Short Wave

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...

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 three reports on climate change. Nearly 300 scientists...

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 Ocean? Find out in this special quiz episode of Shor...

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 researchers who were the first to document a pack of...

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 science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel joins the sho...

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 pandemic is Animal Crossing, in which bits of stars fall...

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 to decline. Some of the states that have had the st...

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 more work than the other as you read this text is di...

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 animals in the wild without ever having to see or c...

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 a big fan of murder mysteries. Today, we talk pop ...

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 in marine science studying sharks and rays. But unt...

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 than five senses. Emily Kwong speaks to neurobiologi...

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 sought some advice about how to best do the job. T...

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 wanted to find out. And while completing her PhD ...

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 rainfall run off. These stormwater systems mostly ...

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 contestant posted her first video explaining a ma...

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 favorite conversations, as well as new guests wit...

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, science underpins the entire universe. Today, we th...

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 figure skating. The 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijin...

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 chimps. Since then, it's been gradually moving the an...

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 hometown of Toronto, Canada. She's a scientist –...

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 oil and gas companies will be heard in state or fed...

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. Experts say getting a COVID vaccine booster is k...

'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 the new HBO Max miniseries Station Eleven, based on ...

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 cases. Jason Beaubien, NPR global health and deve...

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 from a nearby star. One possibility? Aliens! NPR sc...

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-Arizona border. Today, it's known as Lake Powell — ...

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. is on the path to the virus becoming endemic — a...

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 coordination. There is currently no cure, but scientists in...

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 from Earth, ready to provide clues to the history ...

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 tests per household--shipping is scheduled to begin in...

A Clean Energy Future: How Hawaii Is Sparking The Push

19 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Sixty percent of electricity in the U.S. comes from fossil fuels, like natural gas and coal. Today on the show, guest host Dan Charles talks with repo...

When Tracking Your Period Lets Companies Track You

18 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Health apps can be a great way to stay on top of your health. They let users keep track of things like their exercise, mental health, menstrual cycles...

The Debate About Pablo Escobar's Hippos

14 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Pablo Escobar had a private zoo at his estate in Colombia, with zebras, giraffes, flamingoes - and four hippopotamuses. After Escobar was killed in 19...

How COVID Is Affecting Kids' Mental Health

13 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It's likely the last week has been rough if you're either going to school or in a family with kids trying to navigate school, be it virtual or in pers...

Wingspan! It's Got Birds, Science, Caterpillars - An Ideal Night In

12 Jan 2022

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...

Pondering A New Normal As The Omicron Surge Continues

11 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. is experiencing a viral blizzard which will likely continue through January, 2022. The omicron variant's surge is pushing hospitalization rat...

The Electric Car Race! Vroom, Vroom!

10 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Electric cars can help reduce greenhouse gases and companies are taking note — racing to become the next Tesla. Today on the show, guest host Dan Ch...

Man's Best Friend Is Healing Veterans

07 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Service dogs have long helped veterans with physical disabilities. While there have been stories about veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder be...

How To Talk About The COVID-19 Vaccine With People Who Are Hesitant

06 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Infectious disease specialist Dr. Jasmine Marcelin has spent the last year talking to a lot of people about getting the COVID-19 vaccine. Today on the...

Doctor Finds Hope In Helping Inform And Vaccinate Her Community

05 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On today's show, Emily Kwong checks in with infectious disease physician Dr. Jasmine Marcelin at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Jasmine sp...

An Ode To The Manta Ray

04 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A few months ago, on a trip to Hawaii, Short Wave host Emily Kwong encountered manta rays for the first time. The experience was eerie and enchanting....

The Science Of The Delta-8 Craze

03 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The cannabis industry is where the chemistry lab meets agriculture. Delta-8-THC is chemically derived and the hemp industry's fastest growing product....

This New Year - Slow Down, It Doesn't Mean You're Lazy

31 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Social Psychologist Devon Price says instead of viewing "laziness" as a deficit or something people need to fix or overcome with caffeine or longer wo...

2021: Celebrating The Joy Of Birds

30 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Lot of people took up bird watching in some form during the pandemic, including Short Wave editor Gisele Grayson. She edited this episode about 2021'...

Meet the Dermatologists Changing Their Field

29 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Many skin conditions, from rashes to Lyme disease to various cancers, present differently on dark skin. Yet medical literature and textbooks don't oft...

Our Favorite Things: Math And Community In The Classroom

28 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

That's right — Day 2 of Short Wave's Favorite Episodes Week is pure math goodness! This encore episode, we revisit a conversation with mathematician...

Our Favorite Things, Short Wave-style

27 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's "My Favorite Things" week on Short Wave! Through December 30th, we'll dive into our archive to bring y'all some of our personal faves — inclu...

Octavia Butler: Visionary Fiction‬

23 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today we are wrapping up Science Fiction Week with a very special episode from our friends at NPR's history podcast Throughline. As a part of their Im...

Want To Start Reading Sci-Fi And Fantasy? Here's A Beginner's Guide

22 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today we're bringing you a beginner's guide to reading science fiction and fantasy from our friends at NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour and Life Kit.So wh...

Sci-Fi Movie Club: 'Contact'

21 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today we're throwing back to one of our favorite Science Movie Club episodes: 'Contact' featuring Jodie Foster. It was a real crowd pleaser, especiall...

Happy Science Fiction Week, Earthlings!

20 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's Science Fiction Week on Short Wave, earthlings! So strap on your zero gravity suits and polish your light sabers because we're about to get nerdy...

Ellen Ochoa's Extraordinary NASA Career

19 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ellen Ochoa didn't get picked the first time she applied to become an astronaut--nor the second. But she eventually went to space four times. In thi...

Safety Precautions For The Holiday Season

18 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Omicron variant is spreading across the U.S. as the holidays are upon us. Science Desk reporter Maria Godoy has the latest on the variant and tip...

The James Webb Space Telescope Is About To Launch

17 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Soon the highly anticipated James Webb Space Telescope will blast off into space, hurtling almost a million miles away from Earth, where it will orbit...

Striving To Make Space Accessible For People With Disabilities

16 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As spaceflight inches closer to becoming a reality for some private citizens, science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel chats with the New York Times disab...

NIH Director Talks The Pandemic, Vaccine Hesitancy And Americans' Health

15 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Francis Collins talks with health correspondent Selena Simmons-Duffin about Americans' overall health, how tribalism in American culture has fuel...

The Winter Twindemic: Flu And COVID

14 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. is approaching 800,000 COVID-19 deaths as the Omicron variant spreads and the Delta variant continues to circulate. Hospital admissions are ...

Concussions: How A Mild Brain Injury Can Alter Our Perception Of Sound

13 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Headaches, nausea, dizziness, and confusion are among the most common symptoms of a concussion. But researchers say a blow to the head can also make i...

What Does A Healthy Rainforest Sound Like? (encore)

10 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On a rapidly changing planet, there are many ways to measure the health of an ecosystem. Can sound be one of them? Researcher Sarab Sethi explains h...

What's Driving The Political Divide Over Vaccinations

09 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

An NPR analysis shows that since the vaccine rollout, counties that voted heavily for Donald Trump have had nearly three times the COVID mortality rat...

Seeking Answers To The Universe Deep In A Gold Mine

08 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

An underground lab is opening early next year in Australia. Its quest: to help detect dark matter and thereby also help answer some of physics' bigges...

What A New Antiviral Drug Could Mean For The Future Of COVID

07 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

An advisory panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel has voted to recommend that the FDA approve a new antiviral drug to treat CO...

The 2021 Hurricane Season Wrapped

06 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The end of the 2021 hurricane season was officially November 30. This year, there was a lot of hurricane activity. Today on the show, producer Thomas ...

Jane Goodall Says There's Hope For Our Planet. Act Now, Despair Later!

03 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jane Goodall is a renowned naturalist and scientist. She's made a career studying primates and chimpanzees. But lately — something else has been on ...

No sperm? No problem.

02 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Scientists have discovered that some female condors don't need males to reproduce. This phenomenon is known as parthenogenesis, and it's been observed...

Using Math To Rethink Gender (encore)

01 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Gender is infused in many aspects of our world — but should that be the case? According to mathematician Eugenia Cheng, maybe not. In her new book...

Omicron's Arrival Is 'Wake-Up Call' That The Pandemic Is Ongoing

30 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The coronavirus is still circulating and mutating — case in point, the World Health Organization has designated a new variant of concern, called omi...

Why Puerto Rico Is A Leader In Vaccinating Against COVID-19

29 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Puerto Rico was still recovering from Hurricane Maria and a string of earthquakes when the pandemic started. The island was initially hit hard by COVI...

How To Choose A Health Insurance Plan

24 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Health insurance can be tremendously confusing, with its complexity, jargon and acronyms. But putting in a bit of time to learn what these health insu...

Celebrate The Holidays Safely This Pandemic

23 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Millions of Americans are planning to travel this week and gather inside for Thanksgiving — many in groups of 10 or more. At the same time, COVID-19...

A Mission To Redirect An Asteroid

22 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In movies, asteroids careening towards Earth confront determined humans with nuclear weapons to save the world! But a real NASA mission to change the...

Two Sides Of Guyana: A Green Champion And An Oil Producer

19 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For Guyana the potential wealth from oil development was irresistible — even as the country faces rising seas. Today on the show, Emily Kwong talks ...

Bee Superfood: Exploring Honey's Chemical Complexities

18 Nov 2021

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...

One Woman's Quest For The (Scientifically) Best Turkey

17 Nov 2021

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...

Parents, We're Here To Help! Answers To Your COVID Vaccine Questions

16 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Now that the Pfizer COVID vaccine is authorized for children five to eleven years old, a lot of parents are deliberating about what to do next. NPR he...

Experiencing The Emergence, Life And Death of A Neuron

15 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A new exhibit in Washington, DC, mixes science and technology for an immersive art experience — taking visitors not to a distant land, but into thei...

Camilla Pang On Turning Fear Into Light

12 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Camilla Pang talks with Short Wave host Emily Kwong about her award-winning memoir, "An Outsider's Guide to Humans: What Science Taught Me About What ...

The secret history of DNA: Pus, fish sperm, life as we know it

11 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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

Who pays for climate change?

10 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A coalition of wealthier countries have promised that they'll provide $100 billion each year to help developing countries tackle climate change. So fa...

Can climate talk turn into climate action?

09 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the first week of COP26, the UN climate conference, world leaders took to the podium to talk about what their countries are going to do to fight cl...

What happens in the brain when we grieve

08 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When we lose someone or something we love, it can feel like we've lost a part of ourselves. And for good reason--our brains are learning how to live i...

Why Aduhelm, a new Alzheimer's treatment, isn't reaching many patients

05 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Aduhelm, known generically as aducanumab, is the first drug to actually affect the underlying disease process associated with Alzheimer's. Yet sales h...

Housing and COVID: Why helping people pay rent can help fight the pandemic

04 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When people can't afford rent, they often end up in closer quarters. NPR health policy correspondent Selena Simmons-Duffin shares two stories from her...

Planning for a space mission to last more than 50 years

03 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In 1977, NASA sent out two Voyager probes to study Jupiter and Saturn. The spacecrafts were designed to last about five years, but they are still, to ...

A new step toward ending 'the wrath of malaria'

02 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Scientists have been trying to figure out how to eradicate malaria for decades. Globally, a child under the age of five dies from the disease every tw...

The history and future of mRNA vaccine technology (encore)

01 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

(Encore) The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are the first authorized vaccines in history to use mRNA technology. In light of the autho...

The countries left behind in climate negotiations

29 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

NPR climate correspondents Lauren Sommer and Dan Charles join the show before the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland (COP26) starts on ...

How metaphors and stories are integral to science and healing

28 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

New York's Bellevue Hospital is the oldest public hospital in the country, serving patients from all walks of life. It's also the home of a literary m...

Spiders can have arachnophobia!

27 Oct 2021

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 th...

The opioid epidemic

26 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Over the last 25 years, the opioid epidemic has been devastating to families and communities all over the U.S., and has caused half a million deaths. ...

The zombies living in our midst

25 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The idea of human zombies probably seems pretty far-fetched. But there are real zombies out there in the animal kingdom. To kick off Halloween week, s...

Code Switch: Archaeological skeletons in the closet

22 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we present a special episode from our colleagues at Code Switch, NPR's podcast about race and identity. In a small suburb of Washington, D.C., ...

An ode to the Pacific lamprey

21 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Pacific lamprey may have lived on Earth for about 450 million years. When humans came along, a deep relationship formed between Pacific lamprey and Na...

A biodiesel boom (and conundrum)

20 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

There's a biodiesel boom happening! It's fueled by incentives and policies intended to cut greenhouse emissions, and is motivating some oil companies ...

COVID-19 boosters are here

19 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The United States is on the verge of dramatically expanding the availability of COVID-19 vaccine boosters to shore up people's immune systems. As NPR ...

How do we make sense of the sounds around us?

18 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Our colleagues at All Things Considered chatted with neuroscientist Nina Kraus about her new book Of Sound Mind. She shares how our brains process and...

The Mighty Mangrove

15 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Along certain coastlines near the equator, you can find a tree with superpowers. Mangroves provide a safe haven for a whole ecosystem of animals. They...

The mystery of the mummified Twinkie

14 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A box of Twinkies, left alone for eight years, held some surprises for Colin Purrington. Upon having a sugar craving, combined with being "just so bor...

White scholars can complicate research into health disparities

13 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The COVID-19 has exposed longstanding and massive health disparities in the U.S., resulting in people of color dying at disproportionately higher rate...