Short Wave

Asian Glow Might Have A Major Upside

01 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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'...

This Year's Top Science Stories, Wrapped

29 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

2023 was filled with scientific innovation, exploration and new discoveries. A few of the biggest threads we saw unraveling this year came from the Ja...

A year in music science: wonder, volume and animals that groove

28 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Life Could Be Different ... And Maybe Better?

27 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Are people ever satisfied? Two social psychologists, Ethan Ludwin-Peery and Adam Mastroianni, fell down a research rabbit hole accidentally answering ...

This Holiday, Dig Into Some Of The Hilarious Science Of Christmas BMJs Past

25 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 ho...

LED Lights Make You Sick? We Found Out What Causes It

22 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

LED light bulbs are the future. They're better for the environment and the pocket book. But for some people, certain LEDs lights — particularly holi...

Once A Satirical Conspiracy, Bird Drones Could Soon Be A Reality

21 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Climate Talks Call For A Transition Away From Fossil Fuels. Is That Enough?

20 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 th...

Want To Be Greener This Holiday Season? Try Composting!

18 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 Pod...

More Plant And Fungi Emojis, Please!

15 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A team of conservation biologists from Italy recently found that current emoji options are sorely lacking when it comes to life outside of vertebrates...

When AI Goes Wrong

14 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used throughout the world to predict the future. Banks use it to predict whether customers will pay back...

Why it's so hard to resist holiday sales (and how to try)

13 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 sho...

How Glaciers Move — And Affect Sea Level Rise

11 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 mo...

Feeling Lonely? Your Brain May Process The World Differently

08 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 it...

A Star Is Born ... And Then What? Journey Through The Life Cycle of a star

06 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 e...

Don't Call It Dirt: The Surprising Science Of Soil

04 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

These Penguins Take 10,000 Little Naps A Day — Seconds At A Time

01 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sleep. It's an essential biological function that has long intrigued scientists. Researchers have studied everything from mice to fruit flies in the l...

The International Race To Create Human Eggs And Sperm In The Lab

29 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In which we meet the pioneers of one of the most exciting — and controversial — fields of biomedical research: in vitro gametogenesis, or IVG. The...

Monday Night Football And Pursuing Two Careers With John Urschel

27 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

What Fossilized Poop Can Teach Us About Dinosaurs

24 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 everywhe...

The Thanksgiving Quest For The (Scientifically) Best Turkey

22 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 corres...

3 Major Ways Climate Change Affects Life In The U.S.

20 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Every five years, the United States government releases the National Climate Assessment, a comprehensive analysis of how climate change is affecting t...

Cutting A Teaspoon Of Salt Is Comparable To Taking Blood Pressure Medication

17 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 t...

Thousands of earthquakes in Iceland may spell a volcanic eruption

15 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Saturday, the entire coastal town of Grindavik, Iceland was evacuated. That's because over the weekend, the country experienced nearly 2,000 earthquak...

How Venus got caught up in an 18th century space race

13 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Trailblazing Computer Scientist Fei-Fei Li on Human-Centered AI

10 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

To Figure Out The Future Climate, Scientists Are Researching How Trees Form Clouds

08 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 mys...

Mapping The Seafloor Is Daunting But Key To Improving Human Life

06 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 wa...

Pulling An All-Nighter Is A Temporary Antidepressant

03 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 foun...

Sky Vaccines: Ridding Raccoons Of Rabies En Masse

01 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Every year, the USDA drops millions of oral rabies vaccines across fourteen states, mostly along the eastern seaboard. In urban and suburban areas, th...

Thanks, Neanderthals: How our ancient relatives could help find new antibiotics

30 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Scientist Just Made The Largest Brain Map Ever

27 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 ca...

How Climate Change Is Testing The Endangered Species Act

25 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 r...

Why Gray Hair Is Coming For You

23 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 paint...

Light Show! The Science Behind The Orionid Meteor Shower

20 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Why Scientists Are Reanimating Spider Corpses For Research

18 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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....

How AI Is Speeding Up Scientific Discoveries

16 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Artificial intelligence can code computer programs, draw pictures and even take notes for doctors. Now, researchers are excited about the possibility ...

The Microbiologist Studying The Giant Floating Petri Dish In Space

13 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Microbiologist Monsi Roman joined NASA in 1989 to help design the International Space Station. As the chief microbiologist for life support systems on...

Florida Corals Are Dying. Can A 'Coral Gym' Help Them Survive?

11 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 c...

Choose Your Own Adventure — But Make It Math

09 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 realiz...

Body Electric: The Body Through The Ages

07 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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,...

It's Fat Bear Week!

06 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 the...

Why Chilean Mummies Are Decomposing After 7,000 Years

04 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 nort...

Seaweed is piling up on beaches. This robot might be its match

02 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 a...

The Tiny Worm At The Heart Of Regeneration Science

29 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 re...

Osiris-REx and the quest to understand the solar system's origin

27 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In 2016, NASA launched a spacecraft to do something rarely attempted before: Collect space rocks from a potentially dangerous asteroid. The mission, n...

Itchy? Here's why

25 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Can't Match The Beat? Then You Can't Woo A Cockatoo

22 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Why Sustainable Seafood Is A Data Problem

20 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

The James Webb Space Telescope Is Fueling Galactic Controversy

18 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

The Latest COVID Booster Is Here. Should You Get It?

15 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, the Food and Drug Administration approved new COVID vaccines this week. It comes at a time when COVID cases, hospitalizations and deaths ar...

Animal Crossing: The Destructive Nature of Roads

13 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

40 million miles of road unite us. They also cause mass destruction for many species. Today, environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb and host Aaron Scot...

Why A Proposed Marine Sanctuary Could Make History

11 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 ma...

Air Pollution May Be Increasing Superbugs

08 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 antib...

Recurring UTIs: The Infection We Keep Secretly Getting

06 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 es...

The Deadly Toll Heat Can Take On Humans

04 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 increasing...

Food Allergies Are On The Rise. Are You Affected?

01 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

'Speedboat Epidemiology': Eradicating Disease One Person At A Time

30 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

What Do We Do With Radioactive Wastewater?

28 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Workers in Japan started releasing treated radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean on Thursday. Reacto...

A Tale Of Two Lunar Landing Attempts

25 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A journey through some of the latest science stories catching our eyes. This time, we consider the Russian and Indian lunar landing attempts, how scie...

What Made Hilary Such A Weird Storm

23 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 Southe...

Fixing Our Failing Electric Grid... On A Budget

21 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

The Key To Uncovering An Ancient Maya City? Lasers

18 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today we enter into the plot of a summer blockbuster adventure movie. Regina talks to NPR reporter Emily Olson about the recently uncovered ancient Ma...

Is Math Real?

16 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 mathem...

Sperm Can't Really Swim And Other Surprising Pregnancy Facts

14 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 tu...

The Fish That Conceal Themselves To Hunt

11 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 b...

The Science Of Happiness Sounds Great. But Is The Research Solid?

09 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Black Metallurgists, Iron And The Industrial Revolution

07 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The ability to create wrought iron cheaply has been called one of the most significant innovations in the British Industrial Revolution. It's known to...

This Sausage-Shaped Part Of Your Brain Causes Out-Of-Body Experiences

04 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 kn...

The Secrecy Of The Horseshoe Crab Blood Harvest

02 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For decades, humans have harvested the blood of horseshoe crabs, which is used to test whether many of our vaccines and medicines are contaminated wit...

Christmas in July! Celebrate With Hilarious Research

31 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 gr...

The Jackson Water Crisis Through A Student Journalist's Eyes

29 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 th...

Peanuts, Pets And Poopy Shores

28 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Why Babies Babble And What It Can Teach Adults About Language

26 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In which we metaphorically enter the UCLA Language Acquisistion Lab's recording castle, guided by linguistics researcher Dr. Megha Sundara. NPR scienc...

The Scorpion Renaissance Has Arrived

24 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Scorpions: They're found pretty much everywhere, and new species are being identified all the time. Arachnologist Lauren Esposito says there's a lot t...

'Oppenheimer' And The Science Of Atomic Bombs

21 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Christopher Nolan's new film 'Oppenheimer' chronicles the life and legacy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the first director of Los Alamos National Laborato...

This Cellular Atlas Could Lead To Breakthroughs For Endometriosis Patients

19 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For people with endometriosis—a mysterious disease where endometrial tissue grows outside of the uterus—medical visits can be especially frustrati...

Meet The Residents Of The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

17 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Sea squirts and 'skeeters in our science news roundup

14 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Science in the headlines: An amazingly preserved sea squirt fossil that could tell us something about human evolution, a new effort to fight malaria b...

This Is Canada's Worst Fire Season In Modern History. It's Not New

12 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

The Only Nuclear-Powered Passenger Ship EVER

10 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 Natio...

What Geologists Love — And Lament — About Cult Classic 'The Core'

07 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Tick Check! Meet Your Backyard Bloodsuckers

05 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 l...

The Chemistry Behind A Perfect Barbeque

03 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Why This Gravitational Waves News Is A Big Deal

30 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 n...

An unexpected forest in the ocean

28 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Salomé Buglass discovered an unexpected kelp forest while studying underwater mountains in the Galapagos. Kelp—a type of seaweed—usually grows in...

A Smarter Way To Use Sunscreen

26 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 impo...

Rethinking The Lab Rat

23 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For generations, scientists have leaned on seven key species, including rats and mice, for research. They're called model organisms and they've been s...

This Satellite Could Help Clean Up The Air

21 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In pockets across the U.S., communities are struggling with polluted air — often in neighborhoods where working class people and people of color liv...

New Star Trek Season, Same Ol' Sci-Fi

19 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Season 2 of the critically acclaimed Star Trek: Strange New Worlds premiered June 15 (streaming on Paramount+). So today, Short Wave Scientist in Resi...

A Newly-Discovered Asteroid And What's Beneath The Ice On Enceladus

16 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 spac...

Give Rivers Space: The Simple Flood Risk Fix

14 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With much of California's massive snowpack yet to melt, downstream communities remain on high alert for flooding. Hundreds of homes were destroyed or ...

Life Lessons From Supernovae

12 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

How To Stay Safe Amid Wildfire Smoke

09 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 pa...

Behold! The Dulcet Tones Of Cosmic Rays

07 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

The Rise Of The Dinosaurs

05 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Helping A Man Walk Again With Science

02 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 th...

Why Melting Ice In Antarctica Is Making Hurricanes Worse In Texas

31 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 especia...

What Happens When An Infant Loses Half Their Brain?

29 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 o...

Galaxies Are Older Than We Thought — That's A Big Deal

26 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 th...