Short Wave
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Short Wave
New discoveries, everyday mysteries, and the science behind the headlines — in just under 15 minutes. It's science for everyone, using a lot of creativity and a little humor. Join hosts Emily Kwong and Regina Barber for science on a different wavelength.If you're hooked, try Short Wave Plus. Your su...
Episodis Recents
1507 episodis
Is sewage the future of green aviation?
The war in Iran has disrupted the global fuel supply. That has sent airline prices soaring and cancelled scores of flights. This got Short Wave host E...
Could air pollution make your memory worse?
Summer is here, your windows are open and the smell of…car exhaust and the latest wildfire are wafting in. This air pollution is harmful to almost eve...
Inside the lab taste-testing the world's chocolate
Could standardizing chocolate help small-scale farmers? Chocolate scientist Julien Simonis thinks it could help persuade consumers to pay for higher q...
Why your sunscreen is finally getting a major upgrade
Until this week, the United States hadn’t approved a new sunscreen ingredient in over 20 years. That changed Tuesday, when the FDA approved a new chem...
How a single flu shot could protect you for decades
Every year, tens of millions of people in the U.S. get the flu vaccine. That’s because the virus changes year-to-year and protection only lasts around...
Your DNA is changing all the time. Here’s why
We tend to think of the DNA strands that contain our genetic code as consistent, stable units. But in reality, the cells that make up our bodies are c...
Inner monologues are still a mystery
Emily Kwong is pretty sure she lacks an inner monologue, while the inner monologue of producer Rachel Carlson won’t stop chatting. But how well can a...
Prepare to be baffled by what we don't know about eels
More than a century ago, all that people knew about European eels was that they lived in the rivers and streams for decades — until they swam out to t...
This common garden plant summons wasps as bodyguards
In our latest science news roundup: how nature adapts, for better or worse.
When faced with pests, plants may not be able to run away –...
Why are scientists planting tiny forests in big cities?
Healthy forests help combat climate change, provide humans with drinking water and even improve mental and physical health. But it’s hard to imagine a...
Why you can't stop scrolling: the science of 'dark flow'
You pick up your phone to do one quick task, and suddenly 20 minutes have flown by without you even noticing. How do apps do that to you? Science jour...
This distant planet has wild weather and gemstone clouds
For many astronomers and astrophysicists there are two distinct, important periods: before the James Webb Space Telescope – and after. It has powered...
Should we reengineer the world's deadliest animal?
The most ferocious predator for us humans is actually quite small: the mosquito. They are hungry for blood, spreading diseases like malaria, yellow fe...
Is it getting windier?
Is it getting windier? Long-time listener Barry Zalph thinks it is, at least in Louisville. And he’s not the only one. Redditors and local reporters h...
The magic — and science — of synchronous fireflies
Every year for two weeks between mid-May and mid-June, Congaree National Park in South Carolina is home to a fairy-tale-like display of flashing light...
The supertree shielding coastlines and storing carbon
Coastal fishing communities around the world are struggling with declining fish stocks. That’s because of climate change, environmental degradation an...
Why renaming this common hormonal disorder is a huge deal
You probably know someone who has a condition that, until last week, was known as PCOS, or polycystic ovary syndrome. It affects one in eight reproduc...
A solution for California's water woes
For years, farmers in California have been pumping huge amounts of water from their wells to irrigate their crops. The state’s Central Valley is the n...
What's up with your nightmares?
Dreams of flying? Nightmares of teeth falling out? Falling off a cliff? As a sleep scientist at the University of Montreal, Michelle Carr has pretty m...
A chemical found in fish could help reinvent your sunscreen
It’s been over 25 years since the FDA approved a new ingredient for sunscreen in the United States. But a molecule called gadusol found in fish and co...
Should you be fibermaxxing? Here's what the science says
The average person eats 10-15 grams of fiber per day, according to the USDA. The problem? That’s WAY under the recommended daily amount.
...
Why Swedish scientists gave salmon cocaine
A recent study caught our eye: salmon on cocaine. Or really, researchers giving salmon cocaine…for science. See, scientists know human drugs pollute a...
Without this pill, lots of people would be dead
25 years ago, the FDA approved a pill that would change the way scientists treat cancer … for good. The pill was called Gleevec; it was designed speci...
Hantavirus: the risks, the science and what you need to know
On May 2, the World Health Organization got an alarming report: People aboard a ship in the Atlantic Ocean were falling ill. The culprit is now confir...
How science is taking tripping mainstream
President Trump recently signed an order to speed up the evaluation of psychedelics to treat the brain. That’s coming after decades of strict prohibit...
This medical condition stumped doctors for years
One morning, Kyla Madonna Kenney woke up and her world was turned upside down: The room was spinning, she had a splitting migraine and one side of her...
The secret behind clownfish stripes and more fishy fascinations
We reeled in science reporter Ari Daniel for this episode who grants us three wishes in the form of three fishes. He takes us on a trip around the wor...
Coffee is complex. Can science standardize it for the better?
Ask any coffee aficionado, and they’ll tell you: A good cup is about more than the beans. The flavor is affected by lots of things – the roast and fer...
NASA is practicing moonwalks. When are we going back?
After the success of Artemis II, we at Short Wave definitely have moon fever. So, we brought NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce onto the s...
Set up solar, or save a tree? It’s complicated
To solar or not to solar? That is the question for this latest episode of our monthly series Nature Quest. For listener Darcey Hughes, installing sola...
The mystery that led this family to get their stomachs removed
When Karyn Paringatai learned about a pattern among her family members, it changed the course of her life: A lot of people died young. As Karyn dug in...
Why a chimp 'civil war' shows how societies collapse
In the mid-1970s, primatologist Jane Goodall witnessed something that changed her opinion of chimpanzees forever: A four-year conflict amongst the chi...
Where did our moon come from?
Earth didn’t always have a moon. In the beginning of the solar system, when the planets were still forming, something happened that would change Earth...
Eating disorder recovery in a diet culture world
Eating disorders are complicated illnesses that skyrocketed among teenagers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pediatrician Eva Trujillo says they "literal...
These voicemails save lives
For residents of Prek Touch, Cambodia — right on the banks of the Mekong River — flooding is a regular part of life. But as those floods worsen due to...
The psychology behind why you dread small talk
Do you avoid small talk in the office, or with your neighbor in the elevator? If so, you might want to give it a chance. According to a study just pub...
A new approach to brain health, one neuron at a time
Neuroscientist Paul Nuyujukian likens the brain to a stadium full of people. To eavesdrop on the crowd you could put a microphone in the middle of the...
Is there still a gender gap in medical research?
When you go to the doctor’s office, your doctor has to figure out which treatment is best for you. Physicians rely on medical research and clinical tr...
Are you pooping all wrong?
Talking about poop can be taboo, and this social norm may be hurting our health. Dr. Trisha Pasricha says around 40% of people in the U.S. have bathro...
Who's to blame for all this plastic?
How did plastic become so ubiquitous? The answer lies deep beneath the surface of the earth. In her new book Plastic Inc., environmental journalist Be...