Short Wave

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...

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 high-quality science on the moon--those are some of ...

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 courts wrangle with the transportation mask mandate...

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 huge. That's largely because the technology underpi...

Cryptocurrency Is An Energy Drain

25 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As cryptocurrencies become increasingly popular, the environmental impact of the technology is gaining more attention. Local, state and national gover...

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 father, who was displaced by the civil war in El Sa...

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 lifestyles, that means dramatic investments in green ene...

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 been popping up in smoke shops, CBD shops and eve...

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 latest installment of our series on flavor and taste, "...

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 care workers experienced psychiatric symptoms — i...

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 less now menas a shorter season for snowboarders ...

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 uranium from those mines leached into the groundwater, ...

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 Russian attacks. The Emergency Department of City Ho...

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 creatures: manatees. Decades ago, manatees nearly...

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 few years, though, they've discovered homo sapiens h...

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 in Europe — and one of the highest rates of mul...

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 translated into English. Short Wave host Emily Kwong ...

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 filled with one of our favorite topics: Data.Algo...

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 vaccine strategy. This follows the recent FDA autho...

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 are some communities that are trying to change that...

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 incredibly intelligent creatures--and that intelligenc...

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 is perfectly suited for back yard romping. Today ...

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 discovered a whole new world. Short Wave host Emily Kwo...

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 sleep scientists are weighing in and are suggestin...

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 and many face major challenges when it comes to u...

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 with a series of scientific experiments. One of t...

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 philanthropist Bill Gates. NPR Correspondent Kirk S...

Should Bulldogs Exist?

23 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Cute, wrinkly faces aside, bulldogs have myriad health problems. Science points to purebred breeding practices as the reason. NPR Science corresponden...

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 omicron subvariant. There are signs the U.S. could ...

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 investigate certain gender-affirming care as possi...

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 treatments that rely on music, poetry or visual arts haven...

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 interview with physician Dr. Robert Malone full of misinfo...

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 on other worlds. Astrobiologist Morgan Cable talks ...

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 some yummy pie and thinking math thoughts. Here on ...

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 podcast In Those Genes. They talk about rhythm, aging a...

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 episode, we delve into the life of physicist Chie...

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 about how our universe operates. And Chien-Shiung W...

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 today's episode, we meet Atlantic science writer K...

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 started drinking more, moving less, maybe eating more. ...

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 billions of dollars into research on neuroscience and ...

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 at Life Kit, Emily talks about her experience and d...