going to have to need to learn how to d...

Listen
Short Wave
How You Can Support Scientific Research from 2023-01-16T05:15:41

We're off today in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. In the meantime, we want to share this episode from our friends at NPR's Life Kit podcast about how to become a community scientist — a...

Listen
Short Wave
Things Could Be Better from 2023-01-13T05:10:57

Are humans ever satisfied? Two social psychologists, Ethan Ludwin-Peery and Adam Mastroianni, fell down...

Listen
Short Wave
Behold! The Mysterious Ice Worm from 2023-01-12T05:10:13

Inside the mountaintop glaciers of the Pacific Northwest lives a mysterious, and often, overlooked creature. They're small, black, thread-like worms that wiggle through snow and ice. That's right, ...

Listen
Short Wave
How Glaciers Move from 2023-01-11T05:30:10

There's always a moment of intense isolation when Jessica Mejía gets dropped off on the Greenland ice sheet for a multi-week research stint. "You know you're very much alone," said Jessica, a postd...

Listen
Short Wave
Zircon: The Keeper Of Earth's Time from 2023-01-10T05:30:35

The mineral zircon is the oldest known piece of Earth existing on the surface today. The oldest bits date back as far as 4.37 billion years — not too far from the age of Earth itself at about 4.5 b...

Listen
Short Wave
Redlining's Ripple Effects Go Beyond Humans from 2023-01-09T05:15:49

When Dr. Chloé Schmidt was a PhD student in Winnepeg, Canada, she was studying wildlife in urban areas. She and her advisor Listen

Short Wave
An Atmospheric River Runs Through It from 2023-01-06T05:15:02

From space, it looks almost elegant: a narrow plume cascading off the Pacific Ocean, spilling gently over the California coast. But from the ground, it looks like trouble: flash flooding, landslide...

Listen
Short Wave
The Period Talk (For Adults) from 2023-01-05T05:10:54

Every month, 1.8 billion people menstruate globally. For those people, managing periods is essential for strong reproductive and emotional health, social wellbeing and bodily autonomy. But a lot of...

Listen
Short Wave
Houston, We Have Short Wave On The Line from 2023-01-04T05:10:36

Speaking to Short Wave from about 250 miles above the Earth, Josh Cassada outlined his typical day at wor...

Listen
Short Wave
Time Cells Don't Really Care About Time from 2023-01-03T05:15:42

Time is woven into our personal memories. If you recall a childhood fall from a bike, your brain replays the entire episode in excruciating detail: The glimpse of wet leaves on the road ahead, that...

Listen
Short Wave
A New Year's Mad Lib! from 2023-01-02T05:15:16

To ring in the new year, producer Berly McCoy brings host Emily Kwong this homemade science mad lib!

Listen
Short Wave
I'm Crying Cuz... I'm Human from 2022-12-30T05:15:40

From misty eyeballs to full-on waterworks, what are tears? Why do we shed them? And what makes humans' ability to cry emotional tears unique? Hosts Emily Kwong and Aaron Scott get into the...

Listen
Short Wave
The Woman Behind A Mystery That Changed Astronomy from 2022-12-29T05:15:47

In 1967, Jocelyn Bell Burnell made a discovery that revolutionized astronomy. She detected the radio signals emitted by certain dying stars called pulsars. Today, Jocelyn's story. Scientist-in-resi...

Listen
Short Wave
Pumpkin Toadlet: Neither Pumpkin, Nor Toad from 2022-12-28T05:15:58

Being small has its advantages - and some limitations. One organism that intimately knows the pros and cons of being mini is the pumpkin toadlet.

As an adult, the animal reaches merely the s...

Listen
Short Wave
TikTok's favorite zoologist quizzes us on the most dangerous animals from 2022-12-27T05:15:31

Mamadou Ndiaye uses comedy to teach animal facts, but there's nothing funny about these deadly ones.

Listen
Short Wave
A Holiday Fact Exchange! from 2022-12-26T05:15:51

Host Emily Kwong and editor Gisele Grayson exchange the gift of facts - in this quick hello from us to you, our wonderful listeners!

Listen
Short Wave
Climate Change Stresses Out These Chipmunks. Why Are Their Cousins So Chill? from 2022-12-23T05:15:57

Kwasi Wrensford describes the subjects of his research as "elfin": skittish little squirrel-cousins with angular faces, pointy ears and narrow, furry tai...

Listen
Short Wave
Can COP 15 Save Our Planet's Biodiversity? from 2022-12-22T05:15:44

This week, the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP 15) wrapped up in Montreal, Canada. Nations from around the world came together to establish a new set of goals to help preserve the planet's biodiver...

Listen
Short Wave
Brain Scientists Are Tripping Out Over Psychedelics from 2022-12-21T05:15:54

Psychedelic drugs – like LSD, salvia, ayahuasca, Ibogaine, MDMA (AKA ecstasy), or psilocybin (AKA 'magic mushrooms' or 'shrooms') – are experiencing a resurgence of interest in their potential medi...

Listen
Short Wave
Confessions Of A Math Convert from 2022-12-20T05:10:53

Math is a complex, beautiful language that can help people understand the world. And sometimes math is hard! Science communicator Sadie Witkowski says the ke...

Listen
Short Wave
Your Multivitamin Won't Save You from 2022-12-19T05:30:02

Dietary supplements — the vitamins, herbs and botanicals that you'll find in most grocery stores — are everywhere. More than half of U.S. adults over 20 take them, spending almost $50 billion on vi...

Listen
Short Wave
The Hope For Slowing Amazon Deforestation from 2022-12-16T05:30:42

Brazil's president-elect, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, is renewing calls to protect the Amazon and rein in the deforestation. Climate scientists are encouraged but so far there aren't a lot of specif...

Listen
Short Wave
A Step Closer To Nuclear Fusion Energy from 2022-12-15T05:10:54

On Dec. 5 at 1 o'clock in the morning local time, researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California used lasers to zap a tiny pellet of hydrogen fuel. The lasers hit their tar...

Listen
Short Wave
From Scientific Exile To Gene Editing Pioneer from 2022-12-14T05:10:43

Gene editing was a new idea in the mid-1970s. So when Harvard and MIT planned new research in recombinant DNA, alarm bells went off. "People were worried about a 'Frankengene,'" says Lydia Villa-Ko...

Listen
Short Wave
You Know That Gut Feeling You Have?... from 2022-12-13T05:10:42

TFW when you're so excited you get those butterflies in your stomach - or maybe when you see something icky, you feel ill. On today's show, producer Berly McCoy looks at this relationship between o...

Listen
Short Wave
The Myth of Plastic Recycling from 2022-12-12T05:10:35

For many, recycling feels like a tangible way to personally combat climate change and to positively affect the environment. But after a years long investigation, NPR correspondent Listen

Short Wave
DART: The Impacts Of Slamming A Spacecraft Into An Asteroid from 2022-12-09T05:10:46

If an asteroid were hurling through space, making a beeline straight to Earth, how would humans prevent it from doing what it did to the dinosaurs? Would we bomb it? Would we shoot lasers at it lik...

Listen
Short Wave
The Biologist Who Talks With Cells from 2022-12-08T05:10:22

The human body is made up of more than 30 trillion cells, but how do they all work together? It's all about communication! "They talk through molecules going from one cell to the adjacent cell," sa...

Listen
Short Wave
What Makes Hawaii's Erupting Volcanoes Special from 2022-12-07T05:10:58

Just after Thanksgiving, for the first time in almost 40 years, Hawaii's Mauna Loa volcano erupted. It's one of several ongoing eruptions – including Kilauea, also on Hawaii, and Indonesia's Mount ...

Listen
Short Wave
'One Mississippi...' How Lightning Shapes The Climate from 2022-12-06T05:15:40

When lightning strikes a giant tree in the tropical rainforest, there's usually no fire, no blackened crater — you might not even notice any damage. But come back months later, as Evan Gora does, a...

Listen
Short Wave
Don't Call It Dirt: The Science Of Soil from 2022-12-05T05:15:24

It's easy to overlook the soil beneath our feet, or to think of it as just dirt to be cleaned up. But soil wraps the world in an envelope of life: It grows our food, regulates our climate, and make...

Listen
Short Wave
Arts Week: Physics Meets The Circus from 2022-12-02T05:15:11

Julia Ruth's job takes a lot of strength, a lot of balance, and a surprising amount of physics. She's a circus artist — and has performed her acrobatic Cyr...

Listen
Short Wave
Arts Week: The Life Cycle Of A Neuron from 2022-12-01T05:15:23

An exhibit that blended science and technology for an immersive art experience went on display in Washington, DC and New York City in 2021 and 2022. It invited visitors to explore the cells in thei...

Listen
Short Wave
Arts Week: The Literary Magazine Dissecting Health And Healing from 2022-11-30T05:10:46

New York's Bellevue Hospital is the oldest public hospital in the country, serving patients from all walks of life. It's also the home of a literary magazine, the Listen

Short Wave
Arts Week: How Art Can Heal The Brain from 2022-11-29T05:10:27

Arts therapies appear to ease a host of brain disorders from Parkinson's to PTSD. But these treatments that rely on music, poetry or visual arts haven't been backed by rigorous scientific testing. ...

Listen
Short Wave
Arts Week: Harnessing Bacteria For Art from 2022-11-28T05:10:54

Pull out your art supplies because it's time to get crafty—with agar! We're beginning Arts Week at the intersection of biology and art. Therein lies a creative medium that's actually alive. Scienti...

Listen
Short Wave
Happy Thanksgiving, All! from 2022-11-24T05:10:22

Emily and Aaron wish you a Happy Thanksgiving, and explain how you can help the show. Hint: It's giving us feedback about what you love and think we could do better on the show. You can take our su...

Listen
Short Wave
Three Takeaways From The COP27 Climate Conference from 2022-11-23T05:10:28

The climate meeting known as COP27 has wrapped. Representatives from almost 200 countries attended to talk about how to tackle climate change and how to pay for the costs of its effects that the wo...

Listen
Short Wave
A Taste Of Lab-Grown Meat from 2022-11-22T05:10:02

The idea came to Uma Valeti while he was working on regrowing human tissue to help heart attack patients: If we can grow tissue from cells in a la...

Listen
Short Wave
A Deeply Personal Race Against A Fatal Brain Disease from 2022-11-21T05:10:10

In the mornings, Sonia Vallabh and Eric Minikel's first job is to get their two garrulous kids awake, fed and out the door to daycare and kindergarten. They then reconvene at the office and turn th...

Listen
Short Wave
Science Couldn't Save Her, So She Became A Scientist from 2022-11-18T05:15:27

The first time Sonia Vallabh understood something was very wrong with her mother Kamni was on the phone on her mom's 52nd birthday. She wasn't herself. By the end of that year, after about six mont...

Listen
Short Wave
Killer Proteins: The Science Of Prions from 2022-11-17T05:10:26

Prions are biological anomalies – self-replicating, not-alive little particles that can misfold into an unstoppable juggernaut of fatal disease. Prions don't contain genes, and yet they make more o...

Listen
Short Wave
Where Do Climate Negotiations Stand At COP27? from 2022-11-16T05:10:24

Climate negotiations continue at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Tens of thousands of attendees from around the world have gathered in the seaside resort town. They've come to discuss some of the ...

Listen
Short Wave
Searching For A New Life from 2022-11-15T05:15:17

Today, we pass the mic to our colleagues at All Things Considered to share the first piece in their series on the impact of climate change, global migration and far-right politics. They b...

Listen
Short Wave
Corey Gray Is Picking Up Cosmic Vibrations from 2022-11-14T05:10:34

A pivotal week in Corey Gray's life began with a powwow in Alberta and culminated with a piece of history: the first-ever detectio...

Listen
Short Wave
Climate Tipping Points And The Damage That Could Follow from 2022-11-11T11:16:29

If Earth heats up beyond 1.5 degrees, the impacts don't get just slightly worse--scientists warn that abrupt changes could be set off, with devastating impacts around the world. As the 27th annual ...

Listen
Short Wave
Depression And Alzheimer's Treatments At A Crossroads from 2022-11-10T05:10:43

Researchers are launching a make-or-break study to test the conventional wisdom about what causes Alzheimer's disease. And in a recent small study, the antidepressant effects of ketamine lasted lon...

Listen
Short Wave
Why Do We Cry? from 2022-11-09T05:10:01

Last month, Short Wave explored the evolutionary purpose of laughter. Now, we're talking tears. From glistening eyeballs to w...

Listen
Short Wave
Traditional Plant Knowledge Is Not A Quick Fix from 2022-11-08T05:10:07

Regina G. Barber talks with Dr. Rosalyn LaPier about ethnobotany--what it is and how traditional plant knowledge is frequently misunderstood in the era of COVID and psychedelics. And, how it's rele...

Listen
Short Wave
COP-out: Who's Liable For Climate Change Destruction? from 2022-11-07T05:15:08

World leaders have gathered in Egypt this week to begin climate talks at the 27th Conference of the Parties. However, there are still outstanding questions about who should pay for climate change l...

Listen
Short Wave
Control: Eugenics And The Corruption Of Science from 2022-11-04T04:10:56

In 1859, Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species, a book about the evolution of non-human animals by natural selection. In its wake, a political idea arose — eugenics. ...

Listen
Short Wave
Should Daylight Saving Time Be Permanent? from 2022-11-03T04:10:38

Correspondent Allison Aubrey talks to host Emily Kwong about the pros and cons of adopting permanent Daylight Saving Time or year-round Standard Time.

Listen
Short Wave
Allergic To Cats? There's Hope Yet! from 2022-11-02T04:10:36

Katie Wu is a cat person. She has two of them: twin boys named Calvin and Hobbes. But up until grad school, she couldn't be anywhere close to a cat without her throat tightening and her nose cloggi...

Listen
Short Wave
Saving The Pacific Lamprey from 2022-11-01T04:10:44

Pacific lamprey have lived on Earth for about 450 million years. When humans came along, a deep relationship formed between Pacific lamprey and Native American tribes across the western United Stat...

Listen
Short Wave
Donate Your Body To Science? from 2022-10-31T04:10:02

Halloween calls to mind graveyards and the walking dead, so, naturally, Short Wave wanted to know what happens when you donate your body to real scientists. Host Aaron Scott talked with jo...

Listen
Short Wave
100 Years Of Box Turtles from 2022-10-28T04:10:41

The common box turtle is found just about anywhere in the continental United States east of Colorado. For all their ubiquity, it's unclear how many there are or how they're faring in the face of ma...

Listen
Short Wave
He Had His Father's Voice: Tracking A Rare Bird Hybrid from 2022-10-27T04:10:42

When Steve Gosser heard the song of a scarlet tanager in the woods, he knew to look for a bright-red bird with black wings. But when he laid eyes on the singer, he saw instead a dark-colored head, ...

Listen
Short Wave
The Tigray Medical System Collapse from 2022-10-26T04:10:10

The civil war in Ethiopia is destroying the medical system in the northern Tigray region, which serves nearly 7 million people. Doctors are operating without anesthesia and re-using medical equipme...

Listen
Short Wave
When Autumn Leaves Start To Fall from 2022-10-25T04:10:19

Botanist and founder of #BlackBotanistsWeek Tanisha Williams explains why some leaves change color during fall and what shorter days and colder ...

Listen
Short Wave
New Discoveries In Underwater Plant Sex from 2022-10-24T04:10:14

Plants living underwater can't count on pollinating insects to get it on. The prevailing theory has been that pollen moves underwater simply by floating around in water currents. But a team of rese...

Listen
Short Wave
Brain Cells In A Dish Play Pong And Other Brain Adventures from 2022-10-21T04:10:30

The world of brain research had two incredible developments last week. Researchers have taught a dish of brain cells to play the video game Pong to help develop more intelligent AI. Separately, sci...

Listen
Short Wave
These Animals Will Mess You Up from 2022-10-20T04:10:31

The natural world is filled with treats ... and tricks. Today, Internet zoologist and TikTok star Mamadou Ndiaye takes over to talk about some of those tricks — specifically the murderous ones. He ...

Listen
Short Wave
Beyond Condoms! from 2022-10-19T04:10:17

Contraceptive research has historically prioritized women because they bear the burden of pregnancy and most contraceptive options available today are for women. But there are efforts to widen the ...

Listen
Short Wave
Choose Your Own (Math) Adventure from 2022-10-18T04:10:01

Ever read those Choose Your Own Adventure books of the 80s and 90s? As a kid, Dr. Pamela Harris was hooked on them. Years later she realized how much those books have in common with her field: comb...

Listen
Short Wave
You're 50, And Your Body Is Changing: Time For The Talk from 2022-10-17T04:10:47

Perimenopause, the period of transition to menopause, is still a largely misunderstood chapter of reproductive life. It brings about both physical and mental health changes that patients might not ...

Listen
Short Wave
Pop Quiz! Short Wave Birthday Edition from 2022-10-14T04:10

Short Wave hosts Aaron Scott and Emily Kwong quiz All Things Considered hosts Mary Louise Kelly and Sacha Pfeiffer on some science questions Short Wave has reported on ov...

Listen
Short Wave
Why Do We Laugh? from 2022-10-13T04:15:13

Laughter: We do it spontaneously, we do it forcefully, we do it with each other and by ourselves. But why did we evolve to giggle in the first place?

Emily and Regina explore the evolutiona...

Listen
Short Wave
We Baked A Cake For Our 3rd Birthday! from 2022-10-12T04:10:23

Of course we have to have cake for Short Wave's third birthday! Sugar-ologist and biochemist Adriana Patterson talks to producer Berly McCoy...

Listen
Short Wave
The Quest To Save The California Condor from 2022-10-11T04:10:34

The California condor used to soar across the western skies of North America, but by the 1980s, the bird was on the edge of extinction — just 22 remained. Thanks to decades of conservation work, th...

Listen
Short Wave
IVF Has Come A Long Way, But Many Don't Have Access from 2022-10-07T04:10:02

Since the first successful in vitro fertilization pregnancy and live birth in 1978, nearly half a million babies have been born using IVF in the United States. Assisted reproductive technology has ...

Listen
Short Wave
The Scorpion Renaissance Is Upon Us from 2022-10-06T04:10:43

Scorpions: They're found pretty much everywhere, and new species are being identified all the time. Arachnologist Lauren Esposito says there's a lot to love about this oft-misunderstood creature. M...

Listen
Short Wave
A New Drug For A Relentless Brain Disease from 2022-10-05T04:15:46

ALS is a disease that destroys the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord we need for voluntary movement. There is no cure, but now there is a newly approved medication that may slow down the dis...

Listen
Short Wave
Why Disaster Relief Underserves Those Who Need It Most from 2022-10-04T04:10:32

When a disaster like Hurricane Ian destroys a house, the clock starts ticking. It gets harder for sick people to take their medications, medical devices may stop working without electricity, excess...

Listen
Short Wave
Predicting Landslides: After Disaster, Alaska Town Turns To Science from 2022-10-03T04:10:13

On August 18, 2015, in Sitka, Alaska, a slope above a subdivision of homes under construction gave way. This landslide demolished a building and killed three people. Today on the show, host Listen

Short Wave
Sustainable Seafood? It's A Question Of Data from 2022-09-30T04:15:39

The last several decades have taken a toll on the oceans: Some fish populations are collapsing, plastic is an increasing problem and climate change is leading to coral bleaching — as well as a host...

Listen
Short Wave
Why The Bladder Is Number One! from 2022-09-29T04:10:04

When's the last time you thought about your bladder? We're going there today! In this Short Wave episode, Emily talks to bladder expert Listen

Short Wave
Grasslands: The Unsung Carbon Hero from 2022-09-28T04:15:34

What's in a grassland? There are all sorts of wildflowers, many insects, animals like prairie dogs, bison and antelope — and beneath the surface, there's a lot of carbon. According to some estimate...

Listen
Short Wave
One Park. 24 Hours. from 2022-09-27T04:10:48

It's easy to take city parks for granted, or to think of them as separate from nature and from the Earth's changing climate. But the place where many of us come face-to-face with climate change is ...

Listen
Short Wave
Asteroid Deflection Mission, Activate! from 2022-09-26T04:10:10

In movies, asteroids careening towards Earth are confronted by determined humans with nuclear weapons to save the world! But a real NASA mission wants to change the course of an asteroid now (one n...

Listen
Short Wave
Rise Of The Dinosaurs from 2022-09-23T10:42:19

Dinosaurs ruled the earth for many millions of years, but only after a mass extinction took out most of their rivals. Just how that happened remains a mystery — sounds like a case for paleoclimatol...

Listen
Short Wave
Working With Tribes To Co-Steward National Parks from 2022-09-22T04:10:05

In the final episode of Short Wave's Summer Road Trip series exploring the science happening in national parks and public la...

Listen
Short Wave
Water Water Everywhere, But How Much Do You Really Need? from 2022-09-21T04:10:21

The water advice is everywhere - how much to drink (8 cups a day - really?), what to drink, when to drink, and all its benefits. On this episode we produced with our colleagues at Life Kit...

Listen
Short Wave
Three Sisters And The Fight Against Alzheimer's Disease from 2022-09-20T04:10:05

Nearly a decade ago, Karen Douthitt and her sisters June Ward and Susie Gilliam set out to learn why Alzheimer's disease was affecting so many of their family members. Since then, each sister has f...

Listen
Short Wave
How Muggy Is It? Check The Dew Point! from 2022-09-19T04:15:11

Last week, Lauren Sommer talked with Short Wave about the dangerous combination of heat and humidity in the era of climate change and how the heat index can sometimes miss the mark in warn...

Listen
Short Wave
How Freaked Out Should We Be About Ukraine's Nuclear Plant? from 2022-09-16T04:10:27

The world has been warily watching the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine. The nuclear complex is being held by Russian forces, while the plant itself is being run by an increasingly ragged and ...

Listen
Short Wave
Heat Can Take A Deadly Toll On Humans from 2022-09-15T04:10:01

Heat—it's common in summer in much of the world, but it's getting increasingly more lethal as climate change causes more extreme heat. NPR climate correspondent Listen

Short Wave
What The Universe Is Doing RIGHT NOW from 2022-09-14T04:10:24

A century ago, astronomers were locked in a debate about the scope of our universe. Were we it?

The answer is no. There are other galaxies beyond the Milky Way, and they are speeding away f...

Listen
Short Wave
When Should I Get My Omicron Booster Shot? from 2022-09-13T04:10:26

Updated COVID boosters are now available that target the Omicron subvariant and many Americans 12 and older are eligible for the shot. Host Emily Kwong and health correspondent Allison Aubrey talk ...

Listen
Short Wave
Name That Tune! Why The Brain Remembers Songs from 2022-09-12T04:15:10

Why do some songs can stick with us for a long time, even when other memories start to fade? Science reporter (and former Short Wave intern) Rasha Aridi...

Listen
Short Wave
The Race To Rescue The Guadalupe Fescue from 2022-09-09T04:10:53

Big Bend National Park in Texas is home to the only remaining Guadalupe fescue in the United States. The grass is tucked away in the Chisos Mountains, high above the Chihuahuan Desert. These mounta...

Listen
Short Wave
Short Wave Goes To The Circus from 2022-09-08T04:10:50

Julia Ruth has a pretty cool job: it takes a lot of strength, a lot of balance, and a surprising amount of physics.

As a circus artist, Julia has performed her acrobatic Cyr wheel routine ...

Listen
Short Wave
'Scallop Discos': How Some Glitzy Lights Could Lead To A Low-Impact Fishery from 2022-09-07T04:10:27

Scientists in the UK have discovered that if they take a pot meant for catching crabs and just add some bright lights, scallops flock through the door like it's Studio 54. Scallops are normally fis...

Listen
Short Wave
Surf's Always Up — In Waco, Texas from 2022-09-06T04:15:41

Some of the world's best artificial waves are happening hundreds of miles from the ocean—in Waco, Texas. They're so good, they're attracting top professionals, casual riders and a science correspon...

