Short Wave
Episodes
Your DNA is changing all the time. Here’s why
09 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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
08 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Prepare to be baffled by what we don't know about eels
05 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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...
This common garden plant summons wasps as bodyguards
03 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 – but that doe...
Why are scientists planting tiny forests in big cities?
02 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Healthy forests help combat climate change, provide humans with drinking water and even improve mental and physical health. But it’s hard to imagine...
Why you can't stop scrolling: the science of 'dark flow'
01 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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
29 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
For many astronomers and astrophysicists there are two distinct, important periods: before the James Webb Space Telescope – and after. It has powere...
Should we reengineer the world's deadliest animal?
27 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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?
26 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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...
The magic — and science — of synchronous fireflies
25 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 lig...
The supertree shielding coastlines and storing carbon
22 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Coastal fishing communities around the world are struggling with declining fish stocks. That’s because of climate change, environmental degradation ...
Why renaming this common hormonal disorder is a huge deal
20 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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
19 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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...
What's up with your nightmares?
18 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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...
A chemical found in fish could help reinvent your sunscreen
15 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Should you be fibermaxxing? Here's what the science says
13 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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. Fiber – a...
Why Swedish scientists gave salmon cocaine
12 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A recent study caught our eye: salmon on cocaine. Or really, researchers giving salmon cocaine…for science. See, scientists know human drugs pollute...
Without this pill, lots of people would be dead
11 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 spe...
Hantavirus: the risks, the science and what you need to know
08 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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
06 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump recently signed an order to speed up the evaluation of psychedelics to treat the brain. That’s coming after decades of strict prohib...
This medical condition stumped doctors for years
05 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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
04 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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?
01 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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...
NASA is practicing moonwalks. When are we going back?
29 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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
28 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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
27 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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
24 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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?
22 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 Ear...
Eating disorder recovery in a diet culture world
21 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Eating disorders are complicated illnesses that skyrocketed among teenagers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pediatrician Eva Trujillo says they "literal...
These voicemails save lives
20 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 du...
The psychology behind why you dread small talk
17 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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
15 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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?
14 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Are you pooping all wrong?
13 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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?
10 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Quantum physics is for everybody
08 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Subatomic particles, gravity wells and the beginning of the universe – these are difficult and mysterious concepts that are better understood with s...
Why are bees special? We get inside a hive to find out
07 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In a new National Geographic docuseries, viewers get a look inside a bee hive. The series is called Secrets of the Bees — and since there’s nobody...
The world is running out of helium — again
06 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Lots of people count on helium. From MRI machines and semiconductor manufacturing to pressurizing rockets and detecting leaks, helium is used globally...
Never had the flu? Scientists may know why
03 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Scientists estimate somewhere between 5%-35% of people do not get sick from the flu despite being exposed to the virus that causes it. Now, researcher...
Why is NASA going to the moon again?
01 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
NASA’s Artemis II mission is set to launch this week, which could bring humanity close to the moon for the first time since 1972. It’s a mission t...
Predicting spring bloom is an art and a science
31 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Do you ever wish you could predict the future? The National Park Service in Washington D.C. does it every year when they forecast when the Capitol’s...
Space news: Project Hail Mary, Artemis, data centers
30 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Short Wavers, we hear your requests. You want MORE! SPACE! So this is the first installment of a new segment focusing only on space news. First, we ta...
What's up with recycled wastewater's PR problem?
27 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Would you drink recycled wastewater? It could be a solution to the global water crisis. But not everyone is ready to jump onboard. They say it’s not...
The world’s freshwater is getting saltier. Why?
25 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Around the world, the planet’s freshwater is getting saltier. And it’s because of people. For decades, salting roads, fertilizer run-off and evapo...
The world has a groundwater problem. Can we solve it?
24 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Groundwater is responsible for about half of the water people use globally. It’s drying up. Hayes Kelman started noticing the family farm in western...
Day Zero: When the wells run dry
23 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In honor of World Water Day, Short Wave is exploring the ways water touches our lives. From increasing water shortages around the world, to how it’s...
How did these flowers evolve to survive a megadrought?
20 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A multi-year megadrought in the Western U.S. has claimed untold populations of wild plants. Amid the conditions, some have survived. Scientists have p...
A dietitian and doctor review RFK Jr's new food pyramid
18 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The new food pyramid was released earlier this year. It emphasizes protein, full-fat dairy and what Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Ke...
‘Black rain’ in Iran and the environmental cost of war
17 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
US-Israeli airstrikes on oil depots culminated in ‘black rain’ in Iran early last week – a phenomenon usually caused by large amounts of soot, c...
