Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
Pride Week: The Importance Of Inclusion In Sex Education
10 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sex can be a nerve-racking experience no matter what. That's especially true if you have no clue wha...
Pride Week: How Organic Chemistry Helped With Embracing Identities
09 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As a kid, Ariana Remmel had a hard time figuring out where they fit in. They found comfort in the ce...
Pride Week: Beginning Hormone Replacement Therapy
08 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Medical transition-related treatments like hormone replacement therapy are associated with overwhelm...
Pride Week: TikTok Queen Brings Math To The Masses
07 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Kyne is the stage name of Kyne Santos, a math communicator and a drag queen. The former Canada's Dra...
Pride Week: Loving Sally Ride
06 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tam O'Shaughnessy and Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, met as kids in the early 1960s ...
It's Been A Minute: Digital Privacy In A Possible Post-Roe World
03 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're passing the mic to our friends at It's Been A Minute. Recently, they dug into how the a...
How To Keep Meat Juicy With Science
02 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How do you make the perfect stir-fry chicken without drying it out? Today, we answer that question w...
What Research Says About Mass Shootings
01 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Parkland, Fla. Buffalo, NY. Uvalde, Texas. Every mass shooting in the U.S. raises calls for better p...
Telehealth Abortions Are Changing The Culture Of Medicine
31 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Recent rule changes have increased access to abortion pills through the mail, using telehealth servi...
James Kagambi: The 62 Year Old Who Just Summited Everest
27 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The first all-black team of climbers reached the summit of Mount Everest last week, including the fi...
Dog Breeds Are A Behavioral Myth... Sorry!
26 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Is your border collie a lethargic couch potato? Is your golden retriever bad with kids? Is your Germ...
How Changes in Abortion Law Could Impact Community Health
25 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Depending how the Supreme Court votes on a pending case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organizatio...
Why Abortion Access Is Important For A Healthy Community
24 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Abortion access has been leading political news in recent weeks. But what happens when we look at ab...
The Queen of Nuclear Physics (Part Two): Forming Chien-Shiung Wu's Story
23 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Growing up, Jada Yuan didn't realize how famous her grandmother was in the world of physics. In this...
The Queen of Nuclear Physics (Part One): Chien-Shiung Wu's Discovery
20 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the 1950's, a particle physicist made a landmark discovery that changed what was known about how ...
TASTE BUDDIES: Why Bitter Tastes Better For Some
19 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Love the bitter bite of dark chocolate, leafy greens or black licorice? Your genetics may be the rea...
Who Else Can See Your Period Tracker Data?
18 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Apps can be a great way to stay on top of your health. They let users keep track of things like exer...
How Vaccine Misinformation Spread Through The Parenting World
17 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Any hour now, the U.S. is expected to officially mark one million lives lost to the COVID-19 pandemi...
The Importance Of The Vaginal Microbiome
16 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today on Short Wave, researcher Fatima Aysha Hussain talks to host Emily Kwong about how microbes in...
Who Would Be Most Affected By Roe Reversal
13 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If the U.S. Supreme Court rules in line with the draft decision leaked in early May, the decision to...
A Climate Time Capsule, Part 2: The Start of the International Climate Change Fight
12 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In 1992, diplomats and scientists at the United Nations negotiated the first-ever treaty intended to...
A Climate Time Capsule (Part 1): The Start of the International Climate Change Fight
11 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In 1992, diplomats and scientists at the United Nations negotiated the first-ever treaty intended to...
Stephanie's Story: How COVID Misinformation Affected One Family
10 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Stephanie was usually careful about her health and regular vaccinations. But then she got into shari...
The Turnaway Study: What The Research Says About Abortion
09 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A leaked draft opinion in the Supreme Court case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization has pl...
Lessons From HIV On Ending The COVID Pandemic
06 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The world has come a long way since the COVID-19 pandemic began. There are now vaccines, at-home tes...
When Our Star Erupts - The 1859 Solar Storm And More
05 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In 1859, astronomer Richard Carrington was studying the Sun when he witnessed the most intense geoma...
Emotions — They're Not Just For Humans
04 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Scientists have discovered the underpinnings of animal emotions. As NPR brain correspondent Jon Hami...
Why You Should Give A Dam About Beavers!
03 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Beavers have long been considered pests by landowners and government agencies. But now, many are st...
Why Did The Scientist Cross The Road?...To Meet Kasha Patel!
02 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When Kasha Patel decided to try out stand-up comedy, she was told to joke about what she knew. For h...
All Tied Up: The Study of Knots
29 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Climbing enthusiast and producer Thomas Lu has long wondered what makes knots such a powerful tool. ...
Planetary Scientists Are Excited About Uranus
28 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Probes to Uranus and to one of Jupiter's moons where conditions might support life; a better plan hi...
U.S. COVID Case Increases Unlikely To Become A Surge
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
COVID cases are up due to the Omicron sub-variants and masking is likely to remain optional as the c...
The Environmental Cost of Crypto
26 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Cryptocurrencies may exist only in the virtual world, but their impact on our natural resources is h...
Cryptocurrency Is An Energy Drain
25 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As cryptocurrencies become increasingly popular, the environmental impact of the technology is gaini...
Fresh Banana Leaves — An Indigenous Approach To Science
22 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Jessica Hernandez's new book examines the role of displacement — Indigenous peoples like her f...
The Indicator: How Green Laws Stop Green Projects
21 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The United States has a goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Without serious changes to lifest...
The Science Behind The Delta-8 Craze
20 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the cannabis industry, the chemistry lab meets agriculture. A cannabis product called Delta-8 has...
TASTE BUDDIES: Y U Salty?
19 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Salt has such a rich history that it was once (and is perhaps still) a sign of wealth. In this lates...
The Pandemic Is Damaging Health Workers' Mental Health
18 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A recent study found that working surge after surge in the pandemic, a majority of American health c...
Can Skiing Survive Climate Change?
15 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Climate change poses an existential threat to the ski industry. A warmer climate means less snow and...
Addressing Water Contamination With Indigenous Science
14 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ranalda Tsosie grew up in the Navajo Nation, close to a number of abandoned uranium mines. The urani...
Voices From A Ukrainian Hospital Damaged By Russian Attacks
13 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv at least half a dozen hospitals have been damaged by Rus...
Planet Money: How Manatees Got Into Hot Water
12 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today we share the mic with our colleagues at Planet Money to talk about one of our favorite aquatic...
Lemurs Will Rock You
11 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There's a lot for scientists to learn about the origins of humans' musical abilities. In the last fe...
War In Ukraine Sets Back Tuberculosis Treatment
08 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
According to the World Health Organization, Ukraine has the fourth highest incidence of tuberculosis...
TASTE BUDDIES: The Origins Of Umami
07 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A Japanese chemist identified umami in the early 1900s, but it took a century for his work to be tra...
The Indicator: Destroying Personal Digital Data
06 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we present an episode of NPR's daily economics podcast, The Indicator from Planet Money. It's...
When To Consider Another COVID-19 Booster
05 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, U.S. Food and Drug Administration vaccine advisors will meet to discuss long-term COVID v...
What We Gain From Dark Night Skies
04 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For many of us, seeing stars in the night sky is challenging because of light pollution. But there a...
What Octopus Minds May Tell Us About Aliens
01 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Octopuses! They are escape artists, they camouflage in all kinds of surroundings, and they are incr...
The Peculiar Physics Of The Wiffle Ball
31 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Shall we play a game - of Wiffle ball? Invented in 1953, this lightweight alternative to a baseball ...
The Community Scientists Who Helped Discover A New Planet
30 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When a team of exoplanetary treasure hunters joined forces with professional astronomers, they disco...
To Be DST, Or Not To Be. That Is The Question.
29 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This month, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved a bill to make daylight saving time permanent. Now ...
Indoor Air Quality is Cool for Schools
28 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The benefits of indoor air quality in schools are substantial, but American school buildings are old...
Hal Walker: The Man Who Shot The Moon
25 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In addition to flying, landing, and returning from the moon in 1969 — NASA's Apollo 11 crew helped...
Can Nuclear Power Save A Struggling Coal Town?
24 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A struggling Wyoming coal town may soon go nuclear with help from an unlikely partner, billionaire p...
Should Bulldogs Exist?
23 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Cute, wrinkly faces aside, bulldogs have myriad health problems. Science points to purebred breeding...
COVID-19 Cases Rise In The U.K., U.S. Watches For New Wave
22 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The omicron outbreak has slowed dramatically in the U.S. But cases are rising in Britain due to an o...
Parents Of Transgender Youth Fear Texas' Anti-Trans Orders
21 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has directed the state's Department of Family and Protective Services to ...
How Art Can Heal The Brain
18 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Arts therapies appear to ease a host of brain disorders from Parkinson's to PTSD. But these treatmen...
Fighting Misinformation With Science Journalism
17 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On December 31, 2021, The Joe Rogan Experience podcast on Spotify posted an episode with an intervie...
What Mount Kilimanjaro Has To Do With The Search For Alien Life
16 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Understanding how life survives in extreme Earth environments could point to ways life can survive o...
Humble Pi: Enjoying When Math Goes Awry
15 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Over the last 24 hours, some of us Short Wavers celebrated Pi Day the only way we know how: eating s...
Genetic Fact Vs. Fiction And Everything In Between With Janina Jeff
14 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Geneticist Janina Jeff is back on the show to talk with host Emily Kwong about season 2 of her podca...
A Physics Legend Part Two: Chien-Shiung Wu's Granddaughter Reflects
11 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Growing up, Jada Yuan didn't realize how famous her grandmother was in the world of physics. In this...
A Physics Legend Part One: How Chien-Shiung Wu Changed Physics Forever
10 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the 1950's, a particle physicist made a landmark discovery that changed what we thought we knew a...
TASTE BUDDIES: Science of Sour
09 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Pucker up, duderinos! Short Wave's kicking off a series on taste we're calling, "Taste Buddies." In ...
Checking In On Our Pandemic Habits: What To Lose And What To Keep?
08 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Over the last few years, we've all found different ways to cope with the pandemic. Some people start...
Dr. Thomas Insel On Why The U.S Mental Health System Has Failed And What Can Be Done
07 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For over a decade, Dr. Thomas Insel headed the National Institute of Mental Health and directed bill...
Emily Runs A Marathon
04 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In 2021, Short Wave host Emily Kwong ran her first marathon. In collaboration with our colleagues a...
Silver Linings From The UN's Dire Climate Change Report
03 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) just released the second of thre...
How A Collection Of Threatened Bird Calls Swept The Australian Album Charts
02 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What bird has a ten-foot wingspan and breeds almost exclusively on a single island in the Pacific Oc...
Orcas: Apex Predators Or Marine Park Stars?
01 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
NPR science correspondent Lauren Sommer joins Short Wave host Emily Kwong to talk about a team of re...
What Led To The Massive Volcanic Eruption In Tonga
28 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Scientists are piecing together what led up to a massive volcanic eruption in Tonga last month. NPR ...
Twinkle, Twinkle, Shooting Star . . .
25 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One of the video games that Short Wave's Scientist in Residence has been playing a lot in the pandem...
Schedule Those Doctor's Appointments!
24 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The pandemic is at a turning point. Hospitalizations in this country are down. Deaths are starting t...
Do You See What I See?
23 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone sees the world differently. Exactly which colors you see and which of your eyes is doing mo...
Vacuuming DNA Out Of The Air
22 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A few years ago, ecologist Elizabeth Clare had an idea--what if she could study rare or endangered a...
The Good and the Bad of TV Forensics
18 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Raychelle Burks is a forensic chemist and an associate professor at American University. She's also ...
How Women Of Color Created Community In The Shark Sciences
17 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As a kid, Jasmin Graham was endlessly curious about the ocean. That eventually led her to a career i...
How Many Senses Do We Really Have?
16 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You're likely familiar with touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing - but there are actually more th...
Tracing A Fraught And Amazing History Of American Horticulture
15 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When Abra Lee became the landscape manager at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, she ...
How to Talk About Hair Like a Scientist
14 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Humans have scalp hair. But why is human scalp hair so varied? Biological anthropologist Tina Lasisi...
How climate change is forcing cities to rebuild stormwater systems
11 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Deep below our city streets lie intricate networks of underground piping built to carry away excess ...
The (Drag) Queen Of Mathematics
10 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Kyne is the stage name of Kyne Santos, a drag queen math communicator. The former Canada's Drag Race...
Without Inventor James West, This Interview Might Not Have Been Possible
09 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For Black History Month, Short Wave is celebrating Black voices in STEM - bringing back some of our...
The Complete Guide To Absolutely Everything (Abridged)
08 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
At Short Wave, it's an unspoken goal to ask and answer every question under the sun — after all, s...
The Physics Of Figure Skating
07 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Triple axel, double lutz, toe loops, salchows — it's time to fall in love again with the sport of ...
Chimp Haven Welcomes New Retirees
04 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In 2015, the National Institutes of Health ended invasive biomedical research on its hundreds of chi...
Science In The City: Cylita Guy Talks Chasing Bats And Tracking Rats
03 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Cylita Guy was a curious child who enjoyed exploring the beaches, parks and animals that shared her ...
Should Big Oil Pick Up The Climate Change Bill?
02 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals is deciding whether a Baltimore case against more than a dozen o...
Omicron Ebbing Gives Time to Boost Vaccinations
01 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As COVID-19 cases in the U.S. drop, the hospitalization rate remains high — as does the death rate...
'Station Eleven': A Home At The End Of The World
31 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today we're bringing you an episode from our friends at NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour. They review th...
Omicron Around The World: From "Zero COVID" To Rising Cases
28 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Omicron surge may have peaked in the U.S., but parts of the world are seeing crippling levels of...
Did E.T. Phone Us?
27 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A few years back, a radio telescope in Australia picked up a radio signal that seemed to be coming f...
Megadrought fuels debate over whether a flooded canyon should reemerge
26 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the 1960s, the Bureau of Reclamation built a dam that flooded a celebrated canyon on the Utah-Ari...
What's Next For The Pandemic? Will COVID-19 Become Endemic Soon?
25 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Many experts warn there will be more infections on the downslope of the omicron surge, but the U.S. ...
Placebos Vs Parkinson's: The Power Of Joy
24 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Parkinson's disease is a brain disorder that leads to difficulty with walking, balance and coordinat...
Fighting Bias In Space: When There's A New Telescope, Who Gets To Use It?
21 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The James Webb Space Telescope's mirrors are almost in place and soon it'll be a million miles away ...
The Hodgepodge Of COVID Testing In The U.S.
20 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. government has launched a website where people can request up to four free coronavirus test...