Listen
Short Wave
Happy Labor Day! from 2022-09-05T04:15:15

We're taking the day off for the Labor Day holiday! We hope you're also able to get some rest. We'll be back with another episode tomorrow.

You can now chat us up on Twitter Listen

Short Wave
Worm Blobs From The Bowels Of The Earth from 2022-09-02T04:15:34

In the toxic waters of Sulphur Cave in Steamboat Springs, Colo. lives blood-red worm blobs that have attracted scientific interest from around the world. We don special breathing gear and go into t...

Listen
Short Wave
The Stars That Settled The Great Debate from 2022-09-01T04:10:47

It may seem obvious now that other galaxies lie beyond the Milky Way, but less than 100 years ago, some astronomers held a view of our universe that was a little more ... self-centered. In the 1920...

Listen
Short Wave
Quiz Bowl! How Animals Sense The World from 2022-08-31T04:10:02

Do worms feel pain? How do otters experience the world? What are those pink appendages on the face of the star-nosed mole? We answer all these questions and more in this quiz show episode of Sh...

Listen
Short Wave
The Man Who Shot The Moon from 2022-08-30T04:10:48

NASA's Artemis Moon mission was supposed to launch Monday. But it was delayed due to a problem one of the rocket engines. When it launches, it will be a giant step towards sending humans back to th...

Listen
Short Wave
988: An Alternative To 911 For Mental Health from 2022-08-29T04:10:41

People experiencing a mental health crisis have a new way to reach out for help in the U.S. — calling or texting the numbers 9-8-8. Today, health correspondent Rhitu Chatterjee joins Scientist in R...

Listen
Short Wave
Experience The Quietest Place On Earth from 2022-08-26T04:15:36

In a crater at the top of a dormant volcano lies a place so quiet, the ambient sound is right near the threshold of human hearing. Visitors to the crater say they can hear their own heartbeats. Thi...

Listen
Short Wave
Artemis: NASA's New Chapter In Space from 2022-08-25T04:10:58

Humans haven't set foot on the moon in 50 years, but NASA hopes to take one step closer with the launch of a new rocket and space capsule on Monday. Today, science correspondent Listen

Short Wave
Searching The Ocean's Depths For Future Medicines from 2022-08-24T11:56:23

Plunge into the ocean off the west coast of Ireland...and then keep plunging, down to where there's no light and the temperature is just above freezing. That's where underwater chemist Sam Afoullou...

Listen
Short Wave
Sweating Buckets... of SCIENCE! from 2022-08-23T11:41:01

Sweating can be unpleasant, but consider the alternatives: You could roll around in mud. You could spend all day panting. You could have someone whip you up a blood popsicle. Sweating turns out to ...

Listen
Short Wave
Micro Wave: How to Build a Sandcastle Dreamhouse! from 2022-08-22T04:10:44

Grab your towels and flip flops, because we're heading to the beach. Whether you love playing in the sand, or dread getting it off your feet, building a sandcastle is an often underappreciated art ...

Listen
Short Wave
Eavesdropping On A Volcano from 2022-08-19T12:01:22

Volcanoes are "talking" to us all the time. Scientists say the sooner we learn to interpret their normal chatter, the quicker we'll know when something unusual — and potentially dangerous — is happ...

Listen
Short Wave
A Rising Demand for Coal Amidst War in Ukraine from 2022-08-18T04:15:07

Demand for coal in Europe is rising as Russia's invasion of Ukraine threatens the country's vast natural resource and fossil fuel reserves - and subsequently, the world's energy supply.

Wi...

Listen
Short Wave
Ode To The Manta Ray from 2022-08-17T04:10:50

On a trip to Hawaii, Short Wave host Emily Kwong encountered manta rays for the first time. The experience was eerie and enchanting. And it left Emily wondering — what more is there to these intell...

Listen
Short Wave
How To Brew Amazing Coffee With Science from 2022-08-16T04:10:55

The perfect cup of joe might be a matter of taste, but knowing the science behind the coffee-making process could help you elevate your at-home brewing game. Today, barista champion Listen

Short Wave
The Radio Wave Mystery That Changed Astronomy from 2022-08-15T04:10:44

In 1967 Jocelyn Bell Burnell made a discovery that revolutionized the field of astronomy. She detected the radio signals emitted by certain dying stars called pulsars. Today, Jocelyn's story. Scien...

Listen
Short Wave
Tick Check! The Tiny Bloodsuckers In Our Backyards from 2022-08-12T04:10:13

Short Wave is going outside every Friday this summer! In this second episode of our series on the National Park system, we head to Big Thicket ...

Listen
Short Wave
The Brazilian Scientists Inventing An mRNA Vaccine — And Sharing The Recipe from 2022-08-11T04:15:44

When Moderna and Pfizer first came out with their mRNA vaccines for COVID-19, supply was limited to rich countries and they did not share the details of how to create it. That left middle income co...

Listen
Short Wave
The Science Behind The Delta-8 Craze from 2022-04-20T00:10:57

In the cannabis industry, the chemistry lab meets agriculture. A cannabis product called Delta-8 has been popping up in smoke shops, CBD shops and even gas stations.

Listen

Short Wave
TASTE BUDDIES: Y U Salty? from 2022-04-19T00:10:05

Salt has such a rich history that it was once (and is perhaps still) a sign of wealth. In this latest installment of our series on flavor and taste, "Taste Buddies," Scientist-in-Residence Listen

Short Wave
The Pandemic Is Damaging Health Workers' Mental Health from 2022-04-18T00:10:18

A recent study found that working surge after surge in the pandemic, a majority of American health care workers experienced psychiatric symptoms — including depression and thoughts of suicide. And ...

Listen
Short Wave
Can Skiing Survive Climate Change? from 2022-04-15T00:16:01

Climate change poses an existential threat to the ski industry. A warmer climate means less snow and less now menas a shorter season for snowboarders and skiiers. NPR correspondent Listen

Short Wave
Addressing Water Contamination With Indigenous Science from 2022-04-14T00:10:23

Ranalda Tsosie grew up in the Navajo Nation, close to a number of abandoned uranium mines. The uranium from those mines leached into the groundwater, contaminating some of the unregulated wells tha...

Listen
Short Wave
Voices From A Ukrainian Hospital Damaged By Russian Attacks from 2022-04-13T00:15:07

In the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv at least half a dozen hospitals have been damaged by Russian attacks. The Emergency Department of City Hospital No. 2, located on the ground floor, was ...

Listen
Short Wave
Planet Money: How Manatees Got Into Hot Water from 2022-04-12T00:10

Today we share the mic with our colleagues at Planet Money to talk about one of our favorite aquatic creatures: manatees. Decades ago, manatees nearly went extinct as their habitat dwindled and boa...

Listen
Short Wave
Lemurs Will Rock You from 2022-04-11T00:10:33

There's a lot for scientists to learn about the origins of humans' musical abilities. In the last few years, though, they've discovered homo sapiens have some company in our ability to make musical...

Listen
Short Wave
War In Ukraine Sets Back Tuberculosis Treatment from 2022-04-08T00:10:17

According to the World Health Organization, Ukraine has the fourth highest incidence of tuberculosis in Europe — and one of the highest rates of multidrug resistant TB anywhere in the world. The co...

Listen
Short Wave
TASTE BUDDIES: The Origins Of Umami from 2022-04-07T00:10:15

A Japanese chemist identified umami in the early 1900s, but it took a century for his work to be translated into English. Short Wave host Emily Kwong talks with producer Chloee Weiner abou...

Listen
Short Wave
The Indicator: Destroying Personal Digital Data from 2022-04-06T00:15:31

Today, we present an episode of NPR's daily economics podcast, The Indicator from Planet Money. It's filled with one of our favorite topics: Data.

Algorithms are the secret sauce ...

Listen
Short Wave
When To Consider Another COVID-19 Booster from 2022-04-05T00:15:52

This week, U.S. Food and Drug Administration vaccine advisors will meet to discuss long-term COVID vaccine strategy. This follows the recent FDA authorization and CDC recommendation of a second boo...

Listen
Short Wave
What We Gain From Dark Night Skies from 2022-04-04T00:15:41

For many of us, seeing stars in the night sky is challenging because of light pollution. But there are some communities that are trying to change that. Today on the show, we visit cultural astronom...

Listen
Short Wave
What Octopus Minds May Tell Us About Aliens from 2022-04-01T00:10:31

Octopuses! They are escape artists, they camouflage in all kinds of surroundings, and they are incredibly intelligent creatures--and that intelligence evolved completely separately from humans'. ...

Listen
Short Wave
The Peculiar Physics Of The Wiffle Ball from 2022-03-31T00:10:06

Shall we play a game - of Wiffle ball? Invented in 1953, this lightweight alternative to a baseball is perfectly suited for back yard romping. Today we explain...

Listen
Short Wave
The Community Scientists Who Helped Discover A New Planet from 2022-03-30T00:10:11

When a team of exoplanetary treasure hunters joined forces with professional astronomers, they discovered a whole new world. Short Wave host Emily Kwong talks with astronomer Paul Dalba an...

Listen
Short Wave
To Be DST, Or Not To Be. That Is The Question. from 2022-03-29T00:10:41

This month, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved a bill to make daylight saving time permanent. Now sleep scientists are weighing in and are suggesting the opposite — that standard time might be a ...

Listen
Short Wave
Indoor Air Quality is Cool for Schools from 2022-03-28T00:10:36

The benefits of indoor air quality in schools are substantial, but American school buildings are old and many face major challenges when it comes to upgrades.

Science and health correspon...

Listen
Short Wave
Hal Walker: The Man Who Shot The Moon from 2022-03-25T00:10:50

In addition to flying, landing, and returning from the moon in 1969 — NASA's Apollo 11 crew helped with a series of scientific experiments. One of them was to leave a special instrument with lots o...

Listen
Short Wave
Can Nuclear Power Save A Struggling Coal Town? from 2022-03-24T00:10:11

A struggling Wyoming coal town may soon go nuclear with help from an unlikely partner, billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates. NPR Correspondent Kirk Siegler takes us to Kemmerer, Wyo., where Gates'...

Listen
Short Wave
Should Bulldogs Exist? from 2022-03-23T00:15:41

Cute, wrinkly faces aside, bulldogs have myriad health problems. Science points to purebred breeding practices as the reason. NPR Science correspondent Lauren Sommer talks to host Aaron Scott about...

Listen
Short Wave
COVID-19 Cases Rise In The U.K., U.S. Watches For New Wave from 2022-03-22T00:15:42

The omicron outbreak has slowed dramatically in the U.S. But cases are rising in Britain due to an omicron subvariant. There are signs the U.S. could also see a bump in cases in the coming weeks. <...

Listen
Short Wave
Parents Of Transgender Youth Fear Texas' Anti-Trans Orders from 2022-03-21T00:10:30

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has directed the state's Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate certain gender-affirming care as possible child abuse, leaving parents of transgender...

Listen
Short Wave
How Art Can Heal The Brain from 2022-03-18T00:10:49

Arts therapies appear to ease a host of brain disorders from Parkinson's to PTSD. But these treatments that rely on music, poetry or visual arts haven't been backed by rigorous scientific testing. ...

Listen
Short Wave
Fighting Misinformation With Science Journalism from 2022-03-17T00:10:30

On December 31, 2021, The Joe Rogan Experience podcast on Spotify posted an episode with an interview with physician Dr. Robert Malone full of misinformation about the Covid-19 vaccine. Th...

Listen
Short Wave
What Mount Kilimanjaro Has To Do With The Search For Alien Life from 2022-03-16T00:10:56

Understanding how life survives in extreme Earth environments could point to ways life can survive on other worlds. Astrobiologist Morgan Cable...

Listen
Short Wave
Humble Pi: Enjoying When Math Goes Awry from 2022-03-15T00:10:24

Over the last 24 hours, some of us Short Wavers celebrated Pi Day the only way we know how: eating some yummy pie and thinking math thoughts. Here on the show, many of us are math enthusiasts. But ...

Listen
Short Wave
Genetic Fact Vs. Fiction And Everything In Between With Janina Jeff from 2022-03-14T00:15:04

Geneticist Janina Jeff is back on the show to talk with host Emily Kwong about season 2 of her podcast In Those Genes. They talk about rhythm, aging and navigating what can be ascribed to ...

Listen
Short Wave
A Physics Legend Part Two: Chien-Shiung Wu's Granddaughter Reflects from 2022-03-11T00:10:30

Growing up, Jada Yuan didn't realize how famous her grandmother was in the world of physics. In this episode, we delve into the life o...

Listen
Short Wave
A Physics Legend Part One: How Chien-Shiung Wu Changed Physics Forever from 2022-03-10T00:10:26

In the 1950's, a particle physicist made a landmark discovery that changed what we thought we knew about how our universe operates. And Chien-Shiung Wu did it while raising a family and an ocean aw...

Listen
Short Wave
TASTE BUDDIES: Science of Sour from 2022-03-09T00:10:28

Pucker up, duderinos! Short Wave's kicking off a series on taste we're calling, "Taste Buddies." In today's episode, we meet Atlantic science writer Listen

Short Wave
Checking In On Our Pandemic Habits: What To Lose And What To Keep? from 2022-03-08T00:15:32

Over the last few years, we've all found different ways to cope with the pandemic. Some people started drinking more, moving less, maybe eating more. Now that the pandemic is at a lull, health expe...

Listen
Short Wave
Dr. Thomas Insel On Why TheU.S Mental Health System Has Failed And What Can Be Done from 2022-03-07T00:30:21

For over a decade, Dr. Thomas Insel headed the National Institute of Mental Health and directed billions of dollars into research on neuroscience and the genetic underpinnings of mental illnesses. ...

Listen
Short Wave
Emily Runs A Marathon from 2022-03-04T00:10:31

In 2021, Short Wave host Emily Kwong ran her first marathon. In collaboration with our colleagues at Life Kit, Emily talks about her experience and discusses keys to training wit...

Listen
Short Wave
Silver Linings From The UN's Dire Climate Change Report from 2022-03-03T00:10:12

The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) just released the second of three reports on climate change. Nearly 300 scientists from all over the world worked together to cre...

Listen
Short Wave
How A Collection Of Threatened Bird Calls Swept The Australian Album Charts from 2022-03-02T00:10:38

What bird has a ten-foot wingspan and breeds almost exclusively on a single island in the Pacific Ocean? Find out in this special quiz episode of Short Wave. Host Emily Kwong tests the bird knowled...

Listen
Short Wave
Orcas: Apex Predators Or Marine Park Stars? from 2022-03-01T07:46:51

NPR science correspondent Lauren Sommer joins Short Wave host Emily Kwong to talk about a team of researchers who were the first to document a pack of orcas attacking a blue whale. Their work show...

Listen
Short Wave
What Led To The Massive Volcanic Eruption In Tonga from 2022-02-28T00:10:09

Scientists are piecing together what led up to a massive volcanic eruption in Tonga last month. NPR science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel joins the show to talk about the likely sequence of events— ...

Listen
Short Wave
Twinkle, Twinkle, Shooting Star . . . from 2022-02-25T00:15:40

One of the video games that Short Wave's Scientist in Residence has been playing a lot in the pandemic is Animal Crossing, in which bits of stars fall along the beach. It got Regina think...

Listen
Short Wave
Schedule Those Doctor's Appointments! from 2022-02-24T00:15:36

The pandemic is at a turning point. Hospitalizations in this country are down. Deaths are starting to decline. Some of the states that have had the strictest COVID restrictions are starting to dial...

Listen
Short Wave
Do You See What I See? from 2022-02-23T00:44:05

Everyone sees the world differently. Exactly which colors you see and which of your eyes is doing more work than the other as you read this text is different for everyone. Also different? Our blind...

Listen
Short Wave
Vacuuming DNA Out Of The Air from 2022-02-22T00:10:54

A few years ago, ecologist Elizabeth Clare had an idea--what if she could study rare or endangered animals in the wild without ever having to se...

Listen
Short Wave
The Good and the Bad of TV Forensics from 2022-02-18T00:52:04

Raychelle Burks is a forensic chemist and an associate professor at American University. She's also a big fan of murder mysteries. Today, we talk pop cu...

Listen
Short Wave
How Women Of Color Created Community In The Shark Sciences from 2022-02-17T04:51:53

As a kid, Jasmin Graham was endlessly curious about the ocean. That eventually led her to a career in marine science studying sharks and rays. But until r...

Listen
Short Wave
How Many Senses Do We Really Have? from 2022-02-16T00:43:38

You're likely familiar with touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing - but there are actually more than five senses. Emily Kwong speaks to neurobiologist André White, assistant professor at Mount Ho...

Listen
Short Wave
Tracing A Fraught And Amazing History Of American Horticulture from 2022-02-15T00:15:36

When Abra Lee became the landscape manager at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, she sought some advice about how to best do the job. ...

Listen
Short Wave
How to Talk About Hair Like a Scientist from 2022-02-14T07:19:17

Humans have scalp hair. But why is human scalp hair so varied? Biological anthropologist Tina Lasisi wanted to find out. And while completing her PhD at Penn State University, she developed a bette...

Listen
Short Wave
How climate change is forcing cities to rebuild stormwater systems from 2022-02-11T00:10:37

Deep below our city streets lie intricate networks of underground piping built to carry away excess rainfall run off. These stormwater systems mostly go unnoticed until heavy rains overwhelm them, ...

Listen
Short Wave
The (Drag) Queen Of Mathematics from 2022-02-10T00:15:31

Kyne is the stage name of Kyne Santos, a drag queen math communicator. The former Canada's Drag Race contestant posted her first video explaining ...

Listen
Short Wave
Without Inventor James West, This Interview Might Not Have Been Possible from 2022-02-09T00:30:58

For Black History Month, Short Wave is celebrating Black voices in STEM - bringing back some of our favorite conversations, as well as new guests with expertise and insights to share. In this enco...

Listen
Short Wave
The Complete Guide To Absolutely Everything (Abridged) from 2022-02-08T00:15:14

At Short Wave, it's an unspoken goal to ask and answer every question under the sun — after all, science underpins the entire universe. Today, we think we've finally met our curiosity matc...

Listen
Short Wave
The Physics Of Figure Skating from 2022-02-07T00:31:31

Triple axel, double lutz, toe loops, salchows — it's time to fall in love again with the sport of figure skating. The 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing are underway, and today on the show, Emily Kwon...

Listen
Short Wave
Chimp Haven Welcomes New Retirees from 2022-02-04T07:16:57

In 2015, the National Institutes of Health ended invasive biomedical research on its hundreds of chimps. Since then, it's been gradually moving the animals to a sanctuary in Louisiana called Chimp ...

Listen
Short Wave
Science In The City: Cylita Guy Talks Chasing Bats And Tracking Rats from 2022-02-03T07:09:07

Cylita Guy was a curious child who enjoyed exploring the beaches, parks and animals that shared her hometown of Toronto, Canada. She's a scientist – an urban ecologist – interested in city-dwelling...

Listen
Short Wave
Should Big Oil Pick Up The Climate Change Bill? from 2022-02-02T09:31:22

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals is deciding whether a Baltimore case against more than a dozen oil and gas companies will be heard in state or federal court. The city argues the companies are l...

Listen
Short Wave
Omicron Ebbing Gives Time to Boost Vaccinations from 2022-02-01T00:10:23

As COVID-19 cases in the U.S. drop, the hospitalization rate remains high — as does the death rate. Experts say getting a COVID vaccine booster is key to maintaining immunity, but only about half o...

Listen
Short Wave
'Station Eleven': A Home At The End Of The World from 2022-01-31T00:30:02

Today we're bringing you an episode from our friends at NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour.

They review the new HBO Max miniseries Station Eleven, based on the 2014 novel by author Emi...

Listen
Short Wave
Omicron Around The World: From "Zero COVID" To Rising Cases from 2022-01-28T00:10:13

The Omicron surge may have peaked in the U.S., but parts of the world are seeing crippling levels of cases. Jason Beaubien, NPR global health and development correspondent, joins the show to talk a...

Listen
Short Wave
Did E.T. Phone Us? from 2022-01-27T00:30:02

A few years back, a radio telescope in Australia picked up a radio signal that seemed to be coming from a nearby star. One possibility? Aliens! NPR science correspondent, Listen

Short Wave
Megadrought fuels debate over whether a flooded canyon should reemerge from 2022-01-26T07:21

In the 1960s, the Bureau of Reclamation built a dam that flooded a celebrated canyon on the Utah-Arizona border. Today, it's known as Lake Powell — the second-largest reservoir in the U.S.

Listen

Short Wave
What's Next For The Pandemic? Will COVID-19 Become Endemic Soon? from 2022-01-25T00:30:27

Many experts warn there will be more infections on the downslope of the omicron surge, but the U.S. is on the path to the virus becoming endemic — and that should mean fewer interruptions to daily ...

Listen
Short Wave
Placebos Vs Parkinson's: The Power Of Joy from 2022-01-24T00:10:11

Parkinson's disease is a brain disorder that leads to difficulty with walking, balance and coordination. There is currently no cure, but scientists in Pittsburgh, PA have an ambitious plan to devel...

Listen
Short Wave
Fighting Bias In Space: When There's A New Telescope, Who Gets To Use It? from 2022-01-21T00:30:49

The James Webb Space Telescope's mirrors are almost in place and soon it'll be a million miles away from Earth, ready to provide clues to the history of the universe. Naturally, many scientists ha...

Listen
Short Wave
The Hodgepodge Of COVID Testing In The U.S. from 2022-01-20T00:30:46

The U.S. government has launched a website where people can request up to four free coronavirus tests per household--shipping is scheduled to begin i...

Listen
Short Wave
A Clean Energy Future: How Hawaii Is Sparking The Push from 2022-01-19T00:30

Sixty percent of electricity in the U.S. comes from fossil fuels, like natural gas and coal. Today on the show, guest host Dan Charles talks with reporter Julia Simon about how Hawaii is fighting c...

Listen
Short Wave
When Tracking Your Period Lets Companies Track You from 2022-01-18T00:30:21

Health apps can be a great way to stay on top of your health. They let users keep track of things like their exercise, mental health, menstrual cycles — even the quality of their skin. But health d...

Listen
Short Wave
The Debate About Pablo Escobar's Hippos from 2022-01-14T00:10

Pablo Escobar had a private zoo at his estate in Colombia, with zebras, giraffes, flamingoes - and four hippopotamuses. After Escobar was killed in 1993, most of the animals were relocated except f...

Listen
Short Wave
How COVID Is Affecting Kids' Mental Health from 2022-01-13T00:15:14

It's likely the last week has been rough if you're either going to school or in a family with kids trying to navigate school, be it virtual or in person. Thousands of schools around the country hav...

Listen
Short Wave
Wingspan! It's Got Birds, Science, Caterpillars - An Ideal Night In from 2022-01-12T00:10:34

Wingspan is a board game that brings the world of ornithology into the living room. The game comes with 170 illustrated birds cards, each equipped with a power that reflects that bird's behavior in...

Listen
Short Wave
Pondering A New Normal As The Omicron Surge Continues from 2022-01-11T00:30:58

The U.S. is experiencing a viral blizzard which will likely continue through January, 2022. The omicron variant's surge is pushing hospitalization rates up across the country and most of the seriou...

Listen
Short Wave
The Electric Car Race! Vroom, Vroom! from 2022-01-10T00:10:57

Electric cars can help reduce greenhouse gases and companies are taking note — racing to become the next Tesla. Today on the show, guest host Dan Charles talks with business reporter Camila Domonos...

Listen
Short Wave
Man's Best Friend Is Healing Veterans from 2022-01-07T00:10:51

Service dogs have long helped veterans with physical disabilities. While there have been stories about veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder being transformed by service animals, the peer-re...

Listen
Short Wave
How To Talk About The COVID-19 Vaccine With People Who Are Hesitant from 2022-01-06T00:10:30

Infectious disease specialist Dr. Jasmine Marcelin has spent the last year talking to a lot of people about getting the COVID-19 vaccine. Today on the show, in part two of a two part series, Dr. Ma...

