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1054 episodes
2019 to present
Average episode: 13 minutes
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Podcaster's summary: 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
| Episodes |
| 2024-Apr-24 • 14 minutes Beavers Can Help With Climate Change. So How Do We Get Along? NPR's Tom Dreisbach is back in the host chair for a day. This time, he reports on a story very close to home: The years-long battle his parents have been locked in with the local wild beaver population. Each night, the beavers would dam the culverts along the Dreisbachs' property, threatening to make their home inaccessible. Each morning, Tom's parents deconstructed those dams — until the annual winter freeze hit and left them all in a temporary stalemate.As beaver populations have increased, so have these ... |
| 2024-Apr-22 • 15 minutes Sustainable Seafood Is All Around You — If You Know Where To Look Roughly 196 million tons of fish were harvested in 2020, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The organization also notes that the number of overfished stocks worldwide has tripled in the last century. All of this overfishing has led to the decline of entire species, like Atlantic cod. Enter the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch. It and other free guides give consumers an overview of the world of fish and seafood, helping people to figure out the most sustainable f... |
| 2024-Apr-19 • 9 minutes An 11-Year-old Unearthed Fossils Of The Largest Known Marine Reptile When the dinosaurs walked the Earth, massive marine reptiles swam. Among them, a species of Ichthyosaur that measured over 80 feet long. Today, we look into how a chance discovery by a father-daughter duo of fossil hunters furthered paleontologist's understanding of the "giant fish lizard of the Severn." Currently, it is the largest marine reptile known to scientists.Read more about this specimen in the study published in the journal PLOS One. Have another ancient animal or scientific revelation you want us... |
| 2024-Apr-17 • 13 minutes The Nightmarish Worm That Lived 25 Million Years Longer Than Researchers Thought 500 million years ago, the world was a very different place. During this period of time, known as the Cambrian period, basically all life was in the water. The ocean was brimming with animals that looked pretty different from the ones we recognize today — including a group of predatory worms with a throat covered in teeth and spines. Researchers thought these tiny terrors died out at the end of the Cambrian period. But a paper published recently in the journal Biology Letters showed examples of a new specie... |
| 2024-Apr-15 • 14 minutes How The Brain Experiences Pleasure — Even The Kind That Makes Us Feel Guilty We've all been there: You sit down for one episode of a reality TV show, and six hours later you're sitting guiltily on the couch, blinking the screen-induced crust off your eyeballs. Okay. Maybe you haven't been there like our team has. But it's likely you have at least one guilty pleasure, whether it's playing video games, reading romance novels or getting swept into obscure corners of TikTok. It turns out that experiencing – and studying – pleasure is not as straightforward as it might seem. And yet, ple... |
| 2024-Apr-12 • 13 minutes What To Know About The New EPA Rule Limiting 'Forever Chemicals' In Tap Water Wednesday the Environmental Protection Agency announced new drinking water standards to limit people's exposure to some PFAS chemicals. For decades, PFAS have been used to waterproof and stain-proof a variety of consumer products. These "forever chemicals" in a host of products — everything from raincoats and the Teflon of nonstick pans to makeup to furniture and firefighting foam. Because PFAS take a very long time to break down, they can accumulate in humans and the environment. Now, a growing body of res... |
| 2024-Apr-10 • 12 minutes The Order Your Siblings Were Born In May Play A Role In Identity And Sexuality It's National Siblings Day! To mark the occasion, guest host Selena Simmons-Duffin is exploring a detail very personal to her: How the number of older brothers a person has can influence their sexuality. Scientific research on sexuality has a dark history, with long-lasting harmful effects on queer communities. Much of the early research has also been debunked over time. But not this "fraternal birth order effect." The fact that a person's likelihood of being gay increases with each older brother has been f... |
| 2024-Apr-07 • 12 minutes How Climate Change And Physics Affect Baseball It's baseball season! And when we here at Short Wave think of baseball, we naturally think of physics. To get the inside scoop on the physics of baseball, like how to hit a home run, we talk to Frederic Bertley, CEO and President of the Center of Science and Industry, a science museum in Columbus, Ohio. He also talks to host Regina G. Barber about how climate change is affecting the game. Interested in the science of other sports? Email us at [email protected] — we'd love to hear from you.Learn more about s... |
| 2024-Apr-05 • 9 minutes The "Barcodes" Powering These Tiny Songbirds' Memories May Also Help Human Memory Tiny, black-capped chickadees have big memories. They stash food in hundreds to thousands of locations in the wild – and then come back to these stashes when other food sources are low. Now, researchers at Columbia University's Zuckerman Institute think neural activity that works like a barcode may be to thank for this impressive feat — and that it might be a clue for how memories work across species. Curious about other animal behavior mysteries? Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor messa... |
| 2024-Apr-03 • 13 minutes How To Make The Most Of Next Week's Solar Eclipse On April 8, the moon will slip in front of the sun, blocking its light and creating an eerie twilight in the middle of the day. Stars will come out, the air will get cold, colors will dance around the horizon. It's a full-body experience born from the total solar eclipse that will be visible from North America. Today on the show, Regina G. Barber talks to NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce about why some people say this experience is one of the most beautiful celestial events you can see – and h... |
| 2024-Apr-01 • 16 minutes The Two Sides Of Guyana: A Green Champion And An Oil Producer For Guyana the potential wealth from oil development was irresistible — even as the country faces rising seas. Today on the show, host Emily Kwong talks to reporter Camila Domonoske about her 2021 trip to Guyana and how the country is grappling with its role as a victim of climate change while it moves forward with drilling more oil. (encore)For more of Camila's reporting and pictures from her visit, check out "Guyana is a poor country that was a green champion. Then Exxon discovered oil."Want to more about... |
| 2024-Mar-29 • 13 minutes The Shy Rodents Lost To Science Historic numbers of animals across the globe have become endangered or pushed to extinction. But some of these species sit in limbo — not definitively extinct yet missing from the scientific record. Rediscovering a "lost" species is not easy. It can require trips to remote areas and canvassing a large area in search of only a handful of animals. But new technology and stronger partnerships with local communities have helped these hidden, "uncharismatic" creatures come to light. Have other scientific gray ar... |
| 2024-Mar-27 • 13 minutes Shots Are Scary. But They Don't Have To Be. According to the CDC, about one in four adults has a fear of needles. Many of those people say the phobia started when they were kids. For some people, the fear of needles is strong enough that they avoid getting important treatments, vaccines or tests. That poses a serious problem for public health. Researchers have helped develop a five step plan to help prevent what they call "needless pain" for kids getting injections or their blood drawn. Guest host Tom Dreisbach talks with Dr. Stefan Friedrichsdorf of... |
| 2024-Mar-25 • 12 minutes What's It Like To Live In Space? One Astronaut Says It Changes Her Dreams Few humans have had the opportunity to see Earth from space, much less live in space. We got to talk to one of these lucky people — NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara. She will soon conclude her nearly seven month stay on the International Space Station. Transmitting from space to your ears, Loral talks to host Regina G. Barber about her dreams in microgravity, and her research on the ISS: 3D-printing human heart tissue, how the human brain and body adapt to microgravity, and how space changes the immune systems o... |
| 2024-Mar-22 • 10 minutes The Evolutionary Mystery Of Menopause ... In Whales Across the animal kingdom, menopause is something of an evolutionary blip. We humans are one of the few animals to experience it. But Sam Ellis, a researcher in animal behavior, argues that this isn't so surprising. "The best way to propagate your genes is to get as many offspring as possible into the next generation," says Ellis. "The best way to do that is almost always to reproduce your whole life." So how did menopause evolve? The answer may lie in whales. Ellis and his team at the University of Exeter ... |
| 2024-Mar-20 • 13 minutes Syphilis Cases Are Rising In Babies. Illinois Has A Potential Solution The number of newborns born with syphilis – a serious sexually transmitted infection – has skyrocketed 755% from 2012 to 2021. These babies have congenital syphilis, which is when the infection is passed from mother to baby during pregnancy. It can have dire consequences if left untreated. The surge has left medical professionals and public health leaders scrambling for solutions to stop the spread. Today on the show, Chicago based journalist Indira Khera talks to Emily Kwong about what's behind this myster... |
| 2024-Mar-18 • 13 minutes A Tale Of Two Bengali Physicists When Shohini Ghose was studying physics as a kid, she heard certain names repeated over and over. "Einstein, Newton, Schrodinger ... they're all men." Shohini wanted to change that — so she decided to write a book about some of the women scientists missing from her grade school physics textbooks. It's called Her Space, Her Time: How Trailblazing Women Scientists Decoded the Hidden Universe. This episode, she talks to Short Wave host Regina G. Barber about uncovering the women physicists she admires — and ho... |
| 2024-Mar-15 • 13 minutes Are We On The Brink Of A Nuclear Fusion Breakthrough? Nuclear fusion could one day change the world by producing energy at lower costs than we generate it now — without greenhouse gas emissions or long-term nuclear waste. If we can get it to work. People have been promising nuclear fusion as a new, clean source of power for decades without much tangible success. But lately, billions of dollars from venture capitalists and tech entrepreneurs have flowed into the field. Science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel shares his reporting on some of the companies racing tow... |
| 2024-Mar-13 • 13 minutes What We Know About Long COVID, From Brain Fog to Fatigue "Long COVID has affected every part of my life," said Virginia resident Rachel Beale said at a recent Senate hearing. "I wake up every day feeling tired, nauseous and dizzy. I immediately start planning when I can lay down again." Beale is far from alone. Many of her experiences have been echoed by others dealing with long COVID. It's a constellation of debilitating symptoms that range from brain fog and intense physical fatigue to depression and anxiety. But there's new, promising research that sheds light... |
| 2024-Mar-11 • 12 minutes The Science Of Atomic Bombs At The Heart Of 'Oppenheimer' Coming down from the buzz of the Oscars, we're taking a look at Christopher Nolan's award-winning film 'Oppenheimer.' It chronicles the life and legacy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the first director of Los Alamos National Laboratory and the so-called "Father of the Atomic Bomb." The movie does not shy away from science — and neither do we. We talked to current scientists at Los Alamos about the past and present science of nuclear weapons like the atomic bomb.Read more about the Manhattan Project.Have other hi... |
| 2024-Mar-08 • 9 minutes The "Shocking" Tactic Electric Fish Use to Collectively Sense the World Neuroscientist Nathan Sawtell has spent a lot of time studying the electric elephantnose fish. These fish send and decipher weak electric signals, which Sawtell hopes will eventually help neuroscientists better understand how the brain filters sensory information about the outside world. As Sawtell has studied these electric critters, he's had a lingering question: why do they always seem to organize themselves in a particular orientation. At first, he couldn't figure out why, but a new study released this ... |
| 2024-Mar-06 • 12 minutes The Recent Glitch Threatening Voyager 1 The Voyager 1 space probe is the farthest human-made object in space. It launched in 1977 with a golden record on board that carried assorted sounds of our home planet: greetings in many different languages, dogs barking, and the sound of two people kissing, to name but a few examples. The idea with this record was that someday, Voyager 1 might be our emissary to alien life – an audible time capsule of Earth's beings. Since its launch, it also managed to complete missions to Jupiter and Saturn. In 2012, it ... |
| 2024-Mar-04 • 14 minutes The Evolution Of Cancer Treatment Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration approved a first-of-its-kind cancer therapy to treat aggresive forms of skin cancer. It has us thinking of the long history of cancer. One of the first recorded mentions of cancer appears in an ancient Egyptian text from around 3000 B.C. And although we now know much more about how cancer begins — as a series of mutations in someone's DNA — it's a disease people are still grappling with how to cure cancers today. This episode, cancer epidemiologist Mariana Stern... |
| 2024-Mar-01 • 14 minutes Could Dune Really Exist? What Scientists Think of Our Favorite Sci-Fi Worlds The sci-fi film Dune: Part Two is out in theaters now. The movie takes place on the harsh desert planet, Arrakis, where water is scarce and giant, killer sandworms lurk just beneath the surface. But what do planetary scientists and biologists think about the science of these worms, Arrakis and our other favorite sci-fi planets? Today on the show, Regina G. Barber talks to biologist (and Star Trek consultant!) Mohamed Noor and planetary scientist Michael Wong about Dune, habitable planets and how to make fan... |
| 2024-Feb-28 • 11 minutes Is It Possible To Feed The World Sustainably? According to the United Nations, about ten percent of the world is undernourished. It's a daunting statistic — unless your name is Hannah Ritchie. She's the data scientist behind the new book Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet. It's a seriously big thought experiment: How do we feed everyone on Earth sustainably? And because it's just as much an economically pressing question as it is a scientific one, Darian Woods of The Indicator from Planet Money jo... |
| 2024-Feb-26 • 13 minutes In Light of The Alabama Court Ruling, A Look At The Science Of IVF An Alabama Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos can be considered "extrauterine children" under state law has major implications for how in vitro fertilization, commonly called IVF, is performed. 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. Reproductive endocrinologist Amanda Adeleye explains the science behind IVF, the barriers to accessing it and her concerns about fertility treatment in ... |
| 2024-Feb-23 • 9 minutes Didn't Get A Valentine's Love Song? These Skywalker Gibbons Sing Love Duets In the green tree canopies of forested areas in Myanmar, you might wake up to the sounds of gibbons singing love songs. Gibbons start their day with passionate duets and, though these love songs may sound a little different than the ones in your playlists, they just helped researchers figure out that Myanmar has the largest population of an endangered gibbon species on Earth. They're called skywalker gibbons, and until recently, scientists thought there were fewer than 200 of them – all living in southweste... |
| 2024-Feb-21 • 12 minutes When The Sun Erupts We are at the height of the Sun's activity in its eleven year cycle, known to astronomers as the solar maximum. This means that over the next several months there's going to be a lot of solar activity. It's got us thinking back to 1859. That's when astronomer Richard Carrington was studying the Sun when he witnessed the most intense geomagnetic storm recorded in history. The storm, triggered by a giant solar flare, sent brilliant auroral displays across the globe causing electrical sparking and fires in tel... |
| 2024-Feb-19 • 14 minutes The Life And Death Of A Woolly Mammoth Lately, paleoecologist Audrey Rowe has been a bit preoccupied with a girl named Elma. That's because Elma is ... a woolly mammoth. And 14,000 years ago, when Elma was alive, her habitat in interior Alaska was rapidly changing. The Ice Age was coming to a close and human hunters were starting early settlements. Which leads to an intriguing question: Who, or what, killed her? In the search for answers, Audrey traces Elma's life and journey through — get this — a single tusk. Today, she shares her insights on ... |
| 2024-Feb-16 • 13 minutes The U.N.'s First-Ever Analysis Of World's Migratory Species Just Dropped Every year, billions of animals across the globe embark on journeys. They fly, crawl, walk or slither – often across thousands of miles of land or water – to find better food, more agreeable weather or a place to breed. Think monarch butterflies, penguins, wild Pacific salmon. These species are crucial to the world as we know it. But until this week, there has never been an official assessment of the world's migratory animals. So today on the show, correspondent Nate Rott shares the first-ever report on sta... |
| 2024-Feb-14 • 12 minutes Celebrate Valentine's Day With These Queer Animals In a Valentine's Day exclusive report, NPR has learned there is currently a gay anteater couple at Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Washington D.C.But this couple is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg when it comes to queerness in the animal world – it's been documented in hundreds of species. We spoke with wildlife ecologist Christine Wilkinson of the "Queer is Natural" TikTok series to uncover the wildest, queerest animals of the bunch. Questions, comments or thoughts o... |
| 2024-Feb-12 • 13 minutes The Shared History Of The Chinese And Gregorian Calendars Happy Lunar New Year! According to the Chinese lunisolar calendar, the new year began Saturday. For many, like our host Regina G. Barber, this calendar and its cultural holidays can feel completely detached from the Gregorian calendar. Growing up, she associated the former with the Spring Festival and getting money in red envelopes from relatives, and the other with more American traditions. But the Chinese calendar has a deep, centuries-long shared history with the Gregorian calendar. To learn more about t... |
| 2024-Feb-09 • 9 minutes Clownfish Might Be Counting Their Potential Enemies' Stripes At least, that's what a group of researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University thinks. The team recently published a study in the journal Experimental Biology suggesting that Amphiphrion ocellaris, or clown anemonefish, may be counting. Specifically, the authors think the fish may be looking at the number of vertical white stripes on each other as well as other anemonefish as a way to identify their own species. Not only that — the researchers think that the fish are not... |
| 2024-Feb-07 • 12 minutes After 20 Years, This Scientist Uncovered The Physics Behind The Spiral Pass If you've ever watched part of a professional football game, you've probably seen a tight spiral pass. Those perfect throws where the football leaves the player's hand and neatly spins as it arcs through the air. But those passes? They seem to defy fundamental physics. And for a long time, scientists couldn't figure out exactly why — until experimental atomic physicist Tim Gay cracked the case just a few years ago. His answer comes after two decades of hobby research and more than a couple late night shout... |
| 2024-Feb-05 • 14 minutes Wolves Are Thriving In The Radioactive Chernobyl Exclusion Zone In 1986 the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded, releasing radioactive material into northern Ukraine and Belarus. It was the most serious nuclear accident in history. Over one hundred thousand people were evacuated from the surrounding area. But local gray wolves never left — and their population has grown over the years. It's seven times denser than populations in protected lands elsewhere in Belarus. This fact has led scientists to wonder whether the wolves are genetically either resistant or resilien... |
| 2024-Feb-02 • 13 minutes This Scientist Figured Out Why Your Appendix Isn't Useless Back in the day, many of us heard that the appendix is a vestigial organ — at best, a body part that lost its purpose all those many years ago. At worst, an unnecessary clinger-on to the human body that, when ruptured, could be life threatening. But what if that narrative is wrong?Heather Smith became obsessed with the appendix after hers was removed at age 12. After years of anatomy research, she's found that the appendix is not, in fact, useless. Reporter Selena Simmons-Duffin is in the host chair today t... |
| 2024-Jan-31 • 15 minutes Murder, Mayhem At The Zoo: A Naked Mole Rat Succession War An all-out "naked mole rat war" has broken out at Smithsonian's National Zoo, after the queen of the colony was mortally wounded by one of her own children. Short Wave's Pien Huang and Margaret Cirino visit the battleground – a series of deceptively calm-looking plexiglass enclosures at the Zoo's Small Mammal House. There, the typically harmonious, eusocial rodents are now fighting their siblings with their big front teeth to determine who will become the new queen. Pien and Marge talk with zookeeper Kenton... |
| 2024-Jan-29 • 12 minutes Choose Your Lightning Protection: Lasers, Rockets or Rods? 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 available to deflect lightning is the simple lightning rod, created by Benjamin Franklin more than 250 years ago. But lightning rods protect only a very limited area proportional to their height. In today's encore episode, we explore why a group of European researchers are hoping the 21 century upgrade is a high-... |
| 2024-Jan-27 • 16 minutes Lessons on the limits of ecosystem restoration from the Everglades When the U.S. government and state of Florida unveiled a new plan to save the Everglades in 2000, the sprawling blueprint to restore the wetlands became the largest hydrological restoration effort in the nation's history. Two decades later, only one project is complete, the effort is $15 billion over budget and the Everglades is still dying. The new podcast Bright Lit Place from WLRN and NPR heads into the swamp to meet its first inhabitants, the scientists who study it and the warring sides struggling to f... |
| 2024-Jan-26 • 9 minutes When Tiny, Invasive Ants Go Marching In...And Alter An Ecosystem At the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, a wildlife preserve in central Kenya, lions and cheetahs mingle with zebras and elephants across many miles of savannah – grasslands with "whistling thorn" acacia trees dotting the landscape here and there. Twenty years ago, the savanna was littered with them. Then came invasive big-headed ants that killed native ants — and left the acacia trees vulnerable. Over time, elephants have knocked down many of the trees. That has altered the landscape — and the diets of other animals ... |
| 2024-Jan-24 • 14 minutes Experiencing Racism May Physically Change Your Brain Scientists know that Black people are at a greater risk for health problems like heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease than white people. A growing body of research shows that racism–in health systems and the effects of experiencing racial discrimination–contributes to these long-standing health disparities for Black communities. Now, some researchers are asking whether part of the explanation involves how racism changes the brain. Today on the show, science correspondent Jon Hamilton speaks with ... |
| 2024-Jan-22 • 13 minutes This Wild Bird Will Lead You To Honey On Command Honeyguides are wild birds that team up with humans and then lead them to honey. Researchers recently found that the calls these birds respond to are unique and tied to their location. NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce talks about this relationship and shares how researchers followed honeyguides to learn about their call behaviors. Read Nell's full story here. Hear about an amazing wildlife phenomenon? Email us at [email protected]. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/a... |
| 2024-Jan-19 • 11 minutes After Domestic Abuse Ends, the Effects of Brain Injuries Can Persist At least one in four women — and a much smaller proportion of men — experiences intimate partner violence in their lifetime. For people in violent relationships, brain injuries are unfortunately common. But little is known about what exactly happens inside the brains of people dealing with domestic violence — and how these kinds of traumatic brain injuries may be different from those that come out of contact sports like football. Host Regina G. Barber talks with NPR brain correspondent Jon Hamilton about ne... |
| 2024-Jan-17 • 11 minutes What You Need To Know About The Current Tripledemic Winter is upon us – and with the holiday travel and time spent indoors comes a triple threat of respiratory diseases: RSV, flu and COVID-19. Most of the country has been experiencing high or very high respiratory virus levels, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Host Regina G. Barber talks with NPR health correspondent Pien Huang about the annual 'tripledemic': what makes this winter different from winters past, who's most at risk and whether or not we're over the seasonal surge. Wa... |
| 2024-Jan-15 • 14 minutes Our Lives Are Ruled By The Illusion Of Time 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 universe's expansion slows time's passage. "And some scientists think time might not even be 'real' — or at least not fundamental," says NPR science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel. In this encore episode, Geoff joins Short Wave Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber to bend our brains with his learnings about the tru... |
| 2024-Jan-13 • 12 minutes Body Electric: The Body Across The Ages If you work at home or in an office, you might spend a lot of your day sitting down and staring at a computer screen. That can have lots of negative effects – but it's hard to carve out significant time in the day to counteract that.Our friends at NPR's TED Radio Hour wanted to know if small, frequent movement breaks might do the trick instead. Along with Columbia University Medical Center, they conducted a study of over 20,000 listeners and asked them to incorporate these movement breaks into their day. To... |
| 2024-Jan-12 • 9 minutes Odd Radio Circles Are glowing Around Some Galaxies. Now We Know Why Since they were discovered in 2019, strange, glowing circles of light in space have mystified researchers. Now called odd radio circles, or ORCs, these rings of light sit in the radio portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. They pulse out of the centers of some galaxies – and until now, no one knew why.In this episode, host Regina G. Barber talks to Alison Coil, a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at University of California San Diego, about her latest research. They break down what ORCs are, where t... |
| 2024-Jan-10 • 14 minutes Preserving Our Humanity In The Age Of Robots Human beings are hardwired for social connection – so much so that we think of even the most basic objects as having feelings or experiences. (Yup, we're talking to you, Roomba owners!) Social robots add a layer to this. They're designed to make us feel like they're our friends. They can do things like care for children, the elderly or act as partners. But there's a darker side to them, too. They may encourage us to opt out of authentic, real-life connections, making us feel more isolated. Today on the show... |
| 2024-Jan-08 • 11 minutes The Record For World's Largest Snowflake Might Not Count A winter storm brought heavy rain and snow to parts of the East Coast this weekend, which got us thinking about snowflakes. Those intricate, whimsical crystals are a staple of magical wintry scenes, but how big can they really get? Well, according to the Guinness World Record keepers, the "largest snowflake" ever recorded was a whopping 15 inches in diameter. It was spotted near Missoula, Montana in 1887. But Kenneth Libbrecht, a physicist at Caltech, has long been skeptical of that record. So he set out to... |
| 2024-Jan-05 • 13 minutes Snow Flies Pay An Arm And A Leg For Love The winter is usually when insects die or go into a state of paused development, but for tiny specks on the white snow called snow flies, it's time to run around, find a lover and make baby snow flies. Neuroscientist John Tuthill has been studying these creatures since he first came across them in 2016. He's found that not only can they survive in the cold, but if one of their limbs starts to freeze, they can self-amputate and pop it right off. That buys the snow fly time to find a mate and make sweet, swee... |
| 2024-Jan-03 • 12 minutes Why Big Numbers Break Our Brains In celebration of our 1000th episode, we're wrapping our heads around big numbers. Educational neuroscientist Elizabeth Toomarian talks about why humans' evolutionarily-old brains are so bad at comprehending large quantities–like the national debt and the size of the universe–and how to better equip ourselves to understand important issues like our finances and the impacts of climate change.Interested in other ways our brains make sense of the world? Email us at [email protected]. Learn more about sponsor ... |
| 2024-Jan-01 • 14 minutes Asian Glow Might Have A Major Upside Ever gotten a scarlet, hot face after drinking? Or know someone who has? Many people felt it as they ring in the New Year with champagne toasts. That's because this condition, commonly called "Asian flush" or "Asian glow," affects an estimated half a BILLION people, who can't break down aldehyde toxins that build up in their bodies. But what if there's a benefit to having Asian glow? Katie Wu, a staff writer for The Atlantic, has looked into the research a theory as to why the condition might have been a po... |
| 2023-Dec-29 • 8 minutes This Year's Top Science Stories, Wrapped 2023 was filled with scientific innovation, exploration and new discoveries. A few of the biggest threads we saw unraveling this year came from the James Webb Space Telescope, the changing climate and artificial intelligence. Today, host Regina G. Barber wraps up these three areas of science news with the help of correspondent Geoff Brumfiel and All Things Considered host Ari Shapiro. Got more science news? Email us at [email protected]. Listen to Short Wave on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.Le... |
| 2023-Dec-28 • 11 minutes A year in music science: wonder, volume and animals that groove As 2023 comes to a close, Short Wave teamed up with our friends at All Things Considered to round up some of our favorite stories of the year — this time, about the science behind music. First, science correspondent Rob Stein talks to researchers (and Phish's Mike Gordon) about what happens to our brains on music. Then, All Things Considered host Juana Summers and investigations correspondent Sacha Pfeiffer share a study about why lead singers, like Jeff Beck, have gotten quieter over the years. And finally... |
| 2023-Dec-27 • 13 minutes Life Could Be Different ... And Maybe Better? Are people ever satisfied? Two social psychologists, Ethan Ludwin-Peery and Adam Mastroianni, fell down a research rabbit hole accidentally answering a version of this very question. After conducting several studies, the pair found that when asked how things could be different, people tend to give one kind of answer, regardless of how the question is asked or how good life felt when they were asked. Short Wave's Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber digs into the research—and how it might reveal a fundame... |
| 2023-Dec-25 • 13 minutes This Holiday, Dig Into Some Of The Hilarious Science Of Christmas BMJs Past Would you survive as a doctor in The Sims 4? What's an appropriate amount of free food to take from a public sample station before it's greedy? And how much do clock towers affect sleep? These are the types of questions answered in the Christmas issue of The BMJ — one of the journal's most highly anticipated issues each year. And we find out the answers in this very episode. So, sit back, relax and prepare to be amused by this ghost of Christmas Past (encore).Check out what's been published so far in the 20... |
| 2023-Dec-22 • 14 minutes LED Lights Make You Sick? We Found Out What Causes It LED light bulbs are the future. They're better for the environment and the pocket book. But for some people, certain LEDs lights — particularly holiday lights—are also a problem. They flicker in a way that causes headaches, nausea and other discomfort. Today, we visit the "Flicker Queen" to learn why LEDs flicker — and what you can do about it.Wondering about other quirks of lighting and engineering? Email us at [email protected] – we might cover it on a future episode!Learn more about sponsor message choic... |
| 2023-Dec-21 • 14 minutes Once A Satirical Conspiracy, Bird Drones Could Soon Be A Reality Millions of people in the U.S. are bird watchers. But a couple of years ago a satirical conspiracy theory gained popularity because of an absurd claim: That those birds were also watching people. Now, rather than being the stuff of internet memes, some engineers are, in fact, trying to reverse engineer how birds fly to eventually take what they learn to create more efficient bird-like drones. Today on the show, host Regina G. Barber talks to reporter Anil Oza about how scientists are using real birds to mak... |
| 2023-Dec-20 • 14 minutes Climate Talks Call For A Transition Away From Fossil Fuels. Is That Enough? For the first time in its history, the United Nations climate conference concluded with a call to transition away from fossil fuels. But not all of the nearly 200 countries present at the meeting, known as COP28, were happy with the final agreement. Critics of the agreement had instead called for a clear path towards phasing out fossil fuels and pointed out a "litany of loopholes" in the final text. This episode, we look at the tensions and breakthroughs of the conference — and how far behind we are in limi... |
| 2023-Dec-18 • 13 minutes Want To Be Greener This Holiday Season? Try Composting! Does thinking about the trajectory of the climate make you have a panic spiral? If so, we have the perfect podcast for you: The Anti-Dread Climate Podcast from NPR member station KCRW. The whole conceit of the show is to move away from climate anxiety and into incremental ways you can better the planet. Today, Caleigh Wells, one of the hosts of the show, helps Regina do just that by talking through some quick tips for being greener this holiday season and then walking through how to compost year-round. If y... |
| 2023-Dec-15 • 9 minutes More Plant And Fungi Emojis, Please! A team of conservation biologists from Italy recently found that current emoji options are sorely lacking when it comes to life outside of vertebrates in the animal kingdom. Sure, there are multiple dog and cat options to choose from. But when it comes to fungi, for example, the choices are limited ... to one. The study was published this week in the journal iScience argues that our emoji lexicon is in dire need of some biodiversity – which could have a real impact on the way people communicate about conse... |
| 2023-Dec-14 • 14 minutes When AI Goes Wrong Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used throughout the world to predict the future. Banks use it to predict whether customers will pay back a loan, hospitals use it to predict which patients are at greatest risk of disease and auto insurance companies use it determine rates by predicting how likely a customer is to get in an accident. But issues like data leakage and sampling bias can cause AI to give faulty predictions, to sometimes disastrous effects. That's what we get into today: the hazards ... |
| 2023-Dec-13 • 14 minutes Why it's so hard to resist holiday sales (and how to try) Malls are designed to overwhelm our brains. Add the stress of holiday shopping, and a quick trip to pick up presents could turn into an hours-long shopping spree thanks to all the ways stores use research from fields like consumer neuroscience and neuromarketing to entice you. Retailers create urgency and scarcity to push you to give into the emotional part of your brain, motivated by the release of dopamine. But we've got your back! With the help of NPR business correspondent Alina Selyukh, we get into the... |
| 2023-Dec-11 • 14 minutes How Glaciers Move — And Affect Sea Level Rise 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 processes – melting and movement – interact and ultimately impact how quickly sea levels will rise. This encore episode, Jessica Mejía, a postdoctoral researcher in glaciology at the University of Buffalo, explains what it's like to live on a glacier for a month and what her research could mean for coastal communi... |
| 2023-Dec-08 • 15 minutes Feeling Lonely? Your Brain May Process The World Differently 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 social isolation have some dramatic health consequences: increased risk of heart disease and stroke, infections, cancer, even premature death. Recent research also suggests that loneliness can change the way people process the world. So today on the show, host Regina G. Barber talks to Rachel Carlson about the neurosc... |
| 2023-Dec-06 • 15 minutes A Star Is Born ... And Then What? Journey Through The Life Cycle of a star 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-Badry Nance has always been drawn to a particular star in Orion: Betelgeuse, a red supergiant nearing the end of it's life on the hunter's left shoulder. But what stages of life did Betelgeuse — or any star — go through before it reached this moment? Regina G. Barber talks to Sarafina about three winter constellations... |
| 2023-Dec-04 • 12 minutes Don't Call It Dirt: The Surprising Science Of Soil 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 the planet habitable. "What stands between life and lifelessness on our planet Earth is this thin layer of soil that exists on the Earth's surface," says Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, a soil scientist at the University of California-Merced. In honor of World Soil Day tomorrow, we're revisiting our conversation with Prof.... |
| 2023-Dec-01 • 10 minutes These Penguins Take 10,000 Little Naps A Day — Seconds At A Time 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 happens when animals sleep — and why so many do it. This week, scientists finally added one piece to the elusive sleep puzzle: How wild chinstrap penguins sleep amid their noisy colony. Turns out, they do it over 10,000 times in seconds-long bursts throughout the day — totaling 11 hours when all is said and done.Learn m... |
| 2023-Nov-29 • 15 minutes The International Race To Create Human Eggs And Sperm In The Lab In which we meet the pioneers of one of the most exciting — and controversial — fields of biomedical research: in vitro gametogenesis, or IVG. The goal of IVG is to make unlimited supplies of what Hayashi calls "artificial" eggs and sperm from any cell in the human body. That could let anyone — older, infertile, single, gay, trans — have their own genetically related babies. As such, the field opens up a slew of ethical concerns. But that isn't stopping researchers from pressing forward. So, this episode NP... |
| 2023-Nov-27 • 15 minutes Monday Night Football And Pursuing Two Careers With John Urschel 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 path. But what if we didn't have to? After all, John Urschel didn't. He's a mathematician and professor at MIT. But before that, he played football for the Baltimore Ravens. Today on the show, Monday night football! Host Regina G. Barber talks to Urschel about linear algebra and following his dream of becoming a math... |
| 2023-Nov-24 • 14 minutes What Fossilized Poop Can Teach Us About Dinosaurs 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 surface and filling up shelves, cabinets and drawers. She's a leading expert in the fossils, known as coprolites. They delight her because of what they reveal about the ancient eating habits and food webs of dinosaurs — rare insights for the paleontology world. This episode, she talks with Short Wave co-host Aaron Sc... |
| 2023-Nov-22 • 13 minutes The Thanksgiving Quest For The (Scientifically) Best Turkey 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 years ago, her family decided to abandon the turkey tradition altogether. Can science help her make a better bird this year? That's what she hopes as she seeks expert advice from food science writers and cookbook authors Nik Sharma and Kenji López-Alt. Want to know what other delectable food secrets science has t... |
| 2023-Nov-20 • 13 minutes 3 Major Ways Climate Change Affects Life In The U.S. 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 released. It's the first to include includes standalone chapters about climate change's toll on the U.S. economy, as well as the complex social factors driving climate change and the nation's responses. Climate reporters Rebecca Hersher and Alejandra Borunda walk us through three major takeaways from the report: th... |
| 2023-Nov-17 • 9 minutes Cutting A Teaspoon Of Salt Is Comparable To Taking Blood Pressure Medication 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 results in a decline in blood pressure comparable to taking medication. Plus, other science news from this week, like the oldest confirmed black hole and how climate change and pollution are causing a big imbalance in the sexes of turtles. Got other science news for us to consider? Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor m... |
| 2023-Nov-15 • 13 minutes Thousands of earthquakes in Iceland may spell a volcanic eruption 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 since then – in swarms. Scientists think the quakes are indicative of magma moving closer to the surface in the country's southwestern peninsula and that a local volcano could erupt at any moment. Today on the show, host Regina G. Barber talks to volcanologist Diana Roman about the science behind these earthquakes. G... |
| 2023-Nov-13 • 10 minutes How Venus got caught up in an 18th century space race 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 on the Sun's surface, scientists hoped to make a massive leap in scientific knowledge. With a little help from math, Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber recounts how humanity came closer to understanding our cosmic address — and relative distances to other planets — in the solar system. If you haven't heard the... |
| 2023-Nov-10 • 11 minutes Trailblazing Computer Scientist Fei-Fei Li on Human-Centered AI AI is popping up everywhere nowadays. From medicine to science to the Hollywood strikes. Today, with computer scientist and AI pioneer Fei-Fei Li, we dig deeper into the history of the field, how machines really learn and how computer scientists take inspiration from the human brain in their work. Li's new memoir The Worlds I See traces the history of her move to the U.S. from China as a high school student and her coming-of-age with AI. Host Regina G. Barber talks to Li about her memoir, where the field ma... |
| 2023-Nov-08 • 12 minutes To Figure Out The Future Climate, Scientists Are Researching How Trees Form Clouds 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 by the mystery of how clouds form and what role they play in our climate. Today, host Aaron Scott talks to Dada about a recent study on the role of trees in cloud formation, and how this data will improve our current climate models. Want more stories on the environment or climate change? Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoi... |
| 2023-Nov-06 • 13 minutes Mapping The Seafloor Is Daunting But Key To Improving Human Life 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. That's why there's currently a global effort to create a full, detailed map of the seabed by 2030. Today, we talk to Dawn Wright, a marine geographer and chief scientist at the Environmental Systems Research Institute about this effort.Curious about ocean science? Email us at [email protected] more about spons... |
| 2023-Nov-03 • 9 minutes Pulling An All-Nighter Is A Temporary Antidepressant 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 study published in the journal Neuron Thursday. Most people who've stayed up all night know the "tired and wired" feeling they get the next day. Scientists know this feeling can have a strong antidepressant effect in people that lasts for several days, even after the other changes wear off. But this new study may help researchers figure ... |
| 2023-Nov-01 • 13 minutes Sky Vaccines: Ridding Raccoons Of Rabies En Masse 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 the vaccines from planes. Host Regina G. Barber talks to USDA wildlife biologist Jordona Kirby about the agency's goal to wipe out rabies in one population in particular: raccoons.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2023-Oct-30 • 13 minutes Thanks, Neanderthals: How our ancient relatives could help find new antibiotics 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 since the 1980s. What if humans' closest, ancient relatives held the answer to antibiotic resistance? Some scientists want to discover new antibiotics using machine learning ... and some very, very old relatives of humans. Host Aaron Scott talks to César de la Fuente about using computers to discover the first therape... |
| 2023-Oct-27 • 12 minutes Scientist Just Made The Largest Brain Map Ever 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 cells. The atlas could help scientists understand what makes humans unique in the animal kingdom and the roles different brain cells play in disease. Science correspondent Jon Hamilton talks to host Regina G. Barber about the findings from this new map, a product of the NIH's BRAIN initiative. Plus, what the heck... |
| 2023-Oct-25 • 11 minutes How Climate Change Is Testing The Endangered Species Act 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, it's shrinking habitat for this deer — which already has an estimated population of at most 1,000. Today, host Regina G. Barber hears from reporters Nate Rott and Ryan Kellman about the Key deer, and how rising sea levels are forcing wildlife managers to ask big questions about the future of the subspecies. In t... |
| 2023-Oct-23 • 11 minutes Why Gray Hair Is Coming For You 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 becoming a bit more of a day-to-day reality. At least, the gray hair is. So today, in honor of all you out there flirting with gray hair, whether for a witch costume or just that exciting and terrifying thing called aging, we're digging into why hair turns gray.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com... |
| 2023-Oct-20 • 9 minutes Light Show! The Science Behind The Orionid Meteor Shower We're about to hit peak Orionid meteor shower! According to NASA, it's one of the most beautiful showers of the year. The Orionids are known for their brightness and speed — they streak through the sky at 66 km/s! And today, we learn all about them — where they come from, what makes a meteor a meteor and how to get the best view of them this weekend.Have a cosmic question? Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2023-Oct-18 • 12 minutes Why Scientists Are Reanimating Spider Corpses For Research That spider you squished? It could have been used for science! Today, we're bringing you Halloween a little early – Short Wave style! Host Regina G. Barber talks to Anil Oza about the scientists reanimating dead spiders: How they do it and why this might one day become a cheap, green way to do delicate science. Listen to Short Wave on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2023-Oct-16 • 13 minutes How AI Is Speeding Up Scientific Discoveries 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 quicker drug design to someday developing new hypotheses. Science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel talks about his visit to one protein lab already seeing promising results. Have an AI query? Send us your questions to [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy ... |
| 2023-Oct-13 • 11 minutes The Microbiologist Studying The Giant Floating Petri Dish In Space Microbiologist Monsi Roman joined NASA in 1989 to help design the International Space Station. As the chief microbiologist for life support systems on the ISS, Roman was tasked with building air and water systems to support crews in space. That meant predicting how microbes would behave and preventing them from disrupting missions. And so, on today's show, host Aaron Scott talks to Roman about microbes in space: the risks they pose and where they might take us in the future of space travel. Questions about ... |
| 2023-Oct-11 • 13 minutes Florida Corals Are Dying. Can A 'Coral Gym' Help Them Survive? Coral reefs in Florida have lost an estimated 90% of their corals in the last 40 years. And this summer, a record hot marine heat wave hit Florida's coral reefs, exacerbating that problem. Scientists are still assessing the damage as water temperatures cool. And one researcher is taking coral survival a step further: Buffing up corals in a "gym" in his lab. Reporter Kate Furby went to South Florida to see the coral reefs up close and talk to the innovative scientists working to save them. Questions about t... |
| 2023-Oct-09 • 12 minutes Choose Your Own Adventure — But Make It Math 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 realized how much those books have in common with her field, combinatorics, the branch of math concerned with counting. It, too, depends on thinking through endless, branching possibilities. So, she and several of her students set out to write a scholarly paper in the style of Choose Your Own Adventure books. In this encore episode, Dr. Harris tells host Regina G. B... |
| 2023-Oct-07 • 15 minutes Body Electric: The Body Through The Ages 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 Manoush Zomorodi brings their new series Body Electric to Short Wave's Regina G. Barber. We learn about the negative side effects of our sedentary lifestyles and ask what scientifically-backed steps (and how many) it may take to combat them. Join NPR's study with Columbia University here. Movement hacks? Ways to sit less? We want them all! Get ... |
| 2023-Oct-06 • 9 minutes It's Fat Bear Week! 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, heart and breathing rate slow way down and they recycle their waste internally. Today, we look at the cool (and peculiar) biological processes taking place during hibernation. Plus, we talk through some other science headlines we're obsessing over, including the light pollution from satellites and how gravity af... |
| 2023-Oct-04 • 12 minutes Why Chilean Mummies Are Decomposing After 7,000 Years 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-preserved, so over the past 7,000 years, some have been exhumed for scientific study. But recently, something startling happened: Some of the mummies started to decompose. Today on the show, Regina G. Barber talks to archeologist Marcela Sepulveda about the civilization that made these mummies: the Chinchorro people. We dig int... |
| 2023-Oct-02 • 13 minutes Seaweed is piling up on beaches. This robot might be its match 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 have grown, so too has their impact on coastal communities. The stinky seaweed can wreck local economies and ecosystems — and even threaten human health, some research suggests. But the creators of the AlgaRay say that their robot might do more than halt this damage. It could also fight climate change.This week NPR... |
| 2023-Sep-29 • 15 minutes The Tiny Worm At The Heart Of Regeneration Science 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 the heart of regeneration science. But exactly how they do these things is still a mystery to scientists. Today on the show, Regina G. Barber talks to microbiologist Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado about this mystery. They get into what regeneration looks like, why humans can't do it (yet) and where the science may lead... |
| 2023-Sep-27 • 12 minutes Osiris-REx and the quest to understand the solar system's origin 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, scientists opened a sealed canister containing the samples from the asteroid Bennu. Science correspondent Nell Greenfieledboyce talks to host Regina G. Barber about the mission's close calls and what NASA might learn from these space rocks that are older than our planet. Listen to Short Wave on Spotify, Apple Podcasts ... |
| 2023-Sep-25 • 13 minutes Itchy? Here's why 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 Dr. Shawn Kwatra talks to host Regina G. Barber about the science of why and how we get itchy, the mysteries behind chronic itch and how his own experience with eczema, hives and seasonal allergies helps him connect with his patients.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2023-Sep-22 • 9 minutes Can't Match The Beat? Then You Can't Woo A Cockatoo Today on the show, All Things Considered co-host Mary Louise Kelly joins Regina G. Barber and Maria Godoy for our bi-weekly science roundup. They talk through some of the latest eye-catching science news, including the percussion-intensive mating life of cockatoos, what pink diamonds today tell us about the breakup of the ancient supercontinent Nuna and the latest on the Nipah outbreak in India.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2023-Sep-20 • 14 minutes Why Sustainable Seafood Is A Data Problem 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 of other problems. But marine biologist and World Economic Forum programme lead Alfredo Giron says there's room to hope for the seas. He works to create systems that governments and the fishing industry can use to make sure fishing is legal and sustainable so oceans thrive for years to come. In this encore episod... |
| 2023-Sep-18 • 13 minutes The James Webb Space Telescope Is Fueling Galactic Controversy 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 sending back images of galaxies forming under a billion years after the Big Bang—way earlier than astronomers had previously expected. Not only that, scientists had anticipated that later—but still very early—galaxies would be small, barely formed blobs; instead, the galaxies in these images have spiral arms. So,... |
| 2023-Sep-15 • 13 minutes The Latest COVID Booster Is Here. Should You Get It? 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 the federal government is not paying for the vaccines. Given this confluence of events, we huddled with our colleagues, intrepid health correspondents Maria Godoy and Rob Stein. They gave us the lowdown on the CDC's recommendations for who should get it, how protective the booster is, how to access it regardless of ... |
| 2023-Sep-13 • 13 minutes Animal Crossing: The Destructive Nature of Roads 40 million miles of road unite us. They also cause mass destruction for many species. Today, environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb and host Aaron Scott go on a tour of that destruction — the subject of Ben's new book Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet. But don't worry, it's not all grim! Along the way, we learn why fewer insects are hitting our windshields, talk about the breakthrough that is highway overpasses, and how at least one bird has adapted to avoid 18-wheel semi-trucks... |
