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PODCAST

Short Wave

New discoveries, everyday mysteries, and the science behind the headlines — in just under 15 minutes. It"s science for everyone, using a lot of creativity and a little humor. Join hosts Emily Kwong and Regina Barber for science on a different wavelength. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org. You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including sponsor-free listening for Short Wave.

science life sciences

All Episodes

9:28

Plot twist: We're probably way undercounting insects...

Short Wave ·

2026/07/10

Maybe you’ve wondered about it late at night as a mosquito buzzes in your ear. Or when you kick over a rock and watch dozens of little critters crawl away: How many types of insects are there in the world? Scientists have been interested in answering this question for years. A new study — based on a census of tiny and, frankly terrifying, parasitoid wasps — suggests there’s way more than previously thought. Like, millions more that are just waiting to be discovered. Interested in more bug science

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11:27

NASA's race against time to rescue a falling satellite

Short Wave ·

2026/07/08

A valuable NASA satellite observatory is falling to Earth faster than scientists expected. It’s called the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, or “Swift” for short, and it can respond to celestial events much faster than its sky-gazing counterparts. To save Swift and test out a first-of-its-kind technology, NASA partnered with an Arizona-based startup to launch a refrigerator-sized robot, aptly named Link, into lower Earth orbit. That’s on its way right now to meet up with Swift to give it a

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11:23

Could this anti-aging dog pill lead to one for you too?

Short Wave ·

2026/07/07

Every dog lover’s greatest fear is inevitably losing their pet to time. We want our furry pals to stick around as long as they can. That wish may soon become reality with a new pill from a company called Loyal. It aims to extend the lives–and health–of dogs. This new drug also serves as a pitstop on a much bigger quest: to eventually lengthen human lives.Interested in more science about your pets? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25

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14:05

Sky Uber? Air taxis could be here soon

Short Wave ·

2026/07/06

Taking an air taxi to the airport may become as simple as ordering a ride share today. In our first episode in our summer series Tech Camp, we explore how a futuristic vehicle that transforms from helicopter to propeller plane is already taking flight in New York and San Francisco. This new kind of commuting might be here sooner than you think: A law just went into effect to build infrastructure for them in places like airports. Short Wave host Regina Barber speaks with the startup Joby and Georgia

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13:19

This July 4th, are you a thrill- or chill-seeker?

Short Wave ·

2026/07/03

Independence Day is approaching!Imagine if someone has procured illegal fireworks from a couple of states over. Are you:1. first in line to light them?2. content to watch while others set them off?3. going to find a fire extinguisher — just in case — while loudly condemning the activity?Ken Carter, a psychologist at Oxford College of Emory University, says everyone has a different level of sensation-seeking. This episode, we get into the factors at play, like people's brain chemistry, when deciding

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14:01

Is setting your trash on fire a good idea?

Short Wave ·

2026/07/01

The U.S. generates 292 million tons of trash each year – and that trash has to go somewhere. Sometimes, that’s to an incinerator, where it’s burned and turned into electricity. Proponents of incineration applaud the ability to generate energy from waste and divert garbage from landfills. Opponents worry about the potential health risks, especially to minoritized communities. Today on the show, we explore the good and the bad of waste-to-energy facilities – and even get to see one up

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13:14

Ticks are a growing problem, no matter where you live

Short Wave ·

2026/06/30

In the grand scheme of things, Lyme disease is a fairly new scientific discovery. It was first traced back to ticks in the late 70s and early 80s. The tick-borne illness can cause a rash, fever, pain, neurological complications, and even facial paