Short Wave

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 learned? On today's show, Maddie talks with Alix Spieg...

The Lightbulb Strikes Back

28 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

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 COVID-19 patients. But more and more evidence is su...

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 — tracking and isolating people who've been in contact wit...

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 the way they do? From toilets to toothbrush holders,...

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 debunk them with science. Today on the show, we tackle...

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 change, specifically what can individuals and hous...

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 for it. NPR global health correspondent Nurith Aiz...

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 overwhelmed hospitals in Queens. NPR's Rebecca Hersher says...

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? Interviews with NASA scientists, astronomers, and he...

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 toughest known zoonotic diseases, and are the likely o...

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 Sofia. Chemist and baker Patricia Christie explains ...

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 advice for how to talk to your friends and family 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 disease. The cause?Well, as NPR's Geoff Brumfiel ex...

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 Life' received glowing reviews earlier this year. Bu...

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...and a few things right. Meteorologist Ali Burgos,...

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 especially vulnerable to the coronavirus. A vital t...

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 stadiums. The design of the Wiffle Ball guarantees yo...

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 states like California, which had an especially d...

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 colonies died in the U.S., continuing an alarming tre...

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 — and testing positive for the coronavirus. Is it a re...

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 to build a nuclear reactor — and how evidence of...

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 solitary snail a friend brought her from the woods. Elisa...

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 host Maddie Sofia about why the coronavirus appear...

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-profit Skype A Scientist has seen a surge in demand...

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 the forest floor — where she helped research and...

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 reason the virus spreads so well might have to do...

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 YOU ARE NOT LAZY IF YOU ARE WAKING UP AT NOON." H...

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 spread of the coronavirus. But what does it really...

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 at a new milestone — a CRISPR treatment that edi...

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 has more on what we know, what we don't, and tips ...

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 decision. Plus, tips from a psychologist on how to ...

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 flooded during Hurricane Harvey in August 2017. Contain...

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 updates on the latest about the pandemic. Today, NPR...

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 mathematician Matt Parker unspools a common math mista...

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 suspicion and harassment of Asians and Asian Ameri...

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. Freshwater mussels were dying in large numbers. NPR Natio...

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 been the case so far. NPR Correspondent Geoff Brumf...

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 science and math fields. To mark our 100th episod...

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 Earth," we learn everything we can about a mouse and s...

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 control?Learn more about sponsor message choices: p...

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. Climate scientist Astrid Caldas and her colleague...

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 daughter needed an expensive drug — but there was a nea...

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're featuring an episode from our friends over at NP...

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 forensics with Raychelle and what signs to look fo...

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 Stanford Internet Observatory explains why the Intern...

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 happened to Cincinnati-area pediatrician Nicole B...

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 people. We talk with Dajae about her path to NASA, and...

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 mudslides could be triggered by rainfall. NPR scienc...

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 with 170 illustrated birds cards, each equipped wit...

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 tools more accessible. We chat with him about why h...

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 from China. Some say the case points to larger iss...

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 explains, and tells the story of the scientist who unco...

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? We certainly did. So, we called up Adam Cole, wh...

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 culprit was dicamba, a weedkiller being sprayed by ...

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 animals and see what truth there is to it. The issue ...

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 years, over 1,000 CubeSats have been launched into sp...

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 million in need of insulin lack reliable access. ...

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 getting so much media coverage? This episode, we answer ...

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 laboratory. It wasn't always easy to have him at her side. ...

Discovering 'Stormquakes'

05 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Seismologist Wenyuan Fan explains the accidental discovery — buried deep in seismic and meteorological data — that certain storms over ocean water...

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 immune system overreacts to an infection, leading p...

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 burden to industry. Today on Short Wave, NPR Natio...

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 the cold, flu, and other respiratory illnesses (in...

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 friends at NPR Politics) to where the top-tier Democ...

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 thousands have left the countryside because of a ...

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 began with NPR's Geoff Brumfiel. (The United State...

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 in archaeology: where to start digging. Her book ...

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 correspondent Jason Beaubien explains what we kno...

The Comeback Bird: Meet the Ko'Ko'

23 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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. ...

Can A Low-Carb Diet Prevent A Plague Of Locusts?

22 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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, rese...

Mighty Mice Return From Space

21 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Some very unusual mice with big muscles are back on Earth after a month on the International Space Station. NPR science correspondent Jon Hamilton sha...

2020 So Far: Fires, Floods, And Quakes

17 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Already this year, natural disasters have wreaked havoc in Australia, Indonesia, and Puerto Rico. We look at some science behind the wildfires, floods...

Can A 100-Year-Old Treatment Help Save Us From Superbugs?

16 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In 2015, Steffanie Strathdee's husband nearly died from a superbug, an antibiotic resistant bacteria he contracted in Egypt. Desperate to save him, sh...

In Mozambique, Meteorologists Can't Keep Up With Climate Change

15 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Your Brain On Storytelling

14 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ta...

Space Junk: How Cluttered Is The Final Frontier?

13 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Since the dawn of Sputnik in 1957, space-faring nations have been filling Earth's orbit with satellites. Think GPS, weather forecasting, telecommunica...

Animal Slander! - "Blind As A Bat" And "Memory Of A Goldfish"

10 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

The Link Between Kitchen Countertops And A Deadly Disease

09 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

What's Behind Australia's Historic Fires

08 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Biologist Lesley Hughes from Macquarie University in Australia explains why the recent bushfires there could change the country forever. Hughes is a f...

Food Waste + Poop = Electricity

07 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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. ...

A Star In Orion Is Dimming. Is It About To Explode?

06 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Short Wave Presents: Life Kit Tips For Dealing With Anxious Kids

03 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Compost Your Loved Ones

02 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Happy New Year!

01 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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.co...

Tennessine's Wild Ride To The Periodic Table

31 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 Decade In Science

30 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Sci-Fi Movies Of The Decade (Sort Of)

27 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

One Of The Germiest Places In The Airport

26 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Happy Holidays!

25 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

A Shortwave Christmas Carol

24 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On Christmas Eve, scientists at field stations across Antarctica sing carols to one another...via shortwave. On today's episode, the Short Wave podcas...

Iridium's Pivotal Role In Our Past And ... Maybe Our Future?

23 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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...

What Happened To The American Chestnut Tree?

20 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

The First African American Face Transplant

19 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 th...

And The Winner Is...Science!

18 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 p...

The Science Behind Whakaari/White Island's Eruption

17 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 p...

A Polar Expedition To The Top Of The World: Part 2

16 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Our journey continues on MOSAiC: the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate. Physicists, chemists, and biologists are ...

A Polar Expedition To The Top Of The World: Part 1

13 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A massive scientific mission is underway in the Arctic. Physicists, chemists, and biologists are studying the changing region, so they can better pred...

Invasive Species: We Asked, You Answered

12 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

The Congolese Doctor Who Discovered Ebola

11 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 co...