| 2023-Sep-11 • 11 minutes Why A Proposed Marine Sanctuary Could Make History 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 sanctuaries to be initiated by a Native American tribe—the Chumash—and become part of a growing movement to give tribes a say over the lands and waters that were once theirs. NPR climate reporter Lauren Sommer dives into the details with host Regina G. Barber, touching on ocean science, heritage and what's in a name. List... |
| 2023-Sep-08 • 10 minutes Air Pollution May Be Increasing Superbugs Today on the show, All Things Considered co-host Ari Shapiro joins Aaron Scott and Regina G. Barber for our science roundup. They talk about how antibiotic resistance may spread through particulate air pollution, magnetically halted black holes and how diversified farms are boosting biodiversity in Costa Rica.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2023-Sep-06 • 14 minutes Recurring UTIs: The Infection We Keep Secretly Getting 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 large slice of the population that experiences a urinary tract infections (UTI) at least once. Many people avoid talking about these infections, but about one in four women experience recurring UTIs. No matter what they do, the infections come back, again and again. So today on the show, Regina G. Barber takes prod... |
| 2023-Sep-04 • 11 minutes The Deadly Toll Heat Can Take On Humans 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 heat. So in today's encore episode, we're exploring heat. NPR climate correspondent Lauren Sommer talks with Short Wave host Regina G. Barber about how the human body copes with extended extreme heat and how today's heat warning systems could better protect the public. If you can, stay cool out there this Labor Day... |
| 2023-Sep-01 • 13 minutes Food Allergies Are On The Rise. Are You Affected? 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 less than 1%. But this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released data showing that almost 6% of U.S. adults and children have a food allergy. But this trend is not present in all countries — and what people are allergic to varies globally. Today, we dive into the complex world of food allergies with Dr. Waheeda Samady. She's the D... |
| 2023-Aug-30 • 13 minutes 'Speedboat Epidemiology': Eradicating Disease One Person At A Time 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 and many people thought it would be impossible to wipe out—until it was. On May 8, 1980. the 33rd World Health Assembly declared the world free of smallpox. This marked the first—and only—time a human disease was eradicated globally. Epidemiologist and host of the podcast Epidemic: Eradicating Smallpox Céline Gound... |
| 2023-Aug-28 • 12 minutes What Do We Do With Radioactive Wastewater? 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 earthquake and tsunami that hit the area. To stop the meltdown, plant workers flooded the reactors with water. But even now, when the plant is offline, the reactors need to be cooled. All that water—about 350 million gallons—is being stored on-site in over 1,000 tanks. And now, these tanks are almost full. Today ... |
| 2023-Aug-25 • 10 minutes A Tale Of Two Lunar Landing Attempts 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 brains and lessons from wildfires that contributed to a mass extinction of North American land mammals 13,000 years ago. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2023-Aug-23 • 12 minutes What Made Hilary Such A Weird Storm 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 scientists were shocked when they heard it was coming. In today's episode, Regina Barber talks to Jill Trepanier, who studies extreme climatic events — like hurricanes and climate change — at Louisiana State University. She tells us how we use science to predict events like this, and what Hilary and future storms may or may not tell us ... |
| 2023-Aug-21 • 11 minutes Fixing Our Failing Electric Grid... On A Budget 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 is too old and outdated to handle this new technology. In fact, many of the copper wires on transmission lines are using technology from as far back as the early 1900s! Because of this, thousands of wind and solar projects are waiting for years to get online. The Inflation Reduction Act is incentivizing a big trans... |
| 2023-Aug-18 • 14 minutes The Key To Uncovering An Ancient Maya City? Lasers Today we enter into the plot of a summer blockbuster adventure movie. Regina talks to NPR reporter Emily Olson about the recently uncovered ancient Maya city, Ocomtun. The large site, which researchers found using LiDAR technology, even seems to have "suburbs," flipping their expectations about how robust the Maya civilization was — and where it was. Read Emily's full story here.Have a science mystery to share? Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoi... |
| 2023-Aug-16 • 13 minutes Is Math Real? 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. Eugenia Cheng says they're key to uncovering the beauty behind math. So today, we celebrate endless curiosity and creativity — the driving forces of mathematicians. Regina G. Barber and Eugenia talk imaginary numbers, how to go beyond simply right and wrong and yes, Eugenia answers the question, "Is math real?"Eugenia's new book Is Math Real? is ou... |
| 2023-Aug-14 • 14 minutes Sperm Can't Really Swim And Other Surprising Pregnancy Facts 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 on Short Wave, NPR health reporter Selena Simmons-Duffin talks about the science of the very first week of pregnancy.Read Selena's full explainer by clicking this link. Or download and print it here. Have an incredible science story to share? Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastc... |
| 2023-Aug-11 • 9 minutes The Fish That Conceal Themselves To Hunt All Things Considered host Juana Summers joins Regina G. Barber and Berly McCoy to nerd-out on some of the latest science news buzzing around in our brains. They talk NASA shouting across billions of miles of space to reconnect with Voyager 2, the sneaky tactics trumpetfish use to catch their prey and how climate change is fueling big waves along California's coast. What science story do you want to hear next on Short Wave? Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoic... |
| 2023-Aug-09 • 11 minutes The Science Of Happiness Sounds Great. But Is The Research Solid? How do we really get happier? In a new review in the journal Nature Human Behavior, researchers Elizabeth Dunn and Dunigan Folk found that many common strategies for increasing our happiness may not be supported by strong evidence. In today's Short Wave episode, Dunn tells co-host Aaron Scott about changes in the way scientists are conducting research, and how these changes led her team to re-examine previous work in the field of psychology. Want to hear Dunn read the paper? Check it out here. Questions? E... |
| 2023-Aug-07 • 11 minutes Black Metallurgists, Iron And The Industrial Revolution 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 banker Henry Cort, who patented the technique. But Dr. Jenny Bulstrode, a historian at University College London (UCL), found that Cort stole the innovation from 76 Black enslaved ironworkers in Jamaica.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2023-Aug-04 • 10 minutes This Sausage-Shaped Part Of Your Brain Causes Out-Of-Body Experiences 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 sensation. NPR science correspondent Jon Hamilton shares the tale of the discovery with host Aaron Scott. Plus, they talk about why it may be helpful to occasionally venture outside of your bodily self.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2023-Aug-02 • 15 minutes The Secrecy Of The Horseshoe Crab Blood Harvest 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 crab harvesting industry has few regulations and a lot of secrecy. NPR investigative reporter Chiara Eisner talks to us about expansion of this industry and why synthetic alternatives to the blood aren't being widely used in the United States.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR... |
| 2023-Jul-31 • 13 minutes Christmas in July! Celebrate With Hilarious Research 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 clock towers have on sleep? These are the hard-hitting questions that researchers ask and answer in the Christmas issue of The BMJ, formerly known as the British Medical Journal. What started in 1982 as an experimental roundup of fun research for the holidays has since grown into one of The BMJ's most highly anticipated issue... |
| 2023-Jul-29 • 12 minutes The Jackson Water Crisis Through A Student Journalist's Eyes 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 Science, the 17-year-old rings an alarm on the water crisis in Jackson, through the lens of young people. Emily, who was one of the judges of this year's contest, talks to Georgianna about her winning podcast and their shared love for storytelling.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR... |
| 2023-Jul-28 • 9 minutes Peanuts, Pets And Poopy Shores 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 in the heat, and avoiding beaches contaminated with poop. (A lot of them are.) All Things Considered host Mary Louise Kelly joins Regina G. Barber and Aaron Scott to discuss those stories in our science news roundup.Have questions about science in the news? Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor mes... |
| 2023-Jul-26 • 11 minutes Why Babies Babble And What It Can Teach Adults About Language In which we metaphorically enter the UCLA Language Acquisistion Lab's recording castle, guided by linguistics researcher Dr. Megha Sundara. NPR science correspondent Sydney Lupkin temporarily takes over the host chair to talk to Sundara about all things baby babble. Along the way, we learn why babies babble, how that babbling can change with exposure to new languages — and if there are any lessons for adults. Questions about other ways we develop? Email us at [email protected] and we might answer it in a f... |
| 2023-Jul-24 • 12 minutes The Scorpion Renaissance Has Arrived 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. Most are harmless — they can't even jump — and they play a critical role in their diverse ecosystems as a top invertebrate predator. (encore)Want to hear us talk about other newly identified animal species? We'd love to know! We're at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/ad... |
| 2023-Jul-21 • 12 minutes 'Oppenheimer' And The Science Of Atomic Bombs 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-called "Father of the Atomic Bomb." The movie does not shy away from science — and neither do we. We talked to current scientists at Los Alamos about the past and present science of nuclear weapons like the atomic bomb.Read more about the Manhattan Project.Want us to cover other historical science or science in pop culture? Email us at shortwave@npr.... |
| 2023-Jul-19 • 11 minutes This Cellular Atlas Could Lead To Breakthroughs For Endometriosis Patients 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 years) to get a diagnosis and treatment options are limited. There are currently no cures. One researcher, Dr. Kate Lawrenson, is trying to change that. She and her team of researchers have created a cellular atlas of the disease and hope this cell-by-cell approach will open up doors for faster diagnosis options an... |
| 2023-Jul-17 • 15 minutes Meet The Residents Of The Great Pacific Garbage Patch 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 shape with the waves. The largest is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. These areas were long thought to have been uninhabited, the plastics and fishing gear too harmful to marine life. But researchers have recently uncovered a whole ecosystem of life in this largest collection of trash. Today, with the help of marine ... |
| 2023-Jul-14 • 9 minutes Sea squirts and 'skeeters in our science news roundup 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 archeologists are rethinking a discovery about a Copper-age leader. All Things Considered host Adrian Florido nerds-out on those stories with Short Wave host Regina G. Barber and science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel.Have questions about science in the news? Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message... |
| 2023-Jul-12 • 13 minutes This Is Canada's Worst Fire Season In Modern History. It's Not New 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 resources thin. Public officials and many news headlines have declared the fires as "unprecedented," and in the modern-sense they are. But NPR climate correspondent Nate Rott has been talking to researchers who focus on the history of wildfire in Canada's boreal forests and they say the situation is not without preceden... |
| 2023-Jul-10 • 12 minutes The Only Nuclear-Powered Passenger Ship EVER 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 it was the first—and only—nuclear-powered passenger ship to have ever been built. Science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel tells us about his recent tour of the ship and why it was a symbol of peace in it's time. To see more pictures of Geoff's visit to the NS Savannah, including one from 1962 when the ship was operational, cl... |
| 2023-Jul-07 • 13 minutes What Geologists Love — And Lament — About Cult Classic 'The Core' 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, Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber has a friendly laugh with geologist Jackie Caplan-Auerbach about the creative liberties writers took to make the movie's plot work.P.S. We're biased here, but we don't think you need to have seen the movie to enjoy this episode. This edition of our periodic 'movie club' series... |
| 2023-Jul-05 • 10 minutes Tick Check! Meet Your Backyard Bloodsuckers 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 Big Thicket National Preserve in Texas. Among the trees and trails, researchers like Adela Oliva Chavez search for blacklegged ticks that could carry Lyme disease. She's looking for answers as to why tick-borne illnesses like Lyme disease are spreading in some parts of the country and not others. Today, what Adel... |
| 2023-Jul-03 • 12 minutes The Chemistry Behind A Perfect Barbeque Chefs will tell you, cooking is not just an art — it's a science. And the spirit of summer barbecues, NPR science correspondent Sydney Lupkin brings us this piece about how understanding the chemistry of cooking meat can help you perfect your barbeque. It's all about low and slow cooking. This story was originally reported for NPR by Gisele Grayson. Read her reporting.Curious about other science powering the things you love? Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastcho... |
| 2023-Jun-30 • 9 minutes Why This Gravitational Waves News Is A Big Deal 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 Ari Shapiro, Regina G. Barber and Geoff Brumfiel.Have questions about science in the news? Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2023-Jun-28 • 12 minutes An unexpected forest in the ocean 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 forest growing in these deeper, tropical waters? Today on the show, Salomé talks to host Regina G. Barber about what it means, and how it could help in the fight against climate change.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2023-Jun-26 • 12 minutes A Smarter Way To Use Sunscreen 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 the help of a few expert dermatologists, NPR science correspondent Allison Aubrey cues Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber into six common mistakes to avoid when using sunscreen and how to stay safe in the sun this summer. Have a science fact you can't stop thinking about? Email us at [email protected]! We'd love to hear... |
| 2023-Jun-23 • 13 minutes Rethinking The Lab Rat 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 individuality as possible. But as research questions become more complicated, some researchers are turning to more niche critters to study. Host Regina Barber talks to reporter Anil Oza about the shift.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2023-Jun-21 • 11 minutes This Satellite Could Help Clean Up The Air 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 Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring Pollution (TEMPO) could detail just how polluted those pockets are. Today, NPR climate reporters Rebecca Hersher and Seyma Bayram talk to host Emily Kwong about how this new satellite could help communities like Curtis Bay, a Maryland neighborhood where residents have been fighting for clean air f... |
| 2023-Jun-19 • 15 minutes New Star Trek Season, Same Ol' Sci-Fi Season 2 of the critically acclaimed Star Trek: Strange New Worlds premiered June 15 (streaming on Paramount+). So today, Short Wave Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber chats with two Trekkie physicists about the science powering the show and why they love the franchise. Astrophysicist Erin Macdonald is the science consultant for Star Trek, and Chanda Prescod-Weinstein is a theoretical physicist and author of the book The Disordered Cosmos. This episode, the trio discusses not only the feasibility of wa... |
| 2023-Jun-16 • 9 minutes A Newly-Discovered Asteroid And What's Beneath The Ice On Enceladus All Things Considered host Ari Shapiro returns to nerd-our with Short Wave hosts Emily Kwong and Regina G. Barber on three science headlines from space: a newly-discovered asteroid, a new moon-related discovery and a new study about what spaceflight does to the human body. Have questions about science in the news? Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2023-Jun-14 • 10 minutes Give Rivers Space: The Simple Flood Risk Fix 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, which tested the state's aging flood infrastructure. To prevent flooding, communities often raise levees next to rivers higher and higher. Today, NPR climate correspondent Lauren Sommer talks about a new approach: just giving rivers some space to flow. Got questions about science? Email us at [email protected]. We'd l... |
| 2023-Jun-12 • 15 minutes Life Lessons From Supernovae 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 astrophysicist and science communicator. In her new memoir, Starstruck: A Memoir of Astrophysics and Finding Light in the Dark, Sarafina brings the stars down to Earth, rooting her personal journey in the lessons of the stars. This episode, Regina and Sarafina chat supernovae, cancer and what supernovae reveal to us about life.Learn more about sponsor message ch... |
| 2023-Jun-09 • 12 minutes How To Stay Safe Amid Wildfire Smoke 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 people affected, we thought it would be a good time to turn it over to our friends at NPR's Life Kit podcast. Ever ready with helpful tips, they just released an episode with tips for protecting yourself from wildfire smoke.Stay safe, Short Wavers.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoice... |
| 2023-Jun-07 • 12 minutes Behold! The Dulcet Tones Of Cosmic Rays Teppei Katori loves two things: particle physics and music. Naturally, he combined the two. Today on Short Wave, Teppei talks to host Regina G. Barber about how he and his collaborators convert data from cosmic rays—high energy particles from space that are constantly colliding with Earth—into beautiful sights and sounds.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2023-Jun-05 • 14 minutes The Rise Of The Dinosaurs 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 paleoclimatologist Celina Suarez! This encore episode, Suarez walks us through her scientific detective work, with a little help from her trusty sidekick, Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber. Have a science fact you can't stop thinking about? Email us at [email protected]! We'd love to hear from you.Learn more about sponso... |
| 2023-Jun-02 • 10 minutes Helping A Man Walk Again With Science This week's science news roundup reunites All Things Considered host Ailsa Chang with Short Wave hosts Emily Kwong and Regina G. Barber to dig into the latest headlines in biomedical research, also known as cool things for the human body. We talk new RSV vaccines, vaccination by sticker and a new device helping a man with paralysis walk again. Have questions about science in the news? Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2023-May-31 • 13 minutes Why Melting Ice In Antarctica Is Making Hurricanes Worse In Texas 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, Texas — thousands of miles from Antarctica. Why do Antarctica and Texas have this counterintuitive relationship? And what does it mean for a $34 billion effort to protect the city from hurricanes?Read more and see pictures and video from Antarctica here.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adch... |
| 2023-May-29 • 12 minutes What Happens When An Infant Loses Half Their Brain? 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 allows a brain to modify its connections to adapt to new circumstances.Read more of Jon's reporting.Science in your everyday got you puzzled? Overjoyed? We've love to hear it! Reach us by emailing [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2023-May-26 • 12 minutes Galaxies Are Older Than We Thought — That's A Big Deal 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 entire universe began, and it's been honed over the decades. But recent images from the James Webb Space Telescope have called the precise timeline of the theory a little bit into question. That's because these images reveal galaxies forming way earlier than was previously understood to be possible. To understand wh... |
| 2023-May-24 • 12 minutes When Your Body Rejects The Kidney It Needs 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 been looking after her donated kidney all on her own for a year. So a lot was riding on that first batch of lab results. "Immediately, all my levels were just out of whack and I knew that I was in rejection," she says. "I've had to work through a lot of emotional pain, of feeling like I failed my donor. Like, why ... |
| 2023-May-22 • 12 minutes Two Squirrely Responses To Climate Change Kwasi Wrensford studies two related species: the Alpine chipmunk and the Lodgepole chipmunk. The two have very different ways of coping with climate change. In this episode, Kwasi explains to host Emily Kwong how these squirrelly critters typify two important evolutionary strategies, and why they could shed light on what's in store for other creatures all over the globe.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2023-May-19 • 9 minutes The Physics Behind The Perfect Gummy Candy This week for our science news roundup, superstar host of All Things Considered Ari Shapiro joins Short Wave hosts Emily Kwong and Regina G. Barber to discuss the joy and wonder found in all types of structures. The big. The small. The delicious. We ask if diapers can be repurposed to construct buildings, how single-celled organisms turned into multi-cellular ones and how to make the best gummy candy?Have questions about science in the news? Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message cho... |
| 2023-May-17 • 13 minutes Why You Can't Tell Your Race From A DNA Test 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 in Residence Regina G. Barber talks to anthropologist Agustín Fuentes about the limits of at-home genetic tests and how misinformation about race and biology can come into play. Using science at home to decode your life? Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR ... |
| 2023-May-15 • 13 minutes Long COVID Scientists Try To Unravel Blood Clot Mystery 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 test for it and how it progresses. Today, we look at a group of researchers studying the blood of some Long COVID patients in the hopes of finding a biomarker that could let physicians test for the disease.Questions? Thread of scientific research you're loving? Email us at [email protected] — we'd love to hear abo... |
| 2023-May-12 • 12 minutes Move over, humans—lemurs have rhythm, too 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 rhythm. That's why today, producer Berly McCoy brings the story of singing lemurs. She explains how their harmonies could help answer questions about the beginnings of humans' musical abilities, and what all of this has to do with Queen.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Pri... |
| 2023-May-10 • 13 minutes We Need To Talk About Teens, Social Media And Mental Health 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 anxiety among teens.This episode, NPR science correspondent Michaeleen Doucleff looks into the data on how that seismic change has shifted the mental health of teenagers. In her reporting, she found that the seismic shift of smartphones and social media has re-defined how teens socialize, communicate and even sleep.... |
| 2023-May-08 • 11 minutes What Could We Do With A Third Thumb? 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. Dani Clode and Tamar Makin spoke to Short Wave in Washington D.C., at the 2023 annual meeting for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2023-May-05 • 10 minutes Some people get sick from VR. Why? 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 virtual reality (VR) content? Do we really need to walk 10,000 steps a day? And is there real science behind ice baths? This week, Sacha Pfeiffer, legendary reporter and occasional host of NPR's All Things Considered, who joins our hosts Emily Kwong and Regina G. Barber to demystify and (in some cases) debunk the scien... |
| 2023-May-02 • 12 minutes Will Artificial Intelligence Help — Or Hurt — Medicine? 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 could generate data like treatment plans that would let doctors spend less time on paperwork and more time with their patients. But some academics warn biases and errors could hurt patients. Have a lead on AI in innovative spaces? Email us at [email protected]!Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.... |
| 2023-May-01 • 13 minutes Shoring Up The Future With Greener Batteries 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 meeting for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Washington D.C.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2023-Apr-28 • 15 minutes SUPERBLOOM: An Upside To The California Downpours 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 grassland. Wetlands, long severed from the rivers and streams that nourished them, are being flooded with freshwater. Biologists are seeing baby salmon, fattened by new food sources in flood plains, make their way to sea. Endangered birds and waterfowl are nesting next to flooded fields. Today, NPR climate corresp... |
| 2023-Apr-26 • 15 minutes Worm Blobs In The Bowels Of The Earth 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 with a team of researchers. There, we collect worms and marvel at the unique crystals and cave formations that earned Sulphur Cave a designation as a National Natural Landmark in 2021. Then we learn how extremophiles like these worms are helping scientists search for new antibiotics, medicines and even models for r... |
| 2023-Apr-24 • 12 minutes The News Roundup Goes Intergalactic It's our latest roundup of science news! This time, with Ailsa Chang of NPR's All Things Considered, who joins us to discuss three stories that take us on a journey through space — from the sounds of Earth's magnetosphere, to the moons of Jupiter, to a distant phenomenon NASA calls "an invisible monster on the loose, barreling through intergalactic space."Learn more about NASA's Harp Project here: https://listen.spacescience.org/We love hearing what you're reading and what science is catching your eye! Reac... |
| 2023-Apr-21 • 12 minutes Fire And Ice: Linking Intense Wildfire And The Melting Arctic 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 scientists are uncovering a surprising connection. The ice is connected to weather patterns that reach far across North America. And as the climate keeps changing and sea ice shrinks, Western states could be seeing more extreme weather, the kind that fuels extreme wildfires.Check out the full series about how melting ice... |
| 2023-Apr-19 • 15 minutes The Race To Protect Millions Of People From Melting Glaciers 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 Rebecca Hersher and producer Ryan Kellman take Short Wave co-host Emily Kwong to a community high in the mountains of Nepal where residents are on the front lines of this new climate threat, and explains how scientists are looking for solutions that can save lives around the world.Check out the full series about how melti... |
| 2023-Apr-17 • 13 minutes Where are the whales? Scientists find clues thousands of miles away 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 reporter Lauren Sommer 2,000 miles away to the world's second-largest ice sheet, sitting on top of Greenland. On today's episode, Lauren takes Short Wave co-host Emily Kwong on an expedition to Greenland's ice sheet and then to the Gulf of Maine to break down the ripple effects of climate change. Reach the show by email... |
| 2023-Apr-14 • 14 minutes Are Rats Running This Podcast? 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 Anil Oza called up rodentologists to understand — does their approach withstand the test of scientific research? We love hearing your musings and questions about the science in your everyday life. Reach us by emailing [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2023-Apr-12 • 13 minutes Peep The Delightful Science Of Chickens When Tove Danovich decided to dabble in backyard chicken keeping, she embraced a tried and true journalistic practice — reading everything there is to find on the subject. In her search, she found plenty of how-to guides, but what she really wanted was to know more about the science. She wanted to understand their evolution and unique relationship with humans. "As I was reading more and as I was wanting this book that increasingly it seemed like it it just didn't exist. I wound up writing it instead," says... |
| 2023-Apr-10 • 13 minutes Launching Into Space — Sustainably! In 1957, the Space Age began with the launch of Sputnik, the first artificial satellite. Since then, the number of objects humans have hurled toward the stars has soared to the thousands. As those objects have collided with one another, they've created more space debris in Earth's orbit. According to some estimates, all of that debris and human-made space trash, the number of objects — from satellites to screws — could be in the millions. In this iteration of our AAAS live show series, Short Wave co-host Aa... |
| 2023-Apr-07 • 14 minutes News Round Up: Mammoth Meatballs, Stressed Plants And Apologetic Robots 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 have secrets they keep out of your earshot. It's deceptive science, Short Wave-style. We love hearing what you're reading and what science is catching your eye! Reach the show by emailing [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2023-Apr-05 • 14 minutes Allergies Are Weird. So Are Cats 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 her, bonking their little noses together, rubbing their fur and whiskers everywhere, and leaving behind inevitable cat residue. It's certifiably cute ... and a little bit gross.It's also the worst nightmare for the cat-allergic. Which, just shy of a decade ago, Katie was. In a stroke of luck, Katie's debilitating cat allergy disappeared. The reasons for her immune overhaul remain... |
| 2023-Apr-03 • 14 minutes Why We Should Care About Viruses Jumping From Animals To People 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 Michaeleen Doucleff brings us her reporting on Influenza D, an emerging virus spreading among cows and other livestock in the United States.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2023-Mar-31 • 12 minutes Eunice Foote: The Hidden Grandmother Of Climate Science 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 behind that glass tube experiment, has largely been left out of the history books. Until about 10 years ago, John Tyndall was seen as the grandfather of climate science for setting the foundation for the understanding of the greenhouse gas effect. But Eunice's experiment, done three years prior, showed that air with m... |
| 2023-Mar-29 • 11 minutes Why Scientists Just Mapped Every Synapse In A Fly Brain To really understand the human brain, scientists say you'd have to map its wiring. The only problem: there are more than 100 trillion different connections to find, trace and characterize. But a team of scientists has made a big stride toward this goal, a complete wiring diagram of a teeny, tiny brain: the fruit fly larva. With a full map, or connectome, of the larval fruit fly brain, scientists can start to understand how behaviors shape, and are shaped by, the specific wiring of neural circuits. On today'... |
| 2023-Mar-27 • 13 minutes Perennial Rice: Plant Once, Harvest Again And Again 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 annually. That means replanting the fields year after year, at huge cost to both the farmers and the land. For years, scientists have been tinkering with rice strains to create a perennial variety – one that would regrow after harvest without the need to be resown. Today, Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber takes a l... |
| 2023-Mar-24 • 11 minutes News Round Up: Algal Threats, An Asteroid With Life's Building Blocks And Bee Maps 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 tell us about the origins of life? Is the ever-popular bee waggle dance not just for directions to the hive but a map? Luckily, it's the job of the Short Wave team to decipher the science behind the day's news. This week, co-host Aaron Scott, Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber and science correspondent Geoff B... |
| 2023-Mar-23 • 14 minutes Why Pandemic Researchers Are Talking About Raccoon Dogs 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. It caught the attention of researchers. A new genetic analysis from an international team provides the strongest evidence yet for natural origins of the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of one animal in particular: raccoon dogs. Short Wave co-host Emily Kwong talks with Katherine Wu, a staff writer at The Atlantic,... |
| 2023-Mar-22 • 13 minutes If ChatGPT Designed A Rocket — Would It Get To Space? 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 fare when there are facts at stake — like designing a rocket capable of safe spaceflight?In this episode, NPR science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel and Short Wave co-host Emily Kwong drill into what this AI software gets wrong, right — and if it's even trying to detect the difference in the first place.Want to hear mo... |
| 2023-Mar-21 • 13 minutes What we lose if the Great Salt Lake dries up 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 farming, climate change and population growth could mean the lake essentially disappears within five years. Less water going in means higher concentrations of salt and minerals, which threatens the crucial ecological role saline lakes play across the West, as well as the health of the people who live nearby. On today's ep... |
| 2023-Mar-20 • 14 minutes Venus And Earth: A Tale Of Two 'Twins' Planetary scientists announced some big news this week about our next-door neighbor, Venus. For the first time, they had found direct evidence that Venus has active, ongoing volcanic activity. "It's a big deal," says Dr. Martha Gilmore, a planetary geologist at Wesleyan University. "It's a big deal in that there are no other planets, actually, where we've seen active volcanism." (Moons don't count - sorry Io!) What makes that fact so striking is how inhospitable a place Venus is now – crushing pressure, a t... |
| 2023-Mar-18 • 20 minutes Tweeting Directly From Your Brain (And What's Next) 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 you could control a device, not with your hand, but with your mind? Host Manoush Zomorodi talks to physician and entrepreneur Tom Oxley about the implantable brain-computer interface that can change the way we think. Keep an eye on NPR's TED Radio Hour podcast feed the next few weeks, as they unveil the series.Lear... |
| 2023-Mar-17 • 13 minutes Flying Into Snowstorms ... For Science! 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 winter storms work? With more accurate data could come more accurate predictions about whether a storm would cause treacherous conditions that shut down schools, close roads and cancel flights. NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce recently took to the skies for one of these flights and shares her reportin... |
| 2023-Mar-16 • 12 minutes Could de-extincting the dodo help struggling species? 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 we consistently were asked was, how close are we to bringing a mammoth back to life?"In the second part of our conversation (listen to yesterday's episode), Beth tells Short Wave co-host Aaron Scott that actually cloning a mammoth is probably not going to happen. "But there are technologies that will allow us to resurrect extinct traits, to move bits an... |
| 2023-Mar-15 • 14 minutes It's Boom Times In Ancient DNA Research into very, very old DNA has made huge leaps forward over the last two decades. That has allowed scientists like Beth Shapiro to push the frontier further and further. "For a long time, we thought, you know, maybe the limit is going to be around 100,000 years [old]. Or, maybe the limit is going to be around 300,000 years," says Shapiro, Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at UC Santa Cruz. "Well, now we've been working with a horse fossil in Alaska that's about 800,000 years old." Beth's car... |
| 2023-Mar-14 • 13 minutes How To Bake Pi, Mathematically (And Deliciously) 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 School of the Art Institute of Chicago and author of the book How to Bake Pi. We start with a recipe for clotted cream and end, deliciously, at how math is so much more expansive than grade school tests.Click through to our episode page for the recipes mentioned in this episode.Plus, Eugenia's been on Short Wave before! To hear more, check out our episode, A Mathema... |
| 2023-Mar-13 • 14 minutes How Well Does A New Alzheimer's Drug Work For Those Most At Risk? A new drug for Alzheimer's disease, called lecanemab, got a lot of attention earlier this year for getting fast-tracked approval based on a clinical trial that included nearly 1,800 people. It was the most diverse trial for an Alzheimer's treatment to date, but still not enough to definitively say if the drug is effective for Black people. "[In] the world's most diverse Alzheimer's trial, a giant trial of 1,800 people that lasted for a much longer time than most trials did, we're still not sure that all of ... |
| 2023-Mar-10 • 11 minutes Ocean World Tour: Whale Vocal Fry, Fossilizing Plankton and A Treaty 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 fossils are in different locations than plankton living today? And is humanity finally united on protecting the Earth's seas with the creation of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction treaty? Luckily, it's the job of the Short Wave team to decipher the science behind the headlines. This week, that decipher... |
| 2023-Mar-09 • 14 minutes 'Are You A Model?': Crickets Are So Hot Right Now 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 human health to ecosystems to genetics. And yet, just a handful of critters appear over and over again. Why the mouse? Or the fruit fly? Or the zebrafish? Cassandra Extavour, an evolutionary biologist at Harvard, talked with Short Wave co-host Aaron Scott about her favorite new model critter on the block: crickets.... |
| 2023-Mar-08 • 11 minutes The Race To Save A Tree Species 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 timberline ecosystems and plays an outsized role in its interactions with other species and the land — feeding and providing habitat for other animals, and providing shade to slow glacial melt to the valleys below. But it's increasingly threatened — by more intense fires, by mountain pine beetle infestations and by a ... |
| 2023-Mar-07 • 12 minutes The $20 Billion Deal To Get Indonesia Off Coal 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 international deal to transition away from coal and toward renewable energy. The hope is the deal could be a model for other countries. But Indonesian energy experts and solar executives worry much of this deal may be "omong kosong" — empty talk. Today, NPR climate solutions reporter Julia Simon breaks down the re... |
| 2023-Mar-06 • 13 minutes Rome wasn't built in a day, but they sure had strong concrete 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 150-some foot building is still standing. Like many ancient Roman structures, parts of it were constructed using a specific type of concrete. Scientists and engineers have long suspected a key to these buildings' durability is their use of this Roman concrete. But exactly how this sturdy concrete has contributed to... |
| 2023-Mar-03 • 16 minutes Chanda Prescod-Weinstein's Disordered Cosmos Chanda Prescod-Weinstein is a theoretical physicist at the University of New Hampshire. It's her job to ask deep questions about how we — and the rest of the universe — got to this moment. Her new book, The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred, does exactly that. It's an examination of the science that underpins our universe and how the researchers seeking to understand those truths, in turn, shape the science. As we close out Black History month, we revisit this con... |
| 2023-Mar-02 • 15 minutes Honoring The 'Hidden Figures' Of Black Gardening When Abra Lee became the landscape manager at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, she sought some advice about how to best do the job. The answer: study the history of gardening. That led to her uncovering how Black involvement in horticulture in the U.S. bursts with incredible stories and profound expertise, intertwined with a tragic past. She's now teaching these stories and working on a book, Conquer the Soil: Black America and the Untold Stories of Our Country's Gardeners, Farmers, and Gro... |
| 2023-Mar-01 • 13 minutes This Navy vet helped discover a new, super-heavy element 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 in science turned out to be a bit different than what she expected, including lengthy stints on a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. But that path led her to being a part of something big: the discovery of a new element on the periodic table. Clarice talks to Short Wave co-host Aaron Scott about her role in creating Tennessine, one of the heaviest elements known to humankind.Lea... |
| 2023-Feb-28 • 15 minutes What DNA kits leave out: race, ancestry and 'scientific sankofa' 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 the those lost identifies of African descended Americans through the lens of Black culture. Short Wave co-host Emily Kwong speaks with Janina about what a person's genetic ancestry test does and does not reveal, and the complicated intersection of genetics, history and race.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy... |
| 2023-Feb-27 • 12 minutes Measuring Health Risks After A Chemical Spill 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 a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous chemicals like vinyl chloride and butyl acrylate near the town earlier this month. Residents were temporarily evacuated from the area two days later to allow for a controlled burn of the chemicals. EPA health officials have been monitoring the air and water in the area ... |
| 2023-Feb-24 • 14 minutes Ancient Seeds: A Possible Key To Climate Adaptation 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 Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA). Scientists from around the world use the seeds for research. ICARDA seeds have improved food security in several countries. They've transformed Ethiopian agriculture to use more drought-resistant crops. A new chickpea can be planted in winter. And now, NPR's Middle East correspondent Ruth Sherlock has found tha... |
| 2023-Feb-23 • 11 minutes Seriously...what IS life? 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 what about the tricky cases, like a virus? Or, more importantly, what about futuristic android robots? As part of our Black History Month celebration, developmental biologist Crystal Rogers and scientist-in-residence Regina G. Barber dig into what makes something alive, and wade into a Star-Trek-themed debate. Is there so... |
| 2023-Feb-22 • 10 minutes Understanding Earthquake Aftershocks Monday another earthquake struck southeastern Turkey, near the Syrian border. This time, the quake registered as a magnitude 6.3 — an order lower than the initial, devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake and the magnitude 7.5 aftershock that struck the area two weeks ago on Feb. 6. A magnitude 6.3 is still considered strong, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). And as NPR previously reported, some locals were inside buildings trying to recover belongings lost in the initial quake when Monda... |
| 2023-Feb-21 • 13 minutes The Fungal Science Behind HBO's 'The Last of Us' 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 humanity to the brink, but a fungus that has evolved to survive in human bodies in part due to climate change. Short Wave's Aaron Scott talks with fungal researcher Asyia Gusa about the science that inspired The Last of Us and the real threats fungal researchers see in the ever-warming world.Learn more about sponsor message choi... |
| 2023-Feb-20 • 19 minutes Life Kit: Help Save The North American Bird Population 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 species" – their health helps us understand the health of our environment. Plus, they collect expert tips on how we can help birds survive, and thrive. For more of Audrey's reporting, check out "North American birds are in decline. Here are 8 simple ways you can help."Learn more about sponsor message choices: pod... |
| 2023-Feb-17 • 12 minutes News Round Up: Chocolate, A Solar Valentine And Fly Pheromones 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 about scientists identifying the chemical motivation for tsetse fly sex? Luckily, it's the job of Short Wave co-hosts Emily Kwong and Aaron Scott and Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber to decipher the science behind the headlines. Hang out with us as we dish on some of the coolest science stories in this Valentines-th... |
| 2023-Feb-16 • 14 minutes The Science Fueling Disney's 'Strange World' 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 unearth secrets about the curious creatures who call this place home. There's the filterlopes, six-legged deer-forms with fan-like antennae. Or scouts, squishy blue balls with 12 elastic limbs. But as fantastical as these creatures sound, each one is grounded in the physics and biology of its real-world counterpart.... |
| 2023-Feb-15 • 10 minutes Congrats! It's A Tomato 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 sight. After careful research during the pandemic, the newly described tomato recently made its debut in PhytoKeys, a peer-reviewed, open-access journal. Today, Short Wave Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber talks to lead author Tanisha Williams about the plant's journey from the side of a trail in the Austral... |
| 2023-Feb-14 • 11 minutes Mix Up LOVE, And You Get V-O-L-E 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 brains.Voles are stocky, mouse-like little mammals that range over most of North America. One species in particular, the prairie vole, is known for its fidelity: Prairie voles pair-bond and mate for life. And so, for years, scientists have known that oxytocin is important in facilitating the feeling of love in both... |
| 2023-Feb-13 • 14 minutes Meet One Engineer Fixing A Racially Biased Medical Device 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 of COVID-19 was and know whether to admit people into the hospital and provide them with supplemental oxygen. But pulse oximeters, the device most commonly used to measure blood oxygen levels, don't work as well for patients of color. Kimani Toussaint, a physicist at Brown University, is leading a group trying to ... |
| 2023-Feb-10 • 12 minutes Lightning Protection: Lasers, Rockets or Rods? 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 available to deflect lightning is the simple lightning rod, created by Benjamin Franklin more than 250 years ago. But lightning rods protect only a very limited area proportional to their height. So today's show, why a group of European researchers are hoping the 21 century upgrade is a high-powered laser. Plus: ... |
| 2023-Feb-09 • 14 minutes The Social Cost of Carbon Is An Ethics Nightmare 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 emissions — everything from the cost of lost crops and flooded homes to the lost wages when people can't safely work outside and the cost of climate-related deaths. Currently, the cost is $51 per ton of carbon, but the Environmental Protection Agency has proposed raising the cost to $190. NPR climate correspondent Reb... |
| 2023-Feb-08 • 12 minutes Why Can't We Predict Earthquakes? 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 major earthquake," the U.S. Geological Survey says. Even the most promising earthquake models can only offer seconds of warning. In this episode, host Emily Kwong talks to geologist Wendy Bohon and NPR science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel about why earthquake prediction can be so difficult, and the science that fu... |
| 2023-Feb-07 • 11 minutes Who Gets The First Peek At The Secrets Of The Universe? 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. The JWST's managers received more than 1,600 research proposals for what the telescope should look at. When an astronomer or a team does get some much-coveted telescope time, they currently get exclusive access to whatever data they collect for a full year. But there is a movement in astronomy to make most results... |
| 2023-Feb-06 • 13 minutes Can You See What I See? 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 spots – both physical and social. As we continue celebrating Black History Month, today we're featuring Exploratorium Staff Physicist Educator Desiré Whitmore. She shines a light on human eyesight – how it affects perception and how understanding another person's view of the world can offer us a fuller, better pi... |
| 2023-Feb-03 • 14 minutes A Dirty Snowball, Cancer-Sniffing Ants And A Stressed Out Moon 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 Emily Kwong and Aaron Scott are joined by editor Gabriel Spitzer. Together, they round up headlines in this first installment of what will be regular newsy get-togethers in your feed. Have suggestions for what we should cover in our next news roundup? Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoi... |
| 2023-Feb-02 • 12 minutes A Fatal Virus With Pandemic Potential The Nipah virus is on the World Health Organization's short list of diseases that have pandemic potential and therefore pose the greatest public health risk. With a fatality rate at about 70%, it is one of the most deadly respiratory diseases health officials have ever seen. But as regular outbreaks began in the early 2000s in Bangladesh, researchers were left scratching their heads. Initially, the cause of the outbreaks was unknown to them. But once they identified the virus, a second, urgent question aros... |
| 2023-Feb-01 • 15 minutes The Ancient Night Sky And The Earliest Astronomers 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. In fact, Moiya sees astronomy and folklore as two sides of the same coin. "To me, science is any rigorous attempt at understanding and explaining the world around you," she explained to Short Wave's Aaron Scott. "You can see that they knew enough about the world around them to predict eclipses, to predict annual floods in Egypt, for example. I think that... |
| 2023-Jan-31 • 13 minutes Can you teach a computer common sense? 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 sense. In this episode Emily talks to MacArthur Fellowship-winner Yejin Choi, one of the leading thinkers on natural language processing, about how she's teaching machines to make inferences about the real world.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2023-Jan-30 • 13 minutes Gas Stoves: Sorting Fact From Fiction 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 Product Safety Commission (CPSC), quickly became fodder for outrage, viral disinformation and political fundraising after he proposed regulating the appliance. The proposal stems from a growing body of research suggesting gas stoves are unhealthy — especially for those with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary dis... |
| 2023-Jan-27 • 13 minutes Meet The Bony-Eared Assfish And Its Deep Sea Friends Yi-Kai Tea, a biodiversity research fellow at the Australian Museum in Sydney, has amassed a social media following as @KaiTheFishGuy for his sassy writing and gorgeous photos of fish and other wildlife. Kai recently returned from an expedition aboard an Australian research ship to explore the deep seas surrounding a new marine park in the Indian Ocean. Led by the Museums Victoria Research Institute, dozens of scientists aboard mapped the ocean floor and, using nets dropped to as deep as six kilometers, gat... |
| 2023-Jan-26 • 16 minutes 6 Doctors Swallow Lego Heads ... What Comes Out? As an emergency physician at Western Health, in Melbourne, Australia, Dr. Andy Tagg says he meets a lot of anxious parents whose children have swallowed Lego pieces. Much like Andy so many years ago, the vast majority of kids simply pass the object through their stool within a day or so. But Andy and five other pediatricians wondered, is there a way to give parents extra reassurance ... through science? So the doctors devised an experiment. "Each of them swallowed a Lego head," says science journalist Sabri... |
| 2023-Jan-25 • 15 minutes The Math And Science Powering 'Everything Everywhere All At Once' 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 11 Oscar nominations for the 95th Academy Awards, including best picture and best director. This episode, the Daniels share how science played a starring role. Curious about the science behind other pop culture? Email us at [email protected]. We might give it 15 minutes of Short Wave fame in an upcoming episode.Learn more... |
| 2023-Jan-24 • 10 minutes Our Perception Of Time Shapes The Way We Think About Climate Change 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 more fun than figuring out when your house might be flooded by rising sea levels.That basic human relationship with time makes climate change a tricky problem.Host Emily Kwong talks to climate correspondent Rebecca Hersher about how our obsession with the present can be harnessed to tackle our biggest climate proble... |
| 2023-Jan-23 • 13 minutes Fossil CSI: Cracking The Case Of An Ancient Reptile Graveyard 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 out to be just the beginning. Ichthyosaurs were bus-sized marine reptiles that lived during the age of dinosaurs, when this area of Nevada was underwater. Yet paleontologists found few other animals here, which raised the questions: Why were there so many adult ichthyosaurs, and almost nothing else? What could have ... |
| 2023-Jan-20 • 14 minutes New Tech Targets Epilepsy With Lasers, Robots 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. But now, in 2023, advancements in diagnosing and treating epilepsy are showing great promise for many patients, even those who had been told there was nothing that could be done. Using precise lasers, microelectronic arrays and robot surgeons, doctors and researchers have begun to think differently about epilepsy ... |
| 2023-Jan-19 • 13 minutes What Cities Should Learn From California's Flooding 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 waterways were built to accommodate. Urban planners and engineers are rethinking underlying assumptions baked into buildings and water systems in order to adapt to the changing climate. Today, NPR climate correspondent Lauren Sommer walks us through three innovations happening around the country to help cities adapt t... |