Listen
Short Wave
Doctor Finds Hope In Helping Inform And Vaccinate Her Community from 2022-01-05T00:10:38

On today's show, Emily Kwong checks in with infectious disease physician Dr. Jasmine Marcelin at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Jasmine spoke to Short Wave last year about how COVID-19 ...

Listen
Short Wave
An Ode To The Manta Ray from 2022-01-04T00:10

A few months ago, on a trip to Hawaii, Short Wave host Emily Kwong encountered manta rays for the first time. The experience was eerie and enchanting. And it left Emily wondering — what more is the...

Listen
Short Wave
The Science Of The Delta-8 Craze from 2022-01-03T00:10:08

The cannabis industry is where the chemistry lab meets agriculture. Delta-8-THC is chemically derived and the hemp industry's fastest growing product. It has been popping up in smoke shops, CBD sho...

Listen
Short Wave
This New Year - Slow Down, It Doesn't Mean You're Lazy from 2021-12-31T07:10:55

Social Psychologist Devon Price says instead of viewing "laziness" as a deficit or something people need to fix or overcome with caffeine or longer work hours, think of it as a sign you probably ne...

Listen
Short Wave
2021: Celebrating The Joy Of Birds from 2021-12-30T00:30:54

Lot of people took up bird watching in some form during the pandemic, including Short Wave editor Gisele Grayson. She edited this episode about 2021's Listen

Short Wave
Meet the Dermatologists Changing Their Field from 2021-12-29T00:30:11

Many skin conditions, from rashes to Lyme disease to various cancers, present differently on dark skin. Yet medical literature and textbooks don't often include those images, pointing to a bigger p...

Listen
Short Wave
Our Favorite Things: Math And Community In The Classroom from 2021-12-28T00:10

That's right — Day 2 of Short Wave's Favorite Episodes Week is pure math goodness! This encore episode, we revisit a conversation with mathematician Ranthony Edmonds. She reminds us that the idea o...

Listen
Short Wave
Our Favorite Things, Short Wave-style from 2021-12-27T00:10:31

It's "My Favorite Things" week on Short Wave! Through December 30th, we'll dive into our archive to bring y'all some of our personal faves — including behind-the-scenes stories from the ...

Listen
Short Wave
Octavia Butler: Visionary Fiction‬ from 2021-12-23T00:10:35

Today we are wrapping up Science Fiction Week with a very special episode from our friends at NPR's history podcast Throughline.

As a part of their Imagining New Worlds series, they dive ...

Listen
Short Wave
Want To Start Reading Sci-Fi And Fantasy? Here's A Beginner's Guide from 2021-12-22T00:30:13

Today we're bringing you a beginner's guide to reading science fiction and fantasy from our friends at NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour and Life Kit.

So whether you're a longtime fan or a stra...

Listen
Short Wave
Sci-Fi Movie Club: 'Contact' from 2021-12-21T00:30:33

Today we're throwing back to one of our favorite Science Movie Club episodes: 'Contact' featuring Jodie Foster. It was a real crowd pleaser, especially among extraterrestrials and Carl Sagan fans, ...

Listen
Short Wave
Happy Science Fiction Week, Earthlings! from 2021-12-20T00:10:59

It's Science Fiction Week on Short Wave, earthlings! So strap on your zero gravity suits and polish your light sabers because we're about to get nerdy ... starting with today's episode. It...

Listen
Short Wave
Ellen Ochoa's Extraordinary NASA Career from 2021-12-19T00:10

Ellen Ochoa didn't get picked the first time she applied to become an astronaut--nor the second. But she eventually went to space four times. In this excerpt from the podcast Wisdom from the Top,...

Listen
Short Wave
Safety Precautions For The Holiday Season from 2021-12-18T00:10

The Omicron variant is spreading across the U.S. as the holidays are upon us. Science Desk reporter Maria Godoy has the latest on the variant and tips for reducing your risk of contracting the vir...

Listen
Short Wave
The James Webb Space Telescope Is About To Launch from 2021-12-17T00:10

Soon the highly anticipated James Webb Space Telescope will blast off into space, hurtling almost a million miles away from Earth, where it will orbit the Sun. Decades in the making, scientists hop...

Listen
Short Wave
Striving To Make Space Accessible For People With Disabilities from 2021-12-16T00:10:39

As spaceflight inches closer to becoming a reality for some private citizens, science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel chats with the New York Times disability fellow Amanda Morris about why one organi...

Listen
Short Wave
NIH Director Talks The Pandemic, Vaccine Hesitancy And Americans' Health from 2021-12-15T00:10:18

Dr. Francis Collins talks with health correspondent Selena Simmons-Duffin about Americans' overall health, how tribalism in American culture has fueled vaccine hesitancy, and advises his successor...

Listen
Short Wave
The Winter Twindemic: Flu And COVID from 2021-12-14T00:30:12

The U.S. is approaching 800,000 COVID-19 deaths as the Omicron variant spreads and the Delta variant continues to circulate. Hospital admissions are up more than 20 percent over the last two weeks...

Listen
Short Wave
Concussions: How A Mild Brain Injury Can Alter Our Perception Of Sound from 2021-12-13T00:13:07

Headaches, nausea, dizziness, and confusion are among the most common symptoms of a concussion. But researchers say a blow to the head can also make it hard to understand speech in a noisy room. Em...

Listen
Short Wave
What Does A Healthy Rainforest Sound Like? (encore) from 2021-12-10T00:30:35

On a rapidly changing planet, there are many ways to measure the health of an ecosystem. Can sound be one of them?

Researcher Sarab Sethi explains how machine learning and soundscape re...

Listen
Short Wave
What's Driving The Political Divide Over Vaccinations from 2021-12-09T00:30

An NPR analysis shows that since the vaccine rollout, counties that voted heavily for Donald Trump have had nearly three times the COVID mortality rates of those that voted for Joe Biden. That diff...

Listen
Short Wave
Seeking Answers To The Universe Deep In A Gold Mine from 2021-12-08T00:10:02

An underground lab is opening early next year in Australia. Its quest: to help detect dark matter and thereby also help answer some of physics' biggest questions about this mysterious force. It is ...

Listen
Short Wave
What A New Antiviral Drug Could Mean For The Future Of COVID from 2021-12-07T00:10:59

An advisory panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel has voted to recommend that the FDA approve a new antiviral drug to treat COVID-19. The FDA decision is expected soon. Host...

Listen
Short Wave
The 2021 Hurricane Season Wrapped from 2021-12-06T00:10:41

The end of the 2021 hurricane season was officially November 30. This year, there was a lot of hurricane activity. Today on the show, producer Thomas Lu talks to meteorologist Matthew Cappucci abou...

Listen
Short Wave
Jane Goodall Says There's Hope For Our Planet. Act Now, Despair Later! from 2021-12-03T00:10:55

Jane Goodall is a renowned naturalist and scientist. She's made a career studying primates and chimpanzees. But lately — something else has been on her mind: climate change. It might feel like ther...

Listen
Short Wave
No sperm? No problem. from 2021-12-02T00:30:06

Scientists have discovered that some female condors don't need males to reproduce. This phenomenon is known as parthenogenesis, and it's been observed in other animals too. The Atlantic's Sarah Zha...

Listen
Short Wave
Using Math To Rethink Gender (encore) from 2021-12-01T00:10:18

Gender is infused in many aspects of our world — but should that be the case?

According to mathematician Eugenia Cheng, maybe not. In her new book...

Listen
Short Wave
Omicron's Arrival Is 'Wake-Up Call' That The Pandemic Is Ongoing from 2021-11-30T00:15:04

The coronavirus is still circulating and mutating — case in point, the World Health Organization has designated a new variant of concern, called Listen

Short Wave
Why Puerto Rico Is A Leader In Vaccinating Against COVID-19 from 2021-11-29T00:30

Puerto Rico was still recovering from Hurricane Maria and a string of earthquakes when the pandemic started. The island was initially hit hard by COVID-19, but is now is a leader in vaccination rat...

Listen
Short Wave
How To Choose A Health Insurance Plan from 2021-11-24T00:10:47

Health insurance can be tremendously confusing, with its complexity, jargon and acronyms. But putting in a bit of time to learn what these health insurance terms mean can empower you to better unde...

Listen
Short Wave
Celebrate The Holidays Safely This Pandemic from 2021-11-23T00:30

Millions of Americans are planning to travel this week and gather inside for Thanksgiving — many in groups of 10 or more. At the same time, COVID-19 cases are rebounding. NPR correspondent Listen

Short Wave
A Mission To Redirect An Asteroid from 2021-11-22T00:10:35

In movies, asteroids careening towards Earth confront determined humans with nuclear weapons to save the world! But a real NASA mission to change the course of an asteroid (one not hurtling toward...

Listen
Short Wave
Two Sides Of Guyana: A Green Champion And An Oil Producer from 2021-11-19T00:15

For Guyana the potential wealth from oil development was irresistible — even as the country faces rising seas. Today on the show, Emily Kwong talks to reporter Listen

Short Wave
Bee Superfood: Exploring Honey's Chemical Complexities from 2021-11-18T00:10:06

Honey bees know a lot about honey, and humans are starting to catch up. Scientists are now looking at how the chemicals in honey affect bee health. With the help of research scientist Listen

Short Wave
One Woman's Quest For The (Scientifically) Best Turkey from 2021-11-17T00:10:21

Turkey is the usual centerpiece of the Thanksgiving dinner, but it's all too easy to end up with a dry, tough, flavorless bird. For NPR science correspondent Maria Godoy, it got so bad that several...

Listen
Short Wave
Parents, We're Here To Help! Answers To Your COVID Vaccine Questions from 2021-11-16T00:10:46

Now that the Pfizer COVID vaccine is authorized for children five to eleven years old, a lot of parents are deliberating about what to do next. NPR health policy correspondent Listen

Short Wave
Experiencing The Emergence, Life And Death of A Neuron from 2021-11-15T00:10:26

A new exhibit in Washington, DC, mixes science and technology for an immersive art experience — taking visitors not to a distant land, but into their brains. This installation is a partnership betw...

Listen
Short Wave
Camilla Pang On Turning Fear Into Light from 2021-11-12T00:10:01

Camilla Pang talks with Short Wave host Emily Kwong about her award-winning memoir, "Listen

Short Wave
The secret history of DNA: Pus, fish sperm, life as we know it from 2021-11-11T00:10:41

It's been 150 years since the first article was published about the molecule key to life as we know it — DNA. With help from researcher Listen

Short Wave
Who pays for climate change? from 2021-11-10T00:10:32

A coalition of wealthier countries have promised that they'll provide $100 billion each year to help developing countries tackle climate change. So far, most haven't delivered on their promises, an...

Listen
Short Wave
Can climate talk turn into climate action? from 2021-11-09T00:10:32

In the first week of COP26, the UN climate conference, world leaders took to the podium to talk about what their countries are going to do to fight climate change. They made big pledges, but protes...

Listen
Short Wave
What happens in the brain when we grieve from 2021-11-08T00:10:02

When we lose someone or something we love, it can feel like we've lost a part of ourselves. And for good reason--our brains are learning how to live in the world without someone we care about in it...

Listen
Short Wave
Why Aduhelm, a new Alzheimer's treatment, isn't reaching many patients from 2021-11-05T00:30:56

Aduhelm, known generically as aducanumab, is the first drug to actually affect the underlying disease process associated with Alzheimer's. Yet sales have been limited, and the drug is reaching very...

Listen
Short Wave
Housing and COVID: Why helping people pay rent can help fight the pandemic from 2021-11-04T00:10:43

When people can't afford rent, they often end up in closer quarters. NPR health policy correspondent Selena Simmons-Duffin shares two stories from her reporting and the research being done on housi...

Listen
Short Wave
Planning for a space mission to last more than 50 years from 2021-11-03T00:30:05

In 1977, NASA sent out two Voyager probes to study Jupiter and Saturn. The spacecrafts were designed to last about five years, but they are still, to this day, collecting and sending back data from...

Listen
Short Wave
A new step toward ending 'the wrath of malaria' from 2021-11-02T00:10:27

Scientists have been trying to figure out how to eradicate malaria for decades. Globally, a child under the age of five dies from the disease every two minutes, and even for kids who do survive the...

Listen
Short Wave
The history and future of mRNA vaccine technology (encore) from 2021-11-01T00:30

(Encore) The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are the first authorized vaccines in history to use mRNA technology. In light of the authorization for some children and teens now, we ar...

Listen
Short Wave
The countries left behind in climate negotiations from 2021-10-29T00:10:08

NPR climate correspondents Lauren Sommer and Dan Charles join the show before the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland (COP26) starts on Sunday. Diplomats, business executives, climate...

Listen
Short Wave
How metaphors and stories are integral to science and healing from 2021-10-28T00:30:19

New York's Bellevue Hospital is the oldest public hospital in the country, serving patients from all walks of life. It's also the home of a literary magazine, the Listen

Short Wave
Spiders can have arachnophobia! from 2021-10-27T00:10:08

If you're not so fond of spiders, you may find kindred spirits in other spiders! Researcher Daniela Roessler worked with jumping spiders and found that they know to get away from the presence of o...

Listen
Short Wave
The opioid epidemic from 2021-10-26T00:30

Over the last 25 years, the opioid epidemic has been devastating to families and communities all over the U.S., and has caused half a million deaths. But it started as a way to treat severe pain. T...

Listen
Short Wave
The zombies living in our midst from 2021-10-25T00:10:37

The idea of human zombies probably seems pretty far-fetched. But there are real zombies out there in the animal kingdom. To kick off Halloween week, science writer Listen

Short Wave
Code Switch: Archeological skeletons in the closet from 2021-10-22T00:30:23

Today, we present a special episode from our colleagues at Code Switch, NPR's podcast about race and identity.

In a small suburb of Washington, D.C., a non-descript beige building houses ...

Listen
Short Wave
An ode to the Pacific lamprey from 2021-10-21T00:10:40

Pacific lamprey may have lived on Earth for about 450 million years. When humans came along, a deep relationship formed between Pacific lamprey and Native American tribes across the western United ...

Listen
Short Wave
A biodiesel boom (and conundrum) from 2021-10-20T00:10

There's a biodiesel boom happening! It's fueled by incentives and policies intended to cut greenhouse emissions, and is motivating some oil companies like World Energy in Paramount, California to c...

Listen
Short Wave
COVID-19 boosters are here from 2021-10-19T00:10:16

The United States is on the verge of dramatically expanding the availability of COVID-19 vaccine boosters to shore up people's immune systems. As NPR health correspondent Rob Stein reports, the Foo...

Listen
Short Wave
How do we make sense of the sounds around us? from 2021-10-18T00:30:02

Our colleagues at All Things Considered chatted with neuroscientist Nina Kraus about her new book Of Sound Mind. She shares how our brains process and create meaning from the sounds around...

Listen
Short Wave
The Mighty Mangrove from 2021-10-15T00:10:55

Along certain coastlines near the equator, you can find a tree with superpowers. Mangroves provide a safe haven for a whole ecosystem of animals. They also fight climate change by storing tons of c...

Listen
Short Wave
White scholars can complicate research into health disparities from 2021-10-13T00:10:56

The COVID-19 has exposed longstanding and massive health disparities in the U.S., resulting in people of color dying at disproportionately higher rates than other races in this country. Today on t...

Listen
Short Wave
Cockroaches are cool! from 2021-10-12T00:10

Cockroaches - do they get a bad rap? Producer Thomas Lu teams up with self-proclaimed lesbian cockroach defender Perry Beasley-Hall to convin...

Listen
Short Wave
Bonobos and the Evolution of Nice from 2021-10-08T00:30

How did humans evolve some key cooperative behaviors like sharing? NPR Science Correspondent Jon Hamilton reports back from a bonobo sanctuary in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where scientis...

Listen
Short Wave
Why Music Sticks in Our Brains from 2021-10-07T00:10:15

Why do some songs can stick with us for a long time, even when other memories start to fade? Science reporter (and former Short Wave intern) Rasha Aridi...

Listen
Short Wave
Here's a better way to talk about hair from 2021-10-06T00:10

Humans have scalp hair. But why is human scalp hair so varied? Biological anthropologist Tina Lasisi wanted to find out. And while completing her PhD at Pe...

Listen
Short Wave
How foraging reconnected Alexis Nikole Nelson with food and her culture from 2021-10-05T00:10:59

Our colleagues at the TED Radio Hour introduce us to forager and TikTok influencer Alexis Nikole Nelson. She shares how the great outdoors has offered her both an endless array of food options and ...

Listen
Short Wave
The Toll Of Burnout On Medical Workers — And Their Patients from 2021-10-04T00:10:51

Burnout has long been a problem among health care workers. The pandemic has only made it worse. Some were hopeful COVID vaccines would provide some relief, but that hasn't been the case. Now, healt...

Listen
Short Wave
SURPRISE! It's A...Babbling Baby Bat? from 2021-10-01T00:30

A paper published recently in the journal Science finds similarities between the babbling of human infants and the babblin...

Listen
Short Wave
Goodbye, Climate Jargon. Hello, Simplicity! from 2021-09-30T00:10

People are likely to be confused by common climate change terms like "mitigation" and "carbon neutral," according to a recent study. So how can everyone do a better job talking about climate change...

Listen
Short Wave
How To Help Someone At Risk Of Suicide from 2021-09-29T00:10:40

Suicide was the 11th leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2020, according to the most current data. But research shows that suicide is preventable. Host Emily Kwong talks with NPR health correspon...

Listen
Short Wave
Scientists Are Racing To Save Sequoias from 2021-09-28T00:10:38

Based on early estimates, as many as 10,600 large sequoias were killed in last year's Castle Fire — up to 14% of the entire population. The world's largest trees are one of the most fire-adapted to...

Listen
Short Wave
A Science Reporter And A 'Mild' Case Of Breakthrough COVID from 2021-09-27T00:10:57

Will Stone is a science reporter for NPR. He's been reporting about the pandemic for a while now, so he knows the risks of a breakthrough infection, is vaccinated, and follows COVID guidelines as t...

Listen
Short Wave
After Years Of Delays, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope To Launch In December from 2021-09-24T00:30

In December, NASA is scheduled to launch the huge $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope, which is sometimes billed as the successor to the aging Hubble Spa...

Listen
Short Wave
The Surf's Always Up — In Waco, Texas from 2021-09-23T00:10:06

Some of the world's best artificial waves are happening hundreds of miles from the ocean—in Waco, Texas. They're so good, they're attracting top professionals, casual riders and a science correspon...

Listen
Short Wave
Mapping The Birds Of Bougainville Island from 2021-09-22T00:10:53

In the early 1900s, the Whitney South Sea expedition gathered 40,000 bird specimens for the American Museum of Natural History. The collection is an irreplaceable snapshot of avian diversity in the...

Listen
Short Wave
How Long Does COVID Immunity Last Anyway? from 2021-09-21T00:10

With booster shots on the horizon for some people, one of the biggest questions is: Am I still protected against COVID-19 if I've only had two doses of the vaccine? As science correspondent Listen

Short Wave
Afraid of Needles? You're Not Alone from 2021-09-20T08:25:24

Many people are afraid of needles in some capacity — about 1 in 10 experience a "high level" of needle fear, says clinical psychologist Listen

Short Wave
A Great Outdoors For Everyone from 2021-09-17T00:10:24

Fatima's Great Outdoors, a new children's book, centers on a girl named Fatima, who's struggling to adjust to her new life in the U.S. But on her very first camping trip with her family, <...

Listen
Short Wave
A Lotl Love For The Axolotl from 2021-09-16T00:30:48

It is found in only one lake in the world, never grows up, and occasionally takes bites of its friends: who could we be talking about? The axolotl of course! With some help from Listen

Short Wave
Climate Change Means More Subway Floods; How Cities Are Adapting from 2021-09-15T00:10:09

Millions of people rely on subways for transportation. But as the world warms, climate-driven flooding in subways is becoming more and more common. NPR correspondents Lauren Sommer and Rebecca Hers...

Listen
Short Wave
Breakthrough Infections, Long COVID And You from 2021-09-14T00:30

In rare cases, the delta variant of the coronavirus is causing vaccinated people to get sick — so-called "breakthrough infections." Now researchers are asking: Could these infections lead to long C...

Listen
Short Wave
The Pervasiveness Of Transgender Health Care Discrimination from 2021-09-13T00:10:15

A new report from the Center for American Progress finds that nearly half of transgender people have experienced mistreatment at the hands of a medical provider. NBC OUT reporter Jo Yurcaba explain...

Listen
Short Wave
9/11 First Responders Have Higher Cancer Risks But Better Survival Rates from 2021-09-10T00:10:18

Twenty years later, first responders during the 9/11 attacks have an increased risk of getting some kinds of cancer. But, research shows that they're also more likely to survive. Host Emily Kwong t...

Listen
Short Wave
For Successful Wildfire Prevention, Look To The Southeast from 2021-09-09T00:10:17

Another destructive fire season has Western states searching for ways to prevent it. As climate correspondent Lauren Sommer reports, some answers might lie in the Southeastern U.S. The region leads...

Listen
Short Wave
Fewer COVID Vaccine Doses Materialized Last Fall Than The U.S. Government Hoped from 2021-09-08T00:10

Manufacturers can expect to face unforeseen hurdles when they begin to mass-produce a brand new pharmaceutical product, and in a pandemic, there are bound to be supply chain problems as well. But i...

Listen
Short Wave
The Peculiar Case Of Dark Matter from 2021-09-07T00:10

The universe is so much bigger than what people can see, and astrophysicist Priyamvada Natarajan is trying to figure out that whic...

Listen
Short Wave
So Long, Sofia from 2021-09-03T00:10:21

Today, we bid farewell to our founding host, Maddie Sofia!

In this special episode, the Short Wave team and some of our listeners remind Maddie of the huge impact she's had on al...

Listen
Short Wave
Nudibranchs Do It Better from 2021-09-02T00:10

Maddie and Emily get super nerdy one last time as they dive into the incredible world of nudibranchs. Not only are these sea slugs eye-catching for their colors, some of them have evolved to "steal...

Listen
Short Wave
Pandemic Dispatches From The ER from 2021-09-01T00:10:32

We're marking Maddie's last week on Short Wave!

Today, Maddie wanted to highlight a COVID-related episode from earlier this year. The pandemic has been a big part of our coverage and this...

Listen
Short Wave
You Mite Want To Shower After This from 2021-08-31T00:30:32

It's Day 2 of our trip down Maddie Sofia memory lane! Today's encore episode is all about how you're never really alone.

We look at the tiny mites that live on your skin — including your ...

Listen
Short Wave
Why A Good Scare Is Sometimes The Right Call from 2021-08-30T09:19:48

This week is our last with Maddie as a host, so we're spending it with a trip down memory lane. The first episode Maddie invites us to relive and enjoy is our first listener question episode on the...

Listen
Short Wave
Is It Muggy Out? Check The Dew Point! from 2021-08-27T00:10

Going on a run and curious about how muggy it's going to be out? Maddie Sofia chats with producer Thomas Lu about relative humidity and why some meteorologists are telling us to pay more attention ...

Listen
Short Wave
The Fight To Save Sunflower Sea Stars from 2021-08-26T00:30:03

Sunflower sea stars play a key role in ocean ecosystems on the West Coast - and they are disappearing in record numbers. Science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce tells us about the plight of the ...

Listen
Short Wave
How To Start Hormone Replacement Therapy from 2021-08-25T00:30:12

Medical transition-related treatments like hormone replacement therapy are associated with overwhelmingly positive outcomes in terms of both physical and mental health for transgender people. But, ...

Listen
Short Wave
Ultracold Soup - The 'Superfluid' States Of Matter from 2021-08-24T00:30:55

(Encore episode) Class is back in session. We're going "back to school" to dig a little deeper on a concept you were taught in school: states of matter. Today, Emily and Maddie explore OTHER states...

Listen
Short Wave
To Build, Or Not To Build? That Is The Question Facing Local Governments from 2021-08-23T00:10:03

NPR climate correspondent Lauren Sommer talks with Emily about a dilemma facing many local governments now. Should they develop in areas vulnerable to rising sea levels?

On today's episod...

Listen
Short Wave
Micro Wave: Build Your Own Sandcastle Dreamhouse from 2021-08-20T00:10:12

It's summer, which for some means spare time at the beach, splashing in the waves and...building sandcastles. On today's episode, Emily Kwong asks: Scientifically, what is the best way to ...

Listen
Short Wave
When Sea Levels Rise, Who Should Pay? from 2021-08-19T00:10:23

Facebook's campus on the shoreline of San Francisco Bay is at risk from rising sea levels. So is a nearby low-income community. That's raising questions about who should be paying for climate chang...

Listen
Short Wave
Spinosaurus: The Aquatic Dinosaur from 2021-08-18T00:30

(Encore episode) We chat with National Geographic Explorer and paleontologist Nizar Ibrahim about his team's discovery of the Spinosaurus, the f...

Listen
Short Wave
COVID-19 News: A Hospital System Overwhelmed, Booster Shots Update from 2021-08-17T00:10:52

In the last two weeks or so, the number of new daily COVID-19 cases in the United States has increased by about 40 percent. Compared to a year ago — when we didn't have the vaccine — we have three ...

Listen
Short Wave
Three (Hopeful!) Takeaways From The UN's Climate Change Report from 2021-08-16T00:30:45

Last week, the U.N. published a landmark report — detailing the current state of global climate change. One thing's for sure, humans are causing a lot of this extreme weather by emitting greenhouse...

Listen
Short Wave
Mirror, Mirror, On The Wall: Can Animals Recognize Their Reflection At All? from 2021-08-13T00:30

(Encore episode) The mirror self-recognition test has been around for decades. Only a few species have what it takes to recognize themselves, while others learn to use mirrors as tools. NPR science...

Listen
Short Wave
Does Your Cat Like You — Or Just Tolerate You? from 2021-08-12T00:10:30

(Encore episode) It's another installment of our series, "Animal Slander," where we take a common phrase about animals and see what truth there is to it. The issue before the Short Wave court today...

Listen
Short Wave
Bringing Service Animals Into The Lab from 2021-08-11T00:10:28

(Encore episode) Joey Ramp's service dog, Sampson, is with her at all times, even when she has to work in a laboratory. It wasn't always easy to have him at her side. Joey tells us why she's trying...

Listen
Short Wave
Does Your Dog Love You? Science Has Some Answers from 2021-08-10T00:15:48

(Encore episode) Clive Wynne, founding director of the Canine Science Collaboratory at Arizona State University, draws on studies from his lab and others around the world to explain what biology, n...

Listen
Short Wave
Siriusly, It's The Dog Days Of Summer! from 2021-08-09T00:10:03

Ever wonder why we call it the Dog Days of Summer? Today on the show — Emily gives Maddie an astronomical reason why we associate the sweltering heat of summer with the dog star, Sirius.

...

Listen
Short Wave
Gravitational Waves: Unlocking The Secrets Of The Universe from 2021-08-06T00:30:31

Science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce gives us the latest in gravitational waves and shares what scientists have learned (and heard) from these tiny ripples in spacetime.

Email th...

Listen
Short Wave
How To Correct Misinformation from 2021-08-05T00:30

(Encore episode) The World Health Organization has called the spread of misinformation around the coronavirus an "infodemic." So what do you do when it's somebody you love spreading the misinformat...

Listen
Short Wave
COVID And Aduhelm On The Agenda At Denver Alzheimer's Meeting from 2021-08-04T00:30:08

The Alzheimer's Association International Conference took place in Denver this year. Today on the show, NPR science correspondent Jon Hamilton talks to Maddie Sofia about what he learned at the con...

Listen
Short Wave
Whales' Vital Role In Our Oceans from 2021-08-03T00:30:37

Whales are more than just beautiful creatures — they play a vital role in the ocean's ecosystem. Today, Asha de Vos, marine biologist and pioneer of long-term blue whale research within the Norther...

Listen
Short Wave
Caregiving During The Pandemic Takes A Toll On Mental Health from 2021-08-02T00:30:56

Caregivers in the "Sandwich Generation" have reported a steep decline in mental health, as did others who had to juggle changes in the amount of caregiving they had to provide to loved ones. Caregi...

Listen
Short Wave
Lightning Bugs, Fireflies - Call Them What You Will, They're Awesome from 2021-07-30T00:30

There are thousands of species of lightning bug and they live all over the world except in Antarctica. Maddie and Emily discuss lots of other amazing tidbits about the family Lampyridae a...

Listen
Short Wave
Breaking Down The New CDC Mask Guidance from 2021-07-29T00:10

On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed its guidance on wearing masks. Short Wave co-host Maddie Sofia and NPR health correspondent Allison Aubrey explain what's changed ...

Listen
Short Wave
Managing Wildfire Through Cultural Burns from 2021-07-28T12:06

Fire has always been part of California's landscape. But long before the vast blazes of recent years, Native American tribes held controlled burns that cleared out underbrush, encouraged new plant ...

Listen
Short Wave
Sweat: A Human Superpower from 2021-07-27T00:30

Sweating is critical to helping humans avoid overheating, and it's different than how most animals cool down. Sarah Everts wanted to understand more about how ...

Listen
Short Wave
Can We Predict Earthquakes? (Hint: No) from 2021-07-26T00:15:32

It's a listener questions episode! Chuck, Short Wave fan, asks, "What is the current state of earthquake prediction systems?"

For some answers, Listen

Short Wave
The Great California Groundwater Grab from 2021-07-23T00:10

California is in the middle of a terrible drought. The rivers are running low, and most of its farmers are getting very little water this year from the state's reservoirs and canals. And yet, farmi...

Listen
Short Wave
Who Runs The World? Squirrels! from 2021-07-22T00:30:13

Squirrels are everywhere — living in our suburban neighborhoods to our city centers to our surrounding wilderness. Rhitu Chatterjee talks with researcher Listen

Short Wave
How Tall Is Mount Everest? Hint: It Changes from 2021-07-21T00:10:43

We talk to NPR's India correspondent Lauren Frayer about the ridiculously complicated science involved in measuring Mount Everest, t...

Listen
Short Wave
The Delta Variant And The Latest Coronavirus Surge from 2021-07-20T00:30:25

COVID-19 cases are on the rise in the last month due to the Delta variant. NPR correspondent Allison Aubrey talks with Emily Kwong ab...

Listen
Short Wave
Building A Shark Science Community For Women Of Color from 2021-07-19T00:30:51

As a kid, Jasmin Graham was endlessly curious about the ocean. Her constant questioning eventually led her to a career in marine science studying sharks a...

Listen
Short Wave
The Joy Of Ice Cream's Texture from 2021-07-16T00:10:05

July is National Ice Cream Month — and Sunday, July 18 is National Ice Cream Day (in the US)! Flavors range from the classics — vanilla and chocolate — to the adventurous — jalapeño and cicada. But...

Listen
Short Wave
Three Guidelines To Understanding The Delta Variant from 2021-07-15T00:10

Delta is quickly becoming the dominant coronavirus variant in multiple countries. The variant has spread so fast because it is Listen

Short Wave
What Science Fiction Gets Wrong About Space Travel from 2021-07-14T07:23:59

Contrary to sci-fi depictions in shows like Iron Man and Star Wars, getting from point A to point B in space is a tough engineering problem. NPR Science Correspondent Geoff Brumfiel explains how sp...

Listen
Short Wave
The Ripple Effects Of A Huge Drop In Cancer Screenings from 2021-07-13T00:10:25

At the height of the pandemic, routine cancer screenings declined by 90 percent. Screenings are resuming and doctors are diagnosing later-stage cancers — cancers that might have been caught earlier...

Listen
Short Wave
The Mysterious Ice Worm from 2021-07-12T00:10

On the mountaintop glaciers of the Pacific Northwest lives a mysterious, and often, overlooked creature. They're small, thread-like worms that wiggle through snow and ice. That's right, ice worms! ...

Listen
Short Wave
Micro Wave: What Is 'Brain Freeze'? from 2021-07-09T00:30

Summer's here. Time for a cool treat. So, you grab a popsicle from the freezer. Ahh ... that's better. Until, out of nowhere, a sharp sudden pain rushes to your forehead. You've got brain freeze! Listen

Short Wave
FEMA Has An Equity Problem, Part Two: Race from 2021-07-08T00:30:08

FEMA acknowledges that the way it distributes aid often benefits some people more than others--and those who receive less aid are those people with the fewest resources to begin with. Rhitu Chatter...

Listen
Short Wave
Teens Ask, We Answer: What's Up With COVID Vaccines? from 2021-07-07T00:30:10

People between the ages of 12 and 17 are now eligible to get the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and health...

Listen
Short Wave
FACT SMACK: Bats! They're Cooler Than Birds from 2021-07-05T00:10

With the help of ecologist Rodrigo Medellín, the "Bat Man of Mexico," ...

Listen
Short Wave
'Arrival': How To Talk To Aliens from 2021-07-02T00:10:44

(Encore episode) The 2016 movie Arrival, an adaptation of Ted Chiang's novella Story of Your Life, captured the imaginations of science fiction fans worldwide. Field linguist Jess...

Listen
Short Wave
FEMA Has An Equity Problem from 2021-07-01T00:10:53

When a disaster like a hurricane or wildfire destroys a house, the clock starts ticking. It gets harder for sick people to take their medications, medical devices may stop working without electrici...

Listen
Short Wave
The Climate Crisis Is A Public Health Crisis from 2021-06-30T00:10:19

A recent study published in Nature found that 37 percent of heat-related deaths are due to climate change. Dr. Renee Salas ...

Listen
Short Wave
Organic Chemistry Helped Me Embrace My Identities from 2021-06-29T00:10:30

As a kid, Ariana Remmel had a hard time figuring out where they fit in. So they found comfort in the certainty and understanding of what the world was made of: atoms and molecules and the ...

Listen
Short Wave
Lessons Learned From Hindered Contact Tracing Efforts In The U.S. from 2021-06-28T00:30

Early in the pandemic, contact tracing was viewed as one of the best options to quell the spread of coronavirus infections. The idea was to have public health workers track down people who tested p...

Listen
Short Wave
FDA Approves Aducanumab — A Controversial Drug For Alzheimer's from 2021-06-25T00:10:15

The FDA has approved a new drug for Alzheimer's. But a lot of experts are skeptical about whether the drug works. Rhitu Chatterjee Listen

Short Wave
Climate Change Is Threatening The U.S. West's Water Supply from 2021-06-24T00:30

The past year has been the driest or second driest in most Southwestern U.S. st...

Listen
Short Wave
Loving Sally Ride from 2021-06-23T00:30

Tam O'Shaughnessy and Sally Ride, the first American woman to fly in space, shared a passion for getting girls involved in STEM. It led them to co-found Sally Ride Science, a company focused on equ...

Listen
Short Wave
COVID-19 Vaccines, Boosters And The Renaissance In Vaccine Technology from 2021-06-22T00:30:14

Health Correspondent Allison Aubrey updates us on the Biden Administration's goal to have 70 percent of U.S. adults vaccinated by the...

Listen
Short Wave
Behold! The Anus: An Evolutionary Marvel from 2021-06-21T00:30:30

The anus is an evolutionary marvel. But how and when did this organ evolve into what it is today? Today on Short Wave, Maddie gets to the bottom of these questions with The Atlantic's science write...

Listen
Short Wave
'Where We Come From': Emily Kwong's Story from 2021-06-20T00:30:53

Nearly 1 billion people speak Mandarin Chinese. But Short Wave host Emily Kwong is not among them. As a third generation Chinese American, Emily's heritage language was lost through the years when ...

Listen
Short Wave
We're Off For Juneteenth from 2021-06-18T00:30:50

Hey, Nerd! NPR takes Juneteenth off. We'll be back Sunday with a special episode from NPR's Where We Come From ser...

Listen
Short Wave
#BlackBirdersWeek 2021: Celebrating The Joy Of Birds from 2021-06-17T00:30:07

#BlackBirdersWeek emerged last year from a groundswell of support for Christian Cooper, a Black man and avid birder, who was harassed by ...

Listen
Short Wave
'I'm Willing To Fight For It': Learning A Second Language As An Adult from 2021-06-16T00:30

Becoming fluent in a second language is difficult. But for adults, is it impossible? Short Wave hosts Maddie Sofia and Emily Kwong dissect the "critical period hypothesis," a theory which linguists...

Listen
Short Wave
The Disordered Cosmos from 2021-06-15T00:30:32

Maddie talks with physicist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein about her new book, The Disordered ...

Listen
Short Wave
Migrating Monarchs from 2021-06-14T00:30

It is one of the Earth's great migrations: each year, millions of monarch butterflies Listen

Short Wave
Yep, We Made Up Vegetables from 2021-06-11T00:30

After hearing a vicious rumor on the internet that vegetables aren't real, Maddie goes looking for answers. Turns out, vegetables are a mere culinary construct. Still healthful and delicious, but a...

Listen
Short Wave
The Science Behind That Fresh Rain Scent from 2021-06-10T00:30:42

(Encore episode.) Scientists have known for decades that one of the main causes of the smell of fresh rain is geosmin: a chemical compound produced by soil-dwelling bacteria. But why do the bacteri...

Listen
Short Wave
Cleveland - What Climate Equity Could Look Like from 2021-06-09T01:15:09

The Biden Administration is working to fight climate change in a way that also address the country's economic and racial disparities. Emily talks with NPR correspondent Listen

Short Wave
COVID News Round-Up: Vaccination Progress, Booster Shots, Travel from 2021-06-08T01:15:16

Nationwide, almost 65% of adults have had at least one vaccine shot, but vaccination rates vary significantly depending on the state. NPR health correspondent Listen

Short Wave
Taking A New Look At Some Old Bones from 2021-06-07T00:10:56

Paleontologist Yara Haridy looks at fossilized bones for a living. When she randomly walked by a...

Listen
Short Wave
Bringing The Sensation Of Touch To A Robotic Limb from 2021-06-04T00:30

There's big change that's happening in the field of artificial limbs: artificial limbs that both move — and feel. NPR correspondent Jon Hamilton explains why touch is so important for people who ar...

Listen
Short Wave
Scientific Sankofa And The Complexities Of Genetic Ancestry from 2021-06-03T00:47:48

Short Wave reporter Emily Kwong speaks with Janina Jeff, the host and executive producer of In Those Genes, a "science and culture podcast that uses...

Listen
Short Wave
It's Okay To Let Go Of Herd Immunity from 2021-06-02T00:30

Researchers say the concept of achieving herd immunity threshold isn't the right finish line to end the pandemic. It's an elusive number to define in the first place, and it changes under various c...

Listen
Short Wave
Rainbows! How They Form And Why We See Them from 2021-06-01T04:10

Happy Pride, Short Wave Listeners! Here's a fun episode from our archives to celebrate the month!

It's another "Back To School" episode where we take a concept you were maybe taught in sch...

Listen
Short Wave
Disabled Scientists Are Often Excluded From The Lab from 2021-05-28T04:10:37

Scientists and students with disabilities are often excluded from laboratories — in part because of how they're designed. Emily Kwong speaks to disabled scientist Listen

Short Wave
Big Vape: The Incendiary Rise of Juul E-cigarettes from 2021-05-27T04:10

Juul Labs seemingly started out with the aim to reduce smoking, but the company's e-cigarettes came to symbolize something very different: a teen vaping epidemic.

Host Maddie Sofia talks ...

Listen
Short Wave
The Curious Stardust At The Ocean Floor from 2021-05-26T04:10

Researchers report in the journal Science that they appear to have some clues about the origin of Earth's plutonium - wh...

Listen
Short Wave
The State Of Vaccinations In The U.S. from 2021-05-25T04:10:49

Eight states have passed an important milestone: getting 70% of all adults vaccinated with at least one shot. That's a number President Biden wants the country to reach by July Fourth. As cases of ...

Listen
Short Wave
'Off The Charts' Rise In Alcoholic Liver Disease Among Young Women from 2021-05-24T04:10:06

**Heads up. This episode discusses addiction and alcoholism.**

Some doctors are seeing a disturbing spike in lethal alcoholic liver disease, especially among young women. The recent trend ...

Listen
Short Wave
Who Should Control Earth's Thermostat? from 2021-05-21T04:10

Solar geoengineering--the human attempt to cool the planet by reflecting sunlight away from Earth--is fraught with technological and ethical challenges. Maddie discusses some of these with contribu...

Listen
Short Wave
Biden Proposes A 'Civilian Corps' To Address Climate Change from 2021-05-20T04:10

During the Great Depression, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt created the Civilian Conservation Corps to improve the country's public lands, forests, and parks. Now, nearly a hundred years later...

Listen
Short Wave
Pandemic Could Roll Back Advancements For Women in STEMM from 2021-05-19T04:10:39

In general, there are more men in STEMM fields than women. Representation in science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine is even lower for women of color — facing racial discrimination on...

Listen
Short Wave
Too soon? The CDC Relaxes Mask Guidance For Fully Vaccinated from 2021-05-18T04:10:26

Many Americans are baring their faces in public again, following new CDC recommendations that fully vaccinated people don't need them in most settings. But there are critics who question the CDC's ...

Listen
Short Wave
Racism, Opioids And COVID-19: A Deadly Trifecta from 2021-05-17T04:10:47

(Encore.) Drug overdose deaths are on the rise all around the country, including in Chicago, Illinois. ProPublica Illinois reporter Duaa Eldeib explains how the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated...

Listen
Short Wave
Animal Slander! The Origins Of "Badgering" Will Bum You Out from 2021-05-14T04:10:33

It's the latest installment of our series, "Animal Slander," where we take a common saying about animals and see what truth there is to it. The case before the Short Wave court today: "badgering." ...

Listen
Short Wave
In The Pandemic, Children Face A Mental Health Crisis from 2021-05-13T04:10:10

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the proportion of emergency department visits by children in mental health crises Listen

Short Wave
SCOOP: There's A Dirt Shortage from 2021-05-12T04:10

Mud and dirt have often been treated as waste products from excavation or dredging sites. But these days, coastal communities need massive amounts of mud and dirt to protect their shorelines from r...

Listen
Short Wave
Pediatricians Work To Persuade Parents And Teens To Get COVID-19 Vaccine from 2021-05-11T04:10:24

Some colleges and universities have announced that COVID vaccination will be mandatory (with some exemptions) and the FDA has authorized the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for kids ages 12 to 15. While co...

Listen
Short Wave
The Past, Present and Future of mRNA Vaccines from 2021-05-10T04:10:23

The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are the first authorized vaccines in history to use mRNA technology. The pandemic might've set the stage for their debut, but mRNA vaccines have be...

Listen
Short Wave
'Everyone I Know Has Lost Someone': An Update From India from 2021-05-07T04:10

The numbers are staggering. India has been reporting more than 300,000 COVID-19 cases each day for the past two weeks, and recently topped more than 400,000 cases in a single day, a global record. ...

Listen
Short Wave
A Fragile X Treatment May Be On The Horizon from 2021-05-06T04:10:22

Katie Clapp and Michael Tranfaglia's son was born with a genetic disorder that affects brain development. It makes it hard to learn language and basic daily tasks and often is accompanied by a host...

Listen
Short Wave
Why Some Countries Have Low Vaccination Rates from 2021-05-05T06:10:28

We've been talking a lot about COVID in the US. Now, we want to look at how things are going in some other countries. NPR's correspondents — Jason Beaubien, Phil Reeves, and Anthony Kuhn — talk wit...

Listen
Short Wave
A Vaccination Update And The CDC's Latest Guidance On Masks from 2021-05-04T04:10

The rate of vaccination in the U.S. continues to slow. Maddie Sofia talks with NPR health correspondent Allison Aubrey about that and...

Listen
Short Wave
Burnout: The Crisis Plaguing Health Care Workers from 2021-05-03T04:00:45

Today, NPR's mental health correspondent Rhitu Chatterjee guests hosts Short Wave. She talks to Listen

Short Wave
The Viral TikTok Explaining mRNA Vaccines With ... Forks! from 2021-04-30T04:00:40

We at Short Wave are sometimes a little too aware of how difficult it can be to explain science to a general audience. So when we came across Vick Kr...

Listen
Short Wave
Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster: 10 Years Later from 2021-04-29T04:00

In 2011, villages and towns around the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear plant in Japan were evacuated because of a series of meltdowns caused by a tsunami. Ten years later, some of the villages and towns ...

Listen
Short Wave
Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster: 10 Years Later from 2021-04-29T04:00

In 2011 villages and towns around the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear plant in Japan were evacuated because of a series of meltdowns caused by a tsunami. Now, they're slowly reopening.

Listen
Short Wave
5 Ways To Cut Carbon Emissions At Home from 2021-04-28T04:00:09

Feeling green? If you'd like to do something to slow down climate change, even if it's just a small thing, you can get started in your own apartment or house. With the help of our friends over at L...

Listen
Short Wave
The U.S. Vaccination Rate Continues To Slow from 2021-04-27T04:00:57

Short Wave's Emily Kwong talks with NPR health correspondent Allison Aubrey about some of the latest coronavirus news, including the ...

Listen
Short Wave
A 142-Year-Old Science Seed Caper from 2021-04-26T04:00:04

On April 15, at four o'clock in the morning, a small group of scientists found their way to a secret location. A light wintry mix of rain and snow was falling. The lousy weather was a relief becaus...

Listen
Short Wave
U.S. Renews Its Commitment To Addressing Climate Change from 2021-04-23T04:00:55

President Biden is hosting dozens of world leaders for a virtual climate summit on Thursday and Friday. The administration is trying to regain ground lost by pulling out of the Listen

Short Wave
Medicine And The Horseshoe Crab from 2021-04-22T04:00

Horseshoe crabs have been around for 450 million years — nearly unchanged. And their blood has helped the medical world make some fascinating discoveries. Emily Kwong talks with Ariela Zebede about...

Listen
Short Wave
Micro Wave: Why Hair Turns Gray from 2021-04-21T04:00

Why does hair turn gray? Stress? Age? Genetics? We turn to dermatologist Dr. Jenna Lester for answers.

Listen
Short Wave
Half Of U.S. Adults Have Gotten A Vaccine — But Hurdles Remain For Herd Immunity from 2021-04-20T04:00

Today, NPR Health Correspondent Allison Aubrey offers perspective on how to think about the latest coronavirus news. On one hand, hal...

Listen
Short Wave
A Classroom Where Math And Community Intersect from 2021-04-19T04:00:35

When you think of mathematicians, do you think of lone geniuses scribbling away at complex equations? This myth is one mathematician Ranthony Edmonds actively tries to dispel in her classroom as a ...

Listen
Short Wave
Why Scientists Are Racing To Save Historical Sea Level Records from 2021-04-16T04:00:11

(Encore episode.) Archival records may help researchers figure out how fast the sea level is rising in certain places. Millions of people in coastal cities are vulnerable to rising sea levels and k...

Listen
Short Wave
Why Baltimore Is Suing Big Oil Over Climate Change from 2021-04-15T04:00:29

(Encore episode.) Earlier this year, the Supreme Court heard arguments in a case brought by the city of Baltimore against more than a dozen major oil and gas companies including BP, ExxonMobil and ...

Listen
Short Wave
A Rising Tide of Violence Against Environmental Activists from 2021-04-14T04:00:59

(Encore episode.) Global Witness documented that 212 environmental and land activists were murdered in 2019. Over half of those documented murders took place in Colombia and the Philippines, countr...

Listen
Short Wave
What Happens When The Tides Get Higher from 2021-04-13T04:00

(Encore episode.) As sea levels rise from climate change, coastal communities face a greater risk of chronic flooding. Climate scientist ...

Listen
Short Wave
Debating When The 'Age Of Humans' Began from 2021-04-12T04:00:37

Humans have changed the Earth in such profound ways that scientists say we have entered a new geological period: the Anthropocene Epoch.

Listen
Short Wave
The Resurgence Of Psychedelic Psychiatry from 2021-04-09T04:00

Psychedelics like ketamine and psilocybin are getting a second look as a way to treat psychiatric problems like depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, even PTSD. NPR neuroscience corresponde...

Listen
Short Wave
Smell Therapy from 2021-04-08T04:00:05

A curious symptom of COVID-19 that can stick with patients for a long time is loss of smell. Researchers don't know exactly how prevalent the loss of smell ism and while most people recover from it...

Listen
Short Wave
The Queen's Squeak from 2021-04-07T04:00:48

"Dialects" is one of those words tossed around a lot when talking about human language. They indicate where a speaker is from. But dialects aren't exclusive to humans; scientists have known for a w...

Listen
Short Wave
Vaccinations Are Up, But So Are COVID-19 Cases from 2021-04-06T04:00:20

More than 61 million people in the U.S. are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. We're also now averaging over 3 million shots per day. But at the same time, in at least 20 states, reported cases are...

Listen
Short Wave
How To Reach Out When Someone You Know May Be At Risk Of Suicide from 2021-04-05T04:00:22

Currently, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the US. But research shows that suicide is preventable. Host Emily Kwong talks with NPR health correspondent Rhitu Chatterjee about the sign...

Listen
Short Wave
Micro Wave: Are Seasonal Allergies Getting Worse? from 2021-04-02T04:00

We ask allergy expert Dr. Juanita Mora if seasonal allergies are getting worse. Plus, some quick tips for managing those pesky allergy symptoms.

Email the show at Listen

Short Wave
Meet The Dermatologists Advancing Better Care For Skin Of Color from 2021-04-01T04:00:06

Many skin conditions, from rashes to Lyme disease to various cancers, present differently on dark skin. Yet medical literature and textbooks don't often include those images, pointing to a bigger p...

Listen
Short Wave
Fulgurite: What A Lightning-Formed Rock May Have Contributed To Life On Earth from 2021-03-31T04:00:44

When lightning strikes the ground, it can leave behind a root-like rock called a fulgurite. Host Maddie Sofia talks with NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce about what lightning and its ...

Listen
Short Wave
What We Can Learn From Microscopic Life In Antarctica from 2021-03-30T04:00:56

Our colleagues at the TED Radio Hour introduce us to wildlife filmmaker Ariel Waldman. She says the coldest continent is brimming with invisible life that can only be seen through microscopes, incl...

Listen
Short Wave
Is The Future Quantum? from 2021-03-29T04:00:54

NPR science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel takes us to IonQ, one of the companies betting on a quantum computing future. Along the wa...

Listen
Short Wave
The Purple Urchins Don't Die from 2021-03-26T04:00

NPR climate correspondent Lauren Sommer explains how scientists are getting creative to deal with the hordes of urchins overtaking k...

Listen
Short Wave
Brood X: The Rise Of The 17-Year Cicadas from 2021-03-25T04:00:09

The cicadas are coming! After 17 years, Brood X is emerging this spring to mate. If you're in the eastern part of the United States, get ready to be surrounded by these little critters! Host Maddie...

Listen
Short Wave
Meet The 'Glacier Mice' from 2021-03-24T04:00:50

(Encore episode.) In 2006, while hiking around the Root Glacier in Alaska, glaciologist Tim Bartholomaus encountered something strange and unexpect...

Listen
Short Wave
A Look Inside The World's Biggest Vaccine Maker from 2021-03-23T04:00:37

NPR's international correspondent Lauren Frayer takes us on a tour of the factory of the world's largest vaccine maker: Serum Instit...

Listen
Short Wave
How A New Deal Legacy Is Building Clean Energy In Rural North Carolina from 2021-03-22T04:00

In North Carolina, a rural electric cooperative is reliving its New Deal history, bringing technologies like fast Internet and clean, low-carbon heating to communities that some have abandoned.

Listen
Short Wave
The U.S. Has A History Of Linking Disease With Race And Ethnicity from 2021-03-19T04:00:08

(Encore episode.) The coronavirus is all over the headlines these days. Accompanying those headlines? Suspicion and harassment of Asians and Asian Americans. Our colleague Listen

Short Wave
Reflections On Coronavirus A Year In from 2021-03-18T04:00:28

It's been about a year since the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic. The world has learned a lot in that time — about how the virus spreads, who is at heightened risk and...

Listen
Short Wave
A Quick Dive Into How Submarines Work from 2021-03-17T04:00:27

Submarines can descend thousands of feet below the surface of the ocean, but to do so, they have to deal with an enormous amount of pressure. In this episode, engineer and pilot Bruce Strickrott of...

Listen
Short Wave
What Earth Looked Like 3.2 Billion Years Ago from 2021-03-16T04:00

Encore episode. The surface of the Earth is constantly recycled through the motion of plate tectonics. So how do researchers study what it used to look like? Planetary scientist Listen

Short Wave
Our Pandemic Future from 2021-03-15T04:00

It's been about a year since the coronavirus pandemic started to take hold in the United States. Recently, NPR science correspondent Rob Ste...

Listen
Short Wave
A Year Into The Pandemic, The Incarcerated Among The Most Vulnerable from 2021-03-12T04:00:47

In the year since the pandemic began, the coronavirus has severely impacted inmates and staff in U.S. jails and prisons. According to Listen

Short Wave
The Importance Of Diversifying Alzheimer's Research from 2021-03-11T04:00:28

Alzheimer's disease affects more than 6 million Americans and a disproportionate number are Black. NPR science correspondent Jon Hamilton explains why Black Americans may be at higher risk, and how...

Listen
Short Wave
CDC's Do's and Don'ts For Fully Vaccinated People from 2021-03-10T04:00:25

The CDC released new guidance Monday, allowing people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to resume som...

Listen
Short Wave
One Key To Healthy Oceans? Sharks from 2021-03-09T04:00

Shark scientist Melissa Christina Marquez explains just how important sharks are to keeping the oceans healthy, including their role in mitigating climate change. Plus, there may be some talk about...

Listen
Short Wave
Millions Of U.S. Homes Face An Expensive Flooding Threat from 2021-03-08T04:00:30

More than 4 million U.S. homes face substantial risk of expensive flood damage, according to new research. On top of that, NPR climate reporter Listen

Short Wave
Is The Sperm Race A Fairy Tale? from 2021-03-05T04:00:16

A lot of us were taught that conception happens with a survivor-style sperm race — the fastest and strongest sperm fight to make it to the egg first. In this Back To School episode, we revisit this...

Listen
Short Wave
The Fight Over The Future Of Natural Gas from 2021-03-04T04:00:09

A growing number of cities are looking at restricting the use of gas in new buildings to reduce climate emissions. But some states are considering laws to block those efforts, with backing from the...

Listen
Short Wave
Pandemic Dispatches From The ER, One Year Later from 2021-03-03T04:00

The coronavirus has disrupted all of our lives, and that's especially true for healthcare workers. We hear reflections from Dr. Jamila Goldsmith and Mariah Clark, two emergency room workers. They t...

Listen
Short Wave
Vaccine Distribution: An Equity Challenge from 2021-03-02T04:00

The Biden Administration has prioritized speed in its COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Also, a priority...distributing those doses to the populations most impacted by the coronavirus. Host Maddie Sofia ta...

Listen
Short Wave
Code Switch: A Shot In The Dark from 2021-03-01T04:00:27

Today, we present a special episode from our colleagues at Code Switch, NPR's podcast about race and identity.

As the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines unfolds, one big challenge for public he...

Listen
Short Wave
Micro Wave: Let's Talk About Urine from 2021-02-26T04:00

There are lots of misconceptions around urine. Can urine cure athlete's foot? Or really treat a jellyfish sting?

Today on the show — we'll talk about what it actually is, debunk some comm...

Listen
Short Wave
The Legacy of Trauma: Can Experiences Leave A Biological Imprint? from 2021-02-25T04:04

Descendants of trauma victims seem to have worse health outcomes. Could epigenetics help explain why? Bianca Jones Marlin and Brian Di...

Listen
Short Wave
Magnets: The Hidden Objects Powering Your Life from 2021-02-24T04:00:38

It's likely there's a magnet wherever you're looking right now. In fact, the device you're using to listen to this episode? Also uses a magnet. Which is why today, NPR science correspondent Listen

Short Wave
James West On Invention And Inclusion In Science from 2021-02-23T04:00:41

James West has been a curious tinkerer since he was a child, always wondering how things worked. Throughout his long career in ST...

Listen
Short Wave
Coronavirus Vaccine Q&A: Variants, Side Effects, And More from 2021-02-22T04:00

Can people who are vaccinated still carry and transmit the coronavirus to other people? How effective are the vaccines against coronavirus variants? And what's the deal with side effects? In this e...

Listen
Short Wave
BONUS: Throughline — Octavia Butler: Visionary Fiction? from 2021-02-20T04:00:33

To round out our celebration of Black History Month, we're bringing you a special episode featuring acclaimed science fiction writer Octavia Butler from our friends at NPR's history podcast Listen

Short Wave
Micro Wave: I'll Peanut Jam Your Brain from 2021-02-19T04:00:42

Today, what happens in your brain when you notice a semantic or grammatical mistake, according to neuroscience. Sarah Phillips, a neurolinguist, tells us a...

Listen
Short Wave
Why Tech Companies Are Limiting Police Use of Facial Recognition from 2021-02-18T04:00

In June 2020, Amazon, Microsoft and IBM announced that they were limiting some uses of their facial recognition technology. In this encore episode, Maddie and Emily talk to AI policy analyst Listen

Short Wave
Anti-Racist Science Education from 2021-02-17T04:00:16

Some of the most prestigious scientists in history advanced racist and eugenicist views, but that is rarely mentioned in textbooks. Maddie and Emily speak with science educators about how to broade...

Listen
Short Wave
The Creation Of The Magnificent Makers from 2021-02-16T04:00:37

Author and neuroscientist Theanne Griffith talks with Maddie about her children's book series, The Magni...

Listen
Short Wave
A Week Of Black Excellence from 2021-02-15T04:00:04

In honor of Black History Month, Short Wave is focusing on Black scientists and educators — people doing incredible work and pushing for a world where science serves everyone. Enjoy!

Follo...

Listen
Short Wave
Bring Me Chocolate Or Bring Me Dead Stuff from 2021-02-12T04:00:38

Happy Valentine's Day from Short Wave! We've got something special for the holiday, Maddie and Emily exchange the gift of science facts - from the process of farming and fermenting cacao to the cou...

Listen
Short Wave
Saving Sea Level Records: What Historical Records Tell Us About The Rising Ocean from 2021-02-11T04:00

Archival records may help researchers figure out how fast the sea level is rising in certain places. Millions of people in coastal cities are vulnerable to rising sea levels and knowing exactly how...

Listen
Short Wave
When Defending The Land Puts Your Own Life At Risk from 2021-02-10T04:00:05

Global Witness documented that 212 environmental and land activists were murdered in 2019. Over half of those documented murders took place in Colombia and the Philippines, countries where intensiv...

Listen
Short Wave
Why 500,000 COVID-19 Deaths May Not Feel Any Different from 2021-02-09T04:00:14

Why is it so hard to feel the difference between 400,000 and 500,000 COVID-19 deaths—and how might that impact our decision making during the pandemic? Psychologist Paul Slovic explains th...

Listen
Short Wave
What's In A Tattoo? Scientists Are Looking For Answers from 2021-02-08T04:00

Three in 10 people in America have a tattoo, and those in the 18 - 34 age bracket, it's almost 40 percent. But what's in those inks, exactly? NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce talks ab...

Listen
Short Wave
When Life Gives You Lemons...Make A Battery from 2021-02-05T04:00:31

We're going "Back To School" today, revisiting a classic at-home experiment that turns lemons into batteries — powerful enough to turn on a clock or a small lightbulb. But how does the science driv...

Listen
Short Wave
Biden Promises To Grapple With Environmental Racism from 2021-02-04T04:00:35

People of color experience more air and water pollution than white people and suffer the health impacts. The federal government helped create the problem, and has largely failed to fix it. NPR clim...

Listen
Short Wave
Opioids, COVID-19 And Racism: A Deadly Trifecta from 2021-02-03T04:00:12

Drug overdose deaths are on the rise all around the country, including in Chicago, Illinois. ProPublica Illinois reporter Duaa Eldeib explains how the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the opioi...

Listen
Short Wave
The Lost Joys Of Talking To Strangers from 2021-02-02T04:00:39

With a lot of us stuck at home, trying to physically distance from each other, one part of daily life has largely disappeared: bumping into strangers. On today's show, Maddie talks with Yowei Shaw,...

Listen
Short Wave
The Complex Decisions Around Rebuilding After A Wildfire from 2021-02-01T04:00

The year 2020 saw a record-breaking wildfire season. With those wildfires came many destroyed homes. Rebuilding with fire-resistant materials reduces the risk of future fires burning down a house, ...

Listen
Short Wave
FACT SMACK: Spider Edition from 2021-01-29T04:00

With the help of spider scientist Sebastian Echeverri, Maddie presents the case for why spiders are the best and coolest animal. Spoiler alert: som...

Listen
Short Wave
How Bonobos Help Explain The Evolution Of Nice from 2021-01-28T04:00:30

How did humans evolve some key cooperative behaviors like sharing? NPR Science Correspondent Jon Hamilton reports back from a bonobo sanctuary in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where scientis...

Listen
Short Wave
What The Spread Of Coronavirus Variants Means For The U.S. from 2021-01-27T04:00

Different versions of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus are emerging. Some are spreading quickly around the world, others more slowly — but several have the public health community and researchers worried...

Listen
Short Wave
The Surprising History of Handwashing from 2021-01-26T04:00

Washing your hands. It's one of the easiest and most effective things you can do to protect yourself from the coronavirus, the flu, and other respiratory illnesses. But there was a time when that w...

Listen
Short Wave
A Pesky Rumble: Pink Bollworms Vs. Cotton Farmers from 2021-01-25T04:00:31

The pink bollworm — an invasive species that plagues cotton farmers around the world — has been successfully eradicated from much of the U.S. and Mexico. Eradication campaigns rarely work, but this...

Listen
Short Wave
Our More-Than-Five Senses from 2021-01-22T04:00:16

You're familiar with touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing. But your body moves through the world with more than five senses. NPR Short Wave reporter Emily Kwong speaks to neurobiologist André Wh...

Listen
Short Wave
Baltimore Is Suing Big Oil Over Climate Change from 2021-01-21T04:00:29

The Supreme Court heard arguments this week in a case brought by the city of Baltimore against more than a dozen major oil and gas companies including BP, ExxonMobil and Shell. In the lawsuit, Listen

Short Wave
The Social Side of Stuttering from 2021-01-20T04:00:48

President-elect Joe Biden has spoken publicly about his childhood stutter. An estimated 1% of the world's adults stutter, yet the condition — which likely has a genetic component — remains misunder...

Listen
Short Wave
Let's Go Back To Venus! from 2021-01-19T04:00:40

In 1962, the first spacecraft humans ever sent to another planet — Mariner 2 — went to Venus. The first planet on which humans ever landed a probe — also Venus! But since then, Mars has been the fo...

Listen
Short Wave
Micro Wave: How 'Bout Dem Apple...Seeds from 2021-01-15T04:00

Many folks eat an apple and then throw out the core. It turns out, the core is perfectly ok to eat - despite apple seeds' association with the poison cyanide. In today's episode, host Maddie Sofia ...

Listen
Short Wave
How COVID-19 Affects The Brain from 2021-01-14T05:00

Many patients who are hospitalized for COVID-19 continue to have symptoms of brain injury after they are discharged. For many, brain function improves as they recover, but some are likely to face l...

Listen
Short Wave
Should Black People Get Race Adjustments In Kidney Medicine? from 2021-01-13T04:00

As the U.S. continues to grapple with systemic racism, some in the medical community are questioning whether the diagnostic tools they use may be contributing to racial health disparities.

Listen

Short Wave
CubeSat: Little Satellite, Big Deal from 2021-01-12T04:00:28

Meet the CubeSat: a miniaturized satellite that's been growing in sophistication. In the last 20 years, over 1,000 CubeSats have been launched into space for research and exploration. We talk about...

Listen
Short Wave
This Teen Scientist Is TIME's First-Ever 'Kid Of The Year' from 2021-01-11T04:00:22

Fifteen-year-old Gitanjali Rao is a scientist, inventor, and TIME Magazine's first-ever 'Kid Of The Year.' She shares why she didn't initially think science was for her, what motivates her now, and...

Listen
Short Wave
Micro Wave: What Makes Curly Hair Curl? from 2021-01-08T04:00

Hair scientist Crystal Porter explains the science behind curly hair (hint: It involves mushy cells in teeny-tiny tunnels). Plus, a bit of listener mail from you! Which you can always send by email...

Listen
Short Wave
The Hunt For The World's Oldest Ice from 2021-01-07T04:00:12

Scientists think the world's oldest ice is hiding somewhere in Antarctica. NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce tells us how researchers plan to find it — and why.

For more, yo...

Listen
Short Wave
One Page At A Time, Jess Wade Is Changing Wikipedia from 2021-01-06T04:00:48

By day, Jess Wade is an experimental physicist at Imperial College London. But at night, she's a contributor to Wikipedia — where she writes entries about...

Listen
Short Wave
How COVID-19 Has Changed Science from 2021-01-05T04:00

2020 was a year like no other, especially for science. The pandemic has caused massive shifts in scientific research – how it's being done, what's being focused on, and who's doing it. Ed Yong of T...

Listen
Short Wave
Meet The Ko'Ko', The Comeback Bird from 2021-01-04T04:00:28

For nearly forty years, the Guam Rail bird (locally known as the Ko'Ko') has been extinct in the wild — decimated by the invasive brown tree snake. But the Ko'Ko' has been successfully re-introduce...

Listen
Short Wave
Happy New Year from Short Wave! from 2021-01-01T04:00:16

To kick off the new year right, Maddie fills out a Short Wave mad lib crafted by Emily. It's a little tribute to you, our awesome listeners.

We're back with new episodes next week. Hope ...

Listen
Short Wave
How Will Climate And Health Policy Look Under Biden? from 2020-12-31T04:00:03

Today, something special...an episode of The NPR Politics Podcast we think you might appreciate. Our colleag...

Listen
Short Wave
It's Okay To Sleep Late (Do It For Your Immune System) from 2020-12-29T04:00

Dr. Syed Moin Hassan was riled up. "I don't know who needs to hear this," he Listen

Short Wave
2020: At Least It Was Good For Space Exploration? from 2020-12-28T04:00:25

Between the pandemic, protests, the recession the list goes on there was big space news in 2020. And there was a lot of it! To round it up, Maddie chats with NPR science corr...

Listen
Short Wave
Happy Holidays from Short Wave! from 2020-12-25T04:00

Maddie and Emily play a quick game of "Fact or Fiction?" with help from Ariela Zebede, our resident fact-checker. Plus, a little reminder that you can support the show by donating to your local pub...

Listen
Short Wave
Seeing Monsters? It Could Be Sleep Paralysis from 2020-12-24T04:00

It's a listener questions episode! Josh Smith wrote in to tell us that as a teenager, he was plagued by sleep paralysis. Now he's afraid his kid might be experiencing it too. Josh asks what the sci...

Listen
Short Wave
Oof! 2020: A Hot Year For The Record Books from 2020-12-22T04:00:11

Nearly tied with 2016 for the hottest year on record, 2020 was hot, hot, hot! NPR climate reporters Rebecca Hersher and Lauren Sommer explain why more heat trapped in the atmosphere means longer he...

Listen
Short Wave
Antimatter: Matter's "Evil Twin" from 2020-12-21T04:00:57

Physicists have done the math and there should be as much antimatter as matter in the universe — but that hasn't been the case so far. NPR correspondent Listen

Short Wave
Mirror, Mirror, On The Wall: Can You Reveal An Animal's Inner World At All? from 2020-12-18T04:00

The mirror self-recognition test has been around for decades. Only a few species have what it takes to recognize themselves, while others learn to use mirrors as tools. NPR science correspondent Ne...

Listen
Short Wave
The Science Behind The Historic mRNA Vaccine from 2020-12-17T04:00

Millions of doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, just days ago granted emergency use authorization by the FDA, are being distributed across the country. It's the first widely-available vaccine to ...

Listen
Short Wave
How A 100-Year-Old Treatment Could Help Save Us From Superbugs from 2020-12-15T04:00

In 2015, Steffanie Strathdee's husband nearly died from a superbug, an antibiotic resistant bacteria he contracted in Egypt. Desperate to save him, she reached out to the scientific community for h...

Listen
Short Wave
To Unlock Sublime Flavor, Cook Like A Scientist from 2020-12-14T04:00

What is flavor? Is it merely what your nose and tongue tell you? For cookbook author and recipe developer Nik Sharma, flavor is a full-body experience. Drawing upon his background in molecular biol...

Listen
Short Wave
Chang'e-5: To The Moon And Back from 2020-12-11T04:00:31

It's been more than 40 years since rocks from the moon have come back to Earth. But in late November, a Chinese craft landed on the moon's surface--it's the country's first mission designed to retr...

Listen
Short Wave
Climate Change And 2020's Record-Breaking Hurricane Season from 2020-12-10T04:00

The 2020 Atlantic Hurricane season broke records and caused enormous damage. NPR climate reporter Rebecca Hersher talks us through the 2020 season--what was driven by climate change and what it mea...

Listen
Short Wave
Science From Curiosity And A Little Paper from 2020-12-08T04:00:11

Manu Prakash is the co-inventor of the Foldscope, a low-cost microscope aimed at making scientific tools more accessible. We chat with him about why he wants to change how we think about science, a...

Listen
Short Wave
How Effective Are Antibody Treatments For COVID-19? from 2020-12-07T04:00

The FDA has issued emergency use authorizations for two monoclonal antibody treatments for COVID-19 – one produced by Eli Lilly and another by Regeneron. As science correspondent Listen

Short Wave
Why We See Rainbows from 2020-12-04T04:00:34

It's another "Back To School" episode where we take a concept you were maybe taught in school as a kid, but didn't really learn or just forgot. Short Wave producer Listen

Short Wave
Nebraska Doctor: 'Don't Call Us Heroes.' Dig Deep And Do Your Part from 2020-12-03T04:00:07

Like many states in the Midwest, Nebraska was somewhat spared during the early days of the pandemic. But now, the state has Listen

Short Wave
Too Much Of A Good Thing: The Cautionary Tale of Biotech Crops from 2020-12-01T04:00:44

Some of the most popular agricultural biotech products are running into problems. These plants have been genetically modified to fend off insects, and have been great for the environment and for fa...

Listen
Short Wave
The Long Legacy Of The Arecibo Telescope from 2020-11-30T04:00:55

The National Science Foundation recently announced it plans to decommission the Arecibo Telescope in Puerto Rico. The world-renowned telescope has suffered substantial damage this year. Today, we r...

Listen
Short Wave
How Tall Is Mount Everest REALLY? from 2020-11-27T04:00

We talk about the ridiculously complicated science involved in measuring Mount Everest with NPR international correspondent Lauren Fraye...

Listen
Short Wave
The Special Connection Between Smell and Memory from 2020-11-26T04:00:40

Why can a smell trigger such a powerful memory? Biological anthropologist Kara Hoover explains what's going on in the brain when we smell, how smell interacts with taste, and why our sense of smell...

Listen
Short Wave
When Critters Bleed ... On Purpose! from 2020-11-24T04:00:56

Some insects and reptiles have a strange self-preservation characteristic — they suddenly start bleeding from places like their eyes or knees. NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce looks a...

Listen
Short Wave
Ultracold Soup: Meet The 'Superfluid' States Of Matter from 2020-11-23T04:00

Sharpen your pencils. Get out your notebook. Today, we are unveiling a new series called "Back To School." In these episodes, we take a concept you were taught in school and go a little deeper with...

Listen
Short Wave
Measuring Sea Level Rise From Space from 2020-11-20T04:00:47

A new satellite, scheduled to launch this weekend, is the latest in a parade of missions to measure sea level rise. As climate reporter Rebecca Hersher explains, it's vital data for scientists tryi...

Listen
Short Wave
Happy (Harm Reduction) Thanksgiving! from 2020-11-19T04:00

The safest way to have Thanksgiving this year is to stay at home. But realistically, we know many people will still be traveling to gather with loved ones. So in this episode, Emily and Maddie outl...

Listen
Short Wave
Trump Administration Lifts Protections For Largest National Forest In US from 2020-11-17T04:00

The Trump administration has officially eliminated federal protections for Alaska's Tongass National Forest, the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world. With the rollback of the Roadless ...

Listen
Short Wave
Who Gets The Vaccine First? And How Will They Get It? from 2020-11-16T04:00:16

Developing a safe and effective coronavirus vaccine will be crucial to getting the pandemic under control. Also important, distributing it throughout the country once it's been approved. NPR scienc...

Listen
Short Wave
The COVID-19 Vaccine Trial Results: What They Mean, What Comes Next from 2020-11-13T04:00:12

Interim results are in from a large trial of an experimental COVI...

Listen
Short Wave
A Call For Equity In Genomics Research from 2020-11-12T04:00

In the future, genomic research could lead to new treatments for human disease. It turns the data in our DNA into a global commodity. But historically, minoritized communities have been left out of...

Listen
Short Wave
Undisclosed: Fire And Flood Risk In The United States from 2020-11-10T04:00

There have been many climate-related disasters this year, and along with those events come a heavy emotional and financial toll for residents. But what NPR climate reporters Rebecca Hersher and Lau...

Listen
Short Wave
What's It Like To Be A COVID-19 'Long Hauler' from 2020-11-09T04:00:17

That's what they call themselves: long-haulers. They've been sick for months. Many have never had a positive test. Doctors cannot explain their illness any other way, and can only guess at why the ...

Listen
Short Wave
The US And The Paris Climate Agreement: 5 Things To Know from 2020-11-06T04:00

President Trump announced his intention to withdraw from the landmark Paris climate agreement in 2017 and formally notified the United Nations last year. A mandatory yearlong waiting period ended o...

Listen
Short Wave
Pandemic Reality Check - Where We Are. Where We're Headed. from 2020-11-05T04:00

Throughout the U.S., the pandemic is still raging. And with cooler weather and the height of flu season ahead, an already dire situation could get much, much worse. On today's show, a pandemic real...

Listen
Short Wave
Touch And Go: NASA Samples An Asteroid from 2020-11-03T04:00:31

A NASA spacecraft sent out to collect a sample of rock and dust from an asteroid has nabbed so much that it's created an unexpected problem. NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce shares a ...

Listen
Short Wave
Welcome To The World Of Whale Falls from 2020-11-02T04:00:22

What happens after a whale dies? Their carcasses, known as "whale falls," provide a sudden, concentrated food source for organisms ...

Listen
Short Wave
Micro Wave: "Once In A Blue Moon" Is Happening Again This Halloween from 2020-10-30T04:00:21

This year, there will be a "blue moon" for Halloween. So for today's show, we're asking: What IS a blue moon? Is the moon ever blue? And are they as rare as the phrase "once in a blue moon" implies...

Listen
Short Wave
One More Step Toward Solving The Sleep&Alzheimer's Puzzle from 2020-10-29T04:00

We know that people with Alzheimer's often have sleep problems. But does it work the other way? Do problems with sleep set the stage for this degenerative brain disease?

NPR correspondent...

Listen
Short Wave
The Mystery Of The Mummified Twinkie from 2020-10-27T04:00:21

Happy Hallo-Week! Today we have the story of Twinkies that were left alone for eight years. One grew a moldy spot and another shriveled up in its packaging, almost like a mummy. NPR's Nell Greenfie...

Listen
Short Wave
Crows: Are They Scary Or Just Super Smart? from 2020-10-26T04:00:24

Crows have gotten a bad rap throughout history — a group of them is called a "murder," after all. To get some insight into crows and perhaps set the record straight, we talked to Kaeli Swift. She's...

Listen
Short Wave
Micro Wave: Why Do Leaves Change Color During Fall? from 2020-10-23T04:00:30

Botanist and founder of #BlackBotanistsWeek Tanisha Williams explains why some leaves change color during fall and what shorter days and colder ...

Listen
Short Wave
Why These Tiny Particles Are A Big Deal from 2020-10-22T04:00

For much of the pandemic, some scientists had been pushing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to recognize that the coronavirus is spread through aerosols--very small particles that can...

Listen
Short Wave
Randall Munroe's Absurd Scientific Advice For Real-World Problems from 2020-10-20T04:00:54

Randall Munroe, the cartoonist behind the popular Internet comic xkcd, finds complicated solutions to simple, real-world problems. In the process, ...

Listen
Short Wave
Quantum Mechanics For Beginners from 2020-10-19T04:00:25

Monika Schleier-Smith, associate professor of physics at Stanford University, studies quantum mechanics, the theory that explains the nature of the itty bitty parts of our universe: atoms, photons,...

Listen
Short Wave
The Tricky Business Of Coronavirus Testing On College Campuses from 2020-10-16T04:00:27

We hit the road with NPR Education Reporter Elissa Nadworny. She's been on a weekslong road trip to get an up-close view of how co...

Listen
Short Wave
Micro Wave: You Mite Want To Shower After This from 2020-10-15T04:00:32

Today's episode is about how you're never alone.

That's because there are tiny mites that live on your skin — including your face. They come out at night and mate. And we're not totally s...

Listen
Short Wave
Gender Discrimination And Harassment At Sea from 2020-10-13T04:00

Back in December, we brought you two episodes on the MOSAiC expediti...

Listen
Short Wave
Butterflies Have Hearts In Their Wings. You Won't Believe Where They Have Eyes from 2020-10-12T04:00:22

Adriana Briscoe, a professor of biology and ecology at UC Irvine, studies vision in butterflies. As part of her research, she's...

Listen
Short Wave
Micro Wave: Does Talking To Plants Help Them Grow? from 2020-10-09T04:00:36

Environmental scientist Heidi Appel explains how plants detect sound — and whether talking to yours could help them grow big...

Listen
Short Wave
What Coronavirus Test Results Do — And Don't — Mean from 2020-10-08T04:00

Even though we've been living with the pandemic for months, there's still lots of confusion about coronavirus tests and what the results do — and don't — mean. NPR correspondent Rob Stein explains ...

Listen
Short Wave
The Fattest Bear Wins! from 2020-10-06T04:00:46

In honor of Fat Bear Week coming to a close, Short Wave is revisiting our episode on black bear hibernation. (Fat Bear Week is the annual tournament ...

Listen
Short Wave
The Nobels Overwhelmingly Go to Men — This Year's Prize For Medicine Was No Exception from 2020-10-05T04:00:28

From who historically wins the awards, to how they portray the process of science and collaboration, host Maddie Sofia and NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce discuss the many problems w...

Listen
Short Wave
Micro Wave: Why Some Fruits Ripen Faster In A Paper Bag from 2020-10-02T04:00:36

Pomologist Juan Carlos Melgar explains two key factors to why some fruits ripen faster in a paper bag — and others don't.

Plus, a bit of listener mail from you! Which you can always send ...

Listen
Short Wave
Want To Dismantle Racism In Science? Start In The Classroom from 2020-10-01T04:00

Some of the most prestigious scientists in history advanced racist and eugenicist views. But why is that rarely mentioned in textbooks? Today on the show, we speak with science educators building a...

Listen
Short Wave
Fueled By Climate Change, Hurricanes Are Causing Industrial Accidents. Who's Liable? from 2020-09-29T04:00

Fueled by climate change, hurricanes are becoming stronger and more frequent. Those storms have repeatedly led to spills and fires at chemical manufacturing plants along the Gulf Coast.

...

Listen
Short Wave
The CDC Doesn't Know Enough About Coronavirus In Tribal Nations from 2020-09-28T04:00:33

A recent CDC report estimates Native Americans and Alaskan Natives are 3.5 times more likely to get COVID-19 ...

Listen
Short Wave
Micro Wave: Mighty Mice, Drugs And Hopes For Space Voyagers from 2020-09-25T04:00

NPR Science Correspondent Jon Hamilton gives us an update on those mighty mice that Listen

Short Wave
A Short Wave Guide To Joe Biden's Coronavirus Plan from 2020-09-24T04:00:42

With election season underway, we present a Short Wave guide (with some help from our friends at NPR Politics) to Joe Biden's plan to combat the coronavirus. Political correspondent and NPR Politic...

Listen
Short Wave
ICYMI: 200+ Short Wave Episodes Are Waiting For You from 2020-09-23T04:00:56

In case you missed our announcement last week, Short Wave is temporarily shifting production schedules. We're publishing episodes in your feed four times each week instead of five. That means we'll...

Listen
Short Wave
Preparing For Perimenopause: You Don't Have To Do It Alone from 2020-09-22T04:00

Perimenopause, the period of transition to menopause, is still a largely misunderstood chapter of reproductive life. It brings about both physical and mental health changes that doctors rarely educ...

Listen
Short Wave
How Hackers Could Fool Artificial Intelligence from 2020-09-21T04:00:22

Artificial intelligence might not be as smart as we think. University and military researchers are studying how attackers could hack into AI systems by exploiting how these systems learn. It's know...

Listen
Short Wave
A Key To Black Infant Survival? Black Doctors from 2020-09-18T04:00

In the United States, Black infants die at over twice the rate of White infants. New research explores one key factor that may contribute to the disproportionately high rates of death among Black ...

Listen
Short Wave
How The U.S. Is Caught In A "Pandemic Spiral" from 2020-09-17T04:00

Ed Yong, a science writer for The Atlantic, writes that the U.S. is caught in a "pandemic spiral." He argues some of our intuitions have be...

Listen
Short Wave
Miss an episode? Now's your chance to catch up... from 2020-09-16T04:00:58

In case you missed our announcement Monday, Short Wave is temporarily shifting production schedules. We're dropping episodes into your feed four times a week instead of five. That means we'll be ta...

Listen
Short Wave
Saving Water A Flush At A Time from 2020-09-15T04:00:20

Flushing toilets can consume a lot of water. So Tak-Sing Wong, a biomedical engineer at Penn State University, is trying to minimize how much is needed. Wong developed a slippery coating for the in...

Listen
Short Wave
A Mathematician's Manifesto For Rethinking Gender from 2020-09-14T04:00:21

In her new book, x+y, mathematician Eugenia Cheng uses her specialty, category theory, to challenge how we think abo...

Listen
Short Wave
Micro Wave: Why Mosquitoes Bite You More Than Your Friends from 2020-09-11T04:00

Asked and answered: why some of you might be more prone to being bitten by mosquitoes* than others. Turns out, some interesting factors could make you more appetizing. Plus, in true micro wave fash...

Listen
Short Wave
This Is Not A Typo: One In Four Animals Known To Science Is A Beetle from 2020-09-10T04:00:40

NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce had to know more when she recently heard this mind-bending fact for the first ti...

Listen
Short Wave
Managing Wildfire Through Cultural Burning from 2020-09-09T04:00:47

Fire has always been part of California's landscape. But long before the vast blazes of recent years, Native American tribes held controlled burns that cleared out underbrush, encouraged new plant ...

Listen
Short Wave
The International Scientists Getting Pushed Out from 2020-09-08T04:00

About 30% of people in science and engineering jobs in the U.S. were born outside the country. So when the Trump Administration suspended certain work visas in June, including one held by a lot of ...

Listen
Short Wave
SPACE WEEK: An Astrophysicist On The End Of Everything from 2020-09-04T04:00:16

*Astrophysically speaking. That's the subject of Katie Mack's new book: the possible ends to our entire universe. Specifically, she breaks down some fol...

Listen
Short Wave
SPACE WEEK: Is Space Junk Cluttering Up The Final Frontier? from 2020-09-03T04:00:30

Since the dawn of Sputnik in 1957, space-faring nations have been filling Earth's orbit with satellites. Think GPS, weather forecasting, telecommunications satellites. And as those have increased, ...

Listen
Short Wave
SPACE WEEK: What Would It Be Like To Fall Into A Black Hole? from 2020-09-02T04:00:58

Black holes are one of the most beguiling objects in our universe. What are they exactly? How do they affect the universe? And what would it be like to fall into one? We venture beyond the point of...

Listen
Short Wave
SPACE WEEK: Every Moon, Ranked from 2020-09-01T04:00:56

Science writer Jennifer Leman did it. She ranked all 158 moons in our solar system. The criteria? Interviews with NASA scientists, astronomers, and her own moonpinions. She talks to host Maddie Sof...

Listen
Short Wave
SPACE WEEK: The Mystery Of Dark Energy from 2020-08-31T04:00

It's Space Week on Short Wave! Today, an encore of our episode on dark energy. This mysterious energy makes up almost 70% of our universe and is believed to be the reason the universe is expanding....

Listen
Short Wave
The Arecibo Telescope Is Damaged — And That's A Big Deal from 2020-08-28T04:00:17

In early August a cable snapped at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, causing substantial damage to one of the largest single dish radio telescopes in the world. Planetary scientist Edgard Riv...

Listen
Short Wave
The Science Of Wildfire Smoke from 2020-08-27T04:00

Smoke from wildfires can travel huge distances. We've already seen smoke from the fires in California reach all the way to Minnesota. And with all that smoke comes possible risks to human health. S...

Listen
Short Wave
What Does A Healthy Rainforest Sound Like? from 2020-08-26T04:00

On a rapidly changing planet, there are many ways to measure the health of an ecosystem. Can sound be one of them? We dive into a new methodology that applies machine learning technology to audio s...

Listen
Short Wave
Scorpion Vs Mouse: A Mind-Blowing Desert Showdown from 2020-08-25T04:00

Encore episode. This one doesn't end the way you'd expect. Inspired by the Netflix documentary series "Night On Earth," we learn everything we can about a mouse and scorpion who do battle on the re...

Listen
Short Wave
Safely Socializing In The Time Of 'Rona from 2020-08-24T04:00:03

Socializing is critical for mental and emotional health. You need it. We need it. But what's the safest way to socialize during a pandemic? We propose a few rules-of-thumb and suggestions to see yo...

Listen
Short Wave
Science Movie Club: 'Arrival' from 2020-08-21T04:00:36

The 2016 movie 'Arrival,' an adaptation of Ted Chiang's novella 'Story of Your Life,' captured the imaginations of science fiction fans worldwide. Field linguist Jessica Coon, who consulted on the ...

Listen
Short Wave
How The Lack of Fans Is Changing the Psychology of Sports from 2020-08-20T04:00:04

Professional sports are back - but it's anything but normal. The most obvious difference is the glaring absence of fans in the stands. This has led to some creative experimentation with recordings ...

Listen
Short Wave
The Science Behind Storytelling from 2020-08-19T04:00:31

Encore episode. Storytelling can be a powerful tool to convey information, even in the world of science. It can also shift stereotypes about who scientists are. We talked to someone who knows all a...

Listen
Short Wave
Farming Releases Carbon From The Earth's Soil Into The Air. Can We Put It Back? from 2020-08-18T04:00:38

Traditional farming depletes the soil and releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. But decades ago, a scientist named Rattan Lal helped start a movement based on the idea that carbon could be p...

Listen
Short Wave
The Science Is Simple, So Why Is Opening Schools So Complicated? from 2020-08-17T04:00

School districts, parents and teachers are all facing big decisions about how to return to the classroom this fall. NPR health correspondent Allison Aubrey and education correspondent Cory Turner j...

Listen
Short Wave
Save The Parasites from 2020-08-14T04:00:41

Saving endangered species usually brings to mind tigers or whales. But scientists say many parasites are also at risk of extinction. Short Wave's Emily Kwong talks with Chelsea Wood, an Assistant P...

Listen
Short Wave
How To Know If A Hurricane Is Coming For You from 2020-08-13T04:00:54

Federal forecasters are predicting a busy hurricane season this year — three to six of them could be major hurricanes. So how do you know if one is headed toward your community, and if so, how to p...

Listen
Short Wave
1st U.S. Dog With COVID-19 Has Died, And There's A Lot We Still Don't Know from 2020-08-12T04:00:26

Buddy, an adult German shepherd from Staten Island, was the first dog in the U.S. to test positive for the coronavirus. His death reveals just how little we know about COVID-19 and pets. Natasha Da...

Listen
Short Wave
Gene-Altered Squid Could Be The Next Lab Rats from 2020-08-11T04:27:30

The first genetically altered squid is here. NPR's Nell Greenfieldboyce explains how this breakthrough was made and why it's a game changer for scientists who study these critters.

Listen
Short Wave
Why Herd Immunity Won't Save Us from 2020-08-10T04:00

Herd immunity. It's the idea that enough people become immune to an infectious disease that it's no longer likely to spread. It makes sense theoretically. But as NPR's Geoff Brumfiel tells us, the ...

Listen
Short Wave
Micro Wave: Spreading Warm Bread With Socks from 2020-08-07T04:00:59

It's another Micro Wave! Today, what happens in your brain when you notice a semantic or grammatical mistake ... according to neuroscience. Sarah Phillips,...

Listen
Short Wave
Wearing A Mask Could Be Even More Important Than We Thought from 2020-08-06T04:00

A new paper and growing observational evidence suggest that a mask could protect you from developing a serious case of COVID-19 — by cutting down on the amount of virus that takes root in your body...

Listen
Short Wave
How Gene Therapy Helped Conner Run from 2020-08-05T04:00:02

Gene therapy has helped a 9-year-old boy regain enough muscle strength to run. If successful in others, it could change the lives of thousands of children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. NPR's Jo...

Listen
Short Wave
The Search For Ancient Civilizations On Earth ... From Space from 2020-08-04T04:00:41

Encore episode. Sarah Parcak explains how she uses satellite imagery and data to solve one of the biggest challenges in archaeology: where to start digging. Her book is called 'Archaeology From Spa...

Listen
Short Wave
Pregnancy And COVID-19: What We Know And How To Protect Yourself from 2020-08-03T04:00:34

How dangerous is COVID-19 for pregnant women and their babies? The research has been scant and the data spotty. Dr. Laura Riley, the chair of obstetrics and gynecology at Weill Cornell Medicine an...

Listen
Short Wave
Coronavirus Q&A: Running Outside, Petting Dogs, And More from 2020-07-31T04:00:18

What's the deal with wiping down groceries? How often should you sanitize your phone? Can you greet other people's dogs? In this episode, an excerpt of Maddie's appearance on another NPR podcast wh...

Listen
Short Wave
Butterflies Have Hearts In Their Wings. You'll Never Guess Where They Have Eyes from 2020-07-30T04:00:36

Adriana Briscoe, a professor of biology and ecology at UC Irvine, studies vision in butterflies. As part of her research, she's...

Listen
Short Wave
Mars Is The Place To Go This Summer from 2020-07-29T04:00:30

The United Arab Emirates launched a mission to Mars earlier this month, followed by China days later. And tomorrow, NASA is scheduled to launch its own mission to the red planet that includes a six...

Listen
Short Wave
The Controversy Around COVID-19 Hospital Data from 2020-07-28T04:00

Data are so more than just a bunch of numbers, especially when it's the data hospitals are reporting about COVID-19. Earlier this month, the Trump Administration made a sudden change to the way tha...

Listen
Short Wave
Eavesdropping On Whales In A Quiet Ocean from 2020-07-27T04:00:54

The pandemic has led to a drop in ship traffic around the world, which means the oceans are quieter. It could be momentary relief for marine mammals that are highly sensitive to noise. NPR's Laure...

Listen
Short Wave
Why Shame Is A Bad Public Health Tool — Especially In A Pandemic from 2020-07-24T04:00

So much of dealing with the pandemic is about how each of us behaves in public. And it's easy to get mad when we see people not following public health guidelines, especially when it looks like the...

Listen
Short Wave
CDC Employees Call Out A 'Toxic Culture Of Racial Aggressions' from 2020-07-23T04:00:26

Over 1,400 current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) employees are demanding that the organization "clean its own house" of what they're calling a "culture of toxic racial aggression...

Listen
Short Wave
America's 'Never-Ending Battle Against Flesh-Eating Screw Worms' from 2020-07-22T04:00:05

Sarah Zhang wrote about it for the Atlantic: a decades-long scientifi...

Listen
Short Wave
Fat Phobia And Its Racist Past And Present from 2020-07-21T04:00:05

Where does our preference for thinness really come from? As Sabrina Strings explains in her book, Fearing the Black Body, the answer is much more complicated than health or aesthetics. She...

Listen
Short Wave
The Troubling Link Between Deforestation and Disease from 2020-07-20T04:00:27

There's evidence deforestation has gotten worse under the pandemic. It's especially troubling news. Scientists are discovering a strong correlation between deforestation and disease outbreaks. NPR ...

Listen
Short Wave
Micro Wave: The Science Of Microwave Ovens + Listener Mail from 2020-07-17T04:00:11

Introducing Micro Waves: low-calorie episodes featuring bite-sized science, mail from our listeners, and...maybe other stuff in the future? We'll figure it out.

Write to us at Listen

Short Wave
Why The Pandemic Is Getting Worse... And How To Think About The Future from 2020-07-16T04:00

Rising cases, not enough testing, and not enough people taking the virus seriously. NPR science correspondent Richard Harris explains...

Listen
Short Wave
Understanding Unconscious Bias from 2020-07-15T04:00

The human brain can process 11 million bits of information every second. But our conscious minds can handle only 40 to 50 bits of information a second. So our brains sometimes take cognitive shortc...

Listen
Short Wave
Why Do Flying Snakes Wiggle In The Air? from 2020-07-14T04:00:08

Some snakes can fly, and we don't mean on a plane. Certain snakes that live in South and Southeast Asia can leap off branches, undulating through the air, onto another tree. But why do they wiggle?...

Listen
Short Wave
How Record Heat In Siberia Is Messing With...Everything from 2020-07-13T04:00:27

Climate change and this year's weather patterns are behind the record-breaking heat in Siberia. NPR Climate Reporter Rebecca Hersher Listen

Short Wave
Lightbulbs Strike Back from 2020-07-10T04:00

Encore episode. Humans have a long history of inventions that shape the world around us: electricity, telephones, computers, music — the list goes on. But as Listen

Short Wave
This NASA Engineer Is Bringing Math And Science To Hip-Hop from 2020-07-08T04:00:49

Encore episode. NASA engineer Dajae Williams is using hip ho...

Listen
Short Wave
Honeybees Need Your Help from 2020-07-07T04:00:04

Encore episode. A deadly triangle of factors is killing off U.S. honeybees. Last year, forty percent of honeybee colonies died in the U.S., continuing an alarming trend. Entomologist Sammy Ramsey t...

Listen
Short Wave
The Importance Of Black Doctors from 2020-07-06T04:00:52

Though Black Americans make up 13% of the U.S. population, they represent only 5% of physicians. How does that lack of diversity in the physician workforce impact Black patients' health and well-be...

Listen
Short Wave
Typhoid Mary: Lessons From An Infamous Quarantine from 2020-07-03T04:00:35

A special episode from our colleagues at NPR's history podcast Throughline.

When a cook who carried typhoid fever showed no s...

Listen
Short Wave
Backyard Birding 101 from 2020-07-02T04:00:18

If you pay attention to what's going on in your own backyard, ornithologist Viviana Ruiz Gutierrez says the birds among us have been putting on a great show. Gutierrez explains migration, mating da...

Listen
Short Wave
One Way To Slow Coronavirus Outbreaks At Meatpacking Plants? A Lot Of Testing from 2020-07-01T04:00

Meatpacking plants have been some of the biggest COVID-19 hot spots in the country. Thousands of workers have been infected, dozens have died. As plants reopen, one strategy has helped slow the vir...

Listen
Short Wave
Octocopter Set to Explore Titan, Saturn's Very Cool Moon from 2020-06-30T04:00:39

NASA is on a mission to explore Titan — the largest moon of Saturn. To do that, scientists are building a nuclear-powered, self-driving drone (technically an octocopter) called Dragonfly. Scheduled...

Listen
Short Wave
Meet The Climate Scientist Trying to Fly Less for Work from 2020-06-29T04:00:46

A few years ago, climate scientist Kim Cobb had a brutal realization about how much she was flying for conferences and meetings. Those flights were adding lots of climate-warming carbon dioxide int...

Listen
Short Wave
A COVID-19 Vaccine: What You Need To Know from 2020-06-26T04:00

Approximately 200 COVID-19 vaccines are being actively developed, a process that health official...

Listen
Short Wave
Minneapolis' Bold Plan To Tackle Racial Inequity And Climate Change from 2020-06-25T04:00:28

Racial discrimination shaped the map of Minneapolis. Then city zoning locked many of those patterns into place. Maddie talks with NPR climate reporter Listen

Short Wave
The Science Behind That Fresh Rain Smell from 2020-06-24T04:00:24

Scientists have known for decades that one of the main causes of the smell of fresh rain is geosmin: a chemical compound produced by soil-dwelling bacteria. But why do the bacteria make it in the f...

Listen
Short Wave
Tech Companies Are Limiting Police Use of Facial Recognition. Here's Why from 2020-06-23T04:00:09

Earlier this month, IBM said it was getting out of the facial recognition business. Then Amazon and Microsoft announced prohibitions on law enforcement using their facial recognition tech. There's ...

Listen
Short Wave
There Is No 'Second Wave' from 2020-06-22T04:00

America is still stuck in the first one. Maddie and Emily examine how the idea of a 'second wave' of coronavirus might have taken hold.

NPR science correspondent Nurith Aizenman's Listen

Short Wave
A Kazoo And The Evolution Of Speech from 2020-06-19T04:00:28

Encore episode. Researchers discovered that this simple instrument could offer insights into the evolution of human speech. Short Wave reporter Emily Kwong talks with primatologist Listen

Short Wave
The Inseparable Link Between Climate Change And Racial Justice from 2020-06-18T04:00:51

Marine biologist Ayana Elizabeth Johnson wrote a Washington Post op-ed about the ways the fight around climate change and racial justice go hand in hand. Host Maddie Sofia talks with her about that...

Listen
Short Wave
How Many People Transmit The Coronavirus Without Ever Feeling Sick? from 2020-06-17T04:00

It's called asymptomatic spread. Recently a scientist with the World Health Organization created confusion when she seemed to suggest it was "very rare." It's not, as the WHO attempted to clarify.<...

Listen
Short Wave
We Don't Know Enough About Coronavirus Immunity from 2020-06-16T04:00:42

Does getting the coronavirus once make you immune to it or could you get it again? Many are looking to antibody tests for answers. The logic is: if I have antibodies for the coronavirus, I must be ...

Listen
Short Wave
The Fight Over A Weedkiller, In The Fields And In The Courts from 2020-06-15T04:00:09

A federal court recently ordered farmers to stop spraying one of the country's most widely used herbicides, dicamba. NPR's food and agriculture correspondent Dan Charles tells us the ruling has tur...

Listen
Short Wave
Coronavirus 'Long-Haulers' Have Been Sick For Months. Why? from 2020-06-12T04:00

That's what they call themselves: long-haulers. They've been sick for months. Many have never had a positive test. Doctors cannot explain their illness any other way, and can only guess at why the ...

Listen
Short Wave
Spinosaurus Makes Waves from 2020-06-11T04:00

We chat with National Geographic Explorer and paleontologist Nizar Ibrahim about his team's discovery of the Spinosaurus, the first known swimmi...

Listen
Short Wave
How Tear Gas Affects The Body from 2020-06-10T04:00:08

In protests around the country, law enforcement agencies have used tear gas to disperse crowds. But is it safe? ProPublica environment reporter Lisa Song speaks with Short Wave reporter Emily Kwong...

Listen
Short Wave
People Are Volunteering To Be Exposed To The Coronavirus...For Science from 2020-06-09T04:00:46

In this episode, Maddie Sofia talks with Invisibilia's Alix Spiegel about the bioethics of conducting human challenge trials with the aim of producing a viable coronavirus vaccine. We hear from Jam...

Listen
Short Wave
Science Is For Everyone — Until It's Not from 2020-06-08T04:00:06

Encore episode. Brandon Taylor's story has a happy ending. Today he's a successful writer whose debut novel 'Real Life' received Listen

Short Wave
Code Switch: A Decade Of Watching Black People Die from 2020-06-06T04:00:04

The last few weeks have been filled with devastating news — stories about the police killing black people. So today, we're turning the mic over to our colleagues at Listen

Short Wave
Coronavirus And Racism Are Dual Public Health Emergencies from 2020-06-05T04:00:06

Across the country, demonstrators are protesting the death of George Floyd and the ongoing systemic racism that is woven into the fabric of the United States. The protests come in the middle of an ...

Listen
Short Wave
#BlackBirdersWeek Seeks To Make The Great Outdoors Open To All from 2020-06-04T04:00:37

Happy #BlackBirdersWeek! This week, black birders around the world are rallying around Christian Cooper, a black man and avid birder, who was harassed by a white woman while birding in Central Park...

Listen
Short Wave
Meet The 'Glacier Mice.' Scientists Can't Figure Out Why They Move. from 2020-06-03T04:00:24

In 2006, while hiking around the Root Glacier in Alaska, glaciologist Tim Bartholomaus encountered something strange and unexpected on the ice — dozens of fuzzy, green balls of moss. It turns out,...

Listen
Short Wave
The Key To Coronavirus Testing Is Community from 2020-06-02T04:00:22

In San Francisco, the coronavirus has disproportionately affected Hispanic and Latinx communities. This is especially true in the Mission District — a neighborhood known for its art and food cultur...

Listen
Short Wave
The World Is Constantly Running Out Of Helium from 2020-06-01T04:00:58

Encore episode. Helium is the second-most common element in the cosmos, but it's far rarer on planet Earth. As part of our celebration of the periodic table's 150th birthday, Listen

Short Wave
What We Will ?— And Won't ?— Remember About The Pandemic from 2020-05-29T04:00

There's no doubt we're living through a Big Historic Event, but that doesn't necessarily mean we'll remember it all that well. Shayla Love, a senior staff writer for VICE, explains what memory rese...

Listen
Short Wave
The Pandemic Cut Down Car Traffic. Why Not Air Pollution? from 2020-05-28T04:00

An NPR analysis of a key air pollutant showed levels have not changed dramatically since the pandemic curbed car traffic in the U.S. N...

Listen
Short Wave
What Would It Be Like To Fall Into A Black Hole? from 2020-05-27T04:00:13

Black holes are one of the most beguiling objects in our universe. What are they exactly? How do they affect the universe? And what would it be like to fall into one? We venture beyond the point of...

Listen
Short Wave
Space Launch! (It's Tomorrow And It's Historic.) from 2020-05-26T04:00:40

Tomorrow, two NASA astronauts are set to head up into space on a brand new spacecraft, built by the company SpaceX. The last time NASA sent a crew up in an entirely new vehicle was in 1981 with the...

Listen
Short Wave
A Short Wave Mad Lib from 2020-05-25T04:00:28

We're off for Memorial Day, so Maddie and Emily have a special Short Wave mad lib for you. Back with a new episode tomorrow.

Email the show at shortwave...

Listen
Short Wave
How to Correct Misinformation, According to Science. from 2020-05-22T04:00

The World Health Organization has called the spread of misinformation around the coronavirus an "infodemic." So what do you do when it's somebody you love spreading the misinformation? In this epis...

Listen
Short Wave
Science Movie Club: 'Contact' from 2020-05-21T04:00:34

Yes, there actually are astronomers looking for intelligent life in space. The 1997 film adaptation of Carl Sagan's 'Contact' got a lot of things right ... and a few things wrong. Radio astronomer ...

Listen
Short Wave
What You Flush Is Helping Track The Coronavirus from 2020-05-20T04:00:39

More than 100 cities are monitoring sewage for the presence of the coronavirus, and public health officials think wastewater could provide an early warning system to help detect future spikes. Listen

Short Wave
The Squishy, Slimey Science Of ASMR from 2020-05-19T04:00:54

Encore episode. The science is nascent and a little squishy, but researchers like Giulia Poerio are trying to better understand...

Listen
Short Wave
The Pandemic Time Warp from 2020-05-18T04:00:42

The pandemic has upended every aspect of our lives, including the disorienting way many of us have been perceiving time. It might feel like a day drags on, while a week (or month!) just flies by. W...

Listen
Short Wave
What Did Earth Look Like 3.2 Billion Years Ago? from 2020-05-15T04:00:26

The surface of the Earth is constantly recycled through the motion of plate tectonics. So how do researchers study what it used to look like? Planetary scientist Listen

Short Wave
The Coronavirus Is Mutating. Here's What That Means. from 2020-05-14T04:00

Ed Yong of The Atlantic explains how a viral article led to headlines about a possible coronavirus mutation. All viruses mutate — it doesn't necessarily mean the virus has developed into a more dan...

Listen
Short Wave
Kids' Books Where Science Is The Adventure from 2020-05-13T04:00:20

Maddie talks with author and neuroscientist Theanne Griffith about her new children's book series, The M...

Listen
Short Wave
Making Music Out Of The Coronavirus from 2020-05-12T04:00:16

When Markus Buehler heard about the coronavirus, he wanted to know what it sounded like. Today on the show, Maddie speaks with Short Wave reporter Emily Kwong about how Markus Buehler, a composer a...

Listen
Short Wave
We Need More Coronavirus Testing. Are Antigen Tests The Answer? from 2020-05-11T04:00:24

There's a difference between diagnostic, antibody, and antigen tests. All provide different levels of reliability and speed.

NPR health correspon...

Listen
Short Wave
Here's The Deal With 'Murder Hornets' from 2020-05-08T04:00:03

Reports of so-called 'murder hornets' have been all over the news this week. (Even though they were first spotted in the United States late last year.) We talk with entomologist Samuel Ramsey who e...

Listen
Short Wave
What We're Missing, By Missing Strangers Now from 2020-05-07T04:00:14

With a lot of us stuck at home, trying to physically distance from each other, one part of daily life has largely disappeared: bumping into strangers. On today's show, Maddie talks with Yowei Shaw,...

Listen
Short Wave
Scientists Think The Coronavirus Transmitted Naturally, Not In A Lab. Here's Why. from 2020-05-06T04:00

The Trump administration has advanced the theory the coronavirus began as a lab accident, but scientists who research bat-borne coronaviruses disagree. Speaking with NPR, ten virologists and epidem...

Listen
Short Wave
What Is Dark Energy? Physicists Aren't Even Sure from 2020-05-05T04:00:58

Dark energy makes up almost 70% of our universe and is believed to be the reason the universe is expanding. Yet very, very little is known about it. To figure out what we do know — and what it coul...

Listen
Short Wave
Letters From The 1918 Pandemic from 2020-05-04T04:00:45

The 1918 flu outbreak was one of the most devastating pandemics in world history, infecting one third of the world's population and killing an estimated 50 million people. While our understanding o...

Listen
Short Wave
How An Early Plan To Spot The Virus Fell Weeks Behind from 2020-05-01T04:00:26

In several major cities, public health officials work every year to monitor the flu. It's called sentinel surveillance. And as early as mid-February, the government had a plan to use that system t...

Listen
Short Wave
How Bears Come Out Of Hibernation Jacked from 2020-04-30T04:00:09

Spring is in the air — and so are black bears coming out of hibernation. Rae Wynn-Grant, a large carnivore biologist, explains there's a lot more going o...

Listen
Short Wave
Can Optimism Be Learned? (Like Right Now?) from 2020-04-29T04:00:06

Optimism is often thought as a disposition, something you're born with or without. So can it be learned? On today's show, Maddie talks with Alix Spiegel, co-host of NPR's Invisibilia, about "learne...

Listen
Short Wave
The Lightbulb Strikes Back from 2020-04-28T04:00:18

Humans have a long history of inventions: electricity, telephones, computers, music — the list goes on. It's clear we're shaping the world around us.

But as Listen

Short Wave
The Hard Truth About Ventilators from 2020-04-27T04:00:22

During the pandemic, ventilators have been considered a vital medical tool to treat critically-ill COVID-19 patients. But more and more evidence is suggesting that those who go on a ventilator — do...

Listen
Short Wave
Contact Tracing Is Key To Reopening. We're Not There Yet from 2020-04-24T04:00

The U.S. may need 100,000 people trained in the public health practice of contact tracing — tracking and isolating people who've been in contact with someone who tests positive for the coronavirus....

Listen
Short Wave
How Infectious Disease Shaped American Bathroom Design from 2020-04-23T04:00:05

We're all spending more time these days at home — including our bathrooms. But why do they look the way they do? From toilets to toothbrush holders, bioethicist and journalist Elizabeth Yuko explai...

Listen
Short Wave
Animal Slander! Debunking 'Birdbrained' And 'Eat Like A Bird' from 2020-04-22T04:00:11

Welcome back to "Animal Slander," the series where we take common expressions about animals and debunk them with science. Today on the show, we tackle "birdbrained" and to "eat like a bird" with bi...

Listen
Short Wave
On Earth Day, What You Can Do For The Environment from 2020-04-21T04:00:44

Happy (early) Earth Day, Short Wave listeners. We've received many questions from you about climate change, specifically what can individuals and households do to reduce their carbon footprint. So,...

Listen
Short Wave
Coronavirus Models Aren't "Wrong." That's Not How They Work. from 2020-04-20T04:00:34

Scientific models of disease don't predict the future. They're just one tool to help us all prepare for it. NPR global health correspondent Listen

Short Wave
When The Military Fights A Pandemic At Home from 2020-04-17T04:00:34

Last Tuesday, the military helped evacuate dozens of critically ill COVID-19 patients from overwhelmed hospitals in Queens. NPR's Rebecca Hersher says what happened that night shows how training fo...

Listen
Short Wave
Every Moon, Ranked from 2020-04-16T04:00:46

Science writer Jennifer Leman did it. She ranked all 158 moons in our solar system. The criteria? Interviews with NASA scientists, astronomers, and her own moonpinions. She talks to host Maddie Sof...

Listen
Short Wave
Where Did The Coronavirus Start? Virus Hunters Find Clues In Bats from 2020-04-15T04:00

Bats are critically important for ecosystems around the world. But they also harbor some of the toughest known zoonotic diseases, and are the likely origin point for this coronavirus. Short Wave re...

Listen
Short Wave
The Science of Making Bread from 2020-04-14T04:00:27

Social distancing has some of us taking up bread baking for the first time, including host Maddie Sofia. Chemist and baker Patricia Christie explains the science of making bread, including a few ti...

Listen
Short Wave
How To Talk About The Coronavirus With Friends And Family from 2020-04-13T04:00:04

Liz Neeley, science communication expert and executive director of The Story Coll...

Listen
Short Wave
The "7 Day COVID-19 Crash" from 2020-04-10T04:00:52

Some patients with COVID-19 are experiencing a crash after about a week of showing symptoms of the disease. The cause?

Well, as NPR's Listen

Short Wave
Science Movie Club: 'Twister' from 2020-04-08T04:00:43

No, tornadoes do not sound like a roaring lion. The 1996 drama 'Twister' got a lot of things wrong...and a few things right. Meteorologist Listen

Short Wave
Puerto Ricans Are At Risk From The Coronavirus And A Lack Of Information from 2020-04-07T04:00:05

The U.S. territory of Puerto Rico has the most older Americans per capita, making their population especially vulnerable to the coronavirus. A vital tool in preventing its spread there? Timely and ...

Listen
Short Wave
The Peculiar Physics Of Wiffle Balls from 2020-04-06T04:00:14

Wiffle Balls are a lightweight alternative to baseballs, better suited for backyards then sports stadiums. The design of the Wiffle Ball guarantees you don't need a strong arm to throw a curve ball...

Listen
Short Wave
How The Coronavirus Could Hurt Our Ability To Fight Wildfires from 2020-04-03T04:00:08

Now is when we'd normally be getting ready for fire season. And this upcoming one could be tough for states like California, which had an especially dry winter. The spread of the coronavirus howeve...

Listen
Short Wave
Honeybees Need Your Help, Honey from 2020-04-02T04:00:54

A deadly triangle of factors is killing off U.S. honeybees. Last year, forty percent of honeybee colonies died in the U.S., continuing an alarming trend. Entomologist Sammy Ramsey tells host Maddie...

Listen
Short Wave
Is This Real? Loss of Smell And The Coronavirus from 2020-04-01T04:00

Doctors around the world are sharing stories of patients losing their sense of taste or smell — and testing positive for the coronavirus. Is it a real symptom of COVID-19? There Listen

Short Wave
Seen Any Nazi Uranium? Researchers Want To Know from 2020-03-31T04:00:33

Encore episode. NPR science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel shares the story of Nazi Germany's attempt to build a nuclear reactor — and how evidence of that effort was almost lost to history. It's a t...

Listen
Short Wave
Lessons In Being Alone, From A Woodland Snail from 2020-03-30T04:00

Bedridden with illness, Maine writer Elisabeth Tova Bailey found an unlikely companion — a solitary snail a friend brought her from the woods. Elisabeth spent the following year observing the creat...

Listen
Short Wave
No, The Coronavirus Isn't Another Flu from 2020-03-27T04:00:05

President Trump has compared the coronavirus to the seasonal flu. NPR reporter Pien Huang speaks to host Maddie Sofia about why the coronavirus appears deadlier and more transmissible — and why it ...

Listen
Short Wave
Stay Home And Skype A Scientist from 2020-03-26T04:00:43

The spread of the coronavirus has led many to stay home in recent weeks. During that time, the non-profit Skype A Scientist has seen a surge in demand...

Listen
Short Wave
Exploring The Canopy With 'TreeTop Barbie' from 2020-03-25T04:00

Encore episode: Pioneering ecologist Nalini Nadkarni takes us up into the canopy — the area above the forest floor — where she helped research and document this unexplored ecosystem. Plus: the stor...

Listen
Short Wave
It's Okay To Sleep Late (But Do It For Your Immune System) from 2020-03-23T04:00:32

Dr. Syed Moin Hassan was riled up. "I don't know who needs to hear this," he Listen

Short Wave
Keep Your Distance from 2020-03-20T04:00:29

It's a phrase we're hearing a lot now, social distancing. Practicing it is essential to slowing the spread of the coronavirus. But what does it really mean? NPR's Maria Godoy gives us advice on wha...

Listen
Short Wave
Yep. They Injected CRISPR Into An Eyeball from 2020-03-19T04:00:28

It's no exaggeration to say the gene-editing technique CRISPR could revolutionize medicine. We look at a new milestone — a CRISPR treatment that edits a patient's DNA while it's still inside their ...

Listen
Short Wave
Coronavirus Can Live On Surfaces For Days. What That Really Means from 2020-03-18T04:00

It actually behaves much like other viruses in that regard. NPR health correspondent Allison Aubrey has more on what we know, what we don't, and tips on how to keep surfaces clean. More from her re...

Listen
Short Wave
Coronavirus Is Closing Schools: Here's How Families Can Cope. from 2020-03-17T04:00

As schools across the U.S. shutter for weeks at a time, Short Wave looks at the science behind the decision. Plus, tips from a psychologist on how to cope with long, unexpected periods at home.

Listen
Short Wave
Is Failure To Prepare For Climate Change A Crime? from 2020-03-16T04:00:22

That's the central question of an unprecedented lawsuit against a company whose chemical plant flooded during Hurricane Harvey in August 2017. Containers and trailers there caught fire, sending up ...

Listen
Short Wave
Coronavirus Latest: Testing Challenges And Protecting At-Risk Elderly from 2020-03-13T04:00:37

There's a lot going on with the coronavirus. To keep you up to speed, we'll be doing more regular updates on the latest about the pandemic. Today, NPR science correspondents Jon Hamilton and Nell G...

Listen
Short Wave
Humble Pi: When Math Goes Awry from 2020-03-12T04:00:47

Pi Day (3/14) approaches. To help honor the coming holiday and the importance of math, stand-up mathematician Matt Parker unspools a common math mistake known as the off-by-one-error. His new book ...

Listen
Short Wave
As Coronavirus Spreads, Racism And Xenophobia Are Too from 2020-03-11T04:00

Coronavirus is all over the headlines. Accompanying the growing anxiety around its spread, has been suspicion and harassment of Asians and Asian Americans. For more on this, we turned to Listen

Short Wave
Freshwater Mussels Are Dying And No One Knows Why from 2020-03-10T04:00:20

In 2016, biologists and fishermen across the country started to notice something disturbing. Freshwater mussels were dying in large numbers. NPR National Correspondent Nathan Rott tells us about th...

Listen
Short Wave
Creating Antimatter: Matter's "Evil Twin" from 2020-03-09T04:00:39

Physicists have done the math and there should be as much antimatter as matter — but that hasn't been the case so far. NPR Correspondent Listen

Short Wave
The U.S. Doesn't Use The Metric System. Or Does It? from 2020-03-06T04:00:52

From currency and commerce, food labels to laboratories, the metric system is the foundation of many science and math fields. To mark our 100th episode (a multiple of 10, which is the basis for the...

Listen
Short Wave
Mouse Vs Scorpion: A Mind-Blowing Desert Showdown from 2020-03-05T04:00:58

This one doesn't end the way you'd expect. Inspired by the Netflix documentary series "Night On Earth," we learn everything we can about a mouse and scorpion who do battle on the regular — from two...

Listen
Short Wave
Coronavirus Is Here. Will Quarantines Help? from 2020-03-04T04:00

Despite quarantines and other measures, the coronavirus keeps popping up. What makes it so hard to control?

Listen
Short Wave
When The Tides Keep Getting Higher from 2020-03-03T04:00

As sea levels rise from climate change, coastal communities face a greater risk of chronic flooding. Climate scientist Astrid Caldas and her colleagues have looked at where it's happening now and w...

Listen
Short Wave
A Tale Of Two (Very Different) Drug Prices from 2020-03-02T04:00:09

NPR Pharmaceuticals Correspondent Sydney Lupkin joins us to talk about a dad who learned his daughter needed an expensive drug — but there was a nearly identical one that was thousands of dollars c...

Listen
Short Wave
A Short Wave Guide To Good — And Bad — TV Forensics from 2020-02-28T04:00:58

Raychelle Burks is a forensic chemist AND a big fan of murder mysteries. Today, we talk pop culture forensics with Raychelle and what signs to look for ...

Listen
Short Wave
Vaccines, Misinformation, And The Internet (Part 2) from 2020-02-27T04:00:54

In the second of two episodes exploring anti-vaccine misinformation online, Renee DiResta of the Listen

Short Wave
Vaccines, Misinformation, And The Internet (Part 1) from 2020-02-26T04:00

In the first of two episodes exploring anti-vaccine misinformation online, we hear the story of what happened to Cincinnati-area pediatrician Nicole Baldwin when her pro-vaccine TikTok video made h...

Listen
Short Wave
Australia's Next Danger: Mudslides from 2020-02-24T04:00:38

With many of Australia's hillsides stripped bare by fire, scientists are rushing to predict where mudslides could be triggered by rainfall. NPR science reporter Rebecca Hersher and photographer Mer...

Listen
Short Wave
A Board Game Where Birds (And Science) Win from 2020-02-21T04:00:39

Wingspan is a board game that brings the world of ornithology into the living room. The game comes with 170 illustrated birds cards, each equipped with a power that reflects that bird's behavior in...

Listen
Short Wave
Foldscope: Science From Curiosity And A Little Paper from 2020-02-20T04:00:10

Manu Prakash is the co-inventor of the Foldscope, a low-cost microscope aimed at making scientific tools more accessible. We chat with him about why he wants to change how we think about science, a...

Listen
Short Wave
Harvard Professor's Arrest Raises Questions About Scientific Openness from 2020-02-19T04:00

Harvard chemist Charles Lieber was arrested in January on charges he lied about funding he received from China. Some say the case points to larger issues around scientific collaboration in an era o...

Listen
Short Wave
Can Taking Zinc Help Shorten Your Cold? from 2020-02-18T04:00:39

It's possible — but it depends on a few key factors. NPR health correspondent Allison Aubrey explains, and tells the story of the scientist who uncovered the importance of zinc for human health in ...

Listen
Short Wave
Is This Love? Or Am I Gonna Fight A Lion. from 2020-02-14T04:00:53

Ever wonder what's causing all those reactions in your body when you're falling in love with someone? We certainly did. So, we called up Adam Cole, who gathered up all the science and wrote Listen

Short Wave
The Weedkiller That Went Rogue from 2020-02-13T04:00

A few years ago farmers started noticing their crops were developing damaged leaves. Turns out the culprit was dicamba, a weedkiller being sprayed by other farmers. Now a trial is underway to decid...

Listen
Short Wave
Does Your Cat Really Hate You? from 2020-02-12T04:00:23

It's the latest installment of our series, "Animal Slander," where we take a common phrase about animals and see what truth there is to it. The issue before the Short Wave court today: "Do cats des...

Listen
Short Wave
A Tiny Satellite Revolution Is Afoot In Space from 2020-02-11T04:00:54

Meet the CubeSat: a miniaturized satellite that's been growing in sophistication. In the last 20 years, over 1,000 CubeSats have been launched into space for research and exploration. We talk about...

Listen
Short Wave
There's A Plan To Drive Down Global Insulin Prices. Will It Work? from 2020-02-10T04:00

Diabetes is a growing global problem, especially in low and middle income countries. Half of the 100 million in need of insulin lack reliable access. The World Health Organization wants to do somet...

Listen
Short Wave
A Coronavirus Listener Q&A Episode from 2020-02-07T04:00:43

How does the coronavirus spread? Does wearing a face mask actually help? And why is the virus getting so much media coverage? This episode, we answer your coronavirus-related questions with the hel...

Listen
Short Wave
Service Animals In The Lab: Who Decides? from 2020-02-06T04:00:17

Joey Ramp's service dog, Sampson, is with her at all times, even when she has to work in a laboratory. It wasn't always easy to have him at her side. Joey tells us why she's trying to help more ser...

Listen
Short Wave
Discovering 'Stormquakes' from 2020-02-05T04:00

Seismologist Wenyuan Fan explains the accidental discovery — buried deep in seismic and meteorological data — that certain storms over ocean water can cause...

Listen
Short Wave
Sepsis Is A Global Killer. Can Vitamin C Be The Cure? from 2020-02-04T04:00:16

Every day, approximately 30,000 people die globally of sepsis. The condition comes about when your immune system overreacts to an infection, leading potentially to organ failure and death. There is...

Listen
Short Wave
From Stream To Sky, Two Key Rollbacks Under The Trump Administration from 2020-02-03T04:00:52

The Trump Administration has rolled back dozens of environmental regulations, which it regards as a burden to industry. Today on Short Wave, NPR National Desk correspondents Jeff Brady and Nathan R...

Listen
Short Wave
The Surprising Origin Of Some Timely Advice: Wash Your Hands from 2020-01-31T04:00

Today we know that one of the easiest and most effective things you can do to protect yourself from the cold, flu, and other respiratory illnesses (including those like the novel coronavirus) is to...

Listen
Short Wave
Where The 2020 Democrats Stand On Climate Change from 2020-01-30T04:00:55

With the Iowa caucuses around the corner, we give you a Short Wave guide (with some help from our friends at NPR Politics) to where the Listen

Short Wave
A Decade of Dzud: Lessons From Mongolia's Deadly Winters from 2020-01-29T04:00:41

Mongolia has a many-thousand year history of herding livestock. But in the past two decades, tens of thousands have left the countryside because of a natural disaster you may have never heard of. "...

Listen
Short Wave
A Brief History (And Some Science) Of Iran's Nuclear Program from 2020-01-28T04:00:18

With the Iran nuclear deal in further jeopardy, we take a look at how the country's nuclear program began with NPR's Geoff Brumfiel. (The United States has a surprising role.) We'll also hear how t...

Listen
Short Wave
Archaeology...From Space from 2020-01-27T03:00:13

Sarah Parcak explains how she uses satellite imagery and data to solve one of the biggest challenges in archaeology: where to start digging. Her book is called 'Archaeology From Space: How The Futu...

Listen
Short Wave
China's Coronavirus Is Spreading. But How? from 2020-01-24T04:00

A deadly virus believed to have originated in China was found in the US this week. NPR global health correspondent Jason Beaubien explains what we know and don't know about the disease — and the li...

Listen
Short Wave
The Comeback Bird: Meet the Ko'Ko' from 2020-01-23T04:00:48

For nearly forty years, the Guam Rail bird (locally known as the ko'ko') has been extinct in the wild — decimated by the invasive brown tree snake. But now, after a decades-long recovery effort, th...

Listen
Short Wave
Can A Low-Carb Diet Prevent A Plague Of Locusts? from 2020-01-22T04:00

Swarms of locusts can destroy crops and livelihoods. Right now, countries in East Africa are dealing with the threat. At a lab in Tempe, Arizona, researchers are trying to figure out how to minimiz...

Listen
Short Wave
Mighty Mice Return From Space from 2020-01-21T04:00:10

Some very unusual mice with big muscles are back on Earth after a month on the International Space Station. NPR science correspondent Jon Hamilton shares the story of the two researchers behind the...

Listen
Short Wave
2020 So Far: Fires, Floods, And Quakes from 2020-01-17T04:00:49

Already this year, natural disasters have wreaked havoc in Australia, Indonesia, and Puerto Rico. We look at some science behind the wildfires, floods, and earthquakes in those places with NPR repo...

Listen
Short Wave
Can A 100-Year-Old Treatment Help Save Us From Superbugs? from 2020-01-16T04:00

In 2015, Steffanie Strathdee's husband nearly died from a superbug, an antibiotic resistant bacteria he contracted in Egypt. Desperate to save him, she reached out to the scientific community for h...

Listen
Short Wave
In Mozambique, Meteorologists Can't Keep Up With Climate Change from 2020-01-15T04:00:23

Accurate weather forecasting can be a matter of life or death. So countries with less money like Mozambique face a big challenge. They can't build and maintain their own weather radar or satellites...

Listen
Short Wave
Your Brain On Storytelling from 2020-01-14T04:00:43

Storytelling can be a powerful tool to convey information, even in the world of science. It can also shift stereotypes about who scientists are. We talked to someone who knows all about this - Liz ...

Listen
Short Wave
Space Junk: How Cluttered Is The Final Frontier? from 2020-01-13T04:00:43

Since the dawn of Sputnik in 1957, space-faring nations have been filling Earth's orbit with satellites. Think GPS, weather forecasting, telecommunications satellites. But as those have increased, ...

Listen
Short Wave
Animal Slander! - "Blind As A Bat" And "Memory Of A Goldfish" from 2020-01-10T04:00:46

Host Maddie Sofia and reporter Emily Kwong evaluate what truth there is to the popular phrases "blind as a bat" and "memory of a goldfish." Hint: The phrases probably weren't born out of peer-revie...

Listen
Short Wave
The Link Between Kitchen Countertops And A Deadly Disease from 2020-01-09T04:00:30

It's called silicosis, and it's been known about for decades. So why is it now emerging in new numbers among workers who cut kitchen countertops? NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce expl...

Listen
Short Wave
What's Behind Australia's Historic Fires from 2020-01-08T04:00:13

Biologist Lesley Hughes from Macquarie University in Australia explains why the recent bushfires there could change the country forever. Hughes is a former federal climate commissioner, and has bee...

Listen
Short Wave
Food Waste + Poop = Electricity from 2020-01-07T04:00

Some dairy farmers in Massachusetts are using food waste and manure to create renewable energy. Each farm produces enough to power about 1,500 homes. Not only does this process create electricity, ...

Listen
Short Wave
A Star In Orion Is Dimming. Is It About To Explode? from 2020-01-06T04:00:40

Okay, it wouldn't technically be an explosion. And if it's "about" to happen, it already happened. About 650 years ago. We'll explain, with astronomer Emily Levesque, who studies massive stars at t...

Listen
Short Wave
Short Wave Presents: Life Kit Tips For Dealing With Anxious Kids from 2020-01-03T04:00:31

When is your kid just scared of the dark and when are they dealing with a larger anxiety disorder? On today's Short Wave, we're featuring our friends over at NPR's Life Kit. They'll teach you how t...

Listen
Short Wave
Compost Your Loved Ones from 2020-01-02T04:00:17

There aren't that many options for putting your loved ones to rest. There's burial. There's cremation. Now, later this year in Washington state, it'll be legal to compost a human body. Soil scienti...

Listen
Short Wave
Happy New Year! from 2020-01-01T04:00:33

We're back with a new episode tomorrow! Hope you had a safe and happy orbit around the sun.

Listen
Short Wave
Tennessine's Wild Ride To The Periodic Table from 2019-12-31T04:00

There are rare chemical elements, and then there is tennessine. Only a couple dozen atoms of the stuff have ever existed. For the 150th anniversary of the periodic table, NPR science correspondent ...

Listen
Short Wave
The Decade In Science from 2019-12-30T04:00:51

As 2019 draws to a close, we enlisted the help of two NPR science correspondents — Nell Greenfieldboye and Joe Palca — to look back on some of the biggest science stories of the past 10 years. Foll...

Listen
Short Wave
Sci-Fi Movies Of The Decade (Sort Of) from 2019-12-27T04:00

Astrophysicist Adam Frank is a big fan of science and movies. He's even been a science adviser to Marvel's "Doctor Strange." So we asked Adam to give us his sci-fi films of the decade - movies that...

Listen
Short Wave
One Of The Germiest Places In The Airport from 2019-12-26T04:00

Hint: it's not the bathroom. Niina Ikonen and Carita Savolainen-Kopra from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare studied high-traffic areas in the Helsinki airport to identify where germs we...

Listen
Short Wave
Happy Holidays! from 2019-12-25T04:00:19

Maddie and Emily wish you Happy Holidays and share some science facts you can show off at your next holiday party. Plus, a little reminder of how you can show your support for the show. Find and do...

Listen
Short Wave
A Shortwave Christmas Carol from 2019-12-24T04:00:09

On Christmas Eve, scientists at field stations across Antarctica sing carols to one another...via shortwave. On today's episode, the Short Wave podcast explores shortwave radio. We speak with space...

Listen
Short Wave
Iridium's Pivotal Role In Our Past And ... Maybe Our Future? from 2019-12-23T04:00:16

The story of how a father and son team - one a physicist, one a geologist - helped solve a big scientific mystery. What brought the reign of dinosaurs to an end? NPR Science Correspondent Richard H...

Listen
Short Wave
What Happened To The American Chestnut Tree? from 2019-12-20T04:00:45

In the early 20th century, a blight fungus wiped out most of the 4 billion American chestnut trees on the eastern seaboard. The loss was ecologically devastating. Pod reporter Emily Kwong tells us ...

Listen
Short Wave
The First African American Face Transplant from 2019-12-19T04:00:27

In 2013, Robert Chelsea was hit by a drunk driver and sustained third-degree burns on more than half of his body. Nearly six years later, he became the first African American recipient of a full fa...

Listen
Short Wave
And The Winner Is...Science! from 2019-12-18T04:00:53

Camille Schrier, a 24-year-old pharmacy student, competed in the Miss Virginia pageant over the summer with a "talent" that caught our attention. It put her love of science center stage. On today's...

Listen
Short Wave
The Science Behind Whakaari/White Island's Eruption from 2019-12-17T04:00

The volcano of Whakaari or White Island in New Zealand erupted just over a week ago. More than a dozen people were killed, including tourists to the popular attraction. Volcanologist Alison Graetti...

Listen
Short Wave
A Polar Expedition To The Top Of The World: Part 2 from 2019-12-16T04:00:03

Our journey continues on MOSAiC: the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate. Physicists, chemists, and biologists are all working to understand more about why Arctic...

Listen
Short Wave
A Polar Expedition To The Top Of The World: Part 1 from 2019-12-13T04:00:31

A massive scientific mission is underway in the Arctic. Physicists, chemists, and biologists are studying the changing region, so they can better predict what might be ahead for the Arctic...and th...

Listen
Short Wave
Invasive Species: We Asked, You Answered from 2019-12-12T04:00:31

We couldn't stop at the spotted lanternfly! (We covered that invasive species in an earlier ep...

Listen
Short Wave
The Congolese Doctor Who Discovered Ebola from 2019-12-11T04:00:37

Jean-Jacques Muyembe is a Congolese doctor heading up the response to the current Ebola outbreak in Congo. Back in 1976, he was the first doctor to collect a sample of the virus. But his crucial r...

Listen
Short Wave
Aluminum's Journey From Precious Metal To Beer Can from 2019-12-10T04:00:15

We've been celebrating 150 years of the Periodic Table. This episode, the rise of aluminum! The element is incredibly common, but was once hard to extract. That made it more valuable than gold in t...

Listen
Short Wave
Getting Closer To The Sun Than Ever Before from 2019-12-09T04:00:23

An ambitious mission to get a spacecraft close to the sun has revealed a strange region of space filled with rapidly flipping magnetic fields and rogue plasma waves. Science correspondent Nell Gree...

Listen
Short Wave
If You Give An Orangutan A Kazoo... from 2019-12-06T04:00:59

If you give an orangutan a kazoo, will it produce a sound? Researchers discovered that this simple instrument could offer insights into the vocal abilities of orangutans — and the evolution of huma...

Listen
Short Wave
Is CBD Safe? The FDA Can't Say from 2019-12-05T04:00

Use of CBD — cannabidiol, the non-psychoactive component in cannabis — has exploded in the last few years. But while it's marketed as a solution for stress, anxiety, insomnia, and pain, the Food an...

Listen
Short Wave
The Evolution Of HIV Treatment from 2019-12-04T04:00:39

A lot has changed since the first cases of AIDS were reported in 1981. Globally, AIDS-related deaths have dropped by more than 55% since 2004, the deadliest year on record. But, the road to effecti...

Listen
Short Wave
An Interstellar Wanderer Is Coming Our Way from 2019-12-03T04:00:37

Comet 2I/Borisov will reach its closest approach to the sun on December 8, 2019. We talk to planetary astronomer Michele Bannister about where the heck this comet came from, and what it tells us ab...

Listen
Short Wave
Does Your Dog REALLY Love You? from 2019-12-02T04:00:40

Clive Wynne, founding director of the Canine Science Collaboratory at Arizona State University, draws on studies from his lab and others around the world to explain what biology, neuroscience, and ...

Listen
Short Wave
The Science Of Smell And Memory from 2019-11-29T04:00:15

Why can a smell trigger such a powerful memory? Biological anthropologist Kara Hoover explains what's going on in the brain when we smell, how smell interacts with taste, and why our sense of smell...

Listen
Short Wave
Happy Thanksgiving! from 2019-11-28T04:00:52

Maddie and Emily wish you a Happy Thanksgiving, and explain how you can support the show. Find and donate to your local public radio station at donate.npr.org/...

Listen
Short Wave
One Small Step For Cookie Baking from 2019-11-27T04:00:39

Imagine having your Thanksgiving meal in microgravity? That's the reality for the six astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Today, we look at the evolution of astronaut food and a plan...

Listen
Short Wave
The Nightmare Of Sleep Paralysis from 2019-11-26T04:00:37

As a teenager, Josh Smith was plagued by sleep paralysis. Now he's afraid his kid might be experiencing it too. In this listener questions episode, Josh asks what the science says about this sleep ...

Listen
Short Wave
Uganda's Solution For Treating Extreme Pain from 2019-11-25T04:00:15

Uganda has come up with a low-tech solution to treat patients in a lot of pain: drinkable liquid morphine. Nurith Aizenman tell us how this model works and how other African countries are taking in...

Listen
Short Wave
The CDC, Its 'F-Word' (Firearms)&Suicide Prevention from 2019-11-22T04:00:26

Congress prohibits the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from using any of its funding to promote or advocate for gun control. NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce looked into ho...

Listen
Short Wave
Solving The Sleep&Alzheimer's Puzzle from 2019-11-21T04:00

We know that people with Alzheimer's often have sleep problems. But does it work the other way? Do problems with sleep set the stage for this degenerative brain disease? Jon Hamilton introduces us ...

Listen
Short Wave
That Revolutionary Gene-Editing Experiment? So Far So Good. from 2019-11-20T04:00:11

Earlier this month NPR health correspondent Rob Stein introduced us to Victoria Gray, the woman at the center of a groundbreaking medical treatment using CRISPR, the gene-editing technique. This we...

Listen
Short Wave
Saving Water One Flush At A Time from 2019-11-19T04:00:56

Happy World Toilet Day! Flushing toilets can consume a lot of water, so Tak-Sing Wong, a biomedical engineer at Penn State University, is trying to minimize how much is needed. Wong developed a sli...

Listen
Short Wave
Bye Bye, Bei Bei: Giant Panda Heads to China from 2019-11-18T04:00:10

The Smithsonian's National Zoo is bidding farewell to Bei Bei. The 4-year-old giant panda will be sent to China on Tuesday, Nov. 19. While born in captivity at the zoo, Bei Bei is the property of C...

Listen
Short Wave
An Eyewitness to Extinction from 2019-11-15T04:00:43

While doing field work in Central America in the 1990's, biologist Karen Lips noticed the frogs she was studying were disappearing. Scientists in other parts of the world had documented the same th...

Listen
Short Wave
You Asked About The Flu from 2019-11-14T04:00:43

How can you tell if you have the flu, or the common cold? Why does your arm hurt after you get the flu shot? And can getting the flu shot actually give you the flu? This episode, we answer your flu...

Listen
Short Wave
SpaceX's Satellite Swarm: Could It Hurt Astronomy? from 2019-11-13T04:00:45

The private space company run by Elon Musk launched 60 satellites into orbit this week. Science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel explains why astronomers worry that kind of traffic — if it continues un...

Listen
Short Wave
Most U.S. Dairy Cows Come From 2 Bulls. That's Not Good. from 2019-11-12T04:00

NPR science correspondent Dan Charles explains why most of the dairy cows in America are descended from just two bulls, creating a lack of genetic diversity that can lead to health problems. He als...

Listen
Short Wave
Can Global Shipping Go Zero Carbon? from 2019-11-11T04:00:41

A lot of the stuff we buy in the U.S. comes by ship — ships that use a particularly dirty kind of fuel. Now a big shipping company says it wants to go zero carbon. Climate reporter Becky Hersher te...

Listen
Short Wave
The Mind-Bending Ascent Of Helium — And Why It's Running Low from 2019-11-08T04:00

Helium is the second-most common element in the cosmos, but it's far rarer on planet Earth. As part of our celebration of the periodic table's 150th birthday, reporter Geoff Brumfiel shares a brief...

Listen
Short Wave
Life After Whale Death from 2019-11-07T04:00:13

What happens after a whale dies? Their carcasses, known as "whale falls," provide a sudden, concentrated food source for organisms ...

Listen
Short Wave
Fighting An Insect Invasion With... An Insect Invasion from 2019-11-06T04:00:44

The spotted lanternfly is eating its way through trees and crops in eastern Pennsylvania. NPR science correspondent Dan Charles explains how scientists hope to stop the spread of this invasive pest...

Listen
Short Wave
The U.S. Wants Out Of The Paris Agreement from 2019-11-05T04:00

It's official, but not a surprise. The U.S. has told the United Nations it wants to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, the global accord to fight climate change. President Trump announced his inten...

Listen
Short Wave
A Revolutionary Experiment To Edit Human Genes from 2019-11-04T04:00:44

Victoria Gray has sickle cell disease, a painful and debilitating genetic condition that affects millions of people around the world. But an experimental gene-editing technique known as CRISPR coul...

Listen
Short Wave
When A Listener Calls... from 2019-11-01T04:00:58

It's our first-ever listener questions episode! On this Short Wave, listener Charlotte asks why some people seek out scary experiences. We reached out to Ken Carter, a psychology professor at Oxfor...

Listen
Short Wave
The Zombies That Walk Among Us from 2019-10-31T04:00

The idea of human zombies probably seems pretty far-fetched. But there are real zombies out there in the animal kingdom. Ed Yong of The Atlantic creeps us out with a couple of examples. Hint: they ...

Listen
Short Wave
Crows Don't Forget from 2019-10-30T04:00:54

Crows have gotten a bad rap throughout history. Think about it. A group of them is called a "murder." To get some insight into crows and perhaps set the record straight, we talked to Kaeli Swift. S...

Listen
Short Wave
Wildfire Season Is Here To Stay from 2019-10-29T04:00

Californians face a terrible new normal as wildfire season grows longer and more intense. Jennifer Montgomery, head of the California's Forest Management Task Force, explains three key factors at t...

Listen
Short Wave
Meet Two MacArthur 'Genius Grant' Scientists from 2019-10-28T04:00:51

We meet two scientists working on opposite sides of the world, both thinking creatively about rising sea levels and our changing oceans. Listen

Short Wave
Seen Any Nazi Uranium? These Researchers Want To Know from 2019-10-25T04:00:43

NPR science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel shares the story of Nazi Germany's attempt to build a nuclear reactor — and how evidence of that effort was almost lost to history. It's a tale he heard fro...

Listen
Short Wave
Adversarial AI from 2019-10-24T04:00

Artificial intelligence might not be as smart as we think. University and military researchers are studying how attackers could hack into AI systems by exploiting how these systems learn. It's know...

Listen
Short Wave
Logging 'The Lungs' of North America from 2019-10-23T04:00:49

The world's largest intact temperate rainforest is in a place you may not expect: southeast Alaska. The Trump administration wants to eliminate a longstanding rule protecting the Tongass National F...

Listen
Short Wave
Finally, An All-Female Spacewalk from 2019-10-22T04:00:47

NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir completed the first all-female spacewalk last week. The historic moment came 35 years after Kathryn Sullivan became the first American woman to space...

Listen
Short Wave
Randall Munroe's Absurd Science For Real-World Problems from 2019-10-21T04:00

Randall Munroe, the cartoonist behind the popular Internet comic xkcd, finds complicated solutions to simple, real-world problems. In the process, he reveals a lot about science and why th...

Listen
Short Wave
Exploring The Rainforest With 'TreeTop Barbie' from 2019-10-18T04:00:58

Pioneering ecologist Nalini Nadkarni takes us up into the canopy — the area above the forest floor — where she helped research and document this unexplored ecosystem. Plus: the story of her decades...

Listen
Short Wave
The Squishy Science Behind ASMR from 2019-10-17T04:00

The science is nascent and a little squishy, but researchers like Giulia Poerio are trying to better understand ASMR — a feeling triggered in the brains of some people by whispering, soft tapping, ...

Listen
Short Wave
What We Know (And Don't) About The Dangers Of Vaping from 2019-10-16T04:00

Amid an outbreak of lung injury cases, there's a new spotlight on the dangers of vaping, a practice that's been marketed as an alternative to smoking. NPR health correspondent Allison Aubrey explai...

Listen
Short Wave
Kicking The Habit With 'Shrooms from 2019-10-15T04:00:13

Magic mushrooms — they're not just for getting weird with your friends. Researchers are increasingly looking at psychedelics to treat conditions such as depression and addiction.

Listen
Short Wave
Introducing Short Wave from 2019-10-06T15:57:40

Short Wave, NPR's new daily science podcast, starts October 15th. Join host Maddie Sofia for new discoveries, everyday mysteries, and the science behind the headlines – all in about 10 minutes, Mon...

Listen