This is your brain on pleasure (even the guilty kind)
16 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
It’s likely you have at least one “guilty pleasure.” Maybe it’s romance novels. Or reality TV… Playing video games… or getting swept into ...
An icy mystery: What are lake stars?
13 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
When producer Berly McCoy was out on her local frozen lake, she saw something she'd never seen before. There were dark spidery, star-shaped patterns i...
We saved gray whales from extinction. Why are so many dying again?
11 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In 1999 hundreds of gray whales washed up along the west coast of North America. More in 2000. They lost an estimated 25% of their population. But the...
Sibling order may affect sexuality and identity
10 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today, guest host Selena Simmons-Duffin is exploring a detail very personal to her: How the number of older brothers a person has can influence the...
What crocodile bones teach us about dinosaurs
09 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Paleontologists have often determined how old a dinosaur was by counting the growth rings in its bones. Just like with trees, it was thought that each...
Teen sleep is getting wrecked by more than just phones
06 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Teens aren’t getting enough sleep! And a two-decade study suggests it’s getting worse. Scientists found that the number of high schoolers getting ...
The global fallout of RFK Jr's vaccine policies
04 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In his role as Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is changing how the United States approaches vaccines. But those changes...
Will Punch the baby monkey be okay?
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve been on the internet in the past few weeks, chances are you’ve seen him: a tiny gray-brown monkey dragging a big, stuffed orangutan arou...
Spring ice is thawing earlier in lakes. What does that mean for life below the surface?
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Lakes are freezing later, thawing earlier and experiencing dramatic temperature swings in between. And all that throws off the delicate balance of lif...
The dangers of warming winter lakes
27 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Over half a billion people live by lakes that freeze over in the winter. But as the climate warms, those lakes are losing whole days of ice cover. Win...
Screen time is up for grandma and grandpa
25 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Folks over 65 are putting in a lot of screen time. In 2019, the Pew Research Center found that people 60 years and older spend more than half their d...
Could our trash become local fishes’ treasure?
24 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Helicopters. Cargo containers. Old washing machines. For years, fishermen dumped this waste into the Gulf of Mexico. But they weren’t just trying to...
The serious hunt for alien life
23 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Bring up aliens and a lot of people will scoff. But not everyone is laughing. Around the turn of the century, 3.8 million people banded together in a ...
The noise that isn't there
21 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Almost 15% of adults suffer from a persistent, often intolerable sound... that is literally just in their heads. Why does the brain do this to us? We ...
The truth about intermittent fasting
20 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
From TikTok and Instagram influencers to celebrities like Hugh Jackman and Kourtney Kardashian, intermittent fasting has gotten a lot of hype. The die...
The neuroscience of cracking under pressure
18 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The 2026 Winter Olympics are unfolding in Milan and Cortina, and we can’t look away: We’re watching athletes fly down mountains on skis and glide ...
Tea time... with an ape?
17 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Picture this: You’re at a pretend tea party, but instead of sitting across from toddlers in tiaras, you’re clinking cups with Kanzi—an ape with ...
Could this vaccine trial mean a future without HIV?
16 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Early last year, a hundred researchers, clinicians and other experts on HIV discussed the development of an innovative vaccine that could prevent the ...
Why do we kiss? It's an evolutionary conundrum
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The evolutionary purpose of kissing has long eluded scientists. Smooching is risky, given things like pointy teeth, and inherently gross, given an est...
AI is great at predicting text. Can it guide robots?
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
It seems like artificial intelligence is everywhere in our virtual lives. It's in our search results and our phones. But what happens when AI moves ou...
The physics of the Winter Olympics
10 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Watching a ski jumper fly through the air might get you wondering, “How do they do that?” The answer is – physics!That’s why this episode, we ...
These bacteria may be key to the fight against antibiotic resistance
09 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In 1928, a chance contaminant in Scottish physician Alexander Fleming’s lab experiment led to a discovery that would change the field of medicine fo...
Babies got beat: Why rhythm might be innate
06 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Rhythm is everywhere. Even if you don’t think you have it, it’s fundamental to humans’ biological systems. Our heartbeat is rhythmic. Speech is ...
How do extreme G-forces affect Olympic bobsledders?
04 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Olympic sliding sports – bobsled, luge and skeleton – are known for their speed. Athletes chase medals down a track of ice at up to 80 or 90 mph. ...
Autism: debunking Trump claims, and what scientists still don't know
03 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Autism has a long history of misinformation that continues to today. The Trump administration has perpetuated some of this misinformation in the last ...
Why research into ‘forever chemicals’ includes firefighters
02 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
PFAS make pans nonstick, clothes waterproof and furniture stain resistant. They're so ubiquitous, they're even inside of us. Now, researchers are look...
Lessons and failures from the Challenger space shuttle explosion
30 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On Jan. 28, 1986, NASA’s 25th space shuttle mission, Challenger, left the launchpad in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Seventy-three seconds into flight, C...
How scientists predict big winter storms
28 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This past weekend, Winter Storm Fern struck the States. Sleet, snow and ice battered Americans all the way from New Mexico to New York. Scientists pre...
What drives animals to your yard? It's complicated
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Listener Shabnam Khan has a problem: Every time she works in her garden, she’s visited by lizards and frogs. Shabnam has lived in the metro Atlanta ...
Iran offline: How a government can turn off the internet
26 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
There’s an ongoing, near-total blackout of the internet in Iran. The shutdown is part of a response by the government to ongoing protests against ri...
The plight of penguins in Antarctica
23 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A new study shows penguins are breeding earlier than ever in the Antarctic Peninsula. This region is one of the fastest-warming areas of the world due...
A failed galaxy could solve the dark matter mystery
21 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Cloud 9 is a failed galaxy. It’s a clump of dark matter, called a dark matter halo, that never formed stars. But this failure could be the key to a ...
Is ‘The Pitt’ accurate? Medical experts weigh in
20 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Medical drama The Pitt is winning Golden Globes… and health care workers’ hearts. Medical experts say the show, which chronicles a fictional Pitts...
Come critter spotting with us on a cold winter's night
19 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, host Emily Kwong leads us on a night hike in Patuxent River State Park in Maryland. Alongside a group of naturalists led by Serene...
10 breakthrough technologies to expect in 2026
16 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Wanna know where tech is headed this year? MIT Technology Review has answers. They compile an annual list called "10 Breakthrough Technologies". Today...
When is your brain actually an "adult"?
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
There’s this idea that something happens in the human brain when we turn 25. Suddenly, we can rent a car without fees. Make rational decisions. We m...
The ozone layer is still healing…thanks to science
13 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In the mid-1980s, scientists published a startling finding–a giant hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica. That’s the protective shield that bloc...
These little microbes may help solve our big problems
12 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Microbes are little alchemists that perform all manner of chemical reactions. A team of microbiologists co-founded a non-profit to try to harness thos...
Hot galaxies alert!
09 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Most astronomers agree that young galaxy clusters should be relatively cool compared to older ones. But researchers recently found a very young cluste...
Micro Forests: An Emerging Climate Hero?
07 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Healthy forests help combat climate change, provide humans with drinking water and even improve mental and physical health. But it’s hard to imagine...
Behold a T-Rex holotype, paleontology's "gold standard"
06 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What happens behind the scenes of a dinosaur exhibit? Short Wave host Regina Barber got to find out … by taking a trip to the Carnegie Museum of Nat...
Did Earth’s Water Come From Space?
05 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Choose your fighter for the origin of water on Earth! Was it always here or did it come to this planet from somewhere else in space? And, either way, ...
The trouble of zero
02 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What better time to contemplate the conundrum that is zero than the start of a new year? Zero is a fairly new concept in human history and even more ...
Science In 2025 Took A Hit. What Does It Mean?
31 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Science in the United States took some big hits this year. The Trump Administration disrupted federal funding for all kinds of scientific pursuits. Ad...
Climate Anxiety Is Altering Family Planning
30 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Gen Z and younger millennials are generally the most climate literate generations. As an age cohort that started learning about climate change in scho...
Why Kratom Is At The Heart Of A Big Public Health Debate
29 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kratom and 7-OH products are available in many smoke shops. But earlier this year, the FDA recommended certain 7-OH products be scheduled alongside op...
Why Drones Are Catching Whale Breaths
26 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Scientists in the Arctic are catching the exhaled breaths of whales to better understand their health. How? Drones. Whales breathe through their blowh...
Drinking Turns Some Red With Asian Glow—And May Fight Tuberculosis
24 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ever gotten a scarlet, hot face after drinking alcohol or know someone who has? Many people felt it as they celebrate the holidays with loved ones, si...
Why Suicide Prevention is 'Everyone's Business'
23 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Written by Jo Lambert, ‘Hold The Hope’ is now being used as suicide prevention training material by the UK’s National Health Service Mental Heal...
No, Raccoons Aren’t Pet-Ready (Yet)
22 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dogs are man’s best friend. And it’s no secret that we at Short Wave love cats (Regina has four)! Both of these iconic pets have been domesticated...
GLP-1 Pills Are On The Way. Here's What To Know
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You may have heard of Ozempic, and other GLP-1 drugs. They’re everywhere. And they typically involve weekly injections — which can have a sticker ...