Short Wave

How Freaked Out Should We Be About Ukraine's Nuclear Plant?

16 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The world has been warily watching the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine. The nuclear complex is being held by Russian forces, while the plant its...

Heat Can Take A Deadly Toll On Humans

15 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Heat—it's common in summer in much of the world, but it's getting increasingly more lethal as climate change causes more extreme heat. NPR climate c...

What The Universe Is Doing RIGHT NOW

14 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A century ago, astronomers were locked in a debate about the scope of our universe. Were we it? The answer is no. There are other galaxies beyond the ...

When Should I Get My Omicron Booster Shot?

13 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Updated COVID boosters are now available that target the Omicron subvariant and many Americans 12 and older are eligible for the shot. Host Emily Kwon...

Name That Tune! Why The Brain Remembers Songs

12 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Why do some songs can stick with us for a long time, even when other memories start to fade? Science reporter (and former Short Wave intern) Rasha Ari...

The Race To Rescue The Guadalupe Fescue

09 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Big Bend National Park in Texas is home to the only remaining Guadalupe fescue in the United States. The grass is tucked away in the Chisos Mountains,...

Short Wave Goes To The Circus

08 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Julia Ruth has a pretty cool job: it takes a lot of strength, a lot of balance, and a surprising amount of physics. As a circus artist, Julia has per...

'Scallop Discos': How Some Glitzy Lights Could Lead To A Low-Impact Fishery

07 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Scientists in the UK have discovered that if they take a pot meant for catching crabs and just add some bright lights, scallops flock through the door...

Surf's Always Up — In Waco, Texas

06 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Some of the world's best artificial waves are happening hundreds of miles from the ocean—in Waco, Texas. They're so good, they're attracting top pro...

Happy Labor Day!

05 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We're taking the day off for the Labor Day holiday! We hope you're also able to get some rest. We'll be back with another episode tomorrow.You can now...

Worm Blobs From The Bowels Of The Earth

02 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the toxic waters of Sulphur Cave in Steamboat Springs, Colo. lives blood-red worm blobs that have attracted scientific interest from around the wor...

The Stars That Settled The Great Debate

01 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It may seem obvious now that other galaxies lie beyond the Milky Way, but less than 100 years ago, some astronomers held a view of our universe that w...

Quiz Bowl! How Animals Sense The World

31 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Do worms feel pain? How do otters experience the world? What are those pink appendages on the face of the star-nosed mole? We answer all these questio...

The Man Who Shot The Moon

30 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

NASA's Artemis Moon mission was supposed to launch Monday. But it was delayed due to a problem one of the rocket engines. When it launches, it will be...

988: An Alternative To 911 For Mental Health

29 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

People experiencing a mental health crisis have a new way to reach out for help in the U.S. — calling or texting the numbers 9-8-8. Today, health co...

Experience The Quietest Place On Earth

26 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In a crater at the top of a dormant volcano lies a place so quiet, the ambient sound is right near the threshold of human hearing. Visitors to the cra...

Artemis: NASA's New Chapter In Space

25 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Humans haven't set foot on the moon in 50 years, but NASA hopes to take one step closer with the launch of a new rocket and space capsule on Monday. T...

Searching The Ocean's Depths For Future Medicines

24 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Plunge into the ocean off the west coast of Ireland...and then keep plunging, down to where there's no light and the temperature is just above freezin...

Sweating Buckets... of SCIENCE!

23 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Sweating can be unpleasant, but consider the alternatives: You could roll around in mud. You could spend all day panting. You could have someone whip ...

Micro Wave: How to Build a Sandcastle Dreamhouse!

22 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Grab your towels and flip flops, because we're heading to the beach. Whether you love playing in the sand, or dread getting it off your feet, building...

Eavesdropping On A Volcano

19 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Volcanoes are "talking" to us all the time. Scientists say the sooner we learn to interpret their normal chatter, the quicker we'll know when somethin...

A Rising Demand for Coal Amidst War in Ukraine

18 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Demand for coal in Europe is rising as Russia's invasion of Ukraine threatens the country's vast natural resource and fossil fuel reserves - and subse...

Ode To The Manta Ray

17 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On a trip to Hawaii, Short Wave host Emily Kwong encountered manta rays for the first time. The experience was eerie and enchanting. And it left Emily...

How To Brew Amazing Coffee With Science

16 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The perfect cup of joe might be a matter of taste, but knowing the science behind the coffee-making process could help you elevate your at-home brewin...

The Radio Wave Mystery That Changed Astronomy

15 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In 1967 Jocelyn Bell Burnell made a discovery that revolutionized the field of astronomy. She detected the radio signals emitted by certain dying star...

Tick Check! The Tiny Bloodsuckers In Our Backyards

12 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Short Wave is going outside every Friday this summer! In this second episode of our series on the National Park system, we head to Big Thicket Nationa...

The Brazilian Scientists Inventing An mRNA Vaccine — And Sharing The Recipe

11 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When Moderna and Pfizer first came out with their mRNA vaccines for COVID-19, supply was limited to rich countries and they did not share the details ...

Twinkle, Twinkle, Shooting Star

10 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ahead of the peak of the Perseid meteor shower, we're re-airing our first episode with Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber. In it, Regina and plan...

How Monkeypox Became A Public Health Emergency

09 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The White House officially declared monkeypox a public health emergency in the United States last week. More than 7,500 cases of the virus have been c...

Carry The Two: Making Audio Magic With Math

08 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Math is a complex, beautiful language that can help us understand the world. And sometimes ... math is also hard! Science communicator Sadie Witkowski...

A Tale Of Two Parks And The Bats Within Them

05 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Buckle up! Short Wave is going on a road trip every Friday this summer. In this first episode of our series on the research happening in the National ...

Abortion Laws in Texas are Disrupting Maternal Care

04 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

New abortion bans have made some doctors hesitant to provide care for pregnancy complications. That's led to life-threatening delays, and trapped fami...

The Secret History of DNA

03 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It's been over 150 years since the first article was published about the molecular key to life as we know it — DNA. With help from expert Pravrutha ...

Wild Horses Could Keep Wildfire At Bay

02 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Under a 1971 Congressional Act, the Bureau of Land Management has the right to round up wild horses on public lands. Oftentimes, those horses are ship...

TASTE BUDDIES: The Controversial World Of Taste Science

01 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Not much is known about why people experience tastes differently and why some people can detect certain tastes and not others. There also might be oth...

Spice, Spice, Baby! Why Some Of Us Enjoy The Pain Of Spicy Foods

29 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we talk about spicy food and its intersection with pleasure and pain as part of our "Taste Buddies" series — Short Wave's ode to "taste." In ...

TASTE BUDDIES: No Sugarcoating How Sweet Affects The Brain

28 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our ancestors evolved the ability to taste the sweet goodness of foods like pastries and creamy chocolates. They were enticed to consume quick calorie...

TASTE BUDDIES: Feeling Salty?

27 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we're getting salty as we continue our series "Taste Buddies" — Short Wave's ode to taste buds. In this encore episode, Scientist in Residenc...

TASTE BUDDIES: Umami And The Redemption Of MSG

26 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We're continuing our celebration of taste with another episode in our "Taste Buddies" series. Today: Umami.In the early 1900s a Japanese chemist ident...

TASTE BUDDIES: Pucker Up! It's The Science Of Sour

25 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week Short Wave is celebrating our sense of taste with an entire week of themed episodes, covering everything from sugar and spice to what's beyo...

The Accelerated Approvals Process: Are Drugmakers Fulfilling Their Promises?

22 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Food and Drug Administration allows faster drug approvals based on preliminary study data if the drug fulfills an unmet medical need. But the spee...

Russia's War In Ukraine Is Hurting Nature

21 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The war in Ukraine is devastating that nation's rich, natural environment - from chemical leaks poisoning water supplies and warships killing dolphins...

Keeping Score On Climate: How We Measure Greenhouse Gases

20 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Host Emily Kwong wants to keep an eye on her carbon footprint. Most of it consists of greenhouse gas emissions from driving her car or buying meat at ...

Venus And The 18th Century Space Race

19 Jul 2022

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...

How Clarice Phelps Put Her Mark On The Periodic Table

18 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As a kid, Clarice Phelps dreamed of being an astronaut, or maybe an explorer like the characters on Star Trek. And while her path to a career in scien...

The Universe's Baby Pictures (Squee!) From The James Webb Space Telescope

15 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Earlier this week we got a look at one of the highest-profile scientific photo dumps of all time. The James Webb Space Telescope is the most powerful ...

Making Space Travel Accessible For People With Disabilities

14 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week NASA released some of the sharpest images of space ever from the James Webb Space Telescope. The telescope's camera gives us a glimpse into ...

Real Life 'Goonies'? A Mysterious Shipwreck Found Off the Oregon Coast

13 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

For centuries, mysterious blocks of beeswax and Chinese porcelain have washed up on the Oregon coast, leading to legends of pirates, treasure, and a s...

BA.5: The Omicron Subvariant Driving Up Cases — And Reinfections

12 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

BA.5 is now the dominant SARS-CoV-2 subvariant in the United States. It's driving up COVID cases and hospitalizations across the country. It's also ca...

Everything On A Bagel: A Conversation With Daniels

11 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Directing Duo Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, (collectively: Daniels) are known for their first feature film Swiss Army Man and DJ Snake's and Lil J...

Tiny Critter Week Finale: Nudibranchs Do It Better

08 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We're wrapping up Tiny Critter Week with a reprise of one of our favorite episodes — nudibranchs. In this episode, Maddie and Emily got super nerdy,...

Liquid Gold: The Wonder Of Honey

07 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Honey bees know a lot about honey, and humans are starting to catch up. Scientists are now looking at how the chemicals in honey affect bee health. Wi...

Spiders Can Fear Other Spiders

06 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

If you're not so fond of spiders, you may find kindred spirits in other spiders! Researcher Daniela Roessler worked with jumping spiders and found tha...

Against All Odds, The Pumpkin Toadlet Is

05 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Being small has its advantages ... and some limitations. One organism that intimately knows the pros and cons of being mini is the pumpkin toadlet. As...

Tiny Critters On The Way This Week

04 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Hey, Short Wavers!We're off today, but wanted to give you a sneak peek into this week's episodes. To inject a little levity into your (and our) lives,...

If Monkeys Could Talk...

01 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

... Could a monkey host this podcast?Aaron Scott and Resident Neuroscience Nerd Jon Hamilton discuss the vocal capabilities of our primate relatives. ...

Micro Wave: Scientists Discover GINORMOUS Bacteria

30 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Caribbean is home to gorgeous beaches, mangroves and ... the biggest bacteria known to humankind. Find out exactly how big from science correspond...

Climate Change Is Tough On Personal Finances

29 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A majority of people say they have experienced extreme weather in the last five years, according to a nationwide survey conducted by NPR, the Robert W...

The Quest To Save The California Condor

28 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Historically, the California condor soared across the western skies of North America. But by the 1980s, the bird was on the edge of extinction — jus...

The Public Health Implications Of Overturning Roe V. Wade

27 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on Friday. We're revisiting an episode that may give us insight into pregnant people's lives in a post-Roe Un...

Let's Get Crafty With Agar Art!

24 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Pull out your art supplies because it's time to get crafty--with agar! At the intersection of biology and art lies a creative medium that's actually a...

Dino-mite! Meet The Real Stars of 'Jurassic World: Dominion'

23 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Move over, T-Rex. There are new, (mostly) more accurate dinosaurs to squeal over in 'Jurassic World: Dominion', the sixth and reportedly final film of...

'Smell Ya Later, COVID!' How Dogs Are Helping Schools Stay COVID-free

22 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A Massachusetts elementary school welcomes "Huntah," the COVID-sniffing dog. Scientist-in-residence Regina Barber talks with NPR science reporter Ari ...

Good Things Come In Trees

21 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Do you ever feel better after walking down a street that's lined with lush, green trees? You're not alone! For decades, researchers have been studying...

Honoring Juneteenth

20 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Hi Short Wavers, The team is off today in continued commemoration of Juneteenth, a holiday honoring the freedom of all Americans, by marking the emanc...

Science In The City: Cylita Guy Talks Chasing Bats And Tracking Rats

17 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Cylita Guy was a curious child who enjoyed exploring the beaches, parks and animals that shared her hometown of Toronto, Canada. She's an urban ecolog...

Can The Next School Shooting Be Prevented With Compassion?

16 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Uvalde school shooting has renewed questions of how to prevent the next shooting. For many who've opened fire in schools, the path to violence has...

War On Earth, Cooperation In Space

15 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

For decades, U.S. astronauts and Russian cosmonauts have lived side-by-side aboard the International Space Station. Host Aaron Scott talks with Scienc...

How Politics And Health Are Intertwined

14 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Political polarization is affecting Americans' health, according to a new study. Researchers find higher levels of premature death in Republican-leani...

Wok This Way: A Science Cooking Show

13 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What's the most versatile pan in the kitchen? According to chef and cookbook author J. Kenji López-Alt, it's the wok! And along with spices, he sprin...

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 what to do, and since LGBTQ+ topics are often left ou...

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 certainty and understanding of what the world was ma...

Pride Week: Beginning Hormone Replacement Therapy

08 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Medical transition-related treatments like hormone replacement therapy are associated with overwhelmingly positive outcomes in terms of both physical ...

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 Drag Race contestant posted her first video explainin...

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 and developed an instant connection. Years later, ...

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 anticipated repeal of Roe v. Wade will affect broad...

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 with cookbook author and chef J. Kenji López-Alt a...

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 policies to prevent such tragedies. There's evidenc...

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 services. As many U.S. states gear up to restrict abort...

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 first Kenyan ever to do so. Today on the show Short ...

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 German shepherd too timid to guard your home?Turns out...

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 Organization, many pregnant people may lose the right to seek...

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 abortion as a health care tool that betters public h...

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 episode, Jada talks to Emily about the life of ph...

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 the universe operates. Chien-Shiung Wu did it whil...

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 reason why. Today on the show, host Aaron Scott talks...

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 exercise, mental health, the quality of their skin, an...

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 pandemic. Health correspondent Allison Aubrey shares how...

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 the vagina can impact health and how transplantin...

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 reverse Roe v. Wade affect a much broader group t...

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 tackle the climate change. This brought the issue...

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 tackle the scientific phenomenon now known as cli...

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 sharing conspiracy-filled videos and fringe ideas. When...

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 placed uncertainty on the future of abortion rights ...

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 tests, masks and treatments. With all of these tools ...

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 geomagnetic storm recorded in history. The storm, trigg...

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 Hamilton reports, the building blocks of emotions and ...

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 starting to embrace them. Today on the show, Host A...

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 her, that was science. Today on Short Wave, Kasha t...

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. Today, Thomas digs into the research with the help...