How Tear Gas Affects The Body
10 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In protests around the country, law enforcement agencies have used tear gas to disperse crowds. But ...
People Are Volunteering To Be Exposed To The Coronavirus...For Science
09 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Maddie Sofia talks with Invisibilia's Alix Spiegel about the bioethics of conductin...
Science Is For Everyone — Until It's Not
08 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Encore episode. Brandon Taylor's story has a happy ending. Today he's a successful writer whose debu...
Code Switch: A Decade Of Watching Black People Die
06 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The last few weeks have been filled with devastating news — stories about the police killing black...
Coronavirus And Racism Are Dual Public Health Emergencies
05 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Across the country, demonstrators are protesting the death of George Floyd and the ongoing systemic ...
#BlackBirdersWeek Seeks To Make The Great Outdoors Open To All
04 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Happy #BlackBirdersWeek! This week, black birders around the world are rallying around Christian Coo...
Meet The 'Glacier Mice.' Scientists Can't Figure Out Why They Move.
03 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In 2006, while hiking around the Root Glacier in Alaska, glaciologist Tim Bartholomaus encountered s...
The Key To Coronavirus Testing Is Community
02 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In San Francisco, the coronavirus has disproportionately affected Hispanic and Latinx communities. T...
The World Is Constantly Running Out Of Helium
01 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Encore episode. Helium is the second-most common element in the cosmos, but it's far rarer on planet...
What We Will — And Won't — Remember About The Pandemic
29 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There's no doubt we're living through a Big Historic Event, but that doesn't necessarily mean we'll ...
The Pandemic Cut Down Car Traffic. Why Not Air Pollution?
28 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
An NPR analysis of a key air pollutant showed levels have not changed dramatically since the pandemi...
What Would It Be Like To Fall Into A Black Hole?
27 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Black holes are one of the most beguiling objects in our universe. What are they exactly? How do the...
Space Launch! (It's Tomorrow And It's Historic.)
26 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Tomorrow, two NASA astronauts are set to head up into space on a brand new spacecraft, built by the ...
A Short Wave Mad Lib
25 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We're off for Memorial Day, so Maddie and Emily have a special Short Wave mad lib for you. Back with...
How to Correct Misinformation, According to Science.
22 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The World Health Organization has called the spread of misinformation around the coronavirus an "inf...
Science Movie Club: 'Contact'
21 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Yes, there actually are astronomers looking for intelligent life in space. The 1997 film adaptation ...
What You Flush Is Helping Track The Coronavirus
20 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
More than 100 cities are monitoring sewage for the presence of the coronavirus, and public health of...
The Squishy, Slimey Science Of ASMR
19 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Encore episode. The science is nascent and a little squishy, but researchers like Giulia Poerio are ...
The Pandemic Time Warp
18 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The pandemic has upended every aspect of our lives, including the disorienting way many of us have b...
What Did Earth Look Like 3.2 Billion Years Ago?
15 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The surface of the Earth is constantly recycled through the motion of plate tectonics. So how do res...
The Coronavirus Is Mutating. Here's What That Means.
14 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ed Yong of The Atlantic explains how a viral article led to headlines about a possible coronavirus m...
Kids' Books Where Science Is The Adventure
13 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Maddie talks with author and neuroscientist Theanne Griffith about her new children's book series, T...
Making Music Out Of The Coronavirus
12 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When Markus Buehler heard about the coronavirus, he wanted to know what it sounded like. Today on th...
We Need More Coronavirus Testing. Are Antigen Tests The Answer?
11 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There's a difference between diagnostic, antibody, and antigen tests. All provide different levels o...
Here's The Deal With 'Murder Hornets'
08 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Reports of so-called 'murder hornets' have been all over the news this week. (Even though they were ...
What We're Missing, By Missing Strangers Now
07 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
With a lot of us stuck at home, trying to physically distance from each other, one part of daily lif...
Scientists Think The Coronavirus Transmitted Naturally, Not In A Lab. Here's Why.
06 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Trump administration has advanced the theory the coronavirus began as a lab accident, but scient...
What Is Dark Energy? Physicists Aren't Even Sure
05 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dark energy makes up almost 70% of our universe and is believed to be the reason the universe is exp...
Letters From The 1918 Pandemic
04 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The 1918 flu outbreak was one of the most devastating pandemics in world history, infecting one thir...
How An Early Plan To Spot The Virus Fell Weeks Behind
01 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In several major cities, public health officials work every year to monitor the flu. It's called sen...
How Bears Come Out Of Hibernation Jacked
30 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Spring is in the air — and so are black bears coming out of hibernation. Rae Wynn-Grant, a large c...
Can Optimism Be Learned? (Like Right Now?)
29 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Optimism is often thought as a disposition, something you're born with or without. So can it be lear...
The Lightbulb Strikes Back
28 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Humans have a long history of inventions: electricity, telephones, computers, music — the list goe...
The Hard Truth About Ventilators
27 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
During the pandemic, ventilators have been considered a vital medical tool to treat critically-ill C...
Contact Tracing Is Key To Reopening. We're Not There Yet
24 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. may need 100,000 people trained in the public health practice of contact tracing — tracki...
How Infectious Disease Shaped American Bathroom Design
23 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We're all spending more time these days at home — including our bathrooms. But why do they look th...
Animal Slander! Debunking 'Birdbrained' And 'Eat Like A Bird'
22 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to "Animal Slander," the series where we take common expressions about animals and debu...
On Earth Day, What You Can Do For The Environment
21 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Happy (early) Earth Day, Short Wave listeners. We've received many questions from you about climate ...
Coronavirus Models Aren't "Wrong." That's Not How They Work.
20 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Scientific models of disease don't predict the future. They're just one tool to help us all prepare ...
When The Military Fights A Pandemic At Home
17 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Last Tuesday, the military helped evacuate dozens of critically ill COVID-19 patients from overwhelm...
Every Moon, Ranked
16 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Science writer Jennifer Leman did it. She ranked all 158 moons in our solar system. The criteria? In...
Where Did The Coronavirus Start? Virus Hunters Find Clues In Bats
15 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Bats are critically important for ecosystems around the world. But they also harbor some of the toug...
The Science of Making Bread
14 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Social distancing has some of us taking up bread baking for the first time, including host Maddie So...
How To Talk About The Coronavirus With Friends And Family
13 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Liz Neeley, science communication expert and executive director of The Story Collider, shares some a...
The "7 Day COVID-19 Crash"
10 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Some patients with COVID-19 are experiencing a crash after about a week of showing symptoms of the d...
Science Is For Everyone. Until It's Not.
09 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Brandon Taylor's story has a happy ending. Today he's a successful writer whose debut novel 'Real Li...
Science Movie Club: 'Twister'
08 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
No, tornadoes do not sound like a roaring lion. The 1996 drama 'Twister' got a lot of things wrong.....
Puerto Ricans Are At Risk From The Coronavirus And A Lack Of Information
07 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. territory of Puerto Rico has the most older Americans per capita, making their population e...
The Peculiar Physics Of Wiffle Balls
06 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Wiffle Balls are a lightweight alternative to baseballs, better suited for backyards then sports sta...
How The Coronavirus Could Hurt Our Ability To Fight Wildfires
03 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Now is when we'd normally be getting ready for fire season. And this upcoming one could be tough for...
Honeybees Need Your Help, Honey
02 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A deadly triangle of factors is killing off U.S. honeybees. Last year, forty percent of honeybee col...
Is This Real? Loss of Smell And The Coronavirus
01 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Doctors around the world are sharing stories of patients losing their sense of taste or smell — an...
Seen Any Nazi Uranium? Researchers Want To Know
31 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Encore episode. NPR science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel shares the story of Nazi Germany's attempt ...
Lessons In Being Alone, From A Woodland Snail
30 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Bedridden with illness, Maine writer Elisabeth Tova Bailey found an unlikely companion — a solitar...
No, The Coronavirus Isn't Another Flu
27 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump has compared the coronavirus to the seasonal flu. NPR reporter Pien Huang speaks to ...
Stay Home And Skype A Scientist
26 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The spread of the coronavirus has led many to stay home in recent weeks. During that time, the non-p...
Exploring The Canopy With 'TreeTop Barbie'
25 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Encore episode: Pioneering ecologist Nalini Nadkarni takes us up into the canopy — the area above ...
Why Is The Coronavirus So Good At Spreading?
24 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ed Yong rounds up some theories in a recent article for The Atlantic. He tells host Maddie Sofia one...
It's Okay To Sleep Late (But Do It For Your Immune System)
23 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Syed Moin Hassan was riled up. "I don't know who needs to hear this," he posted on Twitter, "BUT...
Keep Your Distance
20 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's a phrase we're hearing a lot now, social distancing. Practicing it is essential to slowing the ...
Yep. They Injected CRISPR Into An Eyeball
19 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's no exaggeration to say the gene-editing technique CRISPR could revolutionize medicine. We look ...
Coronavirus Can Live On Surfaces For Days. What That Really Means
18 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It actually behaves much like other viruses in that regard. NPR health correspondent Allison Aubrey ...
Coronavirus Is Closing Schools: Here's How Families Can Cope.
17 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As schools across the U.S. shutter for weeks at a time, Short Wave looks at the science behind the d...
Is Failure To Prepare For Climate Change A Crime?
16 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
That's the central question of an unprecedented lawsuit against a company whose chemical plant flood...
Coronavirus Latest: Testing Challenges And Protecting At-Risk Elderly
13 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There's a lot going on with the coronavirus. To keep you up to speed, we'll be doing more regular up...
Humble Pi: When Math Goes Awry
12 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Pi Day (3/14) approaches. To help honor the coming holiday and the importance of math, stand-up math...
As Coronavirus Spreads, Racism And Xenophobia Are Too
11 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Coronavirus is all over the headlines. Accompanying the growing anxiety around its spread, has been ...
Freshwater Mussels Are Dying And No One Knows Why
10 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In 2016, biologists and fishermen across the country started to notice something disturbing. Freshwa...
Creating Antimatter: Matter's "Evil Twin"
09 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Physicists have done the math and there should be as much antimatter as matter — but that hasn't b...
The U.S. Doesn't Use The Metric System. Or Does It?
06 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
From currency and commerce, food labels to laboratories, the metric system is the foundation of many...
Mouse Vs Scorpion: A Mind-Blowing Desert Showdown
05 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This one doesn't end the way you'd expect. Inspired by the Netflix documentary series "Night On Eart...
Coronavirus Is Here. Will Quarantines Help?
04 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Despite quarantines and other measures, the coronavirus keeps popping up. What makes it so hard to c...
When The Tides Keep Getting Higher
03 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As sea levels rise from climate change, coastal communities face a greater risk of chronic flooding....
A Tale Of Two (Very Different) Drug Prices
02 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
NPR Pharmaceuticals Correspondent Sydney Lupkin joins us to talk about a dad who learned his daughte...
Short Wave Presents: Life Kit's Tips To Prepare For The Coronavirus
29 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How can you protect yourself and your family as the coronavirus spreads around the globe? Today we'r...
A Short Wave Guide To Good — And Bad — TV Forensics
28 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Raychelle Burks is a forensic chemist AND a big fan of murder mysteries. Today, we talk pop culture ...
Vaccines, Misinformation, And The Internet (Part 2)
27 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the second of two episodes exploring anti-vaccine misinformation online, Renee DiResta of the Sta...
Vaccines, Misinformation, And The Internet (Part 1)
26 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the first of two episodes exploring anti-vaccine misinformation online, we hear the story of what...
This NASA Engineer Is Bringing Math And Science To Hip Hop
25 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
NASA engineer Dajae Williams is using hip hop to make math and science more accessible to young peop...
Australia's Next Danger: Mudslides
24 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
With many of Australia's hillsides stripped bare by fire, scientists are rushing to predict where mu...
A Board Game Where Birds (And Science) Win
21 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Wingspan is a board game that brings the world of ornithology into the living room. The game comes w...
Foldscope: Science From Curiosity And A Little Paper
20 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Manu Prakash is the co-inventor of the Foldscope, a low-cost microscope aimed at making scientific t...
Harvard Professor's Arrest Raises Questions About Scientific Openness
19 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Harvard chemist Charles Lieber was arrested in January on charges he lied about funding he received ...
Can Taking Zinc Help Shorten Your Cold?
18 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's possible — but it depends on a few key factors. NPR health correspondent Allison Aubrey expla...
Is This Love? Or Am I Gonna Fight A Lion.
14 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ever wonder what's causing all those reactions in your body when you're falling in love with someone...
The Weedkiller That Went Rogue
13 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A few years ago farmers started noticing their crops were developing damaged leaves. Turns out the c...
Does Your Cat Really Hate You?
12 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's the latest installment of our series, "Animal Slander," where we take a common phrase about ani...
A Tiny Satellite Revolution Is Afoot In Space
11 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Meet the CubeSat: a miniaturized satellite that's been growing in sophistication. In the last 20 yea...
There's A Plan To Drive Down Global Insulin Prices. Will It Work?
10 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Diabetes is a growing global problem, especially in low and middle income countries. Half of the 100...
A Coronavirus Listener Q&A Episode
07 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How does the coronavirus spread? Does wearing a face mask actually help? And why is the virus gettin...
Service Animals In The Lab: Who Decides?
06 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Joey Ramp's service dog, Sampson, is with her at all times, even when she has to work in a laborator...
Discovering 'Stormquakes'
05 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Seismologist Wenyuan Fan explains the accidental discovery — buried deep in seismic and meteorolog...
Sepsis Is A Global Killer. Can Vitamin C Be The Cure?
04 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Every day, approximately 30,000 people die globally of sepsis. The condition comes about when your i...
From Stream To Sky, Two Key Rollbacks Under The Trump Administration
03 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Trump Administration has rolled back dozens of environmental regulations, which it regards as a ...
The Surprising Origin Of Some Timely Advice: Wash Your Hands
31 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Today we know that one of the easiest and most effective things you can do to protect yourself from ...
Where The 2020 Democrats Stand On Climate Change
30 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
With the Iowa caucuses around the corner, we give you a Short Wave guide (with some help from our fr...
A Decade of Dzud: Lessons From Mongolia's Deadly Winters
29 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Mongolia has a many-thousand year history of herding livestock. But in the past two decades, tens of...
A Brief History (And Some Science) Of Iran's Nuclear Program
28 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
With the Iran nuclear deal in further jeopardy, we take a look at how the country's nuclear program ...
Archaeology...From Space
27 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah Parcak explains how she uses satellite imagery and data to solve one of the biggest challenges...
China's Coronavirus Is Spreading. But How?
24 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A deadly virus believed to have originated in China was found in the US this week. NPR global health...