| 2023-Jan-18 • 14 minutes Time Is So Much Weirder Than It Seems 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 universe's expansion slows time's passage. "And some scientists think time might not even be 'real' — or at least not fundamental," says NPR science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel. Geoff joined Short Wave Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber to bend our brains with his learnings about the true nature of time. Along... |
| 2023-Jan-17 • 13 minutes A Course Correction In Managing Drying Rivers 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 do more with less," says Laurence Smith, a river surveyor and environmental studies professor at Brown University. He recently dropped in for a chat with Short Wave co-host Emily Kwong about how scientists are turning a new page on managing two of The United States's central waterways, the Colorado and Mississippi ... |
| 2023-Jan-16 • 21 minutes How You Can Support Scientific Research 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 — and better scientific research.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2023-Jan-13 • 13 minutes Things Could Be Better Are humans ever satisfied? Two social psychologists, Ethan Ludwin-Peery and Adam Mastroianni, fell down a research rabbit hole accidentally answering a version of this very question. After conducting several studies, the pair found that when asked how things could be different, people tend to give one kind of answer, regardless of how the question is asked or how good life felt when they were asked. Short Wave's Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber digs into the research—and how it might reveal a fundame... |
| 2023-Jan-12 • 14 minutes Behold! The Mysterious Ice Worm 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, ice worms! Little is known about them. But one thing scientists are sure of? They can't really handle freezing temperatures. In this episode, NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce talks to Emily about how ice worms survive in an extreme environment and why scientists don't understand some of the most basi... |
| 2023-Jan-11 • 14 minutes How Glaciers Move 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 postdoctoral researcher in glaciology at the University of Buffalo. Glaciers such as those that cover Greenland are melting due to climate change, causing sea levels to rise. That we know. But these glaciers are also moving. What we don't know is just how these two processes – melting and movement – interact and ultima... |
| 2023-Jan-10 • 12 minutes Zircon: The Keeper Of Earth's Time 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 billion years old. And, unlike other minerals, zircon is hard to get rid of. This resilience enables scientists to use zircon to determine when major geological events on Earth happened. As part of our series on time, host Aaron Scott talks to science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce about why this mineral is oft... |
| 2023-Jan-09 • 14 minutes Redlining's Ripple Effects Go Beyond Humans When Dr. Chloé Schmidt was a PhD student in Winnepeg, Canada, she was studying wildlife in urban areas. She and her advisor Dr. Colin Garroway came across a 2020 paper that posed a hypothesis: If the echos of systemic racism affect the human residents of neighborhoods and cities, then it should affect the wildlife as well. Short Wave Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber talks to Chloé and Colin about their findings of how redlining and biodiversity are intertwined.Learn more about sponsor message choices... |
| 2023-Jan-06 • 12 minutes An Atmospheric River Runs Through It 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, landslides and power outages. California is enduring the effects of an atmospheric river, a meteorological phenomenon where converging air systems funnel wet air into a long, riverine flow that dumps large amounts of rain when it makes landfall. "Atmospheric rivers can transport volumes of water many times that of the Miss... |
| 2023-Jan-05 • 13 minutes The Period Talk (For Adults) 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 people haven't been educated about periods or the menstrual cycle since they were kids — if at all.This episode, a period manual in four parts: How periods work, the different stages of the menstrual cycle, how to know when something's wrong, and whether to have a period in the first place.Learn more about sponso... |
| 2023-Jan-04 • 12 minutes Houston, We Have Short Wave On The Line Speaking to Short Wave from about 250 miles above the Earth, Josh Cassada outlined his typical day at work: "Today, I actually started out by taking my own blood," he said. The astronauts aboard the International Space Station are themselves research subjects, as well as conductors of all sorts of science experiments: Gardening in microgravity, trapping frigid atoms, examining neutron stars. Then, there's the joy of walks into the yawning void of space. Speaking from orbit, Cassada told fellow physicist and... |
| 2023-Jan-03 • 13 minutes Time Cells Don't Really Care About Time 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 moment of weightless dread and then the painful impact. This exact sequence has been embedded into your memory thanks to some special neurons known as time cells. Science correspondent Jon Hamilton talks to Emily about these cells — and why the label "time" cells is kind of a misnomer.Concerned about the space-ti... |
| 2023-Jan-02 • 7 minutes A New Year's Mad Lib! To ring in the new year, producer Berly McCoy brings host Emily Kwong this homemade science mad lib!Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Dec-30 • 15 minutes I'm Crying Cuz... I'm Human 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 their feelings in this science-fueled exploration of why we cry. (encore) To see more of Rose-Lynn Fisher's images from Topography of Tears, visit her website.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Dec-29 • 13 minutes The Woman Behind A Mystery That Changed Astronomy 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-residence Regina G. Barber talks to Jocelyn about her winding career, her discovery and how pulsars continue to push the field of astronomy today. (encore)Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Dec-28 • 14 minutes Pumpkin Toadlet: Neither Pumpkin, Nor Toad 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 size of a chickpea. At that scale, the frog's inner ear is so small, it's not fully functional. That means the frog's movements seem haphazard. Today, with the help of Atlantic science writer Katie Wu, we investigate: If a frog can't jump well, is it still a frog? (encore)Read Katie Wu's piece in The Atlantic, A Frog So Sm... |
| 2022-Dec-27 • 14 minutes TikTok's favorite zoologist quizzes us on the most dangerous animals Mamadou Ndiaye uses comedy to teach animal facts, but there's nothing funny about these deadly ones.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Dec-26 • 5 minutes A Holiday Fact Exchange! Host Emily Kwong and editor Gisele Grayson exchange the gift of facts - in this quick hello from us to you, our wonderful listeners!Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Dec-23 • 12 minutes Climate Change Stresses Out These Chipmunks. Why Are Their Cousins So Chill? Kwasi Wrensford describes the subjects of his research as "elfin": skittish little squirrel-cousins with angular faces, pointy ears and narrow, furry tails. He studies two species in particular: the Alpine chipmunk and the Lodgepole chipmunk. As the climate warms, these two chipmunks have developed different ways of coping. The Alpine chipmunk has climbed higher, in search of cooler habitat, while the Lodgepole chipmunk continues to thrive in its historic habitat. On this episode, Kwasi explains to Emily Kw... |
| 2022-Dec-22 • 15 minutes Can COP 15 Save Our Planet's Biodiversity? 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 biodiversity and reduce the rate of loss of natural habitats. The last time biodiversity targets were set was in 2010, at COP 10. In the 12 years since, the world collectively failed to meet any of those biodiversity benchmarks.Aaron Scott talks to Giuliana Viglione, an editor at Carbon Brief covering food, land and natur... |
| 2022-Dec-21 • 11 minutes Brain Scientists Are Tripping Out Over Psychedelics 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 medical benefits. At the Neuroscience 2022 meeting held by the Society of Neuroscience, the appetite for psychedelic research permeated the sessions, discussions, and even after-hours barroom talk — drawing in researchers, neuroscientists, companies, reporters, and advocates alike. "In the last couple of years there h... |
| 2022-Dec-20 • 13 minutes Confessions Of A Math Convert Math is a complex, beautiful language that can help people understand the world. And sometimes math is hard! Science communicator Sadie Witkowski says the key to making math your friend is to foster your own curiosity and shed the fear of sounding dumb. That's the guiding principle behind her podcast, Carry the Two and it's today's show: Embracing all math has to offer without the fear of failure. We encore this episode in between Carry the Two's seasons - their second one starts on January 3, 2023!This epi... |
| 2022-Dec-19 • 10 minutes Your Multivitamin Won't Save You 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 vitamins and other supplements in 2021. Yet decades of research have produced little evidence that they really work. Aaron Scott talks to Dr. Jenny Jia about the science of dietary supplements: which ones might help, which ones might hurt, and where we could be spending our money instead.Learn more about sponsor mes... |
| 2022-Dec-16 • 12 minutes The Hope For Slowing Amazon Deforestation 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 specifics of how this might happen. NPR's Kirk Siegler traveled to a remote Amazonian research station that is also threatened by illegal logging and talks to host Aaron Scott about his trip.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Dec-15 • 8 minutes A Step Closer To Nuclear Fusion Energy 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 target with 2.05 megajoules of energy, and the pellet released roughly 3.15 megajoules. It's a major milestone, and one that the field of fusion science has struggled to reach for more than half a century: producing a fusion reaction that generates more energy than it consumes. While progress, the technology is stil... |
| 2022-Dec-14 • 12 minutes From Scientific Exile To Gene Editing Pioneer 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-Komaroff, then a freshly minted PhD. Amidst a political circus, the city of Cambridge, Massachusetts banned research into recombinant DNA, forcing scientists like Villa-Komaroff into exile. But that turned out to be just the prelude to a breakthrough. In this episode, Dr. Villa-Komaroff tells Emily Kwong the story o... |
| 2022-Dec-13 • 14 minutes You Know That Gut Feeling You Have?... 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 our gut and our brain. Berly talks to host Emily Kwong about how the organs evolved to have a tight connection - connections that go beyond transient feelings of excitement or disgust. In fact, an increasing body of research shows links between the gut and conditions we typically associate mostly with the brain – l... |
| 2022-Dec-12 • 14 minutes The Myth of Plastic Recycling 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 Laura Sullivan finds that reality is generally the opposite: Only a small fraction of plastic is ultimately recycled. Moreover, plastic production is on the rise.Further reading:- Recycling plastic is practically impossible — and the problem is getting worse- How Big Oil Misled The Public Into Believing Plastic Would Be RecycledLe... |
| 2022-Dec-09 • 14 minutes DART: The Impacts Of Slamming A Spacecraft Into An Asteroid 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 like a scene from Hollywood's latest sci-fi flick? Well, the folks at NASA have designed and tested a theory."The DART mission, the Double Asteroid Redirection Test, is essentially our first test of a kinetic impact for planetary defense." says Cristina Thomas, assistant professor of Astronomy and Planetary Science a... |
| 2022-Dec-08 • 15 minutes The Biologist Who Talks With Cells 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," says Dr. Sandra Murray, a professor of cell biology and physiology at the University of Pittsburgh who studies how cells communicate with each other to do complex tasks, like close a wound or deliver a baby. This year, Dr. Murray became the first person of color elected as president of the American Society for Cell ... |
| 2022-Dec-07 • 12 minutes What Makes Hawaii's Erupting Volcanoes Special 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 Semeru. At just over half the size of the big island of Hawaii, Mauna Loa is the world's biggest active volcano. Today, volcanologist Alison Graettinger talks to Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber about what makes Mauna Loa's eruption different than Indonesia's and others around the Pacific, and what it reve... |
| 2022-Dec-06 • 12 minutes 'One Mississippi...' How Lightning Shapes The Climate 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, and you may find that tree and dozens around it dead. Gora, a forest ecologist who studies lightning in tropical forests, says we are just beginning to understand how lightning actually behaves in these forests, and what its implications are for climate change. On today's episode, Evan Gora tells Aaron Scott about ... |
| 2022-Dec-05 • 12 minutes Don't Call It Dirt: The Science Of Soil 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 makes our planet habitable. "What stands between life and lifelessness on our planet Earth is this thin layer of soil that exists on the Earth's surface," says Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, a soil scientist at the University of California-Merced. Just ... don't call it dirt. "I don't like the D-word," Berhe says. Berhe says s... |
| 2022-Dec-02 • 13 minutes Arts Week: Physics Meets The Circus 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 wheel routine around the world. But before she learned her trade and entered the limelight, she was on a very different career path — she was studying physics. Julia talks with Emily (who also shares a past life in the circus) about her journey from physicist to circus artist, and how she learned her physics-defining acts.Learn more about sponsor message... |
| 2022-Dec-01 • 14 minutes Arts Week: The Life Cycle Of A Neuron 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 their brain. The installation was a partnership between the Society for Neuroscience and technology-based art space, ARTECHOUSE. In this encore episode, producer Thomas Lu talks to neuroscientist John Morrison and chief creative officer Sandro Kereselidze about the Life of a Neuron.Curious about other ways science in... |
| 2022-Nov-30 • 13 minutes Arts Week: The Literary Magazine Dissecting Health And Healing 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 Bellevue Literary Review, which is now more than 20 years old. In today's encore episode, NPR arts correspondent Neda Ulaby tells Emily how one doctor at Bellevue Hospital decided a literary magazine is essential to both science and healing. As always, you can reach the show by emailing [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: p... |
| 2022-Nov-29 • 15 minutes Arts Week: How Art Can Heal The Brain 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. Now, artists and brain scientists have launched a program to change that. NPR's brain correspondent Jon Hamilton tells us about an initiative called the NeuroArts Blueprint in this encore episode. If you want to know more about the neuroaesthetics research Aaron mentioned participating in, you can read the paper T... |
| 2022-Nov-28 • 13 minutes Arts Week: Harnessing Bacteria For Art 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. Scientists and artists practice etching designs on petri dishes with bacterial paint that can grow and multiply. This encore episode, Aaron talks with science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce about her foray into the agar art world. Love the science powering another craft? Email the show at [email protected] more... |
| 2022-Nov-24 • 1 minutes Happy Thanksgiving, All! 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 survey at npr.org/shortwavesurvey.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Nov-23 • 14 minutes Three Takeaways From The COP27 Climate Conference 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 world is already seeing. Rebecca Hersher and Michael Copley from NPR's Climate Desk talk with Emily about why the meeting went into overtime, three big things that came out of it, and the long and bumpy road still ahead to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/... |
| 2022-Nov-22 • 12 minutes A Taste Of Lab-Grown Meat 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 lab, why not use animal cells to grow meat? Food production accounts for as much as a third of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. The idea behind cultivated meat is to help feed the world while dramatically reducing human contributions to global warming and avoiding killing animals. NPR Health Correspondent Allison Aubrey has been visiting production facilities a... |
| 2022-Nov-21 • 14 minutes A Deeply Personal Race Against A Fatal Brain Disease 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 their focus to their all-consuming mission: to cure, treat, or prevent genetic prion disease. Prions are self-replicating proteins that can cause fatal brain disease. For a decade, Sonia Vallabh has been living with the knowledge that she has a genetic mutation that will likely cause in her the same disease that cla... |
| 2022-Nov-18 • 14 minutes Science Couldn't Save Her, So She Became A Scientist 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 months on life support, Kamni had died. The disease she died from would upend Sonia and her husband Eric's lives, and send them on a careening journey toward a completely new calling: to prevent or cure the disease that's stalking Sonia's family." Sonia Vallabh and Eric Minikel join Short Wave to tell their story in t... |
| 2022-Nov-17 • 13 minutes Killer Proteins: The Science Of Prions 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 of themselves. That has forced scientists to rethink the "central dogma" of molecular biology: that biological information is always passed on through genes. The journey to discovering, describing, and ultimately understanding how prions work began with a medical mystery in a remote part of New Guinea in the 1950s.... |
| 2022-Nov-16 • 13 minutes Where Do Climate Negotiations Stand At COP27? 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 key issues to figure out how to combat climate change, remedy its effects, and to focus on implementing the big changes discussed last year in Glasgow. Correspondent Nathan Rott joins Emily Kwong to walk through the biggest debates at this year's COP, like loss and damage payments. And, he talks about how the war ... |
| 2022-Nov-15 • 15 minutes Searching For A New Life 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 begin with the story of Mamadou Thiam, a Senegalese man living in a temporary shelter created by the United Nations. He is from a family of fishermen, but floods have destroyed his home. In the past when there was flooding, people could relocate for a few months and then return. But more flooding means leaving may become ... |
| 2022-Nov-14 • 14 minutes Corey Gray Is Picking Up Cosmic Vibrations A pivotal week in Corey Gray's life began with a powwow in Alberta and culminated with a piece of history: the first-ever detection of gravitational waves from the collision of two neutron stars. Corey was on the graveyard shift at LIGO, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Observatory in Hanford, Washington, when the historic signal came. Corey tells Short Wave Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber about the discovery, the "Gravitational Wave Grass Dance Special" that preceded it, and how he got his Bl... |
| 2022-Nov-11 • 13 minutes Climate Tipping Points And The Damage That Could Follow 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 climate negotiations are underway in Egypt and the world is set to blow past that 1.5°C warming threshold, Emily Kwong talks to climate correspondents Rebecca Hersher and Lauren Sommer about three climate tipping points--points of no return that could cause big changes to the Earth's ecosystems. Email the show at ... |
| 2022-Nov-10 • 12 minutes Depression And Alzheimer's Treatments At A Crossroads 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 longer when an intravenous dose was followed with computer games featuring smiling faces or words aimed at boosting self-esteem. As science correspondent Jon Hamilton heads to the Society for Neuroscience's annual meeting, he talks to Aaron Scott about his most recent reporting on depression and Alzheimer's, and pre... |
| 2022-Nov-09 • 13 minutes Why Do We Cry? Last month, Short Wave explored the evolutionary purpose of laughter. Now, we're talking tears. From glistening eyeballs to waterworks, what are tears? Why do we shed them? And what makes our species' ability to cry emotional tears so unique?Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Nov-08 • 15 minutes Traditional Plant Knowledge Is Not A Quick Fix 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 relevant and important for reproductive health today.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Nov-07 • 12 minutes COP-out: Who's Liable For Climate Change Destruction? 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 losses and damages. Vulnerable countries hit hardest by climate change are asking the wealthier countries most responsible for these damages for compensation.Climate change correspondent Lauren Sommer joins Emily Kwong to talk about this debate — and the case one island nation is making to seek payment.Learn more a... |
| 2022-Nov-04 • 14 minutes Control: Eugenics And The Corruption Of Science 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. Reading Darwin's book, Sir Francis Galton proposed that humans should be bred to give more "suitable" characteristics a "better chance of prevailing." Today, producer Rebecca Ramirez talks to Adam Rutherford about his new book, Control: The Dark History and Troubling Present of Eugenics, which traces the inextricable link between... |
| 2022-Nov-03 • 14 minutes Should Daylight Saving Time Be Permanent? Correspondent Allison Aubrey talks to host Emily Kwong about the pros and cons of adopting permanent Daylight Saving Time or year-round Standard Time.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Nov-02 • 14 minutes Allergic To Cats? There's Hope Yet! 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 clogging up. In a stroke of luck, Katie's cat allergy suddenly disappeared. The reasons for her night-and-day immune overhaul remain a mystery.In this episode, Katie walks host Aaron Scott through the dynamic world of allergies and what it reveals about our immune systems. Calvin and Hobbes make cameo appearances.Learn ... |
| 2022-Nov-01 • 16 minutes Saving The Pacific Lamprey 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 States. But in the last few decades, tribal elders noticed that pacific lamprey populations have plummeted, due in part to habitat loss and dams built along the Columbia River. So today, an introduction to Pacific lamprey: its unique biology, cultural legacy in the Pacific Northwest and the people who are fighting to ... |
| 2022-Oct-31 • 13 minutes Donate Your Body To Science? 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 journalist Abby Ohlheiser about their reporting trips to a Forensic Osteology Research Station and an anatomy lab to learn how donated bodies help everyone from surgeons to law enforcement to forensic archeologists do their jobs. And while this episode might not be for the squeamish, Abby says these spaces of death are not m... |
| 2022-Oct-28 • 14 minutes 100 Years Of Box Turtles 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 many threats—from lawn mowers to climate change to criminals. So today, science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce presents the researchers hunting for turtles—and for answers. They're creating a century-long study to monitor thousands of box turtles in North Carolina.Heard about other ambitious research? We want to... |
| 2022-Oct-27 • 13 minutes He Had His Father's Voice: Tracking A Rare Bird Hybrid 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, black-and-white body, with a splash of red on its chest. "Well, that sort of looks like a first-year male rose-breasted grosbeak," he said. The song of one bird coming out of the body of another suggested this little guy could be a rare hybrid. Gosser enlisted the help of some pros, including biologist David Toews... |
| 2022-Oct-26 • 12 minutes The Tigray Medical System Collapse 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 equipment. Sporadic electricity and water are also causing problems for hospitals and clinics. NPR's Ari Daniel talks to host Aaron Scott about how people who need and provide medical care are coping.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Oct-25 • 11 minutes When Autumn Leaves Start To Fall Botanist and founder of #BlackBotanistsWeek Tanisha Williams explains why some leaves change color during fall and what shorter days and colder temperatures have to do with it. Plus, a bit of listener mail from you! (Encore)You can always reach the show by emailing [email protected]. We're also on Twitter @NPRShortWave!Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Oct-24 • 11 minutes New Discoveries In Underwater Plant Sex 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 researchers co-led by Dr. Vivianne Solís-Weiss, have discovered a helper organism pitching in to pollinate seagrasses: marine worms. In today's episode, Vivianne tells Short Wave Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber how she happened to catch these worms, called polychaetes, in the act of pollinating seagrass flower... |
| 2022-Oct-21 • 14 minutes Brain Cells In A Dish Play Pong And Other Brain Adventures 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, scientists transplanted human brain organoids into a living animal with the hope of using them as models of human disease. Jon Hamilton talks with host Aaron Scott about this research and its implications.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Oct-20 • 13 minutes These Animals Will Mess You Up 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 turns the tables on Emily and Aaron, quizzing them on some of the animals in his new book 100 Animals That Can F*cking End You. Special guests span land and sea, including the hippopotamus, blowfish, snails, snakes — and more!We're always excited to hear what's on our listeners' minds. You can reach the show by em... |
| 2022-Oct-19 • 13 minutes Beyond Condoms! 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 contraceptive responsibility. Today, Scientist-in-Residence Regina G. Barber talks to host Emily Kwong about the state of research into male contraceptives and which method researchers expect to hit the market first.We're always excited to hear what's on our listeners' minds. You can reach the show by emailing sho... |
| 2022-Oct-18 • 12 minutes Choose Your Own (Math) Adventure 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: combinatorics, the branch of math concerned with counting. It, too, depends on thinking through endless, branching possibilities. She and several students set out to write a scholarly paper in the style of Choose Your Own Adventure books. Dr. Harris tells Regina G. Barber all about how the project began, how it gets c... |
| 2022-Oct-17 • 14 minutes You're 50, And Your Body Is Changing: Time For The Talk 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 hear about from their doctors. Emily talks with health correspondent Rhitu Chatterjee about perimenopause, and how to advocate for yourself as you're going through it.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Oct-14 • 14 minutes Pop Quiz! Short Wave Birthday Edition 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 over the past year. They say they consider all the things, but do they consider the science enough? Quantum physics, prehistoric creatures and spelunking are all fair game in this friendly battle of the brains.-P.S. Short Wave is continuing our birthday celebration by hanging out with all of you on Twitter Spaces! We'll be on NPR's Twitter ac... |
| 2022-Oct-13 • 13 minutes Why Do We Laugh? 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 evolutionary underpinnings of laughter — from chimpanzees to modern-day humans — and the ways it unites us. Keep laughing with us on Twitter — we're at @NPRShortWave — or email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Oct-12 • 14 minutes We Baked A Cake For Our 3rd Birthday! Of course we have to have cake for Short Wave's third birthday! Sugar-ologist and biochemist Adriana Patterson talks to producer Berly McCoy to give us some tips from chemistry - the secret to making a fluffy cake and how honey can help a buttercream frosting.Check out Adriana's Cakeculator - https://cakeculator.sugarologie.com/.Learn... more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Oct-11 • 12 minutes The Quest To Save The California Condor 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, the California condor population has rebounded to a couple hundred birds in Central California and Arizona. This past May, a large partnership led by the Yurok Tribe re-introduced the birds to Northern California. Today, host Aaron Scott talks to Yurok biologist Tiana Williams-Claussen about the years-long quest to ... |
| 2022-Oct-07 • 13 minutes IVF Has Come A Long Way, But Many Don't Have Access 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 made it possible for more people to become parents, but it's not accessible to everyone. Reproductive endocrinologist Amanda Adeleye explains the science behind IVF, the barriers to accessing it and her concerns about fertility treatment in a world without the legal protections of Roe v. Wade.Learn more about spon... |
| 2022-Oct-06 • 12 minutes The Scorpion Renaissance Is Upon Us 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. Most are harmless — they can't even jump — and they play a critical role in their diverse ecosystems as a top invertebrate predator.Want to hear us talk about other newly identified animal species? We'd love to know! We're at @NPRShortWave on Twitter, and our email is [email protected] more about sponsor mess... |
| 2022-Oct-05 • 13 minutes A New Drug For A Relentless Brain Disease 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 disease and extend patients' lives. The drug, called Relyvrio, got its start with a couple of college students, some "ice bucket challenge" money, and a new approach to targeting this disease. Neuroscience correspondent Jon Hamilton checks in with host Emily Kwong about why some advisors aren't persuaded the drug wor... |
| 2022-Oct-04 • 13 minutes Why Disaster Relief Underserves Those Who Need It Most 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, excessive temperatures, mold, or other factors may threaten someone's health. Every day without stable shelter puts people in danger.The federal government is supposed to help prevent that cascade of problems, but an NPR investigation finds that the people who need help the most are often less likely to get it. Today we... |
| 2022-Oct-03 • 14 minutes Predicting Landslides: After Disaster, Alaska Town Turns To Science 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 Emily Kwong recounts the story of the Kramer Avenue landslide and talks about how scientists and residents implemented an early warning system for landslides to prevent a future disaster.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Sep-30 • 14 minutes Sustainable Seafood? It's A Question Of Data 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 of other problems. But marine biologist and World Economic Forum programme lead Alfredo Giron says there's room to hope for the seas. He works to create systems that governments and the fishing industry can use to make sure fishing is legal and sustainable so oceans thrive for years to come. He talks to host Aaro... |
| 2022-Sep-29 • 13 minutes Why The Bladder Is Number One! 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 Dr. Indira Mysorekar about one of our stretchiest organs: how it can expand so much, the potential culprit behind recurrent urinary tract infections and the still-somewhat-mysterious link between the aging brain and the aging bladder. ----------------------------------------... third birthday is coming up on October 15th and we want your voice on our show! Send us a voice r... |
| 2022-Sep-28 • 14 minutes Grasslands: The Unsung Carbon Hero 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 estimates, up to a third of the carbon stored on land is found in grasslands. But grasslands are disappearing — just like forests. Today, journalist Julia Rosen shares her reporting on the hidden majesty and importance of the grasslands.To learn more, including what colonialism has to do with disappearing grasslands, chec... |
| 2022-Sep-27 • 16 minutes One Park. 24 Hours. 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 our local park. On today's episode, Ryan Kellman and Rebecca Hersher from NPR's Climate Desk team up with Short Wave producer Margaret Cirino to spend 24 hours in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Sep-26 • 13 minutes Asteroid Deflection Mission, Activate! 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 not hurtling towards Earth). The Double Asteroid Redirection Test, or DART, launched in 2021 and on Monday, September 26, 2022, makes contact with the celestial object. In 2021, NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce talked about what it takes to pull off this mission and how it could potentially protect th... |
| 2022-Sep-23 • 14 minutes Rise Of The Dinosaurs 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 paleoclimatologist Celina Suarez! Suarez walks us through her scientific detective work, with a little help from her trusty sidekick, scientist-in-residence Regina G. Barber.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Sep-22 • 14 minutes Working With Tribes To Co-Steward National Parks In the final episode of Short Wave's Summer Road Trip series exploring the science happening in national parks and public lands, Aaron talks to National Park Service Director Charles Sams, who recently issued new policy guidance to strengthen the ways the park service collaborates with American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes, the Native Hawaiian Community, and other indigenous peoples. It's part of a push across the federal government to increase the level of tribal co-stewardship over public lands. Aaron ... |
| 2022-Sep-21 • 19 minutes Water Water Everywhere, But How Much Do You Really Need? 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, hosts Aaron Scott and Emily Kwong take some cherished hydration beliefs and get to the reality behind the science of hydration and the actual best ways to quench our thirst.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Sep-20 • 12 minutes Three Sisters And The Fight Against Alzheimer's Disease 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 found out whether she carries a rare gene mutation that makes Alzheimer's inescapable. Jon Hamilton talks to Emily about the sisters and how all three have found ways to help scientists trying to develop treatments for the disease. Thoughts or comments? Get in touch — we're on Twitter @NPRShortWave and on email at ... |
| 2022-Sep-19 • 10 minutes How Muggy Is It? Check The Dew Point! 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 warning people how hot it will feel. That reminded us of producer Thomas Lu's conversation about relative humidity with Maddie Sofia. He digs into why some meteorologists say it's important to pay attention to dew point temperature and how moisture in the air and temperature influence the way our body "feels" when we're outsi... |
| 2022-Sep-16 • 13 minutes How Freaked Out Should We Be About Ukraine's Nuclear Plant? 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 exhausted Ukrainian workforce. Shells have fallen on the complex, and external power sources have been repeatedly knocked out, endangering the system that cools the nuclear reactors and raising the specter of a meltdown. NPR's Kat Lonsdorf reports from inside Ukraine.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podca... |
| 2022-Sep-15 • 11 minutes Heat Can Take A Deadly Toll On Humans 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 Lauren Sommer talks with Short Wave's Regina G. Barber about how human bodies cope with extended extreme heat and how current information on how hot it feels need updating.Follow Short Wave on Twitter @NPRShortWave. Or email us — we're at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Sep-14 • 11 minutes What The Universe Is Doing RIGHT NOW 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 from us. Answering that question left astronomers with an even bigger puzzle. Why is everything sprinting away from us and what does that mean for the center of the universe? Today, Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber brings back astronomer Dr. Vicky Scowcroft for the final episode in our series on cosmic distances and... |
| 2022-Sep-13 • 11 minutes When Should I Get My Omicron Booster Shot? 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 about who should get it, when, and whether there's a case to be made for skipping this booster. You can read more about Allison's reporting at "Omicron boosters: Do I need one, and if so, when?" Follow Short Wave on Twitter @NPRShortWave. You can also email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message ... |
| 2022-Sep-12 • 13 minutes Name That Tune! Why The Brain Remembers Songs 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 explains the neuroscience behind that surprising moment of, "Wow, how do I still remember that song?!" (Encore)Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Sep-09 • 13 minutes The Race To Rescue The Guadalupe Fescue 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 mountaintops form a string of relatively wet, cool oases called "sky islands" — unique, isolated habitats. But as the planet warms, species that depend on "sky island" habitats tend to get pushed even higher up the mountain — until they eventually run out. Carolyn Whiting, Park Botanist at Big Bend, talks to host Aaron ... |
| 2022-Sep-08 • 13 minutes Short Wave Goes To The Circus 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 around the world. But before she learned her trade and entered the limelight, she was on a very different career path--she was studying physics. Julia talks with Emily (who also shares a past life in the circus) about her journey from physicist to circus artist, and how she learned her physics-defining acts.Learn more abo... |
| 2022-Sep-07 • 15 minutes 'Scallop Discos': How Some Glitzy Lights Could Lead To A Low-Impact Fishery 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 fished via trawling or dredging—methods that can cause lasting damage to delicate seafloor ecosystems. So this accidental discovery (the lights were initially added to attract crab) could have a significant impact on scallop fishing. We talk with one of the scientists, Robert Enever of Fishtek Marine, a company that ... |
| 2022-Sep-06 • 12 minutes Surf's Always Up — In Waco, Texas 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 correspondent named Jon Hamilton. Jon's been following the wave technology for years and says the progress is huge. These days, pro surfers come from all over to try the "Freak Peak" of Waco.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Sep-05 Happy Labor Day! 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 @NPRShortWave. We'd love to hear from you! You can also reach us by emailing [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Sep-02 • 13 minutes Worm Blobs From The Bowels Of The Earth 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 the cave with David Steinmann, the spelunking scientist who first documented the worms, along with a trio of science students from Georgia Tech, to collect worms and marvel at the unique crystals and cave formations (ever heard of snottites??) that earned Sulphur Cave a designation as a National Natural Landmark in... |
| 2022-Sep-01 • 11 minutes The Stars That Settled The Great Debate 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 1920s, astronomers were locked in the "Great Debate" — whether Earth was center of the universe and if the universe was just the Milky Way. Today, Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber talks to Dr. Vicky Scowcroft about the stars that ended astronomy's Great Debate. Follow Short Wave on Twitter for more on everythin... |
| 2022-Aug-31 • 14 minutes Quiz Bowl! How Animals Sense The World 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 Short Wave. Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber and producer Margaret Cirino go head-to-head answering questions based on science writer Ed Yong's new book, An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us. Are you reading a new fascinating science-themed book? Let us know which one at shortwav... |
| 2022-Aug-30 • 14 minutes The Man Who Shot The Moon 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 the moon. We're eager to know: What leaps in scientific knowledge will be gained?It's a question planted in our minds by the scientist Hal Walker, who led an experiment during the first lunar landing half a century ago. The goal: Beam a laser at the moon. This encore episode, Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber ... |
| 2022-Aug-29 • 13 minutes 988: An Alternative To 911 For Mental Health 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 Residence Regina G. Barber to talk about how the hotline works, the U.S. mental health system and what this alternative to 911 means for people in crisis.Further Reading:- The new 988 mental health hotline is live. Here's what to know- Social Media Posts Criticize the 988 Suicide Hotline for Calling Police. Here's ... |
| 2022-Aug-26 • 13 minutes Experience The Quietest Place On Earth 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. This spot, in Haleakalā National Park, has been nicknamed the "quietest place on Earth."Getting there is no small feat--the ascent involves hiking upward through five different climate zones. But the reward is an experience of natural silence that is increasingly difficult to find.Conservationists, park scientists, a... |
| 2022-Aug-25 • 12 minutes Artemis: NASA's New Chapter In Space 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 Nell Greenfieldboyce joins Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber to talk about what NASA hopes to learn from this test flight and why it might be difficult to justify the program's cost.Planning to tune in for Monday's launch? Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR P... |
| 2022-Aug-24 • 10 minutes Searching The Ocean's Depths For Future Medicines 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 Afoullouss sends a deep sea robot to carefully collect samples of marine organisms. The goal? To search for unique chemistry that may one day inspire a medicine. Sam talks giant sponges, dumbo octopuses and bubblegum coral with host Emily Kwong – how to use them as a source for drug discovery while also protecting their w... |
| 2022-Aug-23 • 14 minutes Sweating Buckets... of SCIENCE! 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 be pretty essential for human existence, AND arguably less gross than the ways other animals keep from overheating. On today's episode, a small army of NPR science reporters joins host Emily Kwong to talk about how humans developed the unique ability to perspire, how sweat works in space and the neat things other ... |
| 2022-Aug-22 • 12 minutes Micro Wave: How to Build a Sandcastle Dreamhouse! 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 form. In today's encore episode, Emily Kwong asks, scientifically, what is the best way to make a sandcastle? What's the right mix of water and sand to create grand staircases and towers? Sedimentologist Matthew Bennett shares his research and insights.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/a... |
| 2022-Aug-19 • 12 minutes Eavesdropping On A Volcano 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 happening. But volcanoes often sit on protected land, so that detection work sometimes brings scientists into conflict with conservationists. Today, the tug-of-war over a sleeping giant in the Pacific Northwest. This episode is part of our series about the science happening on public lands, dropping every Friday the r... |
| 2022-Aug-18 • 12 minutes A Rising Demand for Coal Amidst War in Ukraine 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. With trillions of dollars of Ukrainian energy deposits now under Russian control, the effects of the war are being felt far beyond the country's borders.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Aug-17 • 15 minutes Ode To The Manta Ray 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 intelligent, entrancing fish? Today, Emily poses all her questions to Rachel Graham, the founder and executive director of MarAlliance, a marine conservation organization working in tropical seas. (encore)Have you been completely captivated by an animal too? Share your story with us at [email protected] more about... |
| 2022-Aug-16 • 12 minutes How To Brew Amazing Coffee With Science 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 Sam Spillman on the chemical processes behind coffee and her technical approach to the craft. Have your own approach to coffee chemistry? Tell us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Aug-15 • 13 minutes The Radio Wave Mystery That Changed Astronomy 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. Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber talks to Jocelyn about her winding career, her discovery and how pulsars are pushing forward the field of astronomy today.Have cosmic queries and unearthly musings? Contact us at [email protected]. We might open an intergalactic case file and reveal our findings in a future episo... |
| 2022-Aug-12 • 10 minutes Tick Check! The Tiny Bloodsuckers In Our Backyards 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 National Preserve in Texas. Among the trees and trails, researchers like Adela Oliva Chavez search for blacklegged ticks that could carry Lyme disease. She's looking for answers as to why tick-borne illnesses like Lyme disease are spreading in some parts of the country and not others. Today: What Adela's research tells us about ticks and the diseases they carry, and ... |
| 2022-Aug-11 • 14 minutes The Brazilian Scientists Inventing An mRNA Vaccine — And Sharing The Recipe 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 countries like Brazil in the lurch. But for Brazilian scientists Patricia Neves and Ana Paula Ano Bom, that wasn't the end. They decided to invent their own mRNA vaccine. Their story, today: Aaron talks to global health correspondent Nurith Aizenman about the effort and how it has helped launch a wider global projec... |
| 2022-Aug-10 • 12 minutes Twinkle, Twinkle, Shooting Star Ahead of the peak of the Perseid meteor shower, we're re-airing our first episode with Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber. In it, Regina and planetary scientist Melissa Rice explore all things shooting star. They talk about the different types, where they come from and what they actually are (hint: not stars). Learn more about viewing the Persieds in the next few days here: Get ready to look up in the night sky at all those meteor showers.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adc... |
| 2022-Aug-09 • 13 minutes How Monkeypox Became A Public Health Emergency The White House officially declared monkeypox a public health emergency in the United States last week. More than 7,500 cases of the virus have been confirmed since it began spreading across the country in May. Today's show: Health reporter Pien Huang on how the outbreak began, how it gathered steam and whether monkeypox is on track to become an endemic disease in the United States.Check out more of NPR's reporting on monkeypox:- Monkeypox: The myths, misconceptions — and facts — about how you catch it- He ... |
| 2022-Aug-08 • 14 minutes Carry The Two: Making Audio Magic With Math Math is a complex, beautiful language that can help us understand the world. And sometimes ... math is also hard! Science communicator Sadie Witkowski says the key to making math your friend is to foster your own curiosity. That's the guiding principle behind her new podcast, Carry the Two. It's also today's show: Embracing all math has to offer without the fear of failure. --------Callout time! Do you have a favorite space fact? Send it to us in a voice memo in 20 seconds or less. Include your name and lo... |
| 2022-Aug-05 • 14 minutes A Tale Of Two Parks And The Bats Within Them Buckle up! Short Wave is going on a road trip every Friday this summer. In this first episode of our series on the research happening in the National Park system, we head to Shenandoah National Park and the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. Some bats there are faring better than others against white-nose syndrome, a fungus that has killed more than 7 million bats in the last decade. Today — what researchers like Jesse De La Cruz think is enabling some bat species to survive. As we road trip, we w... |
| 2022-Aug-04 • 16 minutes Abortion Laws in Texas are Disrupting Maternal Care New abortion bans have made some doctors hesitant to provide care for pregnancy complications. That's led to life-threatening delays, and trapped families in a limbo of grief and helplessness. Today, senior health editor Carrie Feibel shares the story of one woman in Texas, whose pregnancy became a medical crisis because of the state's abortion laws.Read Carrie's full reporting: https://n.pr/3zpDXK0Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Aug-03 • 11 minutes The Secret History of DNA It's been over 150 years since the first article was published about the molecular key to life as we know it — DNA. With help from expert Pravrutha Raman, Short Wave producer Berly McCoy explains how DNA is stored in our cells and why the iconic double helix shape isn't what you'd see if you peeked inside your cells right now. (encore)Curious about all the other biology that defines us? Email the show at [email protected] — we're all ears ... and eyes and toes and ... a lot of things. Thanks, DNA!Learn more... |
| 2022-Aug-02 • 14 minutes Wild Horses Could Keep Wildfire At Bay Under a 1971 Congressional Act, the Bureau of Land Management has the right to round up wild horses on public lands. Oftentimes, those horses are shipped to holding facilities, where they are kept in captivity and separated from their families. William Simpson wants to change that. He wants to deploy the wild horses across public lands, to live and graze — and ultimately, prevent the worst wildfires.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Aug-01 • 14 minutes TASTE BUDDIES: The Controversial World Of Taste Science Not much is known about why people experience tastes differently and why some people can detect certain tastes and not others. There also might be other tastes out there to add to the list beyond the five known ones now. In this finale to Short Wave's Taste Buddies series, we're tackling the science of the five tastes, and in this episode, we look at why there is so much more research to be done. Host Aaron Scott talks to Danielle Reed from the Monell Chemical Senses Center about the controversy in taste sc... |
| 2022-Jul-29 • 14 minutes Spice, Spice, Baby! Why Some Of Us Enjoy The Pain Of Spicy Foods Today, we talk about spicy food and its intersection with pleasure and pain as part of our "Taste Buddies" series — Short Wave's ode to "taste." In this episode, Host Emily Kwong talks to food reporter Ruth Tam and researchers Julie Yu and Nadia Byrnes about the science behind our love for spicy foods and what drives some of us to seek out the pain. Follow Emily on Twitter @EmilyKwong1234. You can email Short Wave at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR... |
| 2022-Jul-28 • 11 minutes TASTE BUDDIES: No Sugarcoating How Sweet Affects The Brain Our ancestors evolved the ability to taste the sweet goodness of foods like pastries and creamy chocolates. They were enticed to consume quick calories that might only be available sporadically. What does that mean today for our brains and bodies in a world where sugar is much more abundant? Host Aaron Scott talks to taste and smell researcher Paule Joseph about the sticky science of sugar and how we can have too much of a good thing.-Separately, we want to feature YOU in an upcoming episode! Is there a mom... |
| 2022-Jul-27 • 14 minutes TASTE BUDDIES: Feeling Salty? Today, we're getting salty as we continue our series "Taste Buddies" — Short Wave's ode to taste buds. In this encore episode, Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber goes on a salty flavor journey with scientist Julie Yu. Along the way, Julie explains salt's essential role in our daily lives and how it affects our perception of food. Follow Regina on Twitter @ScienceRegina. Reach the show by sending an email to [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Priv... |
| 2022-Jul-26 • 15 minutes TASTE BUDDIES: Umami And The Redemption Of MSG We're continuing our celebration of taste with another episode in our "Taste Buddies" series. Today: Umami.In the early 1900s a Japanese chemist identified umami, but it took a century for his work to be translated into English. In this encore episode, Short Wave host Emily Kwong talks with producer Chloee Weiner about why it took so long for umami to be recognized as the fifth taste.Follow Emily on Twitter @emilykwong1234. Reach the show by sending an email to [email protected] more about sponsor mes... |
| 2022-Jul-25 • 16 minutes TASTE BUDDIES: Pucker Up! It's The Science Of Sour This week Short Wave is celebrating our sense of taste with an entire week of themed episodes, covering everything from sugar and spice to what's beyond our classic ideas of taste. It's a series we're calling, "Taste Buddies."In today's encore episode with Atlantic science writer Katherine Wu, we take a tour through the mysteries of sourness — complete with a fun taste test. Along the way, Katie serves up some hypotheses for the evolution of sour taste because, as Katie explains in her article, "The Paradox... |
| 2022-Jul-22 • 13 minutes The Accelerated Approvals Process: Are Drugmakers Fulfilling Their Promises? The Food and Drug Administration allows faster drug approvals based on preliminary study data if the drug fulfills an unmet medical need. But the speedy approval comes with a promise that the drugmaker does another clinical trial once the drug is on the market to prove it really works. If not, the FDA can rescind the approval. How are the companies doing and how well does the agency enforce that system? Pharmaceuticals correspondent Sydney Lupkin investigated the 30-year track record for accelerated approva... |
| 2022-Jul-21 • 12 minutes Russia's War In Ukraine Is Hurting Nature The war in Ukraine is devastating that nation's rich, natural environment - from chemical leaks poisoning water supplies and warships killing dolphins to explosions disrupting bird migrations. NPR Environmental Correspondent Nate Rott has been reporting from Ukraine. He sits down with Short Wave's Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber to talk about how the Russian invasion is harming the environment even beyond Ukraine's borders. Read more of Nate's reporting: https://n.pr/3PkuKcEWant to get in touch? Rea... |
| 2022-Jul-20 • 15 minutes Keeping Score On Climate: How We Measure Greenhouse Gases Host Emily Kwong wants to keep an eye on her carbon footprint. Most of it consists of greenhouse gas emissions from driving her car or buying meat at the grocery store. But it's not so obvious how to measure those emissions, or how factories, cargo ships, or even whole countries measure theirs.Enter: NPR science reporter Rebecca Hersher. Together, Rebecca and Emily break down how greenhouse gas emissions are tallied ... and why those measurements are so important in figuring out who's responsible for cleani... |
| 2022-Jul-19 • 10 minutes Venus And The 18th Century Space Race 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 on the Sun's surface, scientists hoped to make a massive leap in scientific knowledge. With a little help from math, Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber recounts how humanity came closer to understanding our cosmic address — and relative distances to other planets — in the solar system. You can follow Regina on... |
| 2022-Jul-18 • 12 minutes How Clarice Phelps Put Her Mark On The Periodic Table As a kid, Clarice Phelps dreamed of being an astronaut, or maybe an explorer like the characters on Star Trek. And while her path to a career in science was different than what she expected, it led her to being a part of something big: the discovery of a new element on the periodic table. Clarice talks to host Aaron Scott about her role in creating Tennessine, one of the heaviest elements known to humankind.Do you have a great science discovery story? Tell us about it at [email protected] more about s... |
| 2022-Jul-15 • 14 minutes The Universe's Baby Pictures (Squee!) From The James Webb Space Telescope Earlier this week we got a look at one of the highest-profile scientific photo dumps of all time. The James Webb Space Telescope is the most powerful telescope ever sent into space, and it is producing some of the most detailed, rich, and far-reaching images of the universe we have seen – including the birth of stars, galaxies colliding, and the bending of space-time itself. Today, Host Emily Kwong talks with Short Wave Scientist-in-Residence Regina G. Barber and NPR's Joe Palca about these mind bending new... |
| 2022-Jul-14 • 14 minutes Making Space Travel Accessible For People With Disabilities This week NASA released some of the sharpest images of space ever from the James Webb Space Telescope. The telescope's camera gives us a glimpse into distant galaxies and a picture of the makings of our universe. Tomorrow, we'll nerd out about those photos. But today, we're revisiting the idea of space travel. This encore episode, science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel talks to New York Times Disability Reporting Fellow Amanda Morris about one organization working to ensure disabled people have the chance to ... |
| 2022-Jul-13 • 14 minutes Real Life 'Goonies'? A Mysterious Shipwreck Found Off the Oregon Coast For centuries, mysterious blocks of beeswax and Chinese porcelain have washed up on the Oregon coast, leading to legends of pirates, treasure, and a sunken Spanish galleon. It became known as the Beeswax Wreck, and it inspired centuries of treasure hunters—and maybe even Steven Spielberg, as he created The Goonies. Now, researchers have found nearly 330-year-old timbers from the ship in a hard-to-access cave. This is the story of how a team of volunteer archeologists are working to solve one of the most end... |
| 2022-Jul-12 • 8 minutes BA.5: The Omicron Subvariant Driving Up Cases — And Reinfections BA.5 is now the dominant SARS-CoV-2 subvariant in the United States. It's driving up COVID cases and hospitalizations across the country. It's also causing quicker reinfections. More people appear to be contracting the virus multiple times in relatively quick succession. Today, host Emily Kwong talks with science correspondent Allison Aubrey about this dominant subvariant: What it means for mask mandates, "long COVID" — and why infectious disease experts think this wave will be more manageable than last win... |
| 2022-Jul-11 • 15 minutes Everything On A Bagel: A Conversation With Daniels Directing Duo Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, (collectively: Daniels) are known for their first feature film Swiss Army Man and DJ Snake's and Lil Jon's music video "Turn Down For What." This year, they've taken their directing to a whole different universe. Host Emily Kwong chats with the Daniels about their new film Everything Everywhere All At Once and how their indie film about laundry and taxes melds the arts with sciences. You can follow Emily on Twitter @EmilyKwong1234. Email Short Wave at ShortWav... |
| 2022-Jul-08 • 14 minutes Tiny Critter Week Finale: Nudibranchs Do It Better We're wrapping up Tiny Critter Week with a reprise of one of our favorite episodes — nudibranchs. In this episode, Maddie and Emily got super nerdy, diving into the incredible world of nudibranchs. These sea slugs eye-catching for their colors, and some of them have evolved to "steal" abilities from other organisms — from the power of photosynthesis to the stinging cells of their venomous predators.We'd love to hear which tiny critters you love — and which leave you puzzled. Reach us by sending an email to ... |
| 2022-Jul-07 • 12 minutes Liquid Gold: The Wonder Of Honey 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 Bernarda Calla, Short Wave producer Berly Mccoy explains the chemical complexities of honey, how it helps keep honey bees resilient, and what role it may play in saving the bees. (encore)Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Jul-06 • 13 minutes Spiders Can Fear Other Spiders 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 other possible predator spiders, even if they've never encountered them before. She talks with host Maria Godoy about her research and what Halloween decorations do to the poor spiders, if arachnids can have arachnophobia. (Encore)Read Daniela's research and watch videos of the experiment: https://besjournals.online... |
| 2022-Jul-05 • 12 minutes Against All Odds, The Pumpkin Toadlet Is 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 size of the skittle. At that scale, the frog's inner ear is so small, it's not fully functional. That means when the frog moves, it's haphazard and seems kind of drunk. And so today, with the help of Atlantic science writer Katie Wu, we investigate: If a frog can't jump well, is it still a frog?Read Katie's piece in The... |
| 2022-Jul-04 • 1 minutes Tiny Critters On The Way This Week Hey, Short Wavers!We're off today, but wanted to give you a sneak peek into this week's episodes. To inject a little levity into your (and our) lives, we're celebrating some of the smaller animals in our midst all week long. Tomorrow — an animal probably most aptly described as an orange Skittle. Any guesses?Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Jul-01 • 14 minutes If Monkeys Could Talk... ... Could a monkey host this podcast?Aaron Scott and Resident Neuroscience Nerd Jon Hamilton discuss the vocal capabilities of our primate relatives. From syllables and consonants to rhythm and pitch, certain monkeys and apes have more of the tools needed for speech than was once thought. Now scientists are looking to them for insights into the origins of human speech. What animal should we study next? Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices... |
| 2022-Jun-30 • 9 minutes Micro Wave: Scientists Discover GINORMOUS Bacteria The Caribbean is home to gorgeous beaches, mangroves and ... the biggest bacteria known to humankind. Find out exactly how big from science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce in this Micro Wave. Then, stay for the listener mail, where we answer YOUR questions — all hosted by our new senior editor, Gabriel Spitzer!Do you have a question for Short Wave? Email us a voice memo at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Jun-29 • 12 minutes Climate Change Is Tough On Personal Finances A majority of people say they have experienced extreme weather in the last five years, according to a nationwide survey conducted by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. And events like floods, wildfires and hurricanes are emptying bank accounts--especially when insurance can't cover the damage. Aaron Scott talks to science reporter Rebecca Hersher about the new survey, and the hidden ways climate change could impact your finances.Learn more about sponso... |
| 2022-Jun-28 • 12 minutes The Quest To Save The California Condor Historically, the California condor soared 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, the California condor population has rebounded to a couple hundred birds in Central California and Arizona. And this May, a large partnership led by the Yurok Tribe re-introduced the birds to Northern California. Today, host Aaron Scott talks to Yurok biologist Tiana Williams-Claussen about the years-long que... |
| 2022-Jun-27 • 15 minutes The Public Health Implications Of Overturning Roe V. Wade The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on Friday. We're revisiting an episode that may give us insight into pregnant people's lives in a post-Roe United States. We talked to Dr. Diana Greene Foster, the lead researcher on the interdisciplinary team behind The Turnaway Study. For over a decade, she and her fellow researchers followed just under a thousand women who sought an abortion across 21 states. These data reveal the outcomes of unwanted pregnancies and compare the physical, mental and financial cons... |
| 2022-Jun-24 • 11 minutes Let's Get Crafty With Agar Art! Pull out your art supplies because it's time to get crafty--with agar! At the intersection of biology and art lies a creative medium that's actually alive. Scientists and artists practice etching designs on petri dishes with bacterial paint that can grow and multiply.Aaron Scott talks with science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce about her foray into the agar art world.Have another craft suggestion? Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesN... |
| 2022-Jun-23 • 14 minutes Dino-mite! Meet The Real Stars of 'Jurassic World: Dominion' Move over, T-Rex. There are new, (mostly) more accurate dinosaurs to squeal over in 'Jurassic World: Dominion', the sixth and reportedly final film of the Jurassic film franchise. Join us to get to know them a little more with help from Riley Black, a paleontologist and author of the book The Last Days of the Dinosaurs.Want to hear more about the science in pop culture? Or maybe just want to show your support for our continued coverage of dinosaurs? Let us know by e-mailing [email protected] more abou... |
| 2022-Jun-22 • 12 minutes 'Smell Ya Later, COVID!' How Dogs Are Helping Schools Stay COVID-free A Massachusetts elementary school welcomes "Huntah," the COVID-sniffing dog. Scientist-in-residence Regina Barber talks with NPR science reporter Ari Daniel about how a specialized K-9 unit is helping keep kids in classrooms.For more of Ari's reporting, check out "Dogs trained to sniff out COVID in schools are getting a lot of love for their efforts."You can follow Regina on Twitter @ScienceRegina and Ari on Instagram @mesoplodon_. Email Short Wave at [email protected] more about sponsor message choic... |
| 2022-Jun-21 • 12 minutes Good Things Come In Trees Do you ever feel better after walking down a street that's lined with lush, green trees? You're not alone! For decades, researchers have been studying the effects of nature on human health and the verdict is clear: time spent among the trees seems to make us less prone to disease, more resistant to infection and happier overall. Aaron Scott talks with environmental psychologist Ming Kuo about why we need greenery and how you can bring more of it into your life.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podca... |
| 2022-Jun-20 Honoring Juneteenth Hi Short Wavers, The team is off today in continued commemoration of Juneteenth, a holiday honoring the freedom of all Americans, by marking the emancipation of enslaved Americans in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865. We'll be back tomorrow with more Short Wave, from NPR.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Jun-17 • 13 minutes Science In The City: Cylita Guy Talks Chasing Bats And Tracking Rats Cylita Guy was a curious child who enjoyed exploring the beaches, parks and animals that shared her hometown of Toronto, Canada. She's an urban ecologist interested in city-dwelling bats. Cylita talks to guest host Lauren Sommer about the importance of studying wildlife in cities and about her children's book, Chasing Bats and Tracking Rats: Urban Ecology, Community Science and How We Share Our Cities. (Encore)Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Jun-16 • 14 minutes Can The Next School Shooting Be Prevented With Compassion? The Uvalde school shooting has renewed questions of how to prevent the next shooting. For many who've opened fire in schools, the path to violence has common traits. A growing number of schools are adopting an evidence-based approach to preventing violence on their campuses. The plan recognizes that a student contemplating violence is a student in crisis. Today, a look at that plan in action: how a school district in Oregon has been turning troubled youth away from violence for nearly two decades.Learn more... |
| 2022-Jun-15 • 13 minutes War On Earth, Cooperation In Space For decades, U.S. astronauts and Russian cosmonauts have lived side-by-side aboard the International Space Station. Host Aaron Scott talks with Science Correspondent Geoff Brumfiel about how a war on planet Earth is changing life in space and what those changes say about the limits of science as a tool for diplomacy. For more of Geoff's reporting, check out "Russia's war in Ukraine is threatening an outpost of cooperation in space."You can follow Aaron on Twitter @AaronScottNPR and Geoff @GBrumfiel. Email S... |
| 2022-Jun-14 • 10 minutes How Politics And Health Are Intertwined Political polarization is affecting Americans' health, according to a new study. Researchers find higher levels of premature death in Republican-leaning counties compared to those in Democratic-leaning ones. The higher mortality in GOP counties is across the board – everything from heart disease to suicide. Allison Aubrey talks to Emily Kwong about what may be causing these disparities.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Jun-13 • 13 minutes Wok This Way: A Science Cooking Show What's the most versatile pan in the kitchen? According to chef and cookbook author J. Kenji López-Alt, it's the wok! And along with spices, he sprinkles science explainers into his writing. Today's episode is just that — the science of the wok in action. He and host Emily Kwong talk about how to choose, season and cook with one, and why its unique shape makes it so versatile. Plus, we hear how Emily fared cooking one of Kenji's dishes from his new cookbook The Wok. Learn more about sponsor message choices:... |
| 2022-Jun-10 • 25 minutes Pride Week: The Importance Of Inclusion In Sex Education Sex can be a nerve-racking experience no matter what. That's especially true if you have no clue what to do, and since LGBTQ+ topics are often left out of the conversation in school sex ed classes, many queer people know this feeling well. Life Kit spoke with sexuality educators to understand what sex education could look like for queer students and the importance of including everybody in the discussions.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Jun-09 • 13 minutes Pride Week: How Organic Chemistry Helped With Embracing Identities As a kid, Ariana Remmel had a hard time figuring out where they fit in. They found comfort in the certainty and understanding of what the world was made of: atoms and molecules and the periodic table of elements.Years later, Ari went on to become a chemist and science writer. On today's show, Ari talks with host Maddie Sofia about how chemistry has helped them embrace their mixed identities.For more, read Ari's recent essay in Catapult Magazine: https://catapult.co/stories/ariana-remmel-essay-mixed-identiti... |
| 2022-Jun-08 • 15 minutes Pride Week: Beginning Hormone Replacement Therapy 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, it can be hard to know exactly how to get started. Reporter James Factora explains where to start, common misconceptions about HRT, and the importance of finding community through the process. Read James' full reporting for VICE here: "A Beginner's Guide to Hormone Replacement Therapy."(www.vice.com/en/article/dyv... |
| 2022-Jun-07 • 15 minutes Pride Week: TikTok Queen Brings Math To The Masses Kyne is the stage name of Kyne Santos, a math communicator and a drag queen. The former Canada's Drag Race contestant posted her first video explaining a math riddle in full drag on TikTok during the pandemic. Since then, Kyne's videos, under the username @onlinekyne, have have attracted 1.3 million followers and generated 40.7 million likes. Kyne talks to host Emily Kwong about bringing STEM to the drag scene. (Encore)Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy ... |
| 2022-Jun-06 • 15 minutes Pride Week: Loving Sally Ride Tam O'Shaughnessy and Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, met as kids in the early 1960s and developed an instant connection. Years later, they fell in love. They also were dedicated to STEM education and founded Sally Ride Science in 2001, a company focused on equity and inclusion in science education. Tam talks about this, and her relationship with Sally Ride, with Maddie Sofia. (encore)Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Jun-03 • 12 minutes It's Been A Minute: Digital Privacy In A Possible Post-Roe World Today, we're passing the mic to our friends at It's Been A Minute. Recently, they dug into how the anticipated repeal of Roe v. Wade will affect broader privacy issues. Will tech platforms continue to provide the same information, in states where the procedure is outlawed? What risk does your digital footprint create, if you seek information about abortion or other reproductive health care? Guest host Elise Hu talks it out with Rachel Cohen, senior policy reporter at Vox News, and Lil Kalish from CalMatters... |
| 2022-Jun-02 • 10 minutes How To Keep Meat Juicy With Science How do you make the perfect stir-fry chicken without drying it out? Today, we answer that question with cookbook author and chef J. Kenji López-Alt and science! Host Emily Kwong talks to Scientist-In-Residence Regina G. Barber about velveting, a technique used to seal in moisture during high heat cooking. Then, some listener mail!If you're hungry for more food-based episodes, check out our TASTE BUDDIES series.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Jun-01 • 13 minutes What Research Says About Mass Shootings Parkland, Fla. Buffalo, NY. Uvalde, Texas. Every mass shooting in the U.S. raises calls for better policies to prevent such tragedies. There's evidence suggesting that certain kinds of laws may reduce deaths from mass shootings, say scientists who study the field — but those policy options are not the ones usually discussed in the wake of these events. Furthermore, the amount of resources devoted to studying gun violence is paltry compared to its public health impact.Learn more about sponsor message choices... |
| 2022-May-31 • 14 minutes Telehealth Abortions Are Changing The Culture Of Medicine Recent rule changes have increased access to abortion pills through the mail, using telehealth services. As many U.S. states gear up to restrict abortion access in anticipation of the Supreme Court possibly overturning Roe v. Wade, the medical professionals behind these services are preparing for an even bigger surge in demand. Groups that provide abortion pills are also preparing to face significant new obstacles, as anti-abortion states push back against expanded online access. Both patients and clinician... |
| 2022-May-27 • 11 minutes James Kagambi: The 62 Year Old Who Just Summited Everest The first all-black team of climbers reached the summit of Mount Everest last week, including the first Kenyan ever to do so. Today on the show Short Wave Host Aaron Scott talks with Science Reporter Ari Daniel about his interview with James Kagambi, a snow-loving, 62-year-old with a bum knee who made the trek despite his doctor's orders. You can follow Aaron on Twitter @AaronScottNPR and Ari on Instagram @mesoplodon_. Email Short Wave at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastch... |
| 2022-May-26 • 13 minutes Dog Breeds Are A Behavioral Myth... Sorry! Is your border collie a lethargic couch potato? Is your golden retriever bad with kids? Is your German shepherd too timid to guard your home?Turns out, there may be good reason why your pooch doesn't act as expected. Regina G. Barber talks with writer Katie Wu about the science of dog breeds, including how much a dog's personality is linked to breed. (Hint: less than you might think!)Got personal stories of your dog breaking its behavioral mold? Share with us at [email protected] more about sponsor me... |
| 2022-May-25 • 12 minutes How Changes in Abortion Law Could Impact Community Health Depending how the Supreme Court votes on a pending case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, many pregnant people may lose the right to seek an abortion in their state. Host Emily Kwong talks to research scientist Liza Fuentes about the shifting reality of abortion as health care — and how the states with the greatest restrictions generally invest the least in maternal and children's health. Today is part two of Emily and Liza's conversation. Listen to part one of Emily and Liza's conversation to ... |
| 2022-May-24 • 12 minutes Why Abortion Access Is Important For A Healthy Community Abortion access has been leading political news in recent weeks. But what happens when we look at abortion as a health care tool that betters public health? Today, Emily talks to Liza Fuentes, a Senior Research Scientist at the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that focuses on sexual and reproductive health. Fuentes says abortion access is an important part of health care for a community and losing access can exacerbate income and health inequalities.Learn more about sponsor message choices: pod... |
| 2022-May-23 • 15 minutes The Queen of Nuclear Physics (Part Two): Forming Chien-Shiung Wu's Story Growing up, Jada Yuan didn't realize how famous her grandmother was in the world of physics. In this episode, Jada talks to Emily about the life of physicist Chien-Shiung Wu, whom Jada got to know much better while writing the article Discovering Dr. Wu for the Washington Post, where she is a reporter covering culture and politics.Check out part one in which Emily talks to Short Wave's scientist-in-residence about how Chien-Shiung Wu altered physics. She made a landmark discovery in 1956 about how our unive... |
| 2022-May-20 • 13 minutes The Queen of Nuclear Physics (Part One): Chien-Shiung Wu's Discovery In the 1950's, a particle physicist made a landmark discovery that changed what was known about how the universe operates. Chien-Shiung Wu did it while raising a family and an ocean away from her relatives in China. Short Wave's Scientist-In-Residence Regina Barber joins host Emily Kwong to talk about that landmark discovery—what it meant for the physics world, and what it means to Regina personally as a woman and a Chinese and Mexican American in physics. Email the show at [email protected] more abou... |
| 2022-May-19 • 13 minutes TASTE BUDDIES: Why Bitter Tastes Better For Some Love the bitter bite of dark chocolate, leafy greens or black licorice? Your genetics may be the reason why. Today on the show, host Aaron Scott talks to scientist Masha Niv about how our bitter taste buds work and how a simple taste test can predict your tolerance for some bitter things. Plus, what bitter receptors elsewhere in the body have to do with your health. To listen to more episodes about how we taste, check out our TASTE BUDDIES series: https://n.pr/3LkXOh7Learn more about sponsor message choices... |
| 2022-May-18 • 15 minutes Who Else Can See Your Period Tracker Data? Apps can be a great way to stay on top of your health. They let users keep track of things like exercise, mental health, the quality of their skin, and even menstrual cycles.But health researchers Giulia De Togni and Andrea Ford have found that many of these health apps also have a dark side — selling your most personal data to third parties like advertisers, insurers and tech companies. Emily talks to the researchers about the commodification of data, and their suggestions for increasing the security of y... |
| 2022-May-17 • 9 minutes How Vaccine Misinformation Spread Through The Parenting World Any hour now, the U.S. is expected to officially mark one million lives lost to the COVID-19 pandemic. Health correspondent Allison Aubrey shares how this misinformation first entered the parenting world--and how some are fighting back. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-May-16 • 14 minutes The Importance Of The Vaginal Microbiome Today on Short Wave, researcher Fatima Aysha Hussain talks to host Emily Kwong about how microbes in the vagina can impact health and how transplanting vaginal microbiomes from one vagina to another could help people managing bacterial vaginosis. To learn more about the vaginal microbiome transplant study, visit https://motifstudy.org/.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-May-13 • 12 minutes Who Would Be Most Affected By Roe Reversal If the U.S. Supreme Court rules in line with the draft decision leaked in early May, the decision to reverse Roe v. Wade affect a much broader group than people who get pregnant. But research shows abortion restrictions have a disproportionate impact on young women, poor women and especially those in communities of color. NPR health correspondent Yuki Noguchi talks to Short Wave scientist-in-residence Regina G. Barber about how this ruling would affect those women and how groups helping them get abortions a... |
| 2022-May-12 • 13 minutes A Climate Time Capsule, Part 2: The Start of the International Climate Change Fight In 1992, diplomats and scientists at the United Nations negotiated the first-ever treaty intended to tackle the climate change. This brought the issue to the forefront and led to a series of conferences that have occurred almost every year for the next 30 years. Short Wave host Emily Kwong talks to freelance climate reporter, Dan Charles about how those at the conference wrote a clear and ambitious goal that they didn't even fully understand. Plus — why it rattled the fossil fuel industry. This is part 2 of... |
| 2022-May-11 • 14 minutes A Climate Time Capsule (Part 1): The Start of the International Climate Change Fight In 1992, diplomats and scientists at the United Nations negotiated the first-ever treaty intended to tackle the scientific phenomenon now known as climate change. This brought the issue to the forefront and led to a series of conferences that would occur almost every year for the next 30 years. Short Wave host Emily Kwong talks to freelance climate reporter, Dan Charles, about how those at the conference wrote a clear and ambitious goal that they didn't even fully understand.Email the show at shortwave@npr.... |
| 2022-May-10 • 14 minutes Stephanie's Story: How COVID Misinformation Affected One Family Stephanie was usually careful about her health and regular vaccinations. But then she got into sharing conspiracy-filled videos and fringe ideas. When COVID hit, misinformation put her and her husband at risk. Science correspondent and editor Geoff Brumfiel shares with Emily Kwong what he learned in reporting Stephanie's story. You can follow Emily on Twitter @EmilyKwong1234 and Geoff at @GBrumfiel. Email Short Wave at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesN... |
| 2022-May-09 • 15 minutes The Turnaway Study: What The Research Says About Abortion A leaked draft opinion in the Supreme Court case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization has placed uncertainty on the future of abortion rights in the United States. As written, the opinion would overturn Roe v. Wade protections. We at Short Wave were immediately curious about the data behind abortions: What happens when pregnant people are denied abortions? For answers, we turned to Dr. Diana Greene Foster, the lead researcher on the interdisciplinary team behind The Turnaway Study. For over a decade... |
| 2022-May-06 • 12 minutes Lessons From HIV On Ending The COVID Pandemic The world has come a long way since the COVID-19 pandemic began. There are now vaccines, at-home tests, masks and treatments. With all of these tools available, why is COVID still here?Health policy correspondent Selena Simmons-Duffin talks to Scientist-In-Residence Regina Barber about what we can learn from the public health advocates working to end the HIV epidemic, how those lessons may translate to ending COVID and why having the scientific tools isn't enough.Learn more about sponsor message choices: po... |
| 2022-May-05 • 12 minutes When Our Star Erupts - The 1859 Solar Storm And More In 1859, astronomer Richard Carrington was studying the Sun when he witnessed the most intense geomagnetic storm recorded in history. The storm, triggered by a giant solar flare, sent brilliant auroral displays across the globe causing electrical sparking and fires in telegraph stations.Short Wave's scientist-in-residence Regina G. Barber talks to solar physicist Dr. Samaiyah Farid about what's now known as the Carrington event and about what may happen the next time a massive solar storm hits Earth. You ca... |
| 2022-May-04 • 12 minutes Emotions — They're Not Just For Humans Scientists have discovered the underpinnings of animal emotions. As NPR brain correspondent Jon Hamilton reports, the building blocks of emotions and of emotional disorders can be found across lots of animals. That discovery is helping scientists understand human emotions like fear, anger — and even joy. Express your joy, fear and fine — even your scientific rage to us. We're at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-May-03 • 13 minutes Why You Should Give A Dam About Beavers! Beavers have long been considered pests by landowners and government agencies. But now, many are starting to embrace them. Today on the show, Host Aaron Scott tells Host Emily Kwong how these furry ecosystem engineers are showing scientists a way to save threatened and endangered salmon and steelhead. Watch the video Aaron filmed with Oregon Field Guide about beavers and stream restoration. For more videos check out Oregon Field Guide.You can follow Aaron on Twitter @AaronScottNPR and Emily @EmilyKwong123... |
| 2022-May-02 • 14 minutes Why Did The Scientist Cross The Road?...To Meet Kasha Patel! When Kasha Patel decided to try out stand-up comedy, she was told to joke about what she knew. For her, that was science. Today on Short Wave, Kasha talks to host Emily Kwong about how she developed her sense of humor, how she infuses science into her comedy and why on Earth she analyzed 500 of her jokes. Listen to the end for bonus audio!Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Apr-29 • 13 minutes All Tied Up: The Study of Knots Climbing enthusiast and producer Thomas Lu has long wondered what makes knots such a powerful tool. Today, Thomas digs into the research with the help of Matt Berry, Quality Assurance Manager at the outdoor gear company Black Diamond Equipment, and researcher Vishal Patil.Reach the show by emailing [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Apr-28 • 12 minutes Planetary Scientists Are Excited About Uranus Probes to Uranus and to one of Jupiter's moons where conditions might support life; a better plan high-quality science on the moon--those are some of the recommendations in a new 700 page report to NASA. NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce has looked at that report and talked to the experts. Today, she sifts through all the juicy details of where NASA is headed the next few decades.Read the decadal survey. Probe the Short Wave minds by emailing [email protected] more about sponsor message c... |
| 2022-Apr-27 • 11 minutes U.S. COVID Case Increases Unlikely To Become A Surge COVID cases are up due to the Omicron sub-variants and masking is likely to remain optional as the courts wrangle with the transportation mask mandate that a Federal judge struck down last week. NPR correspondent Allison Aubrey talks about both of these issues with host Emily Kwong, and updates listeners on what to expect with children and the vaccine.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Apr-26 • 8 minutes The Environmental Cost of Crypto Cryptocurrencies may exist only in the virtual world, but their impact on our natural resources is huge. That's largely because the technology underpinning crypto is an energy vampire that devours more electricity than do many countries. But that's only part of the story.Short Wave Host Aaron Scott talks to Producer Eva Tesfaye about the many environmental impacts of crypto - beyond its strain on energy - and what various local, state and national governments are doing about it. Check out Short Wave's previ... |
| 2022-Apr-25 • 14 minutes Cryptocurrency Is An Energy Drain As cryptocurrencies become increasingly popular, the environmental impact of the technology is gaining more attention. Local, state and national governments are trying to figure out how to regulate the massive amounts of energy that some cryptocurrencies consume.Short Wave host Aaron Scott and producer Eva Tesfaye are joined by Planet Money reporter Alexi Horowitz-Ghazi who unpacks what cryptocurrencies are, how the technology works and why it all sucks up so much energy. Check out the episodes of Planet Mo... |
| 2022-Apr-22 • 14 minutes Fresh Banana Leaves — An Indigenous Approach To Science Dr. Jessica Hernandez's new book examines the role of displacement — Indigenous peoples like her father, who was displaced by the civil war in El Salvador, and plants like the banana tree, brought from Asia to Central America — in science. Jessica, an environmental scientist, talks with Emily about how important it is to make sure that Indigenous people and their knowledge are centered as humans work to save or restore land in the era of climate change.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoice... |
| 2022-Apr-21 • 10 minutes The Indicator: How Green Laws Stop Green Projects The United States has a goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Without serious changes to lifestyles, that means dramatic investments in green energy. But environmental laws can actually get in the way. Today, our colleagues at NPR's daily economics podcast, The Indicator from Planet Money, compare the threats to two bats on opposite ends of the planet. The bats show the tension between local and global environmentalism and how building a green economy is forcing people to have tough conversations about... |
| 2022-Apr-20 • 16 minutes The Science Behind The Delta-8 Craze 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.Dr. Katelyn Kesheimer, a researcher at Auburn University and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, joins the show to demystify Delta-8. In this encore episode, we'll learn what it's made of, where it comes from, why it's so popular, and why science and the federal government are falling so far behind the cannabis industry. Email the show at ... |
| 2022-Apr-19 • 14 minutes TASTE BUDDIES: Y U Salty? 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 Regina G. Barber goes on a salty flavor journey with scientist Julie Yu. Along the way, Julie explains salt's essential role in our daily lives and how it affects our perception of food. Follow Regina on Twitter @ScienceRegina. Email Short Wave at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.... |
| 2022-Apr-18 • 14 minutes The Pandemic Is Damaging Health Workers' Mental Health 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 yet, mental health correspondent Rhitu Chatterjee found that very few got help for these symptoms.If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Or text the word home to 741741.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adch... |
| 2022-Apr-15 • 13 minutes Can Skiing Survive Climate Change? 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 Kirk Siegler first covered the issue 15 years ago as local station reporter in Aspen. Now he returns to that world-renowned destination and tells Short Wave co-host Aaron Scott about one resort's efforts to push the nation toward clean energy while it continues catering to the carbon-generating, jet-set crowd. Check out Kirk's fu... |
| 2022-Apr-14 • 14 minutes Addressing Water Contamination With Indigenous Science 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 that Ranalda and many others relied on for cooking, cleaning and drinking water. Today on the show, Ranalda talks to host Aaron Scott about her path to becoming an environmental chemist to study the extent of contamination in her home community using a blend of western and Diné science methods.Learn more about sponso... |
| 2022-Apr-13 • 12 minutes Voices From A Ukrainian Hospital Damaged By Russian Attacks 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 instantly destroyed. In addition, the shock wave shattered windows across all nine floors of the building, showering everything with broken glass. Correspondent Ari Daniel talks to Emily about the attack and brings Short Wave the voices of three people who were there for the attack and the aftermath.Feel free to ... |
| 2022-Apr-12 • 22 minutes Planet Money: How Manatees Got Into Hot Water 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 boats threatened their lives. But power companies noticed something: manatees were hanging out near their power plants, seeking out warm water. So, the power companies teamed up with environmentalists to turn the warm waters near power planets into manatee refuges — saving manatee lives and the power companies money ... |
| 2022-Apr-11 • 12 minutes Lemurs Will Rock You 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 rhythm. Producer Berly McCoy brings the story of singing lemurs to host Aaron Scott. She explains how their harmonies could help answer questions about the beginnings of our own musical abilities, and what all of this has to do with Queen.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR P... |
| 2022-Apr-08 • 10 minutes War In Ukraine Sets Back Tuberculosis Treatment 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 country had been making progress but then came the pandemic, and now the war. Reporter Ari Daniel says doctors worry about increased spread of this contagious and deadly disease.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Apr-07 • 15 minutes TASTE BUDDIES: The Origins Of Umami 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 about why it took so long for umami to be recognized as the fifth taste.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Apr-06 • 10 minutes The Indicator: Destroying Personal Digital Data 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 for many tech platforms. With user data, they can help a company tailor a subscriber's experience and make the product better. But what happens when the data that feeds an algorithm is obtained through less than legal means?We learn about the curious case of Kurbo, the weight loss app for kids that the feds say illegally collected d... |
| 2022-Apr-05 • 11 minutes When To Consider Another COVID-19 Booster 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 booster available for people 50 and older and some immunocompromised people. Going forward, will the strategy change from counting boosters to making a COVID vaccine a seasonal shot? Allison Aubrey talks to Emily Kwong about the latest on boosters, what's known about the vaccination timeline for younger children, and... |
| 2022-Apr-04 • 12 minutes What We Gain From Dark Night Skies 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 astronomer Danielle Adams in the world's first international dark sky city. Theoretical physicist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein also joins us to explain why access to dark night skies is so important.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Apr-01 • 14 minutes What Octopus Minds May Tell Us About Aliens 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'. That separate evolution makes them the perfect animal to study for Dominic Sivitilli, a PhD candidate in astrobiology and behavioral neuroscience at the University of Washington.Short Wave co-host Aaron Scott and Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) camera person Stephani Gordon visited Dominic's lab to learn about oc... |
| 2022-Mar-31 • 12 minutes The Peculiar Physics Of The Wiffle Ball 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 why the design of the Wiffle ball guarantees that you don't need a strong arm to throw a variety of pitches. More about Jenn Stroud Rossmann's work on Wiffle Balls here:https://www.theatlantic.com/technol... more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Mar-30 • 15 minutes The Community Scientists Who Helped Discover A New Planet 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 and community scientist Tom Jacobs about how their collaboration led to the recent observation of a new Jupiter-like exoplanet.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Mar-29 • 13 minutes To Be DST, Or Not To Be. That Is The Question. 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 better choice. Correspondent Allison Aubrey talks to host Emily Kwong about the pros and cons of adopting permanent daylight saving time or year-round standard time.You can follow Emily on Twitter @EmilyKwong1234 and Allison @AubreyNPR. Email Short Wave at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices... |
| 2022-Mar-28 • 13 minutes Indoor Air Quality is Cool for Schools 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 correspondent Maria Godoy talks to host Aaron Scott about how there are a few hopeful signs that indoor air quality in schools will be improved- including some federal money and a new awareness of air quality because of the pandemic. Read Maria's story on indoor air quality in schools here: n.pr/3uy3A93Email the show at shortwave@np... |
| 2022-Mar-25 • 13 minutes Hal Walker: The Man Who Shot The Moon 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 of little reflectors on the surface of the moon. The goal of that experiment was to beam a laser at the moon. Today on the show, Scientist-In-Residence Regina G. Barber talks to host Aaron Scott about the lunar laser ranging experiment — and how shooting that laser helped us better understand one of Einstein's theo... |
| 2022-Mar-24 • 13 minutes Can Nuclear Power Save A Struggling Coal Town? 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' power company, supported by public funds, plans to open a new type of nuclear energy plant in hopes of replacing a closing coal plant. The model facility would create jobs and provide the flexible baseline energy needed to back up solar, wind and other renewables. But is it a good fit for rural Kemmerer?Learn mor... |
| 2022-Mar-23 • 12 minutes Should Bulldogs Exist? 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 how a bulldog breeding ban in Norway has fueled an ongoing debate on the practice of breeding dogs with low genetic diversity and, as a result, high instances of health problems.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Mar-22 • 8 minutes COVID-19 Cases Rise In The U.K., U.S. Watches For New Wave 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. Stay safe out there, fabulous listeners! Feel free to drop us a line at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Mar-21 • 16 minutes Parents Of Transgender Youth Fear Texas' Anti-Trans Orders 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 youth feeling caught between two choices: support their children or face a possible investigation. Annaliese and Rachel are mothers living in Texas and both have transgender children. They speak to NPR about the emotional and mental toll this order has had on their families. And while the order is currently block... |
| 2022-Mar-18 • 14 minutes How Art Can Heal The Brain 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. Now, artists and brain scientists have launched a program to change that. NPR's brain correspondent Jon Hamilton tells us about an initiative called the NeuroArts Blueprint.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Mar-17 • 15 minutes Fighting Misinformation With Science Journalism 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. This sparked outrage, a letter from a group of medical professionals, scientists and educators to Spotify and a series of creators pulling their content from the platform. Science Vs., a podcast produced by Gimlet Media which is owned by Spotify, decided to take a stand too.Listen to the episodes of Science Vs discussed here... |
| 2022-Mar-16 • 13 minutes What Mount Kilimanjaro Has To Do With The Search For Alien Life Understanding how life survives in extreme Earth environments could point to ways life can survive on other worlds. Astrobiologist Morgan Cable talks to host Emily Kwong about how her missions here on Earth have guided two upcoming NASA missions in search for alien life, not in a far off galaxy, but here in our solar system. The Titan Dragonfly and the Europa Clipper missions will each explore an ocean world in our solar system, where scientists believe we could find life--life that may be unlike anything w... |
| 2022-Mar-15 • 12 minutes Humble Pi: Enjoying When Math Goes Awry 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 none of us claims to be a math perfectionist. We think there's at least as much joy and insight in the mistakes as there is in what we get right. It's a lesson we discussed in today's episode about Matt Parker's book, Humble Pi. It's an oldie but a goodie from our archives.We hope it inspires you to continue to ce... |
| 2022-Mar-14 • 15 minutes Genetic Fact Vs. Fiction And Everything In Between With Janina Jeff 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 our genes and what is determined by society.Check out more of Janina's work on In Those Genes: inthosegenes.comEpisodes referenced in today's Short Wave include:- R&B: Rhythm & Blackness- Black Don't CrackAnd listen to our last episode with Janina: n.pr/35TPyWJEmail the show at [email protected] more about sponso... |
| 2022-Mar-11 • 14 minutes A Physics Legend Part Two: Chien-Shiung Wu's Granddaughter Reflects 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 of physicist Chien-Shiung Wu from her granddaughter's perspective. Jada talks to host Emily Kwong about writing the article Discovering Dr. Wu for the Washington Post, where she is a reporter covering culture and politics. Check out part one in which Emily talks to Short Wave's scientist-in-residence about how Chien-Shiung Wu altered physics. She made a landmark discovery in 1... |
| 2022-Mar-10 • 12 minutes A Physics Legend Part One: How Chien-Shiung Wu Changed Physics Forever 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 away from her relatives in China. Short Wave's Scientist-In-Residence Regina Barber joins host Emily Kwong to talk about that landmark discovery--what it meant for the physics world, and what it means to Regina personally as a woman and a Chinese and Mexican American in physics.Learn more about sponsor message choic... |
| 2022-Mar-09 • 15 minutes TASTE BUDDIES: Science of Sour 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 Katherine Wu and together, we take a tour through the mysteries of sourness — complete with a fun taste test. Along the way, Katie serves up some hypotheses for the evolution of sour taste because, as Katie explains in her article, "The Paradox of Sour," researchers still have a lot to learn about this weird taste.Baffled by another mundane aspect of our existe... |
| 2022-Mar-08 • 11 minutes Checking In On Our Pandemic Habits: What To Lose And What To Keep? 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 experts say it's time to take stock of these habits. Short Wave host Aaron Scott chats with health correspondent Allison Aubrey about how our daily habits have been affected and changed — for better or worse — and how one might start to change ones they want to change.You can follow Aaron on Twitter @AaronScottNPR and... |
| 2022-Mar-07 • 13 minutes Dr. Thomas Insel On Why The U.S Mental Health System Has Failed And What Can Be Done 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. Health correspondent Rhitu Chatterjee talks with Dr. Thomas Insel about his new book, Healing: Our Path from Mental Illness to Mental Health and how he came to realize where the U.S's mental health care system had failed, despite scientific advances in the field.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastcho... |
| 2022-Mar-04 • 23 minutes Emily Runs A Marathon 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 with running coach Laura Norris.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Mar-03 • 10 minutes Silver Linings From The UN's Dire Climate Change Report 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 create this account of how global warming is affecting our society. NPR climate reporter Rebecca Hersher fills us in on this major climate science report and actually brings three empowering takeaways hidden within it. Read the report here: https://bit.ly/3hzWNFvAnd listen to Rebecca Hersher's hopeful takeaways from ... |
| 2022-Mar-02 • 14 minutes How A Collection Of Threatened Bird Calls Swept The Australian Album Charts 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 knowledge of musician and nature enthusiast Anthony Albrecht. He recently produced an album of 53 calls from threatened Australian birds to bring awareness to their vulnerable status.Listen to the album, titled Songs of Disappearance, released by the Bowerbird Collective and BirdLife Australia, here.Learn more about spon... |
| 2022-Mar-01 • 14 minutes Orcas: Apex Predators Or Marine Park Stars? 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 shows that killer whales, while stars in marine parks and movies, are also the ocean's top-- and often vicious-- predators. Humans' complex relationship with them may say more about humans than about the orcas.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Feb-28 • 15 minutes What Led To The Massive Volcanic Eruption In Tonga 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— and what it can teach us about future eruptions like this one.Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Feb-25 • 11 minutes Twinkle, Twinkle, Shooting Star . . . 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 thinking — what ARE shooting stars? For answers on all things asteroid, meteoroid and comet, she turns to planetary scientist Melissa Rice. Haven't had any luck Googling to learning more about a cool phenomenon? Shoot us an email [email protected], and we'll dig up some answers.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcast... |
| 2022-Feb-24 • 13 minutes Schedule Those Doctor's Appointments! 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 back. With fewer cases, and more tools to manage COVID, we can start putting more focus on other diseases again. Doctors are encouraging patients to get the checkups they've been holding off on. NPR science correspondent Allison Aubrey talks about the future of masking, virus detection and routine preventive care... |
| 2022-Feb-23 • 13 minutes Do You See What I See? 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 spots – both physical and social. As we continue celebrating Black History Month, today we're featuring Exploratorium Staff Physicist Educator Desiré Whitmore. She shines a light on human eyesight – how it affects perception and how understanding another person's view of the world can offer us a fuller, better pi... |
| 2022-Feb-22 • 13 minutes Vacuuming DNA Out Of The Air 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 see or capture them? What if she could learn about them by only pulling data out of thin air? It turns out, the air's not so thin. There are bits of DNA floating around us, and Elizabeth figured out how to collect it. She talks to guest host Lauren Sommer about testing her collection method in a zoo, how another science team simultaneous came up with and tested the sa... |
| 2022-Feb-18 • 12 minutes The Good and the Bad of TV Forensics 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 culture forensics with Raychelle and what signs to look for to know whether or not a tv crime show is getting the science right. (ENCORE)What else bothers you about TV accuracy? E-mail the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Feb-17 • 12 minutes How Women Of Color Created Community In The Shark Sciences 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 relatively recently, she had never met another Black woman in her field. That all changed in 2020 when she connected with a group of Black women studying sharks through the Twitter hashtag #BlackInNature. Finding a community was so powerful that the women decided to start a group. On today's show, Jasmin talks with host Maddie Sofia about Minorities in Shar... |
| 2022-Feb-16 • 11 minutes How Many Senses Do We Really Have? 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 Holyoke College, about the beautiful, intricate system that carries information from the outside world in. (ENCORE)Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Feb-15 • 15 minutes Tracing A Fraught And Amazing History Of American Horticulture When Abra Lee became the landscape manager at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, she sought some advice about how to best do the job. The answer: study the history of gardening. That led to her uncovering how Black involvement in horticulture in the U.S. bursts with incredible stories and profound expertise, intertwined with a tragic past. She's now teaching these stories and working on a book, Conquer the Soil: Black America and the Untold Stories of Our Country's Gardeners, Farmers, and Gro... |
| 2022-Feb-14 • 16 minutes How to Talk About Hair Like a Scientist 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 better system for describing hair — rooted in actual science. (Encore)To hear more from Tina, check out these webinars: Why Care About Hair (https://bit.ly/3liJZ96) and How Hair Reveals the Futility of Race Categories (https://s.si.edu/3Dik6g8). And to dive deep into Tina's research, we recommend her paper, The constra... |
| 2022-Feb-11 • 12 minutes How climate change is forcing cities to rebuild stormwater systems 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, causing streets to flood. Now, with rising rainfall averages in much of the nation, cities need to plan for more water. Guest host Dan Charles talks to climate correspondent Lauren Sommer about the challenges of such planning and why many cities aren't set up to handle the coming rains.Learn more about sponsor me... |
| 2022-Feb-10 • 14 minutes The (Drag) Queen Of Mathematics 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 a math riddle in full drag on TikTok during the pandemic.Since then Kyne's math videos, under the username @onlinekyne, have have attracted 1.2 million followers and generated 33.2 million likes. Kyne talks to host Emily Kwong on how to present math to the masses – and about bringing STEM to the drag scene. Check out Kyne's TikTok videos: tiktok.com/@onlinekyneEm... |
| 2022-Feb-09 • 13 minutes Without Inventor James West, This Interview Might Not Have Been Possible 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 encore episode, former Short Wave host Maddie Sofia talks to inventor James West about his life, career, and about how a device he helped invent in the 60's made their interview possible. (Encore)Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Feb-08 • 16 minutes The Complete Guide To Absolutely Everything (Abridged) 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 match in mathematician Hannah Fry and geneticist Adam Rutherford. They're the duo behind the science mystery podcast The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry and co-authors of the new book Rutherford & Fry's Complete Guide to Absolutely Everything (Abridged). In the book, they ask questions like: How old is the Earth? Does your... |
| 2022-Feb-07 • 11 minutes The Physics Of Figure Skating 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 Kwong talks with biomechanic Deborah King about some of the physics behind figure skating. Plus, we go to an ice rink to see it all in action. You can email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Feb-04 • 13 minutes Chimp Haven Welcomes New Retirees 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 Haven. NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce joins the show to talk about the NIH's effort to retire research chimps and why it's complicated.Read more of Nell's reporting about chimp retirement:https://n.pr/3HsgmLq, https://n.pr/3AW3smo and https://n.pr/3sbHyaVEmail the show at [email protected] mor... |
| 2022-Feb-03 • 13 minutes Science In The City: Cylita Guy Talks Chasing Bats And Tracking Rats 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 bats. Cylita talks to guest host Lauren Sommer about the importance of studying wildlife in cities, and about her children's book, Chasing Bats and Tracking Rats: Urban Ecology, Community Science and How We Share Our Cities. This episode was produced by Berly McCoy, edited by Stephanie O'Neill and fact checked by... |
| 2022-Feb-02 • 12 minutes Should Big Oil Pick Up The Climate Change Bill? 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 liable for the local costs of climate change. It wants the case heard in state court, which is governed by robust consumer protection laws. But industry lawyers are fighting hard to have it and more than 20 other similar lawsuits nationwide tried in federal court, where the oil and gas industry may be more likely ... |
| 2022-Feb-01 • 11 minutes Omicron Ebbing Gives Time to Boost Vaccinations 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 of all vaccinated people in the U.S. have gotten the booster, which increases protection against both serious illness and death from the Omicron variant. Still, many infectious disease experts are cautiously optimistic for the coming months, pointing to it as a time to bolster our defenses against the virus. Reach ... |
| 2022-Jan-31 • 19 minutes 'Station Eleven': A Home At The End Of The World 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 Emily St. John Mandel. The show's premise might sound eerily familiar: it begins with a highly contagious and deadly virus wiping out most of the world's population. The show then follows survivors through the pandemic's aftermath, as they decide how to rebuild what they've lost.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.... |
| 2022-Jan-28 • 12 minutes Omicron Around The World: From "Zero COVID" To Rising Cases 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 about where the virus is spreading, different countries' strategies for controlling the pandemic and what vaccinations look like globally.You can email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Jan-27 • 13 minutes Did E.T. Phone Us? 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, Geoff Brumfiel, joins the show to talk about the signal and how a hunt for extra-terrestrial life unfolded.Check out the work from Sofia Sheikh and her team at the Berkeley SETI Research Institute about what they learned from the signal: https://bit.ly/3rM6hCoYou can email the show at [email protected]. Learn more about sponsor message cho... |
| 2022-Jan-26 • 12 minutes Megadrought fuels debate over whether a flooded canyon should reemerge 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.A half billion dollar tourism industry has grown in the desert around the reservoir but a decades-long megadrought is putting its future in question. With what some call America's 'lost national park' reemerging, an old debate is also resurfacing: should we restore a beloved canyon or refill a popular and critical reservoi... |
| 2022-Jan-25 • 8 minutes What's Next For The Pandemic? Will COVID-19 Become Endemic Soon? 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 life. Take a listen to Rachel Martin chat with health correspondent Allison Aubrey about what's next in the pandemic on Morning Edition. You can email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Jan-24 • 14 minutes Placebos Vs Parkinson's: The Power Of Joy 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 develop a treatment based on the placebo effect. NPR science correspondent, Jon Hamilton, tells the story of how this plan came to be. It involves a batch of illegal drugs, the rabies virus, and figuring out what makes a monkey really happy. Watch the video of the cyclist with Parkinson's disease here: https://bit.ly/3... |
| 2022-Jan-21 • 14 minutes Fighting Bias In Space: When There's A New Telescope, Who Gets To Use It? 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 have research they'd like to do that involve the telescope. Today on the show, Emily talks with correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce about who gets time on it, and how decision-makers are working to stay focused on the proposed science instead of who will be doing it, in the hopes of making the process fair for all pr... |
| 2022-Jan-20 • 21 minutes The Hodgepodge Of COVID Testing In The U.S. 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 in late January. They're responding to the fact that many Americans are really struggling to find tests as omicron surges across the country. (https://special.usps.com/testkits) Today on the show, our colleagues at Planet Money try to get tested — and they run into problems. From scammy testing sites to no tests at all, they explain what's behind the nation's C... |
| 2022-Jan-19 • 13 minutes A Clean Energy Future: How Hawaii Is Sparking The Push 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 climate change by throwing out what's been standard for many decades and encouraging the state's power company to make clean electricity. For more of Julia's reporting, check out "Biden's climate agenda is stalled in Congress. In Hawaii, one key part is going ahead." Email Short Wave at [email protected] more... |
| 2022-Jan-18 • 14 minutes When Tracking Your Period Lets Companies Track You 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 data researchers Giulia De Togni and Andrea Ford have found that many of these health apps also have a dark side — selling your most personal data to third parties like advertisers, insurers and tech companies.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Pr... |
| 2022-Jan-14 • 14 minutes The Debate About Pablo Escobar's Hippos 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 for the so-called "cocaine hippos." Authorities thought they would die but they did not and now, about a hundred roam near the estate. Conservationists are trying to control their population because they worry about the people and the environment. But some locals like the hippos and a few researchers say the animal... |
| 2022-Jan-13 • 9 minutes How COVID Is Affecting Kids' Mental Health 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 have shifted to remote learning. Others have changed testing protocols, are seeing staff and students out sick while trying to stay open during the midst of this latest surge. NPR health correspondent Rhitu Chatterjee and NPR education correspondent Anya Kamenetz talk to All Things Considered host Ailsa Chang about ... |
| 2022-Jan-12 • 13 minutes Wingspan! It's Got Birds, Science, Caterpillars - An Ideal Night In 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 nature. Wingspan game designer Elizabeth Hargrave speaks with Short Wave's Emily Kwong about her quest to blend scientific accuracy with modern board game design. (encore)Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Jan-11 • 15 minutes Pondering A New Normal As The Omicron Surge Continues 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 seriously ill are not vaccinated. With likely weeks still to go before infections with this variant reach their peak, the message is get vaccinated and get boosted. Emily Kwong talks to Short Wave regular Allison Aubrey about what researchers know about omicron's severity and how the vaccines are changing health outcom... |
| 2022-Jan-10 • 14 minutes The Electric Car Race! Vroom, Vroom! 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 Domonoske about how serious the country is about this big switch from gas to electric cars. Plus, what could get drivers to ditch the gas guzzlers?For more of Camila's reporting on electric cars, check out "The age of gas cars could be ending" and "2 little-known automotive startups are leading the race to become the nex... |
| 2022-Jan-07 • 15 minutes Man's Best Friend Is Healing Veterans 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-reviewed science wasn't there to back up the claims. Health reporter Stephanie O'Neill reports that's changed in recent years. Studies suggest service dogs can be effective at easing PTSD symptoms and used alongside other treatments. Now, the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act will help connect specially trained dogs to ... |
| 2022-Jan-06 • 16 minutes How To Talk About The COVID-19 Vaccine With People Who Are Hesitant 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. Marcelin shares with Emily Kwong what she's learned and how to talk about the vaccine with people who have doubts about getting vaccinated. You can follow Emily on Twitter @EmilyKwong1234. Email Short Wave at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2022-Jan-05 • 13 minutes Doctor Finds Hope In Helping Inform And Vaccinate Her Community 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 affected her as a doctor. In part one of a two part episode, Emily talks with her about how she's feeling a year in and how getting involved in community vaccination clinics has made a difference in her life. You can follow Emily on Twitter @EmilyKwong1234. E-mail Short Wave at [email protected] more about s... |
| 2022-Jan-04 • 15 minutes An Ode To The Manta Ray 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 there to these intelligent, entrancing fish? Today, Emily poses all her questions to Rachel Graham, the founder and executive director of MarAlliance, a marine conservation organization working in tropical seas.Have you been completely captivated by an animal too? Share your story with us at [email protected] m... |
| 2022-Jan-03 • 15 minutes The Science Of The Delta-8 Craze 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 shops and even gas stations.Dr. Katelyn Kesheimer, a researcher at Auburn University and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, joins the show to demystify Delta-8. We'll learn what it's made of, where it comes from, why it's so popular, and why science and the federal government are falling so far behind the cann... |
| 2021-Dec-31 • 18 minutes This New Year - Slow Down, It Doesn't Mean You're Lazy 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 need a break. Short Wave has this episode from our colleagues at Life Kit.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Dec-30 • 14 minutes 2021: Celebrating The Joy Of Birds 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 #BlackBirdersWeek — it about celebrating Black joy. Co-organizer Deja Perkins talks about how the week went and why it's important to observe nature wherever you live.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Dec-29 • 14 minutes Meet the Dermatologists Changing Their Field 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 problem in dermatology. Today on the show, we take a close look at how the science of skincare has evolved to better serve patients of color, but still has a long way to go.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Dec-28 • 15 minutes Our Favorite Things: Math And Community In The Classroom 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 of a lone genius scribbling away and solving complex equations is nothing more than a myth — one she actively tries to dispel in her classroom at The Ohio State University. Instead, Ranthony focuses on the community aspects of math: the support systems behind each mathematician and the benefits of a collaborative, ... |
| 2021-Dec-27 • 12 minutes Our Favorite Things, Short Wave-style 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 team. First up, a throwback from November 2019: 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 planned attempt to bake chocolate chip cookies in space. (Encore episode)Email the ... |
| 2021-Dec-23 • 65 minutes Octavia Butler: Visionary Fiction 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 into the life of visionary science fiction writer Octavia Butler. Octavia crafted cautionary tales combined with messages of hope and resilience. Her work made her the first Black woman to win the Hugo and Nebula, science fiction's most prestigious awards. (Encore episode)Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastcho... |
| 2021-Dec-22 • 20 minutes Want To Start Reading Sci-Fi And Fantasy? Here's A Beginner's Guide 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 stranger in these strange lands, we've got you covered with the basics of what defines this genre and some solid recommendations to get you reading.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Dec-21 • 13 minutes Sci-Fi Movie Club: 'Contact' 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, and features the work of beloved Short Wave alumni and sci-fi aficionados Maddie Sofia and Viet Le. The 1997 film got a lot of things right ... and a few things wrong. Radio astronomer Summer Ash, an education specialist with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, breaks down the science in the film. (Encore ep... |
| 2021-Dec-20 • 13 minutes Happy Science Fiction Week, Earthlings! 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's one of our science fiction myth busting favorites from earlier this year. 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, with help from scientist Naia Butler-Craig, explains how space ... |
| 2021-Dec-19 • 9 minutes Ellen Ochoa's Extraordinary NASA Career 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, host Guy Raz talks to Ochoa about how she became an astronaut and her career at NASA. Here is a link to the entire interview, in which they cover a lot of ground--from her love of calculus and physics to shaping NASA culture: https://www.npr.org/2021/12/07/1062084978/nasa-ellen-ochoaLearn... more about sponsor ... |
| 2021-Dec-18 • 14 minutes Safety Precautions For The Holiday Season 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 virus this holiday season. Short Wave brings you a special episode courtesy of our colleagues at Life Kit.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Dec-17 • 14 minutes The James Webb Space Telescope Is About To Launch 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 hope its mission will last a decade and provide insights into all kinds of things, including the early formation of galaxies just after the Big Bang.Curious about the extraterrestrial facets of our universe? Email the show your questions at [email protected]. We might be able to beg Nell to find answers and come back... |
| 2021-Dec-16 • 13 minutes Striving To Make Space Accessible For People With Disabilities 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 organization wants to insure people with disabilities have the chance to go to space.Email Short Wave at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Dec-15 • 16 minutes NIH Director Talks The Pandemic, Vaccine Hesitancy And Americans' Health 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 on how to persevere on research of politically charged topics — like guns and obesity and maternal health. Selena talks with host Emily Kwong about the conversation.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Dec-14 • 13 minutes The Winter Twindemic: Flu And COVID 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. But — as NPR health correspondent Allison Aubrey tells Emily — there's new survey data pointing to relaxed attitudes across the country, even amid the surges. Allison explains what all of this means for the coming weeks — especially with flu season getting started.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcas... |
| 2021-Dec-13 • 13 minutes Concussions: How A Mild Brain Injury Can Alter Our Perception Of Sound 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. Emily Kwong chats with science correspondent Jon Hamilton about concussions and how understanding its effects on our perception of sound might help improve treatment.For more of Jon's reporting, check out "After a concussion, the brain may no longer make sense of sounds."You can follow Emilly on Twitter @EmilyKwong1... |
| 2021-Dec-10 • 13 minutes What Does A Healthy Rainforest Sound Like? (encore) 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 recordings could be used to predict ecosystem health around the world.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Dec-09 • 16 minutes What's Driving The Political Divide Over Vaccinations 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 difference appears to be driven by a partisan divide in vaccination rates. As NPR correspondent Geoff Brumfield reports, political polarization and misinformation are driving a significant share of the deaths in the pandemic.Read more of Geoff's reporting on vaccine misinformation:- Inside the growing alliance between... |
| 2021-Dec-08 • 14 minutes Seeking Answers To The Universe Deep In A Gold Mine 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 the only detector of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. Swinburne University astronomer Alan Duffy takes us on a journey to the bottom of this active gold mine, where researchers will try to detect a ghost-like particle.E-mail us with your deep questions at [email protected] more about sponsor message choi... |
| 2021-Dec-07 • 14 minutes What A New Antiviral Drug Could Mean For The Future Of COVID 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 Emily Kwong chats with health reporter Pien Huang on the state of treatments and how this drug and other treatment options may change the pandemic. For more of Pien's reporting, check out "New antiviral drugs are coming for COVID. Here's what you need to know." You can follow Emily on Twitter @EmilyKwong1234 and ... |
| 2021-Dec-06 • 14 minutes The 2021 Hurricane Season Wrapped 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 about this year's hurricane season — the ups, the lulls, and the surprising end. Plus — how climate change might be affecting these storms. You can follow Thomas on Twitter @ThomasUyLu and Matthew @MatthewCappucci. Email Short Wave at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adch... |
| 2021-Dec-03 • 8 minutes Jane Goodall Says There's Hope For Our Planet. Act Now, Despair Later! 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 there's nothing we can do, but in her new book, The Book of Hope, co-authored with Douglas Abrams, Jane reflects on the planet and how future generations will fight to protect it. Check out "Jane Goodall encourages all to act to save Earth in 'The Book of Hope'" for a review of her new book. Email Short Wave at ShortW... |
| 2021-Dec-02 • 12 minutes No sperm? No problem. 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 Zhang explains how it was found in California condors and its implications for these endangered birds.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Dec-01 • 14 minutes Using Math To Rethink Gender (encore) 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, x+y, she challenges readers to think beyond their ingrained conceptions of gender. Instead, she calls for a new dimension of thinking, characterizing behavior in a way completely removed from considerations of gender. Cheng argues that at every level — from the interpersonal to the societal — we would benefit from focusing less on gender and more on equitable,... |
| 2021-Nov-30 • 12 minutes Omicron's Arrival Is 'Wake-Up Call' That The Pandemic Is Ongoing The coronavirus is still circulating and mutating — case in point, the World Health Organization has designated a new variant of concern, called omicron. The variant appears to have some characteristics that may make it more transmissible than others, but much about it is still unknown. NPR health correspondent Allison Aubrey talks with Emily Kwong about how researchers and public health experts are racing to learn all they can about it — including how transmissible it actually is and how it responds to cur... |
| 2021-Nov-29 • 15 minutes Why Puerto Rico Is A Leader In Vaccinating Against COVID-19 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 rates across the United States. Ciencia Puerto Rico's Mónica Feliú-Mójer explains the cultural factors that may have contributed to the success of Puerto Rico's COVID-19 vaccination efforts.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Nov-24 • 19 minutes How To Choose A Health Insurance Plan 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 understand what signing on to a plan might mean for your budget and your health.Whether you're picking a plan for the first time, thinking of changing a plan, or want to see your options, NPR health correspondent, Selena Simmons-Duffin offers tips for browsing and choosing a health insurance plan. This episode is brou... |
| 2021-Nov-23 • 13 minutes Celebrate The Holidays Safely This Pandemic 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 Allison Aubrey's been talking to experts to find out how to gather in-person as safely as possible and minimize a new surge. Read the CDC's tips on gathering for the holidays: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays/celebration... more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoic... |
| 2021-Nov-22 • 13 minutes A Mission To Redirect An Asteroid 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 towards Earth), the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), is about to launch. NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce joins the show to talk about what it takes to pull off this mission and how it could potentially protect the Earth in the future from killer space rocks. Email the show at [email protected]... |
| 2021-Nov-19 • 15 minutes Two Sides Of Guyana: A Green Champion And An Oil Producer 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 Camila Domonoske about her trip to Guyana and how it's grappling with its role as a victim of climate change while it moves forward with drilling more oil. For more of Camila's reporting and pictures from her visit, check out "Guyana is a poor country that was a green champion. Then Exxon discovered oil." https://n.pr/3nBLMHT>>You can follow Emily on... |
| 2021-Nov-18 • 12 minutes Bee Superfood: Exploring Honey's Chemical Complexities 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 Bernarda Calla, Short Wave producer Berly McCoy explains the chemical complexities of honey, how it helps keep honey bees resilient, and what role it may play in saving the bees. Read Berly's full story on honey in Knowable Magazine: https://bit.ly/3qIXRN3Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNP... |
| 2021-Nov-17 • 13 minutes One Woman's Quest For The (Scientifically) Best Turkey 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 years ago, her family decided to abandon the turkey tradition altogether. Can science help her make a better bird this year? That's what she hopes as she seeks expert advice from food science writers and cookbook authors Nik Sharma and Kenji López-Alt.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/a... |
| 2021-Nov-16 • 14 minutes Parents, We're Here To Help! Answers To Your COVID Vaccine Questions 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 Selena Simmons-Duffin answers your questions about vaccine safety for kids, shedding masks at school and how soon you can schedule that long awaited indoor playdate.Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Nov-15 • 14 minutes Experiencing The Emergence, Life And Death of A Neuron 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 between the Society for Neuroscience and technology-based art space, ARTECHOUSE. Producer Thomas Lu talks to neuroscientist John Morrison and chief creative officer Sandro Kereselidze about the "Life of a Neuron."You can follow Thomas on Twitter @ThomasUyLu. Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor messa... |
| 2021-Nov-12 • 14 minutes Camilla Pang On Turning Fear Into Light Camilla Pang talks with Short Wave host Emily Kwong about her award-winning memoir, "An Outsider's Guide to Humans: What Science Taught Me About What We Do And Who We Are." Diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at age 8, the scientist and writer pairs her favorite scientific principles with human behavior and navigating daily life.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Nov-11 • 10 minutes The secret history of DNA: Pus, fish sperm, life as we know it 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 Pravrutha Raman, Short Wave producer Berly McCoy explains how DNA is stored in our cells and why the iconic double helix shape isn't what you'd see if you peeked inside your cells right now. Read more about the discovery of DNA: https://bit.ly/3wNe7hnCurious about all the other biology that defines us? Email the show at [email protected] — we're all ears ... and eyes and to... |
| 2021-Nov-10 • 10 minutes Who pays for climate change? 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, and it's a huge point of contention in the talks in Glasgow right now. Today on the show, NPR climate correspondent Lauren Sommer reports on how it looks when one country does get help, and how much more is needed for climate equity.Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcas... |
| 2021-Nov-09 • 12 minutes Can climate talk turn into climate action? 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 protestors in the streets call their promises "greenwashing" and are calling for more action. Joining the show from Glasgow, Scotland, NPR science correspondent, Dan Charles, talks about how the conference is going. Will the diplomats follow the science on climate change? And will the nations of the world follow through... |
| 2021-Nov-08 • 15 minutes What happens in the brain when we grieve 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. Host Emily Kwong talks with psychologist Mary-Frances O'Connor about the process our brains go through when we experience grief. Her book, The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss, publishes February 1, 2022.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoic... |
| 2021-Nov-05 • 10 minutes Why Aduhelm, a new Alzheimer's treatment, isn't reaching many patients 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 few patients — at least so far. It's expensive, risky and likely doing little to improve patients' lives. NPR science correspondent Jon Hamilton explains why doctors and patients aren't excited about the new drug and what it could mean for future Alzheimer's drugs.Additional links:- Jon's reporting on aducanumab:... |
| 2021-Nov-04 • 13 minutes Housing and COVID: Why helping people pay rent can help fight the pandemic 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 housing and eviction policies in the US. For more of Selena's reporting, check out "Why helping people pay rent can fight the pandemic" (https://n.pr/3BIluHt).Follow Selena on Twitter @SelenaSD. You can email Short Wave at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Priva... |
| 2021-Nov-03 • 14 minutes Planning for a space mission to last more than 50 years 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 beyond the solar system. But the Voyager mission is living on borrowed time. Today NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce talks about a proposal for an intentionally long mission - what it would take for NASA to actually plan for an interstellar voyage that would pass research and responsibility down thr... |
| 2021-Nov-02 • 11 minutes A new step toward ending 'the wrath of malaria' 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 there can be long term complications. A big breakthrough finally came in October when the World Health Organization endorsed MoSQUIRIX, the first malaria vaccine. It has relatively low efficacy, just about 30%, but malaria researcher Winter Okoth explains how the new vaccine could still make a big difference.Learn mo... |
| 2021-Nov-01 • 12 minutes The history and future of mRNA vaccine technology (encore) (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 are encoring the episode in which Maddie Sofia chats with Dr. Margaret Liu, a physician and board chair of the International Society for Vaccines, about the history and science behind these groundbreaking vaccines. We'll also ask what we can expect from mRNA vaccines in the future. Have a question for us? Send a not... |
| 2021-Oct-29 • 14 minutes The countries left behind in climate negotiations 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 experts, and activists from all around the world will gather to discuss the question: Is the world on track to avoid the worst effects of climate change?Lauren and Dan introduce us to two climate activists from countries that will be heavily impacted by climate change. Hilda Flavia Nakabuye from Uganda and María ... |
| 2021-Oct-28 • 13 minutes How metaphors and stories are integral to science and healing 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 Bellevue Literary Review, which turns 20 this year. Today on the show, NPR's arts reporter Neda Ulaby tells Emily how one doctor at Bellevue Hospital decided a literary magazine is essential to both science and healing. You can follow Emily on Twitter @EmilyKwong1234 and Neda @UlaBeast. As always, email Short Wave at [email protected] mor... |
| 2021-Oct-27 • 12 minutes Spiders can have arachnophobia! 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 other possible predator spiders, even if they've never encountered them before. She talks with host Maria Godoy about her research and what Halloween decorations do to the poor spiders, if arachnids can have arachnophobia.Read Daniela's research and watch a video of the experiment: https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-243... |
| 2021-Oct-26 • 16 minutes The opioid epidemic 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. Today, host Emily Kwong talks to Patrick Radden Keefe, author of the book Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty, about what went wrong in science to make the opioid epidemic what it is today.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Oct-25 • 10 minutes The zombies living in our midst 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 Ed Yong of The Atlantic creeps us out with a couple of examples. Hint: they involve fungus. (Encore episode) Read more of Ed's reporting on:- The zombie fungus controlling ants' brains: https://bit.ly/2Zk79nA- How to Tame a Zombie Fungus: https://bit.ly/3E13QAcHaunted by other creepy crawlies in the animal kingdom you think we should know about?... |
| 2021-Oct-22 • 33 minutes Code Switch: Archaeological skeletons in the closet 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 nondescript beige building houses thousands of Native human remains. The remains are currently in the possession of the Smithsonian Institution, but for the past decade, the Seminole Tribe of Florida has been fighting to get some of them back to Florida to be buried. The controversy over who should decide the fate of these remains has raised questions about ... |
| 2021-Oct-21 • 17 minutes An ode to the Pacific lamprey 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 States. But in the last few decades, tribal elders noticed that pacific lamprey populations have plummeted, due in part to habitat loss and dams built along the Columbia River. So today, an introduction to Pacific lamprey: its unique biology, cultural legacy in the Pacific Northwest and the people who are fighting... |
| 2021-Oct-20 • 13 minutes A biodiesel boom (and conundrum) 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 convert their refineries to process soybean oil instead of crude. NPR's food and agriculture correspondent Dan Charles explains why farmers are happy, bakers are frustrated and people who want to preserve the world's natural forests are worried. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message c... |
| 2021-Oct-19 • 11 minutes COVID-19 boosters are here 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 Food and Drug Administration is poised to authorize the boosters of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Still, many experts argue boosters aren't needed because the vaccines are working well and it would be unethical to give people in the U.S. extra shots when most of the world is still waiting for their firs... |
| 2021-Oct-18 • 9 minutes How do we make sense of the sounds around us? 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 us.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Oct-15 • 12 minutes The Mighty Mangrove 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 carbon, thanks to a spectacular above-ground network of tangled roots. Ecologist Alex Moore talks to guest host Maria Godoy about how mighty this tree is, and why it is under threat.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Oct-14 • 13 minutes The mystery of the mummified Twinkie A box of Twinkies, left alone for eight years, held some surprises for Colin Purrington. Upon having a sugar craving, combined with being "just so bored, with the pandemic," Purrington opened the box a few weeks ago. Like many people, Purrington believed Twinkies are basically immortal, although the official shelf life is 45 days. NPR's Nell Greenfieldboyce talked to Purrington and explains how two scientists got involved and started unraveling the mystery of the mummified Twinkie. (Encore episode)Learn mor... |
| 2021-Oct-13 • 13 minutes White scholars can complicate research into health disparities 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 the show, guest host Maria Godoy talks with Usha Lee McFarling about her reporting — how new funding and interest has led to increased attention to the topic of disparities in health care and health outcomes, but also left out or pushed aside some researchers in the field — many of them researchers of color. You c... |
| 2021-Oct-12 • 13 minutes Cockroaches are cool! Cockroaches - do they get a bad rap? Producer Thomas Lu teams up with self-proclaimed lesbian cockroach defender Perry Beasley-Hall to convince producer/guest host Rebecca Ramirez that indeed they are under-rated. These critters could number up to 10,000 species, but only about 30 are pesky to humans and some are beautiful! And complicated! And maybe even clean. What insect do you think gets a bad rap? Write us at [email protected]. You can follow Thomas on Twitter @ThomasUyLu and Rebecca @RebeccalRamire... |
| 2021-Oct-08 • 13 minutes Bonobos and the Evolution of Nice 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 scientists are trying to answer that very question. (Encore episode) If you have something nice to say - email the show at [email protected]!Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Oct-07 • 13 minutes Why Music Sticks in Our Brains 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 explains the neuroscience behind that surprising moment of, "Wow, how do I still remember that song?!" Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Oct-06 • 16 minutes Here's a better way to talk about hair 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 better system for describing hair — rooted in actual science. To hear more from Tina, check out these webinars: Why Care About Hair (https://bit.ly/3liJZ96) and How Hair Reveals the Futility of Race Categories (https://s.si.edu/3Dik6g8). And to dive deep into Tina's research, we recommend her paper, The constraints of ... |
| 2021-Oct-05 • 14 minutes How foraging reconnected Alexis Nikole Nelson with food and her culture 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 an outlet to reconnect with her food and her culture. Listen to the full TED Radio Hour episode, The Food Connection: https://n.pr/3DeRmEUFollow TED Radio Hour and host Manoush Zomorodi on Twitter:- TED Radio Hour: https://twitter.com/TEDRadioHour- Manoush Zamorodi: https://twitter.com/manoushzLearn more about spo... |
| 2021-Oct-04 • 13 minutes The Toll Of Burnout On Medical Workers — And Their Patients 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, health care workers are leaving the industry — and they're taking their expertise with them. Plenty of surveys say that burnout hurts patient care. NPR correspondent Yuki Noguchi spoke to medical workers who agree, the burnout they see on the job means that sometimes patients are not getting what they need.Listen to ou... |
| 2021-Oct-01 • 8 minutes SURPRISE! It's A...Babbling Baby Bat? A paper published recently in the journal Science finds similarities between the babbling of human infants and the babbling of the greater sac-winged bat (Saccopteryx bilineata) — a small species of bat that lives in Central and South America. As science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel reports, the researchers believe both bats and humans evolved babbling as a precursor to more complex vocal behavior like singing, or, in the case of people, talking.Wondering what similarities humans have to other animals? Emai... |
| 2021-Sep-30 • 10 minutes Goodbye, Climate Jargon. Hello, Simplicity! 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 so that no one's left confused? NPR climate correspondent Rebecca Hersher tells us the key turns out to be pretty simple.Read more of Rebecca's reporting on climate jargon: https://n.pr/2XdfYOCRead the study: https://bit.ly/3Adj8QTYou can always reach the show by emailing [email protected] — but please, hold the ... |
| 2021-Sep-29 • 15 minutes How To Help Someone At Risk Of Suicide 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 correspondent Rhitu Chatterjee about the signs that someone you know may be thinking about dying, the ways you can support them, and how to possibly prevent suicide. (Encore episode.)Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Sep-28 • 11 minutes Scientists Are Racing To Save Sequoias 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 wildfires on the planet. But climate change is making these fires more extreme than sequoias can handle. It's also worsening drought that is killing other conifer trees that then become a tinder box surrounding the sequoias, reports climate correspondent Lauren Sommer. Scientists warn that giant sequoias are runn... |
| 2021-Sep-27 • 12 minutes A Science Reporter And A 'Mild' Case Of Breakthrough COVID 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 they change. Nonetheless, he got COVID - and today on the show, Will shares what he learned about his breakthrough infection, and what he wish he'd known before his "mild" case.For more of Will's reporting, check out "I Got A 'Mild' Breakthrough Case. Here's What I Wish I'd Known"(https://www.npr.org/sections/heal.... |
| 2021-Sep-24 • 14 minutes After Years Of Delays, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope To Launch In December 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 Space Telescope. NPR correspondents Rhitu Chatterjee and Nell Greenfieldboyce talk about this powerful new instrument and why building it took two decades. For more of Nell's reporting on the telescope, check out "NASA Is Launching A New Telescope That Could Offer Some Cosmic Eye Candy." (https://www.npr.org/2021/09/16/10366003... can follow Rhitu on Twitt... |
| 2021-Sep-23 • 12 minutes The Surf's Always Up — In Waco, Texas 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 correspondent named Jon Hamilton. Jon's been following the wave technology for years and says the progress is huge. These days, pro surfers are coming from all over to try out Waco's "Freak Peak."Read more of Jon's reporting on artificial waves: https://n.pr/3zAX95kWondering what insights science has to offer for other spo... |
| 2021-Sep-22 • 12 minutes Mapping The Birds Of Bougainville Island 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 South Pacific, but is missing key geographic data. To solve this mystery, student researchers dug into field journals to determine where birds from one island came from.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Sep-21 • 13 minutes How Long Does COVID Immunity Last Anyway? 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 Michaeleen Doucleff reports, the answer is...complicated.Read more of Michaeleen's reporting on COVID immunity: https://n.pr/2XIQ6KXReach the show by emailing [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Sep-20 • 14 minutes Afraid of Needles? You're Not Alone Many people are afraid of needles in some capacity — about 1 in 10 experience a "high level" of needle fear, says clinical psychologist Meghan McMurtry. But that fear is often underrecognized or misunderstood. That's why today's show is all about needle fear: what it is, tools to cope, and why it's important to address beyond the pandemic.Some strategies Meghan suggests to help cope with the fear of needles:- the CARD System for adults: bit.ly/3nHIKlw - muscle tension technique: bit.ly/3CBki9ZListen to Tom'... |
| 2021-Sep-17 • 14 minutes A Great Outdoors For Everyone 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, Fatima unexpectedly discovers courage and joy in the outdoors. Today on the show, Emily talks to Ambreen Tariq about her new book and her social media initiative, BrownPeopleCamping. For Tariq, both efforts are a part of a common vision — to increase diversity in the outdoors and challenge definitions of what it means to be... |
| 2021-Sep-16 • 12 minutes A Lotl Love For The Axolotl 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 Dr. Luis Zambrano, producer Berly McCoy tells us all about this remarkable creature and the ongoing efforts to protect axolotls from extinction.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Sep-15 • 10 minutes Climate Change Means More Subway Floods; How Cities Are Adapting 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 Hersher talk about how cities across the world are adapting. For more of Rebecca's reporting on climate-driven flooding, check out "NYC's Subway Flooding Isn't A Fluke. It's The Reality For Cities In A Warming World."(https://www.npr.org/2021/09/02/1... can follow Lauren on Twitter @lesommer and Rebecca @rhersher. Ema... |
| 2021-Sep-14 • 10 minutes Breakthrough Infections, Long COVID And You 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 COVID, when symptoms last weeks and months? Today, science correspondent Rob Stein makes sense of the latest data, explaining what we know so far about long COVID in vaccinated people.Read more of Rob's reporting here: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/09/13/1032844687/what-we-know-abo... more about sp... |
| 2021-Sep-13 • 13 minutes The Pervasiveness Of Transgender Health Care Discrimination 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 explains the long-term impacts of this discrimination, plus a few potential solutions. • "Nearly half of trans people have been mistreated by medical providers, report finds," NBC OUT • "Protecting and Advancing Health Care for Transgender Adult Communities," Center for American Progress Follow Brit (@bnhanson) and Jo (@... |
| 2021-Sep-10 • 9 minutes 9/11 First Responders Have Higher Cancer Risks But Better Survival Rates 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 talks to NPR correspondent Allison Aubrey about why. Read more about Allison's reporting here. You can follow Emily on Twitter @EmilyKwong1234 and Allison @AubreyNPR. Email Short Wave at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Sep-09 • 11 minutes For Successful Wildfire Prevention, Look To The Southeast 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 the country in setting controlled fires — burns to clear vegetation that becomes the fuel for extreme fires. Read more of Lauren's reporting on wildfire prevention.(https://www.npr.org/2021/08/... check out our previous episode on cultural burns here. (https://www.npr.org/2021/07/21/10188867... the show at short... |
| 2021-Sep-08 • 13 minutes Fewer COVID Vaccine Doses Materialized Last Fall Than The U.S. Government Hoped 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 in late 2020, Pfizer was delivering fewer doses than the government expected and then-federal officials told NPR they did not know why.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Sep-07 • 14 minutes The Peculiar Case Of Dark Matter The universe is so much bigger than what people can see, and astrophysicist Priyamvada Natarajan is trying to figure out that which we can not see. Producer Rebecca Ramirez talks with Priya and reports on the theory about some of the secret scaffolding of the universe: dark matter.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Sep-03 • 15 minutes So Long, Sofia 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 all of us. There is laughter, a lot of crying, and so, so much appreciation for our duderino.Maddie, may you come back into our orbit soon. We're so excited to cheer you on in your future adventures!Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Sep-02 • 13 minutes Nudibranchs Do It Better 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" abilities from other organisms — from the power of photosynthesis to the stinging cells of their venomous predators. These sea slugs are going to blow your mind!You can email Short Wave at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Sep-01 • 14 minutes Pandemic Dispatches From The ER 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 particular episode stands out. We hear reflections from two emergency room health workers on the pandemic, how their lives have changed and their hopes as more and more people get vaccinated. Tomorrow, a new episode!Are you a healthcare worker who would be willing to share your experience with the Short Wave team? Email u... |
| 2021-Aug-31 • 12 minutes You Mite Want To Shower After This 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 face. They come out at night and mate. And we're not totally sure what they eat. See? Don't you feel better already? Researcher Megan Thoemmes tells us about the lives of these eight-legged creatures — and what they can tell us about ourselves.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy... |
| 2021-Aug-30 • 12 minutes Why A Good Scare Is Sometimes The Right Call 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 science behind thrill-seeking. She talks to psychologist Ken Carter about why some people love to get scared.Reach the show by emailing [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Aug-27 • 10 minutes Is It Muggy Out? Check The Dew Point! 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 to dew point temperature, not relative humidity. Plus — how moisture in the air and temperature influence the way our body "feels" when we're outside. Click here for the National Weather Service Heat Index chart referenced in the episode.Follow Maddie on Twitter @maddie_sofia and Thomas @thomasuylu. You can email ... |
| 2021-Aug-26 • 12 minutes The Fight To Save Sunflower Sea Stars 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 Sunflower sea star and one biologist's unique fight to save them.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Aug-25 • 14 minutes How To Start Hormone Replacement Therapy 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, it can be hard to know exactly how to get started. Reporter James Factora explains where to start, common misconceptions about HRT, and the importance of finding community through the process.Read James' full reporting for VICE here: "A Beginner's Guide to Hormone Replacement Therapy."(www.vice.com/en/article/dyv3... |
| 2021-Aug-24 • 12 minutes Ultracold Soup - The 'Superfluid' States Of Matter (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 of matter — beyond solid, liquid, gas, and plasma. Martin Zwierlein, professor of physics at Massachusetts Institute for Technology (MIT), discusses his work with ultracold quantum gases and observing superfluid states of matter.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Pol... |
| 2021-Aug-23 • 12 minutes To Build, Or Not To Build? That Is The Question Facing Local Governments 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 episode, we look at Sunnyvale, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It's a situation complicated by a landowner that really wants to continue expanding there, Google. In an episode last week, we asked who should be paying for climate change — taxpayers or private landowners with waterfront property? For more on this story, ... |
| 2021-Aug-20 • 12 minutes Micro Wave: Build Your Own Sandcastle Dreamhouse 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 make a sandcastle? What's the right mix of water and sand to create grand staircases and towers? Sedimentologist Matthew Bennett shares his research — and personal — insights. Happy building! Wondering what science and engineering are behind other summertime activities? Or just want to share your greatest sandcastle creati... |
| 2021-Aug-19 • 12 minutes When Sea Levels Rise, Who Should Pay? 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 change. Taxpayers or private landowners (in this case, some of the world's largest tech companies) with waterfront property? NPR climate correspondent Lauren Sommer explains in the first of two episodes.For more on this story, including pictures and videos, click here. Email the show at [email protected] more ab... |
| 2021-Aug-18 • 14 minutes Spinosaurus: The Aquatic Dinosaur (Encore episode) We chat with National Geographic Explorer and paleontologist Nizar Ibrahim about his team's discovery of the Spinosaurus, the first known swimming dinosaur. The discovery and subsequent modeling showing the effectiveness of the Spinosaurus's tail underwater were detailed in Nature.And you can check out National Geographic's coverage here.Our team would love to hear your dinosaur-themed episode ideas. Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/... |
| 2021-Aug-17 • 9 minutes COVID-19 News: A Hospital System Overwhelmed, Booster Shots Update 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 times the number of new cases on average. NPR correspondent Allison Aubrey talks with Maddie about a hospital system in Mississippi that's struggling to find beds for patients, the push to get kids vaccinated, and booster shots for people who are immunocompromised. You can always reach the show by emailing shortw... |
| 2021-Aug-16 • 12 minutes Three (Hopeful!) Takeaways From The UN's Climate Change Report 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 gases. NPR's Climate Correspondent Rebecca Hersher gives Emily three key takeaways from the report that might surprisingly help everyone feel a little more hopeful.You can follow Rebecca on Twitter @RHersher and Emily @EmilyKwong1234. Email Short Wave at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices:... |
| 2021-Aug-13 • 11 minutes Mirror, Mirror, On The Wall: Can Animals Recognize Their Reflection At All? (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 correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce talks us through mirror self-recognition and why Maddie's dog is staring at her. For more science reporting and stories, follow Nell on twitter @nell_sci_NPR. And, as always, email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR ... |
| 2021-Aug-12 • 12 minutes Does Your Cat Like You — Or Just Tolerate You? (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: "Do cats deserve their aloof reputation?" We look at the evidence with cat researcher, Kristyn Vitale of Oregon State University. Follow Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia and Emily Kwong @emilykwong1234. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoic... |
| 2021-Aug-11 • 14 minutes Bringing Service Animals Into The Lab (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 to help more service animals and their handlers work in laboratory settings. You can read more and see pictures of Joey and Sampson in our original episode page. And you can learn about the work Joey does with service animals and their handlers here. We first read about Joey in The Scientist. Follow Sampson on Tw... |
| 2021-Aug-10 • 11 minutes Does Your Dog Love You? Science Has Some Answers (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, neuroscience, and genetics reveal about dogs and love. He's the author of Dog Is Love: Why and How Your Dog Loves You.Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Aug-09 • 5 minutes Siriusly, It's The Dog Days Of Summer! 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. So, before the dog days are over, have a listen — perhaps as you head out to the sky in search of the dog star. You can email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Aug-06 • 14 minutes Gravitational Waves: Unlocking The Secrets Of The Universe 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 the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Aug-05 • 14 minutes How To Correct Misinformation (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 misinformation? In this episode, Maddie talks with Invisibilia's Yowei Shaw about one man's very unusual approach to correcting his family. And we hear from experts about what actually works when trying to combat misinformation.For more on how to do science communication right, check out our earlier episode How To Talk About... |
| 2021-Aug-04 • 12 minutes COVID And Aduhelm On The Agenda At Denver Alzheimer's Meeting 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 conference, the latest on the controversial new drug Aduhelm, and the potential links between COVID and Alzheimer's. You can follow more of Jon's reporting by clicking this link.Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Aug-03 • 14 minutes Whales' Vital Role In Our Oceans 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 Northern Indian Ocean, explains why protecting whales is crucial for protecting the entire sea in this excerpt of TED Radio Hour.Listen to the full episode, An SOS From The Ocean, here.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Aug-02 • 13 minutes Caregiving During The Pandemic Takes A Toll On Mental Health 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. Caregivers have struggled with anxiety, depression and PTSD at rates much higher than those without caregiving roles. NPR correspondent Rhitu Chatterjee talks about the study and her reporting with Emily Kwong. If you or anyone you know is struggling, help is available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1... |
| 2021-Jul-30 • 9 minutes Lightning Bugs, Fireflies - Call Them What You Will, They're Awesome 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 and talk about what humans can do to preserve the bugs, which are facing widespread habitat disruption.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Jul-29 • 11 minutes Breaking Down The New CDC Mask Guidance 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 and why. Plus, the latest on the Delta variant, a highly transmissible strain of the coronavirus. Want to see how widespread COVID-19 is in your local community? Check out this data tracker from NPR. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Jul-28 • 13 minutes Managing Wildfire Through Cultural Burns 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 growth, and helped manage wildfires. It's a tradition that disappeared with the arrival of Western settlers. NPR climate correspondent Lauren Sommer explains how tribal leaders are trying to restore the practice by partnering up with state officials who are starting to see cultural burns as a way to help bring ext... |
| 2021-Jul-27 • 12 minutes Sweat: A Human Superpower 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 humans came to sweat like we do, and wrote a book called The Joy of Sweat - which she talked about with Rhitu for this episode.Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Jul-26 • 12 minutes Can We Predict Earthquakes? (Hint: No) It's a listener questions episode! Chuck, Short Wave fan, asks, "What is the current state of earthquake prediction systems?" For some answers, Emily Kwong chats with Wendy Bohon, a geologist and Senior Science Communication Specialist for the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS). To look at real-time seismic data from hundreds of locations around the globe, check out the IRIS Station Monitor. Have a question you want us to try answering? Email us at [email protected] more about s... |
| 2021-Jul-23 • 13 minutes The Great California Groundwater Grab 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, farming is going on as usual. NPR food and agriculture correspondent Dan Charles explains how farmers have been using wells and underground aquifers to water their crops. But that's all set to change. California is about to put dramatic limits on the amount of water farmers can pump from their wells, and people have so... |
| 2021-Jul-22 • 13 minutes Who Runs The World? Squirrels! Squirrels are everywhere — living in our suburban neighborhoods to our city centers to our surrounding wilderness. Rhitu Chatterjee talks with researcher Charlotte Devitz about squirrels and how studying them might help us better understand the changing urban environment. You can email Short Wave at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Jul-21 • 15 minutes How Tall Is Mount Everest? Hint: It Changes We talk to NPR's India correspondent Lauren Frayer about the ridiculously complicated science involved in measuring Mount Everest, the world's highest peak. And why its height is ever-changing. (Encore episode) Read Lauren's reporting on Mt. Everest.Have other quirks of the planet on your mind? Tell us by emailing [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Jul-20 • 10 minutes The Delta Variant And The Latest Coronavirus Surge COVID-19 cases are on the rise in the last month due to the Delta variant. NPR correspondent Allison Aubrey talks with Emily Kwong about where the virus is resurging, how some public health officials are reacting and what they are recommending. Also, with a spate of outbreaks at summer camp, officials are weighing in on what parents can do before they send children to camp. WhatLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Jul-19 • 11 minutes Building A Shark Science Community For Women Of Color 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 and rays. But until relatively recently, she had never met another Black woman in her field. That all changed last year when she connected with a group of Black women studying sharks through the Twitter hashtag #BlackInNature. Finding a community was so powerful that the women decided to start a group. On today's show, Jasmin talks with host Maddie Sofia ab... |
| 2021-Jul-16 • 14 minutes The Joy Of Ice Cream's Texture 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 for some people, including ice cream scientist Dr. Maya Warren, flavor is only one part of the ice cream allure. So in today's episode, Emily Kwong talks with Short Wave producer Thomas Lu about some of the processes that create the texture of ice cream, and how that texture plays into our enjoyment of the tasty ... |
| 2021-Jul-15 • 14 minutes Three Guidelines To Understanding The Delta Variant Delta is quickly becoming the dominant coronavirus variant in multiple countries. The variant has spread so fast because it is more contagious than the variants that came before it. At the same time, the U.S. is equipped with highly effective vaccines. Ed Yong, science writer for The Atlantic, talks with Maddie about the interaction between the variants and the vaccines and how that will be crucial in the months ahead.Reach the show by emailing [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: po... |
| 2021-Jul-14 • 12 minutes What Science Fiction Gets Wrong About Space Travel 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 space propulsion actually works, and why some new technologies might be needed to get humans to Mars and beyond.Follow Geoff Brumfiel and Short Wave co-host Emily Kwong on Twitter. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Jul-13 • 8 minutes The Ripple Effects Of A Huge Drop In Cancer Screenings 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. NPR science correspondent Yuki Noguchi of talks about whom this affects most, and about the ripple effects that missing cancer screening may have for years to come.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Jul-12 • 13 minutes The Mysterious Ice Worm 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! NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce talks to Emily about how they survive in an extreme environment and why scientists don't understand some of the most basic facts about them. For more of Nell's reporting, you can follow her on Twitter @nell_sci_NPR. You can follow Emily @emilykwong1234. Email the sho... |
| 2021-Jul-09 • 9 minutes Micro Wave: What Is 'Brain Freeze'? 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!We talk with neuroscientist Caroline Palavicino-Maggio about the science behind these short-lived cold-induced headaches. Plus, some listener mail. What are your daily science curiosities? Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Jul-08 • 12 minutes FEMA Has An Equity Problem, Part Two: Race 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 Chatterjee talks with NPR climate correspondent Rebecca Hersher about her investigation into FEMA and why the federal government's response to disasters may disproportionately hurt people of color and their communities. Read more of Rebecca's reporting in "Why FEMA Aid Is Unavailable To Many Who Need It The Most." You ca... |
| 2021-Jul-07 • 14 minutes Teens Ask, We Answer: What's Up With COVID Vaccines? People between the ages of 12 and 17 are now eligible to get the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and health officials expect this age group will soon be able to receive the Moderna one. So, health reporter Pien Huang and Short Wave producer Rebecca Ramirez talked to teens about their questions about the vaccine and what a strange year the pandemic has been for them. Do you have questions about the coronavirus and the pandemic? Email [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adch... |
| 2021-Jul-05 • 13 minutes FACT SMACK: Bats! They're Cooler Than Birds With the help of ecologist Rodrigo Medellín, the "Bat Man of Mexico," Rasha Aridi (former Short Waver) presents the case for why bats are the best and coolest flying creatures out there! Are you a scientist who thinks Rodrigo is wrong and that the animal you study is superior? Let us know! You can email us at [email protected]. We'd love to hear the case for your critter.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Jul-02 • 13 minutes 'Arrival': How To Talk To Aliens (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 Jessica Coon, who consulted on the film, breaks down what the movie gets right — and wrong — about linguistics.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Jul-01 • 13 minutes FEMA Has An Equity Problem 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 electricity, excessive temperatures, mold, or other factors may threaten someone's health. Every day without stable shelter puts people in danger. The federal government is supposed to help prevent that cascade of problems, but an NPR investigation finds that the people who need help the most are often less likely to get i... |
| 2021-Jun-30 • 12 minutes The Climate Crisis Is A Public Health Crisis A recent study published in Nature found that 37 percent of heat-related deaths are due to climate change. Dr. Renee Salas is seeing this in the emergency room of Massachusetts General Hospital. She's treating more and more patients for heat-related illnesses like heat stroke and intensified allergies. Today, she gives us a view into her work at the intersection of human health and climate change; plus, she envisions a new health care system that takes climate change into account.To read more on this, see o... |
| 2021-Jun-29 • 12 minutes Organic Chemistry Helped Me Embrace My Identities 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 periodic table of elements. Years later, they went on to become a chemist and science writer. On today's show, Ari talks with host Maddie Sofia about how chemistry has helped them embrace their mixed identities. For more, read Ari's recent essay in Catapult Magazine: 'Organic Chemistry Taught Me to Fully Inhabit My Mixed I... |
| 2021-Jun-28 • 14 minutes Lessons Learned From Hindered Contact Tracing Efforts In The U.S. 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 positive, figure out whom they'd been in touch with and quickly get those people to quarantine. Places like Hong Kong and Singapore made headlines for their success stories. The U.S. aimed to replicate this, but came up short. Today, health reporter Selena Simmons-Duffin explains what went awry and the lessons lear... |
| 2021-Jun-25 • 12 minutes FDA Approves Aducanumab — A Controversial Drug For Alzheimer's The FDA has approved a new drug for Alzheimer's. But a lot of experts are skeptical about whether the drug works. Rhitu Chatterjee talks with science correspondent Jon Hamilton about the controversial drug aducanumab and why the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved it. For more of Jon's reporting, read "For Those Facing Alzheimer's, A Controversial Drug Offers Hope."You can email Short Wave at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Jun-24 • 12 minutes Climate Change Is Threatening The U.S. West's Water Supply The past year has been the driest or second driest in most Southwestern U.S. states since record-keeping began in 1895. Climate Correspondent Lauren Sommer reports that farms and cities have begun imposing water restrictions, but the water supply will shrink no matter what the weather brings. The supply spans tens of millions of people and the farmland that produces most of the country's fruits and vegetables. As a result, the people who manage the West's complex water systems are realizing that with climat... |
| 2021-Jun-23 • 15 minutes Loving Sally Ride 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 equity and inclusion in science education. But, there was much more to Tam and Sally's relationship. Tam gives us an intimate look at their decades-long partnership: how they met and fell in love, the pressures they faced as a queer couple, and their long-awaited and public coming out with Sally's death in 2012. We w... |
| 2021-Jun-22 • 11 minutes COVID-19 Vaccines, Boosters And The Renaissance In Vaccine Technology Health Correspondent Allison Aubrey updates us on the Biden Administration's goal to have 70 percent of U.S. adults vaccinated by the July 4. Plus, as vaccine makers plan for the possibility that COVID-19 vaccine boosters will be needed, they're pushing ahead with research into new-generation flu shots and mRNA cancer vaccines. Questions? Existential dread? Optimism? We'd love to hear it — write us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy ... |
| 2021-Jun-21 • 10 minutes Behold! The Anus: An Evolutionary Marvel 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 writer Katherine Wu. For more of Katherine's reporting, check out 'The Body's Most Embarrassing Organ Is an Evolutionary Marvel' from The Atlantic. If you have stories ideas or comments — email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Jun-20 • 25 minutes 'Where We Come From': Emily Kwong's Story 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 her father, Christopher Kwong, stopped speaking the language at a young age in order to adjust to life in the U.S. Now, at age 30, Emily's trying to reclaim Chinese by attending virtual Mandarin classes for the first time. In conversation with her father, Emily explores how being 'Chinese enough' gets tied up in l... |
| 2021-Jun-18 • 1 minutes We're Off For Juneteenth Hey, Nerd! NPR takes Juneteenth off. We'll be back Sunday with a special episode from NPR's Where We Come From series. It focuses on Emily Kwong's relationship to her heritage language and journey to learn Mandarin as an adult.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Jun-17 • 13 minutes #BlackBirdersWeek 2021: Celebrating The Joy Of Birds #BlackBirdersWeek emerged last year from a groundswell of support for Christian Cooper, a Black man and avid birder, who was harassed by a white woman while birding in Central Park. This year is all about celebrating Black joy. Co-organizer Deja Perkins talks about how the week went and why it's important to observe nature wherever you live.Send us your birding highlights! We're at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Jun-16 • 15 minutes 'I'm Willing To Fight For It': Learning A Second Language As An Adult 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 have been debating for decades — with the help of Sarah Frances Phillips, a Ph.D. student in the linguistics department at New York University. You can watch a related video about Emily learning Mandarin here. It's part of the Where We Come From series.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/... |
| 2021-Jun-15 • 16 minutes The Disordered Cosmos Maddie talks with physicist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein about her new book, The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred. In the episode, we talk quarks (one of the building blocks of the universe), intersectionality and access to the night sky as a fundamental right.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Jun-14 • 16 minutes Migrating Monarchs It is one of the Earth's great migrations: each year, millions of monarch butterflies fly some 3,000 miles, from their summer breeding grounds as far north as Canada to their overwintering sites in the central Mexico. It's one of the best-studied migrations and in recent years, ecologists like Sonia Altizer have been able to better answer how and why these intrepid butterflies make the journey. Short Wave brings this episode from the TED Radio Hour's episode with Sonia Altizer, with the University of Georg... |
| 2021-Jun-11 • 13 minutes Yep, We Made Up Vegetables 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 kinda mythic category of food. With the help of Harvard botanist Molly Edwards, Maddie and Emily break down our favorite foods from broccoli to zucchini. Take our survey! Tell us what you love and what you would love to see more of — on our show, and also other NPR podcasts.Email the show at [email protected]... |
| 2021-Jun-10 • 12 minutes The Science Behind That Fresh Rain Scent (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 bacteria make it in the first place? Reporter Emily Vaughn answers this mystery.Read the paper on which this episode was based.Take our survey! Tell us what you love and what you would love to see more of — on our show, and also other NPR podcasts.Other scent mysteries driving your nose wild? Email the show at shortwave@... |
| 2021-Jun-09 • 13 minutes Cleveland - What Climate Equity Could Look Like 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 Dan Charles about why the ground work for a climate justice plan could be laid in the city of Cleveland. For more of Dan's reporting, follow him on Twitter @NPRDanCharles.You can email Short Wave at [email protected]. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Jun-08 • 9 minutes COVID News Round-Up: Vaccination Progress, Booster Shots, Travel Nationwide, almost 65% of adults have had at least one vaccine shot, but vaccination rates vary significantly depending on the state. NPR health correspondent Allison Aubrey gives us the latest on the country's vaccination progress: which states are on track (and which are not), new research about why it's important teenagers get vaccinated, and what we know about the possibility of booster shots.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Jun-07 • 12 minutes Taking A New Look At Some Old Bones Paleontologist Yara Haridy looks at fossilized bones for a living. When she randomly walked by a scientific poster one day, she discovered an entirely new way to take pictures of her fossils. The results are shedding new light on how bones evolved.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Jun-04 • 13 minutes Bringing The Sensation Of Touch To A Robotic Limb 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 are trying to control a state-of-the art robotic arm or a prosthetic limb.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Jun-03 • 15 minutes Scientific Sankofa And The Complexities Of Genetic Ancestry 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 genetics to decode the lost histories of African descendants." They discuss what a person's genetic ancestry test does and does not reveal, and the complicated intersection of genetics, history and race.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Jun-02 • 13 minutes It's Okay To Let Go Of Herd Immunity 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 circumstances. Science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel talks with Maddie about the complexities in even defining the number and what the public should focus on instead.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Jun-01 • 9 minutes Rainbows! How They Form And Why We See Them 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 school as a kid, but didn't really learn or just forgot. Short Wave producer Thomas Lu and host Maddie Sofia go on a journey to explore what a rainbow exactly is and how we see them! We all remember ROY G BIV, right?Email us your Back-To-School ideas at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices... |
| 2021-May-28 • 14 minutes Disabled Scientists Are Often Excluded From The Lab Scientists and students with disabilities are often excluded from laboratories — in part because of how they're designed. Emily Kwong speaks to disabled scientist Krystal Vasquez on how her disability changed her relationship to science, how scientific research can become more accessible, and how STEMM fields need to change to be more welcoming to disabled scientists. Read Krystal's article in Chemistry World, 'Excluded From The Lab.' You can email Short Wave at [email protected] more about sponsor me... |
| 2021-May-27 • 14 minutes Big Vape: The Incendiary Rise of Juul E-cigarettes 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 with Time health writer Jamie Ducharme about the science and marketing behind the rise and subsequent controversy surrounding Juul Labs. Plus, a look at what might be next in the future of e-cigarettes.Click here for links to studies mentioned in this episode.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adc... |
| 2021-May-26 • 13 minutes The Curious Stardust At The Ocean Floor Researchers report in the journal Science that they appear to have some clues about the origin of Earth's plutonium - which has been long debated. Correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce explains that traces of rare forms of iron and plutonium have been found in extraterrestrial debris that had sunk to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, hauled up by an oil company, then donated for research. By comparing the iron and the plutonium, scientists found the plutonium was likely forged in a cosmic cataclysm, perhaps a r... |
| 2021-May-25 • 9 minutes The State Of Vaccinations In The U.S. 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 COVID-19 in the U.S. continue to come down, host Maddie Sofia talks with NPR health correspondent Allison Aubrey about vaccination progress around the country. Have questions about the latest coronavirus headlines? Email us at [email protected] and we might cover it on a future episode.Learn more about sponsor mes... |
| 2021-May-24 • 14 minutes 'Off The Charts' Rise In Alcoholic Liver Disease Among Young Women **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 has been supercharged, they say, in the pandemic. Emily Kwong speaks to NPR science correspondent Yuki Noguchi about this and some of the challenges to getting proper treatment. To read more on the story, check out Yuki's reporting here. You can email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcast... |
| 2021-May-21 • 14 minutes Who Should Control Earth's Thermostat? 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 contributor Ariela Zebede.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-May-20 • 9 minutes Biden Proposes A 'Civilian Corps' To Address Climate Change 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, President Biden is trying to bring a similar version of it back. He wants to launch the Civilian Climate Corps to address the threat of climate change. NPR's White House correspondent Scott Detrow and National Desk Correspondent Nathan Rott report on Biden's plan and how it could play out.Click here to see photo... |
| 2021-May-19 • 13 minutes Pandemic Could Roll Back Advancements For Women in STEMM 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 top of gender discrimination. And then, the pandemic hit. Short Wave reporter Emily Kwong speaks with Dr. Eve Higginbotham about our earliest understandings of how the pandemic has impacted women in STEMM, and what support institutions can offer to make it easier for women in stay in the workforce and progress in... |
| 2021-May-18 • 11 minutes Too soon? The CDC Relaxes Mask Guidance For Fully Vaccinated 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 decision and say it's too soon. Maddie Sofia talks with NPR health correspondent Allison Aubrey about this latest mask guidance and the questions it raises for businesses, essential workers, and the most vulnerable. If you'd like help finding a vaccination site, you can dial 1-800-232-0233 or go to vaccines.gov (E... |
| 2021-May-17 • 13 minutes Racism, Opioids And COVID-19: A Deadly Trifecta (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 the opioid epidemic, and the challenges that public health officials are facing as they work to reduce opioid-related deaths.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-May-14 • 14 minutes Animal Slander! The Origins Of "Badgering" Will Bum You Out 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." We look at the dark origins of the word and explore the wild world of badger biology with University of Oxford scientist Tanesha Allen.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-May-13 • 14 minutes In The Pandemic, Children Face A Mental Health Crisis According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the proportion of emergency department visits by children in mental health crises went up significantly during the pandemic — about 30% for kids ages 12-17 and 24% for children ages 5-11 between March and October of last year, compared to 2019. For psychiatrists like Dr. Nicole Christian-Brathwaite, this is evident in her practice and personal life. We talk to her about how this past year has taken a toll on children and their mental health,... |
| 2021-May-12 • 13 minutes SCOOP: There's A Dirt Shortage 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 rising seas. This is leading to a dirt shortage, where the demand for it is higher than supply. NPR climate correspondent Lauren Sommer gives us the scoop — including why one federal agency that has dirt often disposes of it instead of reusing it for these projects.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastc... |
| 2021-May-11 • 11 minutes Pediatricians Work To Persuade Parents And Teens To Get COVID-19 Vaccine 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 coronavirus infections are declining in the United States, vaccination rates also appear to be slowing down, so pediatricians and public health officials say they're trying to spread the word to overcome hesitancy, and get the vaccine out to people where they go to school and shop. Emily talks with NPR health corres... |
| 2021-May-10 • 12 minutes The Past, Present and Future of mRNA Vaccines 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 been in the works for more than 30 years. Host Maddie Sofia chats with Dr. Margaret Liu, a physician and board chair of the International Society for Vaccines, about the history and science behind these groundbreaking vaccines. We'll also ask, what we can expect from mRNA vaccines in the future?Have a question for u... |
| 2021-May-07 • 14 minutes 'Everyone I Know Has Lost Someone': An Update From India 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. Many more cases are likely unreported. NPR International Correspondent Lauren Frayer shares the latest from India. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-May-06 • 11 minutes A Fragile X Treatment May Be On The Horizon 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 of other disorders. To help find a cure, they started a foundation and raised research money. After several setbacks, one treatment is showing promise. NPR neuroscience reporter Jon Hamilton tells Emily Kwong the story.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-May-05 • 8 minutes Why Some Countries Have Low Vaccination Rates 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 with Morning Edition's Noel King about why most of the world is struggling to get even a small percentage of their population vaccinated.Have questions about the latest coronavirus headlines? Email us at [email protected] and we might cover it on a future episode.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoic... |
| 2021-May-04 • 13 minutes A Vaccination Update And The CDC's Latest Guidance On Masks The rate of vaccination in the U.S. continues to slow. Maddie Sofia talks with NPR health correspondent Allison Aubrey about that and what can be done to get more people vaccinated. Also, making sense of the CDC's latest mask guidance. Have questions about the latest coronavirus headlines? Email us at [email protected] and we might cover it on a future episode.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-May-03 • 14 minutes Burnout: The Crisis Plaguing Health Care Workers Today, NPR's mental health correspondent Rhitu Chatterjee guests hosts Short Wave. She talks to Dr. Arghavan Salles about burnout among health care workers — what it looks like, what it's doing to the mental health of doctors and nurses and how institutions can address it. Have a scientific question you can't stop thinking about? Drop us a line at [email protected] — we'd love to hear it.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Apr-30 • 9 minutes The Viral TikTok Explaining mRNA Vaccines With ... Forks! 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 Krishna's viral TikTok breaking down how the mRNA vaccine works, we were impressed and immediately like, "We've got to get him on the show!" Today's that show. Vick breaks down the inspiration, the science and his newfound responsibility as an accidental science communicator.Know someone else bringing science to the masses? Send us an email at [email protected]... |
| 2021-Apr-29 • 14 minutes Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster: 10 Years Later 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 are slowly reopening. Geoff Brumfiel talks with producer Kat Lonsdorf about the Fukushima nuclear accident, its lasting effects on Japan, and the future of nuclear power. You can read and listen to more of Kat's reporting about Fukushima and Japan here.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/a... |
| 2021-Apr-28 • 17 minutes 5 Ways To Cut Carbon Emissions At Home 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 Life Kit, NPR correspondent Dan Charles shares five ways to cut carbon emissions in your own home. This episode was adapted from an earlier Life Kit. To hear the full version, check out npr.org/lifekit.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Apr-27 • 11 minutes The U.S. Vaccination Rate Continues To Slow Short Wave's Emily Kwong talks with NPR health correspondent Allison Aubrey about some of the latest coronavirus news, including the return of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the U.S. and vaccine outreach in harder to reach communities.Have questions about the latest coronavirus headlines? Email us at [email protected] and we might cover it on a future episode.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Apr-26 • 12 minutes A 142-Year-Old Science Seed Caper 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 because it meant even less of a chance that someone might randomly pass by.Today on the show, NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce unearths why a new generation of scientists is digging up seeds under the cover of night buried 142 years ago.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices... |
| 2021-Apr-23 • 14 minutes U.S. Renews Its Commitment To Addressing Climate Change 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 Paris climate agreement during the Trump administration. The Biden team is promising dramatic cuts in greenhouse gas emissions in the next several decades. Rhitu Chatterjee talks with NPR climate reporters Rebecca Hersher and Lauren Sommer.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Apr-22 • 14 minutes Medicine And The Horseshoe Crab 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 these living fossils and their role in making medicine safer. Get in touch! You can email Short Wave at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Apr-21 • 11 minutes Micro Wave: Why Hair Turns Gray Why does hair turn gray? Stress? Age? Genetics? We turn to dermatologist Dr. Jenna Lester for answers.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Apr-20 • 13 minutes Half Of U.S. Adults Have Gotten A Vaccine — But Hurdles Remain For Herd Immunity Today, NPR Health Correspondent Allison Aubrey offers perspective on how to think about the latest coronavirus news. On one hand, half of U.S. adults have been vaccinated and as of this week, everyone 16 years old and up is eligible to be vaccinated. At the same time, the administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been paused and many are still hesitant to get vaccinated.Coronavirus on your mind? Email us at [email protected] — with your questions about the latest developments.Learn more about spon... |
| 2021-Apr-19 • 13 minutes A Classroom Where Math And Community Intersect 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 post-doc at The Ohio State University. Instead, Ranthony focuses on the community aspects of math — the support systems behind each mathematician and the benefits of a collaborative, inclusive environment for math innovation. Think we should consider math more? Let us know by emailing [email protected] more ... |
| 2021-Apr-16 • 13 minutes Why Scientists Are Racing To Save Historical Sea Level Records (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 knowing exactly how fast the water is rising is really important. But it's a tough scientific question. NPR climate correspondent Lauren Sommer explains how scientists are looking to historical records to help get at the answer. If you'd like to help transcribe old tidal data, you can get started here.For more of ... |
| 2021-Apr-15 • 15 minutes Why Baltimore Is Suing Big Oil Over Climate Change (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 Shell. In the lawsuit, BP P.L.C. v. Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, the city government argued that the fossil fuel giants must help pay for the costs of climate change because they knew that their products cause potentially catastrophic global warming. NPR climate reporter Rebecca Hersher has been following ... |
| 2021-Apr-14 • 15 minutes A Rising Tide of Violence Against Environmental Activists (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, countries where intensive mining and agribusiness has transformed the environment. NPR Short Wave reporter Emily Kwong speaks with three activists about the intersection between natural resource extraction and violence, and what keeps them going in their work.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/... |
| 2021-Apr-13 • 11 minutes What Happens When The Tides Get Higher (Encore episode.) 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 where it could happen in the future as the tides keep getting higher.Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Apr-12 • 13 minutes Debating When The 'Age Of Humans' Began Humans have changed the Earth in such profound ways that scientists say we have entered a new geological period: the Anthropocene Epoch.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Apr-09 • 13 minutes The Resurgence Of Psychedelic Psychiatry 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 correspondent Jon Hamilton explains how these drugs are helping brain scientists understand what causes mental illness and find new ways to treat it. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Apr-08 • 13 minutes Smell Therapy 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, some will not. This has given new life to a very specific treatment: smell training. Emily Kwong talks to the Atlantic's science reporter Sarah Zhang about how practicing how to smell might help those who've lost their sense of smell. For more on smell training, read Sarah's piece in The Atlantic. You can email ... |
| 2021-Apr-07 • 11 minutes The Queen's Squeak "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 while that whales and songbirds also show these variations in language. Today, NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce explains research that expands that list to include naked mole rats.Yearning for more episodes about communication between animals? Or wish we would cover something else entirely? We'd love ... |
| 2021-Apr-06 • 9 minutes Vaccinations Are Up, But So Are COVID-19 Cases 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 on the rise again. So today, NPR health correspondent Allison Aubrey rounds up some of the latest coronavirus news – on vaccines, CDC guidance on travel, the possibility of a fourth wave, and more.Have questions or concerns around the pandemic? Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choice... |
| 2021-Apr-05 • 14 minutes How To Reach Out When Someone You Know May Be At Risk Of Suicide 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 signs that someone you know may be thinking about dying, the ways you can support them, and how to possibly prevent suicide.To read more of the story, find Rhitu's reporting here.You can email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Apr-02 • 9 minutes Micro Wave: Are Seasonal Allergies Getting Worse? 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 [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Apr-01 • 13 minutes Meet The Dermatologists Advancing Better Care For Skin Of Color 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 problem in dermatology. Today on the show, we take a close look at how the science of skincare has evolved to better serve patients of color, but still has a long way to go.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Mar-31 • 9 minutes Fulgurite: What A Lightning-Formed Rock May Have Contributed To Life On Earth 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 funky rock creation can reveal about the origins of life. To read more of the story, check out Nell's reporting here. You can email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Mar-30 • 13 minutes What We Can Learn From Microscopic Life In Antarctica 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, including tardigrades (one of Maddie's favorite critters).Listen to the full TED Radio Hour episode, Through The Looking Glass, here.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Mar-29 • 13 minutes Is The Future Quantum? NPR science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel takes us to IonQ, one of the companies betting on a quantum computing future. Along the way, Geoff explains what little researchers know about how we might actually use this technology. There are hints though quantum computing could change everything from discovering new drugs to developing advanced materials. Want us to cover another promising, complicated technology? Email us — we're at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/... |
| 2021-Mar-26 • 13 minutes The Purple Urchins Don't Die NPR climate correspondent Lauren Sommer explains how scientists are getting creative to deal with the hordes of urchins overtaking kelp forests in the Pacific Ocean — and why this kind of drastic ecological change may become more common as the climate gets hotter. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Mar-25 • 14 minutes Brood X: The Rise Of The 17-Year Cicadas 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 Sofia talks with entomologist Sammy Ramsey, aka Dr. Buggs, about what cicadas are, where they've been for the last 17 years, and — of course — why they're so loud.Email Short Wave at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Mar-24 • 11 minutes Meet The 'Glacier Mice' (Encore episode.) 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 moss balls. It turns out, other glaciologists had come across glacial moss balls before and lovingly called them "glacier mice." NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce and Short Wave reporter Emily Kwong talk about glacial moss balls and delve into the mystery of how they seem to move as a herd. Read more of Nell's... |
| 2021-Mar-23 • 9 minutes A Look Inside The World's Biggest Vaccine Maker NPR's international correspondent Lauren Frayer takes us on a tour of the factory of the world's largest vaccine maker: Serum Institute of India. The company aims to manufacture 100 million doses a month of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and export them globally. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Mar-22 • 14 minutes How A New Deal Legacy Is Building Clean Energy In Rural North Carolina 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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Mar-19 • 13 minutes The U.S. Has A History Of Linking Disease With Race And Ethnicity (Encore episode.) The coronavirus is all over the headlines these days. Accompanying those headlines? Suspicion and harassment of Asians and Asian Americans. Our colleague Gene Demby, co-host of NPR's Code Switch podcast, explains that this is part of a longer history in the United States of camouflaging xenophobia and racism as public health and hygiene concerns. We hear from historian Erika Lee, author of "America For Americans: A History Of Xenophobia In The United States."LEARN MORE:Check out Code Switc... |
| 2021-Mar-18 • 15 minutes Reflections On Coronavirus A Year In 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 how the disease progresses. Today, Maddie walks us through some of these big lessons.Reach the show by emailing [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Mar-17 • 9 minutes A Quick Dive Into How Submarines Work 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 the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution explains some of the fundamental engineering principles that allow submarines to dive so deep without imploding under the pressure.Have any questions you'd like us to try answering? Send us an email, [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoice... |
| 2021-Mar-16 • 12 minutes What Earth Looked Like 3.2 Billion Years Ago 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 Roger Fu talks to host Maddie Sofia about hunting for rocks that can tell us what Earth looked like a few billion years ago, in the early days of the evolution of life.Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Mar-15 • 13 minutes Our Pandemic Future It's been about a year since the coronavirus pandemic started to take hold in the United States. Recently, NPR science correspondent Rob Stein has been talking to infectious disease experts, epidemiologists, public health officials, medical historians and for the first time, many are cautiously offering hope. They say the worst may be finally over — but factors like vaccination rates, changes to public health policy and variant resistance to vaccines could upend that recovery.Reach the show by emailing sho... |
| 2021-Mar-12 • 13 minutes A Year Into The Pandemic, The Incarcerated Among The Most Vulnerable In the year since the pandemic began, the coronavirus has severely impacted inmates and staff in U.S. jails and prisons. According to The Marshall Project, in the last year, over 380,000 prisoners tested positive for the coronavirus. Of those, 2,400 died. The close quarters make social distancing nearly impossible, leaving the incarcerated population vulnerable. Josiah Bates, staff writer at TIME, reflects on how the pandemic has played out behind bars — in both jails and prisons. We also hear from Ronnie ... |
| 2021-Mar-11 • 13 minutes The Importance Of Diversifying Alzheimer's Research 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 diversifying Alzheimer's research could lead to a better understanding of the disease in Black Americans, and new treatments for everyone. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Mar-10 • 10 minutes CDC's Do's and Don'ts For Fully Vaccinated People The CDC released new guidance Monday, allowing people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to resume some pre-pandemic activities, including gathering indoors with other vaccinated people without wearing masks. Health correspondent Allison Aubrey walks us through the new recommendations and what precautions fully vaccinated people still need to take. Read the CDC's guidance.Email the show your questions and concerns about the coronavirus at [email protected]. We might cover it in our ongoing coverage of the pa... |
| 2021-Mar-09 • 11 minutes One Key To Healthy Oceans? Sharks 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 shark poop.Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Mar-08 • 15 minutes Millions Of U.S. Homes Face An Expensive Flooding Threat 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 Rebecca Hersher found that communities where flood insurance is already unaffordable face potentially catastrophic damage — including to mental and physical health.Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Mar-05 • 13 minutes Is The Sperm Race A Fairy Tale? 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 misleading narrative and learn just how active the egg and reproductive tract are in this process. You can find Ariela @arielazebede, Lisa @CampoEngelstein, and Kristin @kristin_hook on Twitter. Email us at [email protected] Note - The introduction of this episode has been updated to reflect anthropolog... |
| 2021-Mar-04 • 14 minutes The Fight Over The Future Of Natural Gas 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 natural gas industry.Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Mar-03 • 13 minutes Pandemic Dispatches From The ER, One Year Later 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 tell us what the first year of the pandemic has been like for them, how their lives have changed, and what's around the corner as more people become vaccinated. Are you a healthcare worker who would be willing to share your experience with the Short Wave team? Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor ... |
| 2021-Mar-02 • 13 minutes Vaccine Distribution: An Equity Challenge 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 talks with NPR science reporter Pien Huang about the challenges underserved communities face in getting the vaccine and the Biden Administration's plans to address vaccine equity in the pandemic.For more reporting on the COVID-19 vaccine, follow Pien on Twitter at @Pien_Huang. You can email the show at ShortWave@npr... |
| 2021-Mar-01 • 25 minutes Code Switch: A Shot In The Dark 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 health officials has been the skepticism many Black people have toward the vaccine. One notorious medical study — the Tuskegee experiment — has been cited as a reason. But should it be?Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Feb-26 • 10 minutes Micro Wave: Let's Talk About Urine 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 common myths, and share some urine facts.Plus, we dive into some listener mail — which you can send to us by emailing [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Feb-25 • 11 minutes The Legacy of Trauma: Can Experiences Leave A Biological Imprint? Descendants of trauma victims seem to have worse health outcomes. Could epigenetics help explain why? Bianca Jones Marlin and Brian Dias walk us through the field of epigenetics and its potential implications in trauma inheritance. You can follow Ariela Zebede on twitter @arielazebede. Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Feb-24 • 12 minutes Magnets: The Hidden Objects Powering Your Life 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 Geoff Brumfiel is taking us "back to school," explaining how magnetism works and why magnets deserve more respect.If you're secretly hoping we cover a basic science concept near and dear to your heart, spill the tea! We'd love to know and can be reached via email at [email protected] more about sponsor message choi... |
| 2021-Feb-23 • 13 minutes James West On Invention And Inclusion In Science James West has been a curious tinkerer since he was a child, always wondering how things worked. Throughout his long career in STEM, he's also been an advocate for diversity and inclusion — from co-founding the Association for Black Laboratory Employees in 1970 to his work today with The Ingenuity Project, a non-profit that cultivates math and science skills in middle and high school students in Baltimore public schools. Host Maddie Sofia talks to him about his life, career, and about how a device he helped... |
| 2021-Feb-22 • 16 minutes Coronavirus Vaccine Q&A: Variants, Side Effects, And More 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 episode, an excerpt of Maddie's appearance on another NPR podcast, It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders, where she answered those questions and more. Listen to 'It's Been A Minute with Sam Sanders' on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.co... |
| 2021-Feb-20 • 67 minutes BONUS: Throughline — Octavia Butler: Visionary Fiction 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 Throughline.Octavia Butler's alternate realities and 'speculative fiction' reveal striking, and often devastating parallels to the world we live in today. She was a deep observer of the human condition, perplexed and inspired by our propensity towards self-destruction. Butler was also fascinated by the cyclical nature of... |
| 2021-Feb-19 • 9 minutes Micro Wave: I'll Peanut Jam Your Brain Today, what happens in your brain when you notice a semantic or grammatical mistake, according to neuroscience. Sarah Phillips, a neurolinguist, tells us all about the N400 and the P600 responses. Plus, we dive into some listener mail — which you can send to us by emailing [email protected]. (Encore episode)Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Feb-18 • 14 minutes Why Tech Companies Are Limiting Police Use of Facial Recognition 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 Mutale Nkonde about algorithmic bias — how facial recognition software can discriminate and reflect the biases of society and the current debate about policing has brought up the issue about how law enforcement should use this technology.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy P... |
| 2021-Feb-17 • 13 minutes Anti-Racist Science Education 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 broaden science education--including how they tap into kids' sense of justice by incorporating ethics into experiments and how they share contributions of scientists who may be less famous than the big names. (Encore episode)Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Feb-16 • 11 minutes The Creation Of The Magnificent Makers Author and neuroscientist Theanne Griffith talks with Maddie about her children's book series, The Magnificent Makers, which follows two intrepid third graders as they race to complete science-based adventures. (Encore episode)Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Feb-15 • 1 minutes A Week Of Black Excellence 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!Follow Maddie and Emily on Twitter, @maddie_sofia and @emilykwong1234. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Feb-12 • 14 minutes Bring Me Chocolate Or Bring Me Dead Stuff 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 courtship rituals of scorpions and loggerhead shrikes.Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Feb-11 • 13 minutes Saving Sea Level Records: What Historical Records Tell Us About The Rising Ocean 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 fast the water is rising is really important. But it's a tough scientific question. NPR climate correspondent Lauren Sommer explains how scientists are looking to historical records to help get at the answer. For more of Lauren's reporting, follow her on Twitter @lesommer. Email us at [email protected] mor... |
| 2021-Feb-10 • 15 minutes When Defending The Land Puts Your Own Life At Risk 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 intensive mining and agribusiness has transformed the environment. NPR Short Wave reporter Emily Kwong speaks with three activists about the intersection between natural resource extraction and violence, and what keeps them going in their work.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Priva... |
| 2021-Feb-09 • 11 minutes Why 500,000 COVID-19 Deaths May Not Feel Any Different 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 the concept of psychic numbing and how humans can often use emotion, rather than statistics to make decisions about risk. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Feb-08 • 14 minutes What's In A Tattoo? Scientists Are Looking For Answers 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 about what researchers currently know about tattoo inks. It's not a lot, and researchers are trying to find out more. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Feb-05 • 10 minutes When Life Gives You Lemons...Make A Battery 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 driving that process show up in household batteries we use daily? Emily Kwong and Maddie Sofia talk battery 101 with environmental engineer Jenelle Fortunato.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Feb-04 • 13 minutes Biden Promises To Grapple With Environmental Racism 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 climate reporter Rebecca Hersher talks about the history of environmental racism in the United States, and what Biden's administration can do to avoid the mistakes of the past. Read Rebecca's reporting on how Biden hopes to address the environmental impacts of systemic racism.Email the show at [email protected] ... |
| 2021-Feb-03 • 13 minutes Opioids, COVID-19 And Racism: A Deadly Trifecta 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 opioid epidemic, and the challenges that public health officials are facing as they work to reduce opioid-related deaths.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Feb-02 • 12 minutes The Lost Joys Of Talking To Strangers 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, co-host of NPR's Invisibilia, about the surprising benefits of stranger interactions. And Short Wave tries out QuarantineChat, a workaround to our current strangerless existence. (Encore episode) Follow Maddie Sofia @maddie_sofia and Yowei Shaw @yowei_shaw on Twitter. Email the show at [email protected] mo... |
| 2021-Feb-01 • 12 minutes The Complex Decisions Around Rebuilding After A Wildfire 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, but as NPR science correspondent Lauren Sommer explains, only three Western states require building with fire-resistant materials. Without such improvements, communities face increased risks with the next fire.Read Lauren's reporting on rebuilding after a wildfire.Email the show at [email protected] more abo... |
| 2021-Jan-29 • 11 minutes FACT SMACK: Spider Edition With the help of spider scientist Sebastian Echeverri, Maddie presents the case for why spiders are the best and coolest animal. Spoiler alert: some travel thousands of kilometers by "ballooning," while others live part time underwater. Are you a scientist who thinks Sebastian is wrong and that the animal you study is superior? Let us know! You can email us at [email protected]. We'd love to hear the case for your critter.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Poli... |
| 2021-Jan-28 • 13 minutes How Bonobos Help Explain The Evolution Of Nice 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 scientists are trying to answer that very question. Follow host Maddie Sofia and correspondent Jon Hamilton on Twitter, and email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Jan-27 • 16 minutes What The Spread Of Coronavirus Variants Means For The U.S. 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 because they are behaving differently than the older version of the coronavirus. Maddie talks with NPR science correspondent Michaeleen Doucleff about the coronavirus variant first identified in the UK in late 2020 — they discuss how big of a deal it is, how vaccines may be affected, and what needs to happen to ... |
| 2021-Jan-26 • 11 minutes The Surprising History of Handwashing 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 wasn't so obvious. Dana Tulodziecki, a professor at Purdue University, tells the story of Ignaz Semmelweis, the scientist who's credited with discovering the importance of handwashing. We'll hear how he figured it out and why there's more to the story. (Encore episode)Learn more about sponsor message choices: podca... |
| 2021-Jan-25 • 13 minutes A Pesky Rumble: Pink Bollworms Vs. Cotton Farmers 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 one did. NPR food and farming reporter Dan Charles gives us the play-by-play to how it took two concurrent approaches to eradicate this devastating pest. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Jan-22 • 11 minutes Our More-Than-Five Senses 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 White, assistant professor at Mount Holyoke College, about the beautiful, intricate system that carries information from the outside world in.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Jan-21 • 14 minutes Baltimore Is Suing Big Oil Over Climate Change 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, BP P.L.C. v. Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, the city government argues that the fossil fuel giants must help pay for the costs of climate change because they knew that their products cause potentially catastrophic global warming. NPR climate reporter Rebecca Hersher has been following the case.Read Rebecca's dig... |
| 2021-Jan-20 • 16 minutes The Social Side of Stuttering 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 misunderstood. NPR Short Wave reporter Emily Kwong speaks with speech pathologist Naomi Rodgers about her research on adolescent stuttering and why the medical model of stuttering is problematic.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Jan-19 • 13 minutes Let's Go Back To Venus! 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 focus of planetary missions. NPR science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel makes the case for why humans should reconsider visiting to Venus.For more science reporting and stories, follow Geoff on twitter @gbrumfiel. And, as always, email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.co... |
| 2021-Jan-15 • 11 minutes Micro Wave: How 'Bout Dem Apple...Seeds 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 talks to producer Thomas Lu about how apple seeds could potentially be toxic to humans but why, ultimately, most people don't have to worry about eating the whole apple. And they go through some listener mail.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Jan-14 • 14 minutes How COVID-19 Affects The Brain 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 long-term disability. As NPR science correspondent Jon Hamilton explains, research into all the ways the coronavirus affects the brain is ongoing but research shows it can affect everything from loss of smell to memory problems. Read Jon's piece here.Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor mess... |
| 2021-Jan-13 • 15 minutes Should Black People Get Race Adjustments In Kidney Medicine? 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.As NPR science correspondent Maria Godoy reports, that debate is playing out prominently in the world of kidney medicine — specifically, in the use of estimated glomerular filtration rate, or eGFR. The diagnostic formula most commonly used to assess the health of patients with chronic kidney disease may be unintentionally ... |
| 2021-Jan-12 • 11 minutes CubeSat: Little Satellite, Big Deal 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 three CubesSat missions, and how this satellite technology ventured from college campuses to deep space. (Encore) Tweet to Emily Kwong at @emilykwong1234 and talk #scicomm with Joe on @joesbigidea. And you can reach the show by emailing [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.c... |
| 2021-Jan-11 • 11 minutes This Teen Scientist Is TIME's First-Ever 'Kid Of The Year' 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 a bit of advice for other budding innovators. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Jan-08 • 10 minutes Micro Wave: What Makes Curly Hair Curl? 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 emailing [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Jan-07 • 12 minutes The Hunt For The World's Oldest Ice 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, you can also read Nell's story, "Scientists Have Found Some Truly Ancient Ice, But Now They Want Ice That's Even Older."Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Jan-06 • 14 minutes One Page At A Time, Jess Wade Is Changing Wikipedia 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 women and POC scientists. She chats with Emily Kwong about how Wikipedia can influence the direction of scientific research and why it's important to have entries about scientists from under-represented communities. Here are the Wikipedia entries of the scientists mentioned in today's show: Sarah Gilbert, Kizzmekia Corbett, Gladys West, and of course, Jes... |
| 2021-Jan-05 • 14 minutes How COVID-19 Has Changed Science 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 The Atlantic explains some of the ways, both good and bad, that COVID-19 has changed science.Read Ed's full reporting on these changes here.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2021-Jan-04 • 11 minutes Meet The Ko'Ko', The Comeback Bird 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-introduced. It is the second bird in history to recover from extinction in the wild. Wildlife biologist Suzanne Medina tells us the story of how the Guam Department of Agriculture brought the Ko'Ko' back, with a little matchmaking and a lot of patience. (Encore episode)Follow host Maddie Sofia @maddie_sofia and reporter Em... |
| 2021-Jan-01 • 4 minutes Happy New Year from Short Wave! 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 you had a safe and happy orbit around the sun!Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Dec-31 • 16 minutes How Will Climate And Health Policy Look Under Biden? Today, something special...an episode of The NPR Politics Podcast we think you might appreciate. Our colleagues take a look at Joe Biden's approach to climate and health policy.His climate agenda will look very different than President Trump's and even President Obama's. And, on top of responding to the pandemic, the president-elect will also have to wrangle all of the other problems in the American healthcare system.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Dec-29 • 12 minutes It's Okay To Sleep Late (Do It For Your Immune System) Dr. Syed Moin Hassan was riled up. "I don't know who needs to hear this," he posted on Twitter, "BUT YOU ARE NOT LAZY IF YOU ARE WAKING UP AT NOON." Hassan speaks to Short Wave's Emily Kwong about de-stigmatizing sleeping in late, and why a good night's rest is so important for your immune system. (Encore episode)Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Dec-28 • 12 minutes 2020: At Least It Was Good For Space Exploration? 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 correspondents Nell Greenfieldboyce and Geoff Brumfiel.Check out our list of Nell and Geoff's reporting on all of the events they talk about.For even more space and other science content, follow Nell and Geoff on Twitter at @nell_sci_npr and @gbrumfiel. Send terrestrial and extraterrestrial inquiries to the show at [email protected]... |
| 2020-Dec-25 • 4 minutes Happy Holidays from Short Wave! 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 public radio station at donate.npr.org/short. (If you're outside of the U.S., choose a lucky member station!)Follow Maddie and Emily on Twitter, @maddie_sofia and @emilykwong1234. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Dec-24 • 12 minutes Seeing Monsters? It Could Be Sleep Paralysis 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 science says about this sleep disorder and what he can do to help his son. (Encore episode)For more interesting science tidbits, follow Maddie and Emily on Twitter @maddie_sofia and @emilykwong1234. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy P... |
| 2020-Dec-22 • 16 minutes Oof! 2020: A Hot Year For The Record Books 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 heat waves, less ice in the Arctic, bigger wildfires, and more powerful hurricanes. For more reporting on the hottest decade, check out this story. You can follow Rebecca on twitter @rhersher and Lauren @lesommer. And, as always, email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.... |
| 2020-Dec-21 • 12 minutes Antimatter: Matter's "Evil Twin" 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 Geoff Brumfiel explains what's up with matter's "evil twin," antimatter. (Encore episode)Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Dec-18 • 11 minutes Mirror, Mirror, On The Wall: Can You Reveal An Animal's Inner World At All? 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 Nell Greenfieldboyce talks us through mirror self-recognition and why Maddie's dog is staring at her. For more science reporting and stories, follow Nell on twitter @nell_sci_NPR. And, as always, email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Dec-17 • 16 minutes The Science Behind The Historic mRNA Vaccine 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 use something called mRNA technology. So, with the help of epidemiologist Rene Najera, Maddie explains the science behind this vaccine and how it was developed so quickly.Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Dec-15 • 14 minutes How A 100-Year-Old Treatment Could Help Save Us From Superbugs 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 help. What she got back? A 100-year-old treatment that's considered experimental in the U.S. Strathdee, an infectious disease epidemiologist, tells us how it works, its drawbacks, and its potential role in our fight against superbugs. (Encore episode.)Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adc... |
| 2020-Dec-14 • 15 minutes To Unlock Sublime Flavor, Cook Like A Scientist 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 biology, Nik brings scientific inquiry to the kitchen in his new cookbook, The Flavor Equation. In today's episode, Short Wave reporter Emily Kwong and producer Rebecca Ramirez cook two recipes from Nik's book and explore the scientific principles at work. Check out the episode page for photos and other links! Email u... |
| 2020-Dec-11 • 12 minutes Chang'e-5: To The Moon And Back 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 retrieve samples of the moon's surface. The mission is called Chang'e-5, in honor of the moon goddess. NPR science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel tells us what the mission will tell us about the solar system, and how it foreshadows China's future ambitions on Earth and in space. Email us at [email protected] mor... |
| 2020-Dec-10 • 13 minutes Climate Change And 2020's Record-Breaking Hurricane Season 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 means for the future. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Dec-08 • 14 minutes Science From Curiosity And A Little Paper 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, and what it'll take to make science something everyone is able to enjoy. (Encore episode) Follow Maddie on Twitter. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Dec-07 • 12 minutes How Effective Are Antibody Treatments For COVID-19? 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 Richard Harris explains, emergency use authorization doesn't assure that these new drugs are effective, but that their potential benefits are likely to outweigh the risks. So today, we get to the bottom of how this type of treatment works and if they'll really make a difference.Email the show your questions, coronavirus or otherwi... |
| 2020-Dec-04 • 9 minutes Why We See Rainbows 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 Thomas Lu and host Maddie Sofia go on a journey to explore what a rainbow exactly is and how we see them! We all remember ROY G BIV, right?Email us your Back-To-School ideas at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Dec-03 • 16 minutes Nebraska Doctor: 'Don't Call Us Heroes.' Dig Deep And Do Your Part Like many states in the Midwest, Nebraska was somewhat spared during the early days of the pandemic. But now, the state has more cases per capita than any other in the country. We talk with two Omaha doctors who say this latest surge is exhausting health care workers, and one explains why she's tired of people calling health care workers heroes. Are you a health care worker who would like to share your experience with the Short Wave team? Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choice... |
| 2020-Dec-01 • 14 minutes Too Much Of A Good Thing: The Cautionary Tale of Biotech Crops 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 farmers. But now they are not working as well. NPR food and agriculture correspondent Dan Charles explains the rise and potential fall of Bt crops, and what happens when farmers use too much of a good thing.Before the year comes to a close, show your love for Short Wave and your local public radio station by making ... |
| 2020-Nov-30 • 13 minutes The Long Legacy Of The Arecibo Telescope 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 revisit our conversation with planetary scientist Edgard Rivera-Valentín about the unique role Arecibo has played in both scientific research and popular culture. (Encore episode.) Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Nov-27 • 14 minutes How Tall Is Mount Everest REALLY? We talk about the ridiculously complicated science involved in measuring Mount Everest with NPR international correspondent Lauren Frayer. And we'll hear why the height of the world's highest peak is ever-changing.Looking for more? You can read Lauren's story here at our episode page. It's got links, photos, and other cool information. You can find Lauren on Twitter @lfrayer and host Maddie Sofia @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/... |
| 2020-Nov-26 • 12 minutes The Special Connection Between Smell and Memory 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 is heightened in the winter. (Encore episode.) Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected]. AND consider supporting Short Wave, by supporting your local NPR station here.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Nov-24 • 12 minutes When Critters Bleed ... On Purpose! 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 at "reflex bleeding" and explores some of the creatures that bleed on purpose. For more science reporting and stories, follow Nell on twitter @nell_sci_NPR. And, as always, email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Nov-23 • 12 minutes Ultracold Soup: Meet The 'Superfluid' States Of Matter 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 it. Short Wave reporter Emily Kwong and host Maddie Sofia explore OTHER states of matter — beyond solid, liquid, gas, and plasma. Have you heard of Bose-Einstein condensate superfluids? It's your lucky day!Email us your Back-To-School ideas at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastcho... |
| 2020-Nov-20 • 10 minutes Measuring Sea Level Rise From Space 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 trying to understand how global warming is affecting the Earth's oceans. For more, you can also read Rebecca's story, "NASA Satellite To Measure Global Sea Level Rise."Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Nov-19 • 15 minutes Happy (Harm Reduction) Thanksgiving! 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 outline ways to gather as safely as possible. We'll cover best practices for quarantining before the trip, testing, ventilation and food preparation. That way, this Thanksgiving you can pass the turkey, hold the 'rona. Additional Resources:CDC Holiday Guidelines Aerosol & Ventilation FAQShort Wave Coronavirus Testing ... |
| 2020-Nov-17 • 13 minutes Trump Administration Lifts Protections For Largest National Forest In US 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 Rule, nine million previously-protected acres are now open further to potential development. What does that mean for trees that have been storing carbon for centuries?For more on this story, check out the episode page. You can email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastcho... |
| 2020-Nov-16 • 10 minutes Who Gets The Vaccine First? And How Will They Get It? 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 science reporter Pien Huang tells us which high risk groups will get it first, how the vaccine will be distributed (including some challenges), and who's footing the bill for all of this.Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Nov-13 • 11 minutes The COVID-19 Vaccine Trial Results: What They Mean, What Comes Next Interim results are in from a large trial of an experimental COVID-19 vaccine. Drug maker Pfizer, working with German company BioNTech, says its vaccine appears to be working really well — it was found to be more than 90 percent effective. Today on Short Wave, host Maddie Sofia talks to NPR science correspondent Joe Palca about what that efficacy number means, details of the study and what more information about the vaccine researchers are awaiting.Reach the show by emailing us at [email protected] ... |
| 2020-Nov-12 • 15 minutes A Call For Equity In Genomics Research 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 this research. Keolu Fox is a genome scientist trying to change that and advocate for a more equitable approach when Indigenous and other underrepresented communities do participate.Read Keolu's paper, "The Illusion of Inclusion", in the New England Journal of Medicine. Reach the show by emailing us at shortwave@... |
| 2020-Nov-10 • 15 minutes Undisclosed: Fire And Flood Risk In The United States 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 Lauren Sommer have found is that most people don't realize their wildfire or flood risk — and that's putting millions in harm's way.Additional Resources:- Read Lauren and Rebecca's series, Climate Risk Hits Home. - Reach out to us if you've tried to get information about the risk of floods or wildfires when moving to... |
| 2020-Nov-09 • 15 minutes What's It Like To Be A COVID-19 'Long Hauler' 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 virus appears to be with them for so long. Ed Yong of The Atlantic explains what might be going on, and why their experience mirrors that of other sufferers with chronic illnesses who battle to be believed. We also spoke with Hannah Davis, a long-hauler from New York City. (Encore episode.)Read Ed's story on long-... |
| 2020-Nov-06 • 12 minutes The US And The Paris Climate Agreement: 5 Things To Know 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 on Wednesday. Of the nearly 200 nations that signed the agreement, the U.S. is the only one to walk away from its promises to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. NPR science reporter Rebecca Hersher shares fives things to know. For additional info and links, check out the episode page.Email the show at [email protected]... |
| 2020-Nov-05 • 13 minutes Pandemic Reality Check - Where We Are. Where We're Headed. 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 reality check. Short Wave's Maddie Sofia and Emily Kwong talk about how we got here and how we should all be thinking about the holidays and the coming winter.Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Nov-03 • 14 minutes Touch And Go: NASA Samples An Asteroid 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 cautionary tale of a scientific mission that was almost too successful. For additional info and fun links, check out the episode page.Follow Maddie and Nell on Twitter. Maddie's @maddie_sofia and Nell's @nell_sci_NPR. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/... |
| 2020-Nov-02 • 9 minutes Welcome To The World Of Whale Falls What happens after a whale dies? Their carcasses, known as "whale falls," provide a sudden, concentrated food source for organisms in the deep sea. Biologist Diva Amon is our guide through whale-fall ecosystems and the unique species that exist on these fallen whales. (Encore Episode.)Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Oct-30 • 10 minutes Micro Wave: "Once In A Blue Moon" Is Happening Again This Halloween 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?For additional info and fun links, check out the episode page.Follow Maddie and Rebecca on Twitter for more science nuggets. Maddie's @maddie_sofia and Rebecca's @rebeccalramirez. Email the show your celestial musings and inquiries. We're at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoic... |
| 2020-Oct-29 • 10 minutes One More Step Toward Solving The Sleep & Alzheimer's Puzzle 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 Jon Hamilton introduces us to some scientists looking into that connection in this updated report on the key role deep sleep may play in maintaining brain health and protecting the brain against Alzheimer's. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor mess... |
| 2020-Oct-27 • 13 minutes The Mystery Of The Mummified Twinkie 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 Greenfieldboyce explains how two scientists unraveled the mystery of the mummified and moldy snack cakes.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Oct-26 • 10 minutes Crows: Are They Scary Or Just Super Smart? 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 a lecturer at the University of Washington and wrote her doctoral thesis on crow "funerals."Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Oct-23 • 11 minutes Micro Wave: Why Do Leaves Change Color During Fall? Botanist and founder of #BlackBotanistsWeek Tanisha Williams explains why some leaves change color during fall and what shorter days and colder temperatures have to do with it.Plus, a bit of listener mail from you! Which you can always send by emailing [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Oct-22 • 13 minutes Why These Tiny Particles Are A Big Deal 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 linger in the air. The CDC did that this month, so we brought Senior Science Correspondent Maria Godoy onto the show to explain the distinction, and the implications for staying safe during the pandemic.Is the constant refining of the science behind the coronavirus leaving you confused? Send us your questions at ... |
| 2020-Oct-20 • 11 minutes Randall Munroe's Absurd Scientific Advice For Real-World Problems 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 the real world is sometimes even weirder than we expect. His latest book is called How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems. (Encore episode.)Here's more on nuclear tests of bottled beverages from nuclear historian Alex Wellerstein.Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message ch... |
| 2020-Oct-19 • 11 minutes Quantum Mechanics For Beginners 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, and individual particles. It's the science responsible for innovations in computers, telecommunications, and medicine. Schleier-Smith was recently awarded a 2020 MacArthur Fellowship for her work in the field. It's research that often starts in a lab and as Schleier-Smith describes, requires both troubleshooting ... |
| 2020-Oct-16 • 14 minutes The Tricky Business Of Coronavirus Testing On College Campuses 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 colleges across the U.S. are handling the pandemic. On today's show, she tells us how one university has been using mass testing to fight the spread of the coronavirus on its campus. It's a strategy that's run into some challenges, namely, student behavior.Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Oct-15 • 11 minutes Micro Wave: You Mite Want To Shower After This 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 sure what they eat. See? Don't you feel better already?Researcher Megan Thoemmes tells us about the lives of these eight-legged creatures — and what they can tell us about ourselves.Also, if you can believe it, Short Wave launched a year ago today. Happy anniversary to us! And thanks for listening!Learn more about sponsor me... |
| 2020-Oct-13 • 14 minutes Gender Discrimination And Harassment At Sea Back in December, we brought you two episodes on the MOSAiC expedition. With hundreds of scientists from 20 countries, the German-led polar research mission is the largest in history. But the mission has also been marked by reports of gender discrimination and harassment. So today, we're turning away from the research and talking to Chelsea Harvey, an E&E News reporter who joined MOSAiC for several weeks. We talk about her recent story and her own experiences on the expedition.Learn more about sponsor m... |
| 2020-Oct-12 • 13 minutes Butterflies Have Hearts In Their Wings. You Won't Believe Where They Have Eyes Adriana Briscoe, a professor of biology and ecology at UC Irvine, studies vision in butterflies. As part of her research, she's trained them to detect light of a certain color. She also explains why they bask in the sunlight, and why some of them have 'hearts' in their wings. Plus, you'll never guess where their photoreceptors are.She's written about the importance of teachers and mentors in diversifying the STEM fields. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastch... |
| 2020-Oct-09 • 10 minutes Micro Wave: Does Talking To Plants Help Them Grow? Environmental scientist Heidi Appel explains how plants detect sound — and whether talking to yours could help them grow big and strong. Plus, a bit of listener mail from you! Which you can always send by emailing [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Oct-08 • 11 minutes What Coronavirus Test Results Do — And Don't — Mean 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 the types of tests, when they are most accurate and how to make sense of the results. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Oct-06 • 14 minutes The Fattest Bear Wins! 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 celebrating some of the fattening bears of Katmai National Park.) On today's show, Rae Wynn-Grant, a large carnivore biologist, explains there's a lot more going on during hibernation than you might expect.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Oct-05 • 14 minutes The Nobels Overwhelmingly Go to Men — This Year's Prize For Medicine Was No Exception 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 with Nobel Prizes in science. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Oct-02 • 10 minutes Micro Wave: Why Some Fruits Ripen Faster In A Paper Bag 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 by emailing [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Oct-01 • 13 minutes Want To Dismantle Racism In Science? Start In The Classroom 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 an anti-racist perspective into their curriculum and seeking to make the science classroom more inclusive.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Sep-29 • 15 minutes Fueled By Climate Change, Hurricanes Are Causing Industrial Accidents. Who's Liable? 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. But can companies — and the people who work for them — be held responsible or even sent to prison for failing to adequately prepare for climate change? NPR's Rebecca Hersher reported on that question, which is at the center of a recent lawsuit. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: p... |
| 2020-Sep-28 • 15 minutes The CDC Doesn't Know Enough About Coronavirus In Tribal Nations A recent CDC report estimates Native Americans and Alaskan Natives are 3.5 times more likely to get COVID-19 than white people, and those under 18 are more likely to test positive. This report is the first time the federal government has released hard numbers on the coronavirus in tribal nations, but it is most notable for what it does not say about how the virus is affecting Native Americans and Alaskan Natives. And some scientists believe that the CDC's current numbers are an underestimate. Jourdan Bennet... |
| 2020-Sep-25 • 10 minutes Micro Wave: Mighty Mice, Drugs And Hopes For Space Voyagers NPR Science Correspondent Jon Hamilton gives us an update on those mighty mice that went into space this past winter. The results could have big implications for the future of space travel.Check out the study to learn more about the results.Also, since it's a Micro Wave, we hear some listener mail from you! Which you can always send us by emailing [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Sep-24 • 13 minutes A Short Wave Guide To Joe Biden's Coronavirus Plan 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 Politics Podcast co-host Scott Detrow breaks it down for us.Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia and Scott Detrow @scottdetrow. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Sep-23 • 1 minutes ICYMI: 200+ Short Wave Episodes Are Waiting For You 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 be taking a break every Wednesday for a bit. But, don't worry! We've got a giant back catalog for you to browse in the meantime. Like this episode full of listener questions all about the flu. And, if you're needing a break from the news, check out our very first 'Animal Slander' episode to find out whether or no... |
| 2020-Sep-22 • 14 minutes Preparing For Perimenopause: You Don't Have To Do It Alone 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 educate their patients about. We're joined by health correspondent Rhitu Chatterjee to talk about perimenopause, and how to advocate for yourself as you're going through it.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Sep-21 • 10 minutes How Hackers Could Fool Artificial Intelligence 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 known as "adversarial AI." In this encore episode, Dina Temple-Raston tells us that some of these experiments use seemingly simple techniques. For more, check out Dina's special series, I'll Be Seeing You. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Pri... |
| 2020-Sep-18 • 13 minutes A Key To Black Infant Survival? Black Doctors 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 newborns: the race of their doctor. Reproductive health equity researcher Rachel Hardeman explains the findings. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Sep-17 • 13 minutes How The U.S. Is Caught In A "Pandemic Spiral" 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 been misleading our response, rather than guiding us out of disaster. For instance, flitting from from one prominent solution to another, without fully implementing any of them. To counter these unhelpful instincts, he offers some solutions.Read Ed's piece: "America Is Trapped in a Pandemic Spiral".As always, you can reach the show by emailing [email protected] more ... |
| 2020-Sep-16 • 2 minutes Miss an episode? Now's your chance to catch up... 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 taking a break every Wednesday through the end of the year. But, fear not! We've got a giant back catalog for you to browse in the meantime. Like this episode from last year about three factors at the heart of why California is at such high risk for wildfires. Or this one about Giant Panda conservation and zoos. We'... |
| 2020-Sep-15 • 11 minutes Saving Water A Flush At A Time 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 inside of a toilet bowl. In this encore episode, he tells us it can potentially move human waste more efficiently, leaving a cleaner bowl with less water. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR P... |
| 2020-Sep-14 • 15 minutes A Mathematician's Manifesto For Rethinking Gender In her new book, x+y, mathematician Eugenia Cheng uses her specialty, category theory, to challenge how we think about gender and the traits associated with it. Instead, she calls for a new dimension of thinking, characterizing behavior in a way completely removed from considerations of gender. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Sep-11 • 10 minutes Micro Wave: Why Mosquitoes Bite You More Than Your Friends 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 fashion, we go over some of your delightful listener mail.*In general, much more research needs to be done to understand all the nuances of what makes us so appealing to some mosquitoes.Email us your scientific questions, praise, comments and concerns at [email protected]. It just might end up in an episode!Learn more... |
| 2020-Sep-10 • 11 minutes This Is Not A Typo: One In Four Animals Known To Science Is A Beetle NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce had to know more when she recently heard this mind-bending fact for the first time: a quarter of all known animal species are beetles. Turns out — it's not just that beetles are incredibly diverse. It's that they inspire a lot of passionate study within the scientific community. But there's at least one other animal that might give beetles a run for their money. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adc... |
| 2020-Sep-09 • 13 minutes Managing Wildfire Through Cultural Burning 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 growth, and helped manage wildfires. It's a tradition that disappeared with the arrival of Western settlers. NPR climate correspondent Lauren Sommer explains how tribal leaders are trying to restore the practice by partnering up with state officials who are starting to see cultural burns as a way to help bring ext... |
| 2020-Sep-08 • 14 minutes The International Scientists Getting Pushed Out 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 international scientists, research labs across the nation felt the effects. On the show, we talk to a physicist affected by the order, and The Chronicle of Higher Education's Karin Fischer about what policies like this mean for science research in the U.S.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.co... |
| 2020-Sep-04 • 13 minutes SPACE WEEK: An Astrophysicist On The End Of Everything *Astrophysically speaking. That's the subject of Katie Mack's new book: the possible ends to our entire universe. Specifically, she breaks down some following potential outcomes: heat death, the big crunch and vacuum decay. (Spoiler alert: the names of the other scenarios we don't get to in this episode are just as cool.)Email the show your existential questions at [email protected]. But please, no existential dread at this time — we're full up on that.P.S. We're off Monday for Labor Day. So, catch you Tues... |
| 2020-Sep-03 • 12 minutes SPACE WEEK: Is Space Junk Cluttering Up The Final Frontier? 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, so, too, has space junk. On today's show, we talk about the first mission to clean up space junk and the problem debris poses to sustainability in space. (Encore episode.)Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Sep-02 • 14 minutes SPACE WEEK: What Would It Be Like To Fall Into A Black Hole? 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 no return with Yale astrophysicist Priyamvada Natarajan, into a fascinating world of black holes — where the laws of physics break down. (Encore episode.)Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Sep-01 • 13 minutes SPACE WEEK: Every Moon, Ranked 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 Sofia about some of her favorites. Here's her full list for Popular Mechanics. (Encore episode.) Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Aug-31 • 16 minutes SPACE WEEK: The Mystery Of Dark Energy 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. Yet very little is known about it. To figure out what we do know — and what it could tell us about the fate of the universe — we talk to astrophysicist Sarafina Nance.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Aug-28 • 12 minutes The Arecibo Telescope Is Damaged — And That's A Big Deal 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 Rivera-Valentín explains what's at stake until the damage is repaired and the unique role the telescope plays in both scientific research and popular culture. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Aug-27 • 13 minutes The Science Of Wildfire Smoke 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. So what actually is smoke? Jessica Gilman, an atmospheric chemist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, explains what it's made of, how it behaves in the atmosphere, and smoke's role in climate change.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Aug-26 • 13 minutes What Does A Healthy Rainforest Sound Like? 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 soundscape recordings. Lead researcher Sarab Sethi explains how this method could be used to potentially predict ecosystem health around the world.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Aug-25 • 14 minutes Scorpion Vs Mouse: A Mind-Blowing Desert Showdown 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 regular — from two scientists who study them: Ashlee Rowe at the University of Oklahoma and Lauren Esposito at the California Academy of Sciences. If you have Netflix, you can watch the critters clash about 18 minutes into the episode 'Moonlit Plains' here. Read more about Lauren's work with scorpions here, and Ashl... |
| 2020-Aug-24 • 13 minutes Safely Socializing In The Time Of 'Rona 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 you through, whether you're isolating at home or an essential worker on the job. Plus, check out Yuki Noguchi's reporting on cancer's deepening impacts during the pandemic.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Aug-21 • 13 minutes Science Movie Club: 'Arrival' 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 film, breaks down what the movie gets right — and wrong — about linguistics.Have ideas for our next installment of the Science Movie Club? Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Aug-20 • 11 minutes How The Lack of Fans Is Changing the Psychology of Sports 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 of crowd noise being piped into venues. We talk to a sports psychology researcher about the effects that empty bleachers and lack of real crowd noise are having on players, coaches, referees and fans.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Aug-19 • 13 minutes The Science Behind Storytelling 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 about this — Liz Neeley, the Executive Director of Story Collider, a nonprofit focused on telling "true, personal stories about science."Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Aug-18 • 13 minutes Farming Releases Carbon From The Earth's Soil Into The Air. Can We Put It Back? 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 put back into the soil — a practice known today as "regenerative agriculture." NPR food and agriculture correspondent Dan Charles explains how it works and why the idea is having a moment. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Aug-17 • 14 minutes The Science Is Simple, So Why Is Opening Schools So Complicated? 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 join Geoff Brumfiel to discuss what the science says about kids and COVID-19, what schools are doing to try to keep students and teachers safe and why there are so many differing approaches in school districts around the U.S. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoic... |
| 2020-Aug-14 • 13 minutes Save The Parasites 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 Professor in the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences at the University of Washington, who tells us about the important role parasites play in ecosystems and a new global plan to protect them.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Aug-13 • 13 minutes How To Know If A Hurricane Is Coming For You 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 prepare? There are maps and forecasts, but they're often confusing. NPR climate reporter Rebecca Hersher explains how to avoid the most common mistakes.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Aug-12 • 13 minutes 1st U.S. Dog With COVID-19 Has Died, And There's A Lot We Still Don't Know 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 Daly reported on Buddy's story exclusively for National Geographic.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Aug-11 • 12 minutes Gene-Altered Squid Could Be The Next Lab Rats 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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Aug-10 • 14 minutes Why Herd Immunity Won't Save Us 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 reality — in this coronavirus pandemic and without a vaccine — is potentially full of risk and maybe even unachievable.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Aug-07 • 9 minutes Micro Wave: Spreading Warm Bread With Socks It's another Micro Wave! Today, what happens in your brain when you notice a semantic or grammatical mistake ... according to neuroscience. Sarah Phillips, a neurolinguist, tells us all about the N400 and the P600 responses. Plus, we dive into some listener mail — which you can send to us by emailing [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Aug-06 • 13 minutes Wearing A Mask Could Be Even More Important Than We Thought 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. Katherine Wu reported on that evidence for the New York Times. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Aug-05 • 12 minutes How Gene Therapy Helped Conner Run 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 Jon Hamilton tells us about Conner and his family...and one of the scientists who helped develop the treatment, a pioneer in the field of gene therapy.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Aug-04 • 12 minutes The Search For Ancient Civilizations On Earth ... From Space 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 Space: How The Future Shapes Our Past'.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Aug-03 • 13 minutes Pregnancy And COVID-19: What We Know And How To Protect Yourself 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 and the Obstetrician-in-Chief at New York-Presbyterian, explains what we know at this point and what pregnant women can do to protect themselves.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jul-31 • 14 minutes Coronavirus Q&A: Running Outside, Petting Dogs, And More 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 where she answered those questions and more. Listen to 'It's Been A Minute with Sam Sanders' on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jul-30 • 14 minutes Butterflies Have Hearts In Their Wings. You'll Never Guess Where They Have Eyes Adriana Briscoe, a professor of biology and ecology at UC Irvine, studies vision in butterflies. As part of her research, she's trained them to detect light of a certain color. She also explains why they bask in the sunlight, and why some of them have 'hearts' in their wings. Plus ... you'll never guess where their photoreceptors are.She's written about the importance of teachers and mentors in diversifying the STEM fields. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcas... |
| 2020-Jul-29 • 10 minutes Mars Is The Place To Go This Summer 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-wheeled rover called Perseverance, as well as a tiny helicopter. Short Wave reporter Emily Kwong talks with NPR's Joe Palca, who explains why these launches are happening now and the goal of the missions when they get there.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jul-28 • 10 minutes The Controversy Around COVID-19 Hospital Data 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 that information is shared. The process bypasses the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, raising concern among some public health officials. NPR's Pien Huang explains the recent controversy, and why the way COVID-19 hospital data are reported is such a big deal.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcas... |
| 2020-Jul-27 • 12 minutes Eavesdropping On Whales In A Quiet Ocean 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 Lauren Sommer introduces us to scientists who are listening in, hoping to learn how whale communication is changing when the drone of ships is turned down.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jul-24 • 15 minutes Why Shame Is A Bad Public Health Tool — Especially In A Pandemic 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 they're having fun.But Julia Marcus of Harvard Medical School says there are pitfalls to focusing only on what we can see, and more empathetic ways to create new social norms. Julia's written about that for The Atlantic. Here's some of her recent work. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor mess... |
| 2020-Jul-23 • 16 minutes CDC Employees Call Out A 'Toxic Culture Of Racial Aggressions' 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, bullying and marginalization." NPR reporter Selena Simmons-Duffin broke this story and tells us what the response has been from CDC and former employees.Read the letter and Selena's reporting.Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Pol... |
| 2020-Jul-22 • 12 minutes America's 'Never-Ending Battle Against Flesh-Eating Screw Worms' Sarah Zhang wrote about it for the Atlantic: a decades-long scientific operation in Central America that keeps flesh-eating screw worms effectively eradicated from every country north of Panama. Sarah tells the story of the science behind the effort, and the man who came up with it. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jul-21 • 13 minutes Fat Phobia And Its Racist Past And Present 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 argues the origins of modern day fat phobia can be traced all the way back to slavery, and Black people are still dealing with the consequences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jul-20 • 12 minutes The Troubling Link Between Deforestation and Disease 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 correspondent Nathan Rott talks to Short Wave reporter Emily Kwong.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jul-17 • 9 minutes Micro Wave: The Science Of Microwave Ovens + Listener Mail 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 [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jul-16 • 14 minutes Why The Pandemic Is Getting Worse... And How To Think About The Future Rising cases, not enough testing, and not enough people taking the virus seriously. NPR science correspondent Richard Harris explains why the virus is surging again, what's causing lower fatality rates, and how to think about the future of the pandemic. For more on death rates in the latest surge, read: "COVID-19 Cases Are Rising, So Why Are Deaths Flatlining?"Follow Maddie at @maddie_sofia and Richard @rrichardh. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.... |
| 2020-Jul-15 • 13 minutes Understanding Unconscious Bias 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 shortcuts that can lead to unconscious or implicit bias, with serious consequences for how we perceive and act toward other people. Where does unconscious bias come from? How does it work in the brain and ultimately impact society?Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jul-14 • 12 minutes Why Do Flying Snakes Wiggle In The Air? 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? NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce shares one researcher's quest to find out.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jul-13 • 14 minutes How Record Heat In Siberia Is Messing With...Everything Climate change and this year's weather patterns are behind the record-breaking heat in Siberia. NPR Climate Reporter Rebecca Hersher tells us how it's contributed to all sorts of problems there — mosquito swarms, buckling roads, wildfires. And we'll hear how these high temps are threatening the livelihoods of Indigenous Russians.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jul-10 • 13 minutes Lightbulbs Strike Back 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 Ainissa Ramirez explains in her new book, The Alchemy of Us, those inventions are shaping us, too.Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jul-09 • 14 minutes The Congolese Doctor Who Discovered Ebola Encore episode. Jean-Jacques Muyembe is a Congolese doctor who headed up the response to the recent Ebola outbreak in Congo. Back in 1976, he was the first doctor to collect a sample of the virus. But his crucial role in discovering Ebola is often overlooked. NPR's East Africa correspondent Eyder Peralta helps us correct the record. Follow Eyder on Twitter — he's @eyderp and Maddie's @maddie_sofia. You can always reach the show by emailing [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastc... |
| 2020-Jul-08 • 13 minutes This NASA Engineer Is Bringing Math And Science To Hip-Hop Encore episode. NASA engineer Dajae Williams is using hip hop to make math and science more accessible to young people of color. We talk with Dajae about her path to NASA, and how music helped her fall in love with math and science when she was a teenager.Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jul-07 • 12 minutes Honeybees Need Your Help 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 tells host Maddie Sofia about the "three P's" and what listeners can do to help our fuzzy-flighted friends.Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jul-06 • 15 minutes The Importance Of Black Doctors 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-being? Dr. Owen Garrick, the CEO and President of Bridge Clinical Research, wanted to know.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jul-03 • 44 minutes Typhoid Mary: Lessons From An Infamous Quarantine A special episode from our colleagues at NPR's history podcast Throughline. When a cook who carried typhoid fever showed no symptoms and refused to stop working, authorities forcibly quarantined her for nearly three decades. Was she a perfect villain? Or a woman scapegoated because of her background? Throughline hosts Rund Abdelfatah and Ramtin Arablouei tell the story of Typhoid Mary — a story about journalism, the powers of the state, and the tension between personal freedom and public health.Email the sh... |
| 2020-Jul-02 • 10 minutes Backyard Birding 101 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 dances, nesting, and shares tips on how to be hospitable to the birds in your neighborhood.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jul-01 • 12 minutes One Way To Slow Coronavirus Outbreaks At Meatpacking Plants? A Lot Of Testing 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 virus's spread: large-scale employee testing. NPR food and agriculture correspondent Dan Charles explains how this approach could be a lesson for other industries as well.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jun-30 • 13 minutes Octocopter Set to Explore Titan, Saturn's Very Cool Moon 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 to launch in 2026 and arrive on Titan in 2034, Dragonfly could provide clues about how the building blocks of life started here on Earth.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jun-29 • 12 minutes Meet The Climate Scientist Trying to Fly Less for Work 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 into the atmosphere. Host Maddie Sofia talks with her about her push to get scientists to fly less for work, and what happened when the pandemic suddenly made that idea a reality.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jun-26 • 11 minutes A COVID-19 Vaccine: What You Need To Know Approximately 200 COVID-19 vaccines are being actively developed, a process that health officials are expediting to help end the pandemic. Today on the show, NPR science correspondent Joe Palca walks us through the latest in vaccine development — from how a coronavirus vaccine would work to the challenges of distributing it to the world.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jun-25 • 13 minutes Minneapolis' Bold Plan To Tackle Racial Inequity And Climate Change Racial discrimination shaped the map of Minneapolis. Then city zoning locked many of those patterns into place. Maddie talks with NPR climate reporter Lauren Sommer about Minneapolis' bold plan to tackle housing disparities — and climate change. The new rules went into effect earlier this year. Community groups are calling on the city to follow through.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jun-24 • 11 minutes The Science Behind That Fresh Rain Smell 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 first place? It was a bacteria-based mystery... until now! Maddie gets some answers from reporter Emily Vaughn, former Short Wave intern.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jun-23 • 14 minutes Tech Companies Are Limiting Police Use of Facial Recognition. Here's Why 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 growing evidence these algorithmic systems are riddled with gender and racial bias. Today on the show, Short Wave speaks with AI policy researcher Mutale Nkonde about algorithmic bias — how facial recognition software can discriminate and reflect the biases of society.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podc... |
| 2020-Jun-22 • 9 minutes There Is No 'Second Wave' 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 report on why the first wave isn't over.Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jun-19 • 13 minutes A Kazoo And The Evolution Of Speech 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 Adriano Lameira about a growing body of evidence that humans may not be the only great apes with voice control. Read the paper he published last year.P.S. Sign up for our trivia night this Tuesday, June 23, at 8 pm EDT!Follow Maddie Sofia @maddie_sofia and Emily Kwong @emilykwong1234. Email the show at [email protected] mor... |
| 2020-Jun-18 • 13 minutes The Inseparable Link Between Climate Change And Racial Justice 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 and how Ayana says the fight against climate change could be stronger if people of color weren't being constantly exhausted by racism.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jun-17 • 11 minutes How Many People Transmit The Coronavirus Without Ever Feeling Sick? 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.NPR science reporter Pien Huang explains what scientists know about asymptomatic spread, and what might have caused the WHO's mixed messages. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jun-16 • 12 minutes We Don't Know Enough About Coronavirus Immunity 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 immune.Well, turns out ... it's complicated, as Katherine Wu writes for the Smithsonian Magazine. We invited her onto the show to explain. Between episodes, you can catch up with Maddie on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Plus, we always want to hear what's on your mind — coronavirus or otherwise. Tell us by emailing shortw... |
| 2020-Jun-15 • 12 minutes The Fight Over A Weedkiller, In The Fields And In The Courts 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 turned the world of Midwestern agriculture upside down. Then the Environmental Protection Agency came out with its own order.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jun-12 • 15 minutes Coronavirus 'Long-Haulers' Have Been Sick For Months. Why? 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 virus appears to be with them for so long. Ed Yong of The Atlantic explains what might be going on, and why their experience mirrors that of other sufferers with chronic illnesses who battle to be believed. We also spoke with Hannah Davis, a long-hauler from New York City.Read Ed's story on long-haulers here. Read... |
| 2020-Jun-11 • 15 minutes Spinosaurus Makes Waves We chat with National Geographic Explorer and paleontologist Nizar Ibrahim about his team's discovery of the Spinosaurus, the first known swimming dinosaur. The years-long journey to uncover the fossilized remains is like something out of a movie, beginning with a mustached Moroccan man wearing white. Read more on National Geographic's website. Tweet Maddie your dinosaur facts @maddie_sofia. Plus, email the show your dinosaur-themed episode ideas at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices... |
| 2020-Jun-10 • 12 minutes How Tear Gas Affects The Body 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 about the potential dangers of that practice, especially in the middle of a respiratory pandemic.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jun-09 • 11 minutes People Are Volunteering To Be Exposed To The Coronavirus...For Science 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 James Kublin, a clinical health professor in the Department of Global Health at the University of Washington, and from Lehua Gray, a 32-year-old woman interested in participating in a trial.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jun-08 • 14 minutes Science Is For Everyone — Until It's Not Encore episode. Brandon Taylor's story has a happy ending. Today he's a successful writer whose debut novel 'Real Life' received glowing reviews earlier this year. But his success only underscores what science lost when Brandon walked away from a graduate biochemistry program in 2016. He tells host Maddie Sofia why he left, and what he misses.Read his essay in BuzzFeed, 'Working In Science Was A Brutal Education. That's Why I Left.'Find and support your local public radio station at donate.npr.org/short. Em... |
| 2020-Jun-06 • 23 minutes Code Switch: A Decade Of Watching Black People Die 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 NPR's Code Switch. Now, as always, they're doing really important work covering race and identity in the United States. In this episode, they spoke with Jamil Smith, who wrote the essay "What Does Seeing Black Men Die Do For You?" for The New Republic. Thank you for listening.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices... |
| 2020-Jun-05 • 15 minutes Coronavirus And Racism Are Dual Public Health Emergencies 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 unprecedented pandemic that is disproportionately killing people of color — particularly black Americans. We talk to public health expert David Williams about how these two historic moments are intertwined.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jun-04 • 12 minutes #BlackBirdersWeek Seeks To Make The Great Outdoors Open To All 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. We talk with#BlackBirdersWeek co-founder Chelsea Connor about how black birders are changing the narrative around who gets to enjoy nature and the challenges black birders face.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jun-03 • 11 minutes Meet The 'Glacier Mice.' Scientists Can't Figure Out Why They Move. 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, other glaciologists had come across before and lovingly named them "glacier mice."Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jun-02 • 16 minutes The Key To Coronavirus Testing Is Community 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 culture. To understand more about how the virus has penetrated the neighborhood, a group of collaborators known as Unidos En Salud carried out a massive testing initiative focused on community and collaboration. Follow Maddie on Twitter for more coronavirus coverage. Her Twitter handle is @maddie_sofia. Email the show a... |
| 2020-Jun-01 • 13 minutes The World Is Constantly Running Out Of Helium 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, correspondent Geoff Brumfiel shares a brief history of helium's ascent, to become a crucial part of rocket ships, MRI machines, and birthday parties. Read more of Geoff's reporting on helium here.Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-May-29 • 12 minutes What We Will — And Won't — Remember About The Pandemic 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 research and events from the past say we will and won't remember about living through the coronavirus pandemic. Plus, why essential workers may remember this time differently from people who are staying home.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-May-28 • 15 minutes The Pandemic Cut Down Car Traffic. Why Not Air Pollution? An NPR analysis of a key air pollutant showed levels have not changed dramatically since the pandemic curbed car traffic in the U.S. NPR science reporter Rebecca Hersher and NPR climate correspondent Lauren Sommer explain why — and what really makes our air dirty. Here's their story.Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-May-27 • 14 minutes What Would It Be Like To Fall Into A Black Hole? 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 no return with Yale astrophysicist Priyamvada Natarajan, into a fascinating world of black holes — where the laws of physics break down. Talk the mysteries of our universe with Short Wave reporter Emily Kwong on Twitter @emilykwong1234. Email the show your biggest cosmological questions at [email protected]... |
| 2020-May-26 • 13 minutes Space Launch! (It's Tomorrow And It's Historic.) 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 launch of the Space Shuttle. Maddie talks to NPR's Nell Greenfieldboyce about tomorrow's launch and how it compares to that earlier milestone. We'll also look at how this public-private partnership is changing the future of space exploration.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNP... |
| 2020-May-25 • 3 minutes A Short Wave Mad Lib 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 [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-May-22 • 14 minutes How to Correct Misinformation, According to Science. 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 episode, Maddie talks with Invisibilia reporter Yowei Shaw about one man's very unusual approach to correcting his family. And we hear from experts about what actually works when trying to combat misinformation.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-May-21 • 13 minutes Science Movie Club: 'Contact' 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 Summer Ash, an education specialist with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, breaks down the science in the film.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-May-20 • 12 minutes What You Flush Is Helping Track The Coronavirus 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. NPR science correspondent Lauren Sommer explains how it works, and why scientists who specialize in wastewater-based epidemiology think it could be used to monitor community health in other ways. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Polic... |
| 2020-May-19 • 11 minutes The Squishy, Slimey Science Of ASMR Encore episode. 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, and delicate gestures. She explains how it works, and tells reporter Emily Kwong why slime might be an Internet fad that is, for some, a sensory pleasure-trigger.Read more about Emily's reporting on ASMR on the NPR Shots Blog.Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choi... |
| 2020-May-18 • 11 minutes The Pandemic Time Warp 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. We talk with Dean Buonomano, a professor of neurobiology and psychology at UCLA, about his research into how the brain tells time. We'll also ask him what's behind this pandemic time warp.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-May-15 • 12 minutes What Did Earth Look Like 3.2 Billion Years Ago? 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 Roger Fu talks to host Maddie Sofia about hunting for rocks that paint a picture of the Earth a few billion years ago, in the early days of the evolution of life.Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-May-14 • 13 minutes The Coronavirus Is Mutating. Here's What That Means. 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 dangerous "strain." Read Ed's recent piece on coronavirus mutations here, and more of his reporting on the pandemic here. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-May-13 • 11 minutes Kids' Books Where Science Is The Adventure Maddie talks with author and neuroscientist Theanne Griffith about her new children's book series, The Magnificent Makers, which follows two intrepid third graders as they race to complete science-based adventures. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-May-12 • 13 minutes Making Music Out Of The Coronavirus 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 and engineering professor at MIT, developed a method for making music out of proteins, and how music can potentially help us hear what we have trouble seeing at the nanoscale level.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-May-11 • 11 minutes We Need More Coronavirus Testing. Are Antigen Tests The Answer? There's a difference between diagnostic, antibody, and antigen tests. All provide different levels of reliability and speed.NPR health correspondent Rob Stein breaks down the differences and explains why public health officials are especially hopeful about antigen testing. Find out how your state is doing on overall testing.Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-May-08 • 12 minutes Here's The Deal With 'Murder Hornets' 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 explains how much of a threat the Asian giant hornet could be to honeybees throughout the country. And, he shares his own encounter fighting these insects while researching bees in Thailand.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-May-07 • 12 minutes What We're Missing, By Missing Strangers Now 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, a reporter from NPR's Invisibilia, about the surprising benefits of stranger interactions. And Short Wave tries out QuarantineChat, a workaround to our current strangerless existence.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-May-06 • 14 minutes Scientists Think The Coronavirus Transmitted Naturally, Not In A Lab. Here's Why. 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 epidemiologists say the far more likely culprit is zoonotic spillover—transmission of the virus between animals and humans in nature. We explain how zoonotic spillover works and why it's more plausible than a lab accident.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-May-05 • 15 minutes What Is Dark Energy? Physicists Aren't Even Sure 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 could tell us about the fate of the universe, we talked to astrophysicist Sarafina Nance. She studies cosmology, a field that looks at the origin and development of the universe.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-May-04 • 13 minutes Letters From The 1918 Pandemic 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 of infectious diseases and their spread has come a long way since then, 1918 was notably a time when the U.S. practiced widespread social distancing.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-May-01 • 13 minutes How An Early Plan To Spot The Virus Fell Weeks Behind 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 to find early cases of the coronavirus, by testing patients with flu-like symptoms. But NPR's Lauren Sommer reports the effort was slow to get started, costing weeks in the fight to control the spread of the virus. Read more from Lauren's reporting here. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor ... |
| 2020-Apr-30 • 13 minutes How Bears Come Out Of Hibernation Jacked 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 on during hibernation than you might expect.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Apr-29 • 14 minutes Can Optimism Be Learned? (Like Right Now?) 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 "learned optimism." We'll look at what it is, the research behind it, and how it might come in handy in certain circumstances, like maybe a global pandemic?Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Apr-28 • 12 minutes The Lightbulb Strikes Back 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 Ainissa Ramirez explains in her new book, The Alchemy of Us, those inventions are shaping us, too.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Apr-27 • 11 minutes The Hard Truth About Ventilators 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 — don't end up surviving. NPR Science Desk correspondent Jon Hamilton tells us about how these machines work, and how, for patients who do survive, recovery can be a long road.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Apr-24 • 13 minutes Contact Tracing Is Key To Reopening. We're Not There Yet 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. NPR health policy reporter Selena Simmons-Duffin explains how it works, and why it's a key part of the fight against the pandemic. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Apr-23 • 12 minutes How Infectious Disease Shaped American Bathroom Design 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 explains how infectious diseases like tuberculosis and influenza shaped American bathroom design. And, we explore how the current pandemic could inspire a new wave of innovation in the bathroom.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Apr-22 • 14 minutes Animal Slander! Debunking 'Birdbrained' And 'Eat Like A Bird' 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 biologists Corina Newsome and Alejandro Rico-Guevara. Follow Maddie and Emily on Twitter. Their usernames are @maddie_sofia and @emilykwong1234. Plus, send us your animal slander—and questions and praise—by emailing the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesN... |
| 2020-Apr-21 • 12 minutes On Earth Day, What You Can Do For The Environment 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, we consulted two folks who have been thinking about this deeply and developing strategies for over a decade: Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac, two architects of the 2015 Paris Agreement.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Apr-20 • 13 minutes Coronavirus Models Aren't "Wrong." That's Not How They Work. 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 Nurith Aizenman explains how scientific models of disease are built and how they're used by public health experts. We also look at one influential model forecasting when individual states might begin to reopen. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Apr-17 • 14 minutes When The Military Fights A Pandemic At Home 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 for war does — and does not — prepare members of the armed services for a pandemic at home.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Apr-16 • 12 minutes Every Moon, Ranked 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 Sofia about some of her favorites. Here's her full list for Popular Mechanics. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Apr-15 • 12 minutes Where Did The Coronavirus Start? Virus Hunters Find Clues In Bats 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 reporter Emily Kwong talks about leading theories on where this coronavirus came from, the work of virus hunters, and the rise of emerging zoonotic diseases.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Apr-14 • 11 minutes The Science of Making Bread 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 tips for when things go wrong with your bread dough. And she offers some advice for first-time bakers everywhere.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Apr-13 • 11 minutes How To Talk About The Coronavirus With Friends And Family Liz Neeley, science communication expert and executive director of The Story Collider, shares some advice for how to talk to your friends and family about the coronavirus. Here's her article for The Atlantic: 'How To Talk About The Coronavirus.'Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Apr-10 • 13 minutes The "7 Day COVID-19 Crash" 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 Geoff Brumfiel explains, doctors are starting to think it might not be the virus.For more reporting on the coronavirus and other science topics, follow Maddie and Geoff on Twitter. They're @maddie_sofia and @gbrumfiel.Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Apr-09 • 15 minutes Science Is For Everyone. Until It's Not. Brandon Taylor's story has a happy ending. Today he's a successful writer whose debut novel 'Real Life' received glowing reviews earlier this year. But his success only underscores what science lost when Brandon walked away from a graduate biochemistry program in 2016. He tells host Maddie Sofia why he left, and what he misses.Read his essay in BuzzFeed, 'Working In Science Was A Brutal Education. That's Why I Left.'Find and support your local public radio station at donate.npr.org/short. Email the show at ... |
| 2020-Apr-08 • 10 minutes Science Movie Club: 'Twister' 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 Ali Burgos, an analyst at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, breaks down the science in the film. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Apr-07 • 13 minutes Puerto Ricans Are At Risk From The Coronavirus And A Lack Of Information 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 culturally relevant public health information in Spanish. Maddie talks with Mónica Feliú-Mójer of the group CienciaPR about their science communication efforts.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Apr-06 • 14 minutes The Peculiar Physics Of Wiffle Balls 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. But how does that happen? Engineering professor Jenn Stroud Rossman explains.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Apr-03 • 10 minutes How The Coronavirus Could Hurt Our Ability To Fight Wildfires 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 however is complicating preparation efforts. Maddie talks with Kendra Pierre-Louis, a reporter on the New York Times climate team, about how the crisis we're in could hurt our response to another crisis just around the corner.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Apr-02 • 12 minutes Honeybees Need Your Help, Honey 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 Sofia about the "three P's" and what listeners can do to help our fuzzy-flighted friends.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Apr-01 • 12 minutes Is This Real? Loss of Smell And The Coronavirus 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 isn't scientific evidence for that. But the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery is gathering anecdotal information to find out more. Short Wave's Maddie Sofia and Emily Kwong talk about science during a pandemic.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Mar-31 • 14 minutes Seen Any Nazi Uranium? Researchers Want To Know 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 tale he heard from Timothy Koeth and Miriam Hiebert at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Maryland in College Park. Read more on their original story in Physics Today. Find and support your local public radio station here. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Emai... |
| 2020-Mar-30 • 13 minutes Lessons In Being Alone, From A Woodland Snail 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 creature and it was the inspiration for her memoir, "The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating."Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Mar-27 • 13 minutes No, The Coronavirus Isn't Another Flu 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 poses such a risk to our healthcare system. Here's Pien's story. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Mar-26 • 10 minutes Stay Home And Skype A Scientist 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 for its service of virtually connecting students to scientists. Maddie talks to Sarah McAnulty, executive director of the group and a squid biologist, about bringing science to kids and, at the same time, confronting stereotypes about who can be a scientist.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Mar-25 • 14 minutes Exploring The Canopy With 'TreeTop Barbie' 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 story of her decades-long effort to get more women into science, and how she found a surprising ally in the fight — Barbie. Video and more from Maddie's trip to the canopy is here. Follow Maddie on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/a... |
| 2020-Mar-24 • 13 minutes Why Is The Coronavirus So Good At Spreading? Ed Yong rounds up some theories in a recent article for The Atlantic. He tells host Maddie Sofia one reason the virus spreads so well might have to do with an enzyme commonly found in human tissue.Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Mar-23 • 10 minutes It's Okay To Sleep Late (But Do It For Your Immune System) Dr. Syed Moin Hassan was riled up. "I don't know who needs to hear this," he posted on Twitter, "BUT YOU ARE NOT LAZY IF YOU ARE WAKING UP AT NOON." Hassan, who is the Sleep Medicine Fellow at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, speaks to Short Wave's Emily Kwong about de-stigmatizing sleeping in late, and why a good night's rest is so important for your immune system. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Mar-20 • 14 minutes Keep Your Distance 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 what good social distancing looks like in our daily lives - from socializing with friends to grocery shopping to travelling.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Mar-19 • 9 minutes Yep. They Injected CRISPR Into An Eyeball 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 body. NPR health correspondent Rob Stein explains how, if this treatment works, it could open up new avenues of treatment for diseases, like a genetic form of blindness, that were previously off limits to CRISPR.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Mar-18 • 11 minutes Coronavirus Can Live On Surfaces For Days. What That Really Means 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 reporting is here. Following all of NPR's coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Mar-17 • 15 minutes Coronavirus Is Closing Schools: Here's How Families Can Cope. 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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Mar-16 • 12 minutes Is Failure To Prepare For Climate Change A Crime? 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 a column of black smoke above the facility for days. Now Arkema (the company), an executive, and the local plant manager are facing criminal charges — recklessly emitting air pollution, and a third employee with assault. Rebecca's latest reporting on the case is here. Email the show at [email protected] mor... |
| 2020-Mar-13 • 16 minutes Coronavirus Latest: Testing Challenges And Protecting At-Risk Elderly 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 Greenfieldboyce discuss challenges in testing for the virus and how COVID-19 affects the elderly.Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Mar-12 • 12 minutes Humble Pi: When Math Goes Awry 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 is called 'Humble Pi: When Math Goes Wrong In The Real World.'Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Mar-11 • 13 minutes As Coronavirus Spreads, Racism And Xenophobia Are Too 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 Gene Demby, co-host of NPR's Code Switch podcast, and his conversation with historian Erika Lee. We talk about how this wave of stigma is part of a longer history in the United States of camouflaging xenophobia as public health and hygiene concerns.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Pr... |
| 2020-Mar-10 • 11 minutes Freshwater Mussels Are Dying And No One Knows Why 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 the unsolved mystery surrounding the die-off, the team racing to figure it out, and why mussels are so important for the health of our streams and rivers.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Mar-09 • 13 minutes Creating Antimatter: Matter's "Evil Twin" 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 Geoff Brumfiel explains what's up with matter's "evil twin," antimatter.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Mar-06 • 12 minutes The U.S. Doesn't Use The Metric System. Or Does It? 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 metric system!), we spoke with Elizabeth Benham, Metric Program Coordinator at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, about the presence of the metric system in our everyday lives.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Mar-05 • 13 minutes Mouse Vs Scorpion: A Mind-Blowing Desert Showdown 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 scientists who study them: Ashlee Rowe at the University of Oklahoma and Lauren Esposito at the California Academy of Sciences. If you have Netflix, you can watch the critters clash about 18 minutes into the episode 'Moonlit Plains' here. Read more about Lauren's work with scorpions here, and Ashlee's work with g... |
| 2020-Mar-04 • 12 minutes Coronavirus Is Here. Will Quarantines Help? Despite quarantines and other measures, the coronavirus keeps popping up. What makes it so hard to control?Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Mar-03 • 10 minutes When The Tides Keep Getting Higher 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 where it could happen in the future as the tides keep getting higher. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Mar-02 • 12 minutes A Tale Of Two (Very Different) Drug Prices 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 cheaper. It's part of NPR's Bill of the Month series, which is done in partnership with Kaiser Health News. Follow Emily and Sydney on Twitter. They're @EmilyKwong1234 and @slupkin. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Feb-29 • 16 minutes Short Wave Presents: Life Kit's Tips To Prepare For The Coronavirus How can you protect yourself and your family as the coronavirus spreads around the globe? Today we're featuring an episode from our friends over at NPR's Life Kit. They'll walk you through what you need to know to prepare for and prevent the spread of the disease. To hear more from Life Kit, check out npr.org/lifekit.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Feb-28 • 12 minutes A Short Wave Guide To Good — And Bad — TV Forensics 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 to know whether or not a tv crime show is getting the science right.Follow Maddie on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Feb-27 • 14 minutes Vaccines, Misinformation, And The Internet (Part 2) In the second of two episodes exploring anti-vaccine misinformation online, Renee DiResta of the Stanford Internet Observatory explains why the Internet is so good at spreading bad information, and what big tech platforms are starting to do about it. Listen to the prior episode to hear more from Renee, and the story of pediatrician Nicole Baldwin, whose pro-vaccine TikTok video made her the target of harassment and intimidation from anti-vaccine activists online. You can see Dr. Baldwin's original TikTok he... |
| 2020-Feb-26 • 13 minutes Vaccines, Misinformation, And The Internet (Part 1) 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 her the target of harassment and intimidation from anti-vaccine activists online. Renee DiResta of the Stanford Internet Observatory explains their tactics and goals.You can see Dr. Baldwin's original TikTok here. Renee DiResta has written about how some anti-vaccine proponents harass, intimidate, and spread misinf... |
| 2020-Feb-25 • 12 minutes This NASA Engineer Is Bringing Math And Science To Hip Hop NASA engineer Dajae Williams is using hip hop to make math and science more accessible to young people. We talk with Dajae about her path to NASA, and how music helped her fall in love with math and science when she was a teenager.Follow Maddie on Twitter. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Feb-24 • 10 minutes Australia's Next Danger: Mudslides 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 Meredith Rizzo traveled to Australia to learn how they're doing it. More of their reporting (with photos) is here. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Feb-21 • 12 minutes A Board Game Where Birds (And Science) Win 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 nature. Wingspan game designer Elizabeth Hargrave speaks with Short Wave's Emily Kwong about her quest to blend scientific accuracy with modern board game design.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Feb-20 • 12 minutes Foldscope: Science From Curiosity And A Little Paper 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, and what it'll take to make science something everyone is able to enjoy. Follow Maddie on Twitter. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Feb-19 • 14 minutes Harvard Professor's Arrest Raises Questions About Scientific Openness 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 of geopolitical rivalry, as well as the racial profiling of scientists. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Feb-18 • 12 minutes Can Taking Zinc Help Shorten Your Cold? 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 the first place. Follow Allison on Twitter @AubreyNPRFood and host Maddie Sofia @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Feb-14 • 11 minutes Is This Love? Or Am I Gonna Fight A Lion. 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 "A Neuroscience Love Song" for NPR's Skunk Bear back in the day. Follow Maddie Sofia and Adam Cole on Twitter. Email love letters to the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Feb-13 • 12 minutes The Weedkiller That Went Rogue 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 decide who's responsible. The farmer behind the lawsuit is pointing the blame, not at other farmers, but two big companies, Monsanto (now owned by Bayer) and BASF. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoice... |
| 2020-Feb-12 • 12 minutes Does Your Cat Really Hate You? 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 deserve their aloof reputation?" We look at the evidence with cat researcher, Kristyn Vitale of Oregon State University. Follow Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia and Emily Kwong @emilykwong1234. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy ... |
| 2020-Feb-11 • 11 minutes A Tiny Satellite Revolution Is Afoot In Space 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 three CubesSat missions, and how this satellite technology ventured from college campuses to deep space. Tweet to Emily Kwong at @emilykwong1234 and talk #scicomm with Joe on @joesbigidea. Plus, you can always reach the show by emailing [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.co... |
| 2020-Feb-10 • 11 minutes There's A Plan To Drive Down Global Insulin Prices. Will It Work? 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 something about it. Short Wave reporter Emily Kwong tells host Maddie Sofia about the WHO's pre-qualification program, a two-year plan to pave the way for more insulin manufacturers to enter the global market.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Feb-07 • 12 minutes A Coronavirus Listener Q&A Episode 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 help of NPR global health and development reporter Pien Huang. Follow Pien on Twitter @Pien_Huang and host Maddie Sofia @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected]. Also, we're looking for a summer intern! Apply here.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Feb-06 • 13 minutes Service Animals In The Lab: Who Decides? 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 service animals and their handlers work in laboratory settings. We first read about Joey in The Scientist. See pictures of Joey and her service dog Sampson here, and learn more about the work she does with service animals and their handlers here. Follow Sampson on Twitter @sampson_dog and host Maddie Sofia @maddie_so... |
| 2020-Feb-05 • 12 minutes Discovering 'Stormquakes' Seismologist Wenyuan Fan explains the accidental discovery — buried deep in seismic and meteorological data — that certain storms over ocean water can cause measurable seismic activity, or 'stormquakes.' He says this phenomenon could help scientists better understand the earth below the sea.The original paper Wenyuan co-authored on stormquakes is here. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices... |
| 2020-Feb-04 • 11 minutes Sepsis Is A Global Killer. Can Vitamin C Be The Cure? 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 no cure. But then in 2017, a doctor proposed a novel treatment for sepsis, a mixture that included Vitamin C, arguing it saved the lives of most of his patients. NPR's Richard Harris has been reporting on this treatment and how it's divided scientists from around the world. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @ma... |
| 2020-Feb-03 • 13 minutes From Stream To Sky, Two Key Rollbacks Under The Trump Administration 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 Rott break down two — governing how the federal government regulates waterway pollution and emissions from coal-fired power plants.Follow reporter Emily Kwong on Twitter @EmilyKwong1234, Nathan Rott @NathanRott, and Jeff Brady @JeffBradyNews. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choi... |
| 2020-Jan-31 • 11 minutes The Surprising Origin Of Some Timely Advice: Wash Your Hands 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 wash your hands. But there was a time when that wasn't so obvious. Dana Tulodziecki, a professor at Purdue University, tells the story of Ignaz Semmelweis, the scientist who's credited with discovering the importance of handwashing. We'll hear how he figured it out and why there's more to the story. Follow host M... |
| 2020-Jan-30 • 11 minutes Where The 2020 Democrats Stand On Climate Change 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 top-tier Democratic presidential candidates stand on climate change and the environment. Political correspondent and NPR Politics Podcast co-host Scott Detrow breaks it down for us. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia and Scott @scottdetrow. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Po... |
| 2020-Jan-29 • 9 minutes A Decade of Dzud: Lessons From Mongolia's Deadly Winters 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. "Dzud" kills animals en masse during winter. Short Wave reporter Emily Kwong brings host Maddie Sofia this story from the grassland steppe, capturing how an agrarian community has adapted to environmental change. Follow host Maddie Sofia @maddie_sofia and reporter Emily Kwong @emilykwong1234 on Twitter. Email the s... |
| 2020-Jan-28 • 12 minutes A Brief History (And Some Science) Of Iran's Nuclear Program 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 the 2015 agreement, putting limits on that program, came about, and what it means now that the deal is on life support. For more on Geoff's reporting on nuclear weapons, follow Geoff on Twitter — he's @gbrumfiel. Plus, you can email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoi... |
| 2020-Jan-27 • 11 minutes Archaeology...From Space 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 Future Shapes Our Past'. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jan-24 • 11 minutes China's Coronavirus Is Spreading. But How? 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 likelihood it will continue to spread. Follow Jason on Twitter @jasonbnpr. More of NPR's reporting on the virus can be found here. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jan-23 • 11 minutes The Comeback Bird: Meet the Ko'Ko' 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, the ko'ko' has been successfully re-introduced. It is the second bird in history to recover from extinction in the wild. Wildlife biologist Suzanne Medina tells us the story of how the Guam Department of Agriculture brought the ko'ko' back, with a little matchmaking and a lot of patience.Learn more about sponsor mes... |
| 2020-Jan-22 • 10 minutes Can A Low-Carb Diet Prevent A Plague Of Locusts? 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 minimize the crop damage these voracious pests can cause. The answer, NPR's Joe Palca tells us, might be looking at what locusts like, and don't like, to eat. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Pr... |
| 2020-Jan-21 • 11 minutes Mighty Mice Return From Space 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 experiment. What they learn could help people with disabling bone and muscle diseases and another group with muscle problems, astronauts. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy ... |
| 2020-Jan-17 • 12 minutes 2020 So Far: Fires, Floods, And Quakes 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 reporters Rebecca Hersher and Jason Beaubien. You can find more of Jason's reporting on Australia here and follow him on Twitter @jasonbnpr. Follow NPR's Adrian Florido on Twitter @adrianflorido and find his reporting from Puerto Rico here. Rebecca Hersher is @rhersher and here's her story about wildfire embers in Aus... |
| 2020-Jan-16 • 12 minutes Can A 100-Year-Old Treatment Help Save Us From Superbugs? 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 help. What she got back? A 100-year-old treatment that's considered experimental in the U.S. Strathdee, an infectious disease epidemiologist, tells us how it works, its limitations, and its potential role in our fight against superbugs. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at shortwave@... |
| 2020-Jan-15 • 12 minutes In Mozambique, Meteorologists Can't Keep Up With Climate Change 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. Instead, they rely on weather maps created by wealthier countries, like the U.S. NPR climate reporter Becky Hersher tells us what that means for Mozambique, a country where the weather's gotten worse as the climate changes. Reach the show by emailing [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: po... |
| 2020-Jan-14 • 13 minutes Your Brain On Storytelling 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 Neeley, the Executive Director of Story Collider, a nonprofit focused on telling "true, personal stories about science." You can tell us your personal science stories by emailing, [email protected]. Plus, do some #scicomm with Maddie on Twitter — she's @maddie_sofia.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcas... |
| 2020-Jan-13 • 11 minutes Space Junk: How Cluttered Is The Final Frontier? 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, so, too, has space junk. On today's show, we talk about the first mission to clean up space junk and the problem debris poses to sustainability in space.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jan-10 • 10 minutes Animal Slander! - "Blind As A Bat" And "Memory Of A Goldfish" 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-reviewed science. Tweet Maddie at @maddie_sofia and Emily at @emilykwong1234. Plus, encourage our editor to make this a series by sending fan mail to [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jan-09 • 13 minutes The Link Between Kitchen Countertops And A Deadly Disease 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 explains. More of her original reporting on silicosis is here. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jan-08 • 11 minutes What's Behind Australia's Historic Fires 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 been the lead author on two reports for the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jan-07 • 10 minutes Food Waste + Poop = Electricity 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, NPR Science Correspondent Allison Aubrey tells us it also prevents the release of methane, a greenhouse gas. Follow Short Wave's Emily Kwong on Twitter @emilykwong1234. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jan-06 • 11 minutes A Star In Orion Is Dimming. Is It About To Explode? 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 the University of Washington. Follow Short Wave's Emily Kwong on Twitter @emilykwong1234. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jan-03 • 12 minutes Short Wave Presents: Life Kit Tips For Dealing With Anxious Kids 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 to help a child with anxiety and how to reach them in stressful moments. This episode was adapted from an earlier Life Kit. To hear the full version, check out npr.org/lifekit.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2020-Jan-02 • 8 minutes Compost Your Loved Ones 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 scientist Lynne Carpenter-Boggs tells us how the process works and why she describes it as "beautiful." Carpenter-Boggs is also a research advisor at Recompose, a human composting company in Washington. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message... |
| 2020-Jan-01 • 1 minutes Happy New Year! We're back with a new episode tomorrow! Hope you had a safe and happy orbit around the sun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2019-Dec-31 • 10 minutes Tennessine's Wild Ride To The Periodic Table 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 Joe Palca shares the convoluted story of one of the latest elements to be added. Follow Maddie on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the team at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2019-Dec-30 • 11 minutes The Decade In Science 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. Follow host Maddie Sofia on twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2019-Dec-27 • 12 minutes Sci-Fi Movies Of The Decade (Sort Of) 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 tell us about striking the right balance between science and storytelling. Here are the movies we couldn't get to in the episode: 'Annihilation' (2018), 'Coherence' (2013), 'Gravity' (2013) and 'Looper' (2012). Plus, Adam's favorite TV show of the decade was 'The Expanse.' | Follow Maddie on Twitter @maddie_sofia... |
| 2019-Dec-26 • 7 minutes One Of The Germiest Places In The Airport 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 were most prevalent. Also, tips on how to stay healthy during your holiday travel. Here's their original paper in the journal BMC Infectious Diseases. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Priva... |
| 2019-Dec-25 • 3 minutes Happy Holidays! 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 donate to your local public radio station at donate.npr.org/short. Follow Maddie and Emily on Twitter, @maddie_sofia and @emilykwong1234. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2019-Dec-24 • 10 minutes A Shortwave Christmas Carol 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 physicist and electrical engineer Nathaniel Frissell about this Antarctic Christmas Carol tradition and his use of shortwave radio for community science.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2019-Dec-23 • 13 minutes Iridium's Pivotal Role In Our Past And ... Maybe Our Future? 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 Harris tells us how they turned to an element, iridium, for answers. Plus, how iridium could help prevent another potential future global catastrophe. It's our celebration of 150 years of the periodic table of elements. Follow Maddie on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the team at [email protected] more about spo... |
| 2019-Dec-20 • 13 minutes What Happened To The American Chestnut Tree? 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 how scientists are trying to resurrect the American chestnut tree — and recent controversy over a plan to plant genetically modified chestnuts in the wild.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2019-Dec-19 • 12 minutes The First African American Face Transplant 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 face transplant. We talk with Chelsea and Jamie Ducharme, a Time staff writer who followed his journey, about the procedure and how his story could help encourage organ donation by African Americans. Follow Maddie on Twitter @maddie_sofia. And email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choi... |
| 2019-Dec-18 • 10 minutes And The Winner Is...Science! 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 episode, we tell you how she won her state crown. This Thursday, Camille may have a chance to show off that talent again under a much bigger spotlight, Miss America 2020. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices... |
| 2019-Dec-17 • 11 minutes The Science Behind Whakaari/White Island's Eruption 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 Graettinger explains the science behind this particular eruption, a hydrothermal eruption and why they can be especially difficult to predict. Reach out to the show at [email protected]. Plus, keep the conversation going with host Maddie Sofia on Twitter — she's @maddie_sofia.Learn more about sponsor message choices: pod... |
| 2019-Dec-16 • 12 minutes A Polar Expedition To The Top Of The World: Part 2 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 ice is diminishing, and what it means for the planet. In this episode, Reporter Ravenna Koenig introduces us to some scientists, what they're studying, and life aboard a floating research center. You can find photos from her trip here. Follow Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia or Ravenna @vennkoenig. Email the... |
| 2019-Dec-13 • 11 minutes A Polar Expedition To The Top Of The World: Part 1 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 the planet. But first, they had to find a patch of ice suitable to get stuck in, so they could freeze in place and study it for an entire year. Reporter Ravenna Koenig was along for the journey. You can find photos from her trip here. Follow Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia or Ravenna @vennkoenig. Email the sh... |
| 2019-Dec-12 • 12 minutes Invasive Species: We Asked, You Answered We couldn't stop at the spotted lanternfly! (We covered that invasive species in an earlier episode.) We wanted to hear about the invasives where you live. You wrote us about cane toads in Australia, zebra mussels in Nevada; borers, beetles, adelgids, stinkbugs, and so many more. From your emails, we picked three invaders to talk about with NPR science correspondent Dan Charles. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: p... |
| 2019-Dec-11 • 13 minutes The Congolese Doctor Who Discovered Ebola 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 role in discovering Ebola is often overlooked. NPR's East Africa correspondent Eyder Peralta helps us correct the record. Follow Eyder on Twitter — he's @eyderp and Maddie's @maddie_sofia. You can always reach the show by emailing [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adcho... |
| 2019-Dec-10 • 12 minutes Aluminum's Journey From Precious Metal To Beer Can 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 the 19th century. NPR's Scott Neuman gives us a short history of aluminum. Or is it aluminium? (We'll also give you the backstory behind the confusion.) Follow Emily Kwong on Twitter @emilykwong1234. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privac... |
| 2019-Dec-09 • 10 minutes Getting Closer To The Sun Than Ever Before 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 Greenfieldboyce explains how the Parker Solar Probe may help answer one of the biggest mysteries surrounding the sun. Follow Emily Kwong on Twitter @emilykwong1234. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2019-Dec-06 • 12 minutes If You Give An Orangutan A Kazoo... 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 human speech. Short Wave reporter Emily Kwong talks with primatologist Adriano Lameira about a growing body of evidence that humans may not be the only great apes with voice control.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2019-Dec-05 • 11 minutes Is CBD Safe? The FDA Can't Say 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 and Drug Administration can't say it's safe. NPR health correspondent Allison Aubrey helps parse the science behind a new set of government warnings about CBD. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices... |
| 2019-Dec-04 • 12 minutes The Evolution Of HIV Treatment 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 effective treatment for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, was long. Maggie Hoffman-Terry, a physician and researcher who's been on the front lines of the epidemic for decades, explains how treatment has evolved, its early drawbacks, and the issue of access to medications. Follow Maddie on Twitter — she's @maddie_sofia. An... |
| 2019-Dec-03 • 11 minutes An Interstellar Wanderer Is Coming Our Way 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 about our galaxy. Follow Maddie on Twitter — she's @maddie_sofia. And email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2019-Dec-02 • 11 minutes Does Your Dog REALLY Love You? 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 genetics reveal about dogs and love. His new book is called Dog Is Love: Why and How Your Dog Loves You. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2019-Nov-29 • 11 minutes The Science Of Smell And Memory 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 is heightened in the winter. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2019-Nov-28 • 2 minutes Happy Thanksgiving! 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/short. Follow Maddie and Emily on Twitter @maddie_sofia and @emilykwong1234. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2019-Nov-27 • 11 minutes One Small Step For Cookie Baking 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 planned attempt to bake chocolate chip cookies in space.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2019-Nov-26 • 11 minutes The Nightmare Of Sleep Paralysis 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 disorder and what he can do to help his son.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2019-Nov-25 • 11 minutes Uganda's Solution For Treating Extreme Pain 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 inspiration. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2019-Nov-22 • 10 minutes The CDC, Its 'F-Word' (Firearms) & Suicide Prevention 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 how that makes it difficult for the CDC to talk frankly about the role guns play in suicide. If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (En Español: 1-888-628-9454; Deaf and Hard of Hearing: 1-800-799-4889) or the Crisis Text Line by te... |
| 2019-Nov-21 • 8 minutes Solving The Sleep & Alzheimer's Puzzle 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 to some scientists looking into that connection. In a recent study, researchers observed a key role deep sleep potentially plays in maintaining brain health and protecting the brain against Alzheimer's. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor ... |
| 2019-Nov-20 • 13 minutes That Revolutionary Gene-Editing Experiment? So Far So Good. 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 week, Rob reports exclusively for NPR on the first results of that closely-watched experiment. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2019-Nov-19 • 10 minutes Saving Water One Flush At A Time 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 slippery coating for the inside of a toilet bowl. It can potentially move human waste more efficiently, leaving a cleaner bowl and using less water. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy ... |
| 2019-Nov-18 • 11 minutes Bye Bye, Bei Bei: Giant Panda Heads to China 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 China. Reporter Emily Kwong tells us about Bei Bei's elaborate departure plans, why he's leaving now, and what it would take to ensure the survival of giant pandas in the wild.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2019-Nov-15 • 9 minutes An Eyewitness to Extinction 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 thing - frogs and amphibians dying at an alarming rate. For years no one knew what was killing the animals until, finally, a bit of good luck helped solve the mystery. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/a... |
| 2019-Nov-14 • 11 minutes You Asked About The Flu 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-related listener questions with the help of Dr. Nicole Bouvier at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia and reporter Emily Kwong @emilykwong1234. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR P... |
| 2019-Nov-13 • 12 minutes SpaceX's Satellite Swarm: Could It Hurt Astronomy? 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 unabated — could permanently alter their ability to observe the night sky. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2019-Nov-12 • 9 minutes Most U.S. Dairy Cows Come From 2 Bulls. That's Not Good. 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 also visits a lab at Penn State University where scientists are trying to change that. Follow reporter/host Emily Kwong on Twitter @emilykwong1234. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2019-Nov-11 • 11 minutes Can Global Shipping Go Zero Carbon? 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 tells us how some old tech might play a role and where that tech falls short. Follow Maddie on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2019-Nov-08 • 13 minutes The Mind-Bending Ascent Of Helium — And Why It's Running Low 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 history of helium's ascent, to become a crucial part of rocket ships, MRI machines, and birthday parties. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2019-Nov-07 • 10 minutes Life After Whale Death What happens after a whale dies? Their carcasses, known as "whale falls," provide a sudden, concentrated food source for organisms in the deep sea. Biologist Diva Amon is our guide through whale-fall ecosystems and the unique species that exist on these fallen whales.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2019-Nov-06 • 10 minutes Fighting An Insect Invasion With... An Insect Invasion 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 by importing a natural enemy from its home in China. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2019-Nov-05 • 9 minutes The U.S. Wants Out Of The Paris Agreement 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 intention to leave it back in 2017. Climate reporter Becky Hersher tells us what the Paris Agreement is, why the Trump Administration wants out and what it means now that the U.S. has made it official. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor messag... |
| 2019-Nov-04 • 13 minutes A Revolutionary Experiment To Edit Human Genes 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 could help her — and, if it does, change the way many genetic diseases are treated. Correspondent Rob Stein tells her story, an NPR-exclusive, and explains the science behind her treatment. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: ... |
| 2019-Nov-01 • 11 minutes When A Listener Calls... 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 Oxford College of Emory University, for answers. Turns out, some of us may be more wired to crave the thrill. Follow Maddie on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2019-Oct-31 • 10 minutes The Zombies That Walk Among Us 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 involve fungus. Follow Maddie on Twitter - she's @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2019-Oct-30 • 9 minutes Crows Don't Forget 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. She's a lecturer at the University of Washington and wrote her doctoral thesis on crow "funerals." In an earlier version of this episode, we used the word "spooky" to describe crows. Because that word has a history of being used as a racial slur, we chose to replace it with the words "scary" and "creepy." Thanks to... |
| 2019-Oct-29 • 9 minutes Wildfire Season Is Here To Stay 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 the heart of why the state is now at such high risk. It turns out, one of them goes all the way back to Spanish colonization. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter: @maddie_sofia. Or email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2019-Oct-28 • 11 minutes Meet Two MacArthur 'Genius Grant' Scientists We meet two scientists working on opposite sides of the world, both thinking creatively about rising sea levels and our changing oceans. Andrea Dutton, a geologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Stacy Jupiter, a marine biologist and Melanesia Director with the Wildlife Conservation Society, were awarded MacArthur Fellowships this fall.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2019-Oct-25 • 13 minutes Seen Any Nazi Uranium? These Researchers Want To Know 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 from Timothy Koeth and Miriam Hiebert at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Maryland in College Park. Read more on their original story in Physics Today. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choice... |
| 2019-Oct-24 • 10 minutes Adversarial AI 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 known as "adversarial AI." Some of their experiments use seemingly simple techniques. Dina Temple-Raston has been looking into this for her special series, I'll Be Seeing You. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter: @maddie_sofia. Or email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastcho... |
| 2019-Oct-23 • 10 minutes Logging 'The Lungs' of North America 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 Forest from logging and road construction. Why? And what might this mean for one of the top carbon sinks in the world? Maddie talks with reporter Emily Kwong about the Tongass.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2019-Oct-22 • 12 minutes Finally, An All-Female Spacewalk 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 spacewalk. We hear from Koch, Meir, and Sullivan. And former NASA chief scientist Ellen Stofan tells us why she says this moment is long overdue. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Polic... |
| 2019-Oct-21 • 10 minutes Randall Munroe's Absurd Science For Real-World Problems 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 the real world is sometimes even weirder than we expect. His new book is called How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter: @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2019-Oct-18 • 13 minutes Exploring The Rainforest With 'TreeTop Barbie' 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-long effort to get more women into science, and how she found a surprising ally in the fight — Barbie. Video and more from Maddie's trip to the canopy is here. Follow Maddie on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Priv... |
| 2019-Oct-17 • 11 minutes The Squishy Science Behind ASMR 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, and delicate gestures. She explains how it works, and tells reporter Emily Kwong why slime might be an Internet fad that is, for some, a sensory pleasure-trigger.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2019-Oct-16 • 10 minutes What We Know (And Don't) About The Dangers Of Vaping 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 explains, with the story of one teenager whose vaping habit landed her in the ER. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2019-Oct-15 • 10 minutes Kicking The Habit With 'Shrooms 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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |
| 2019-Oct-06 • 2 minutes Introducing Short Wave 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, Monday through Friday. Subscribe now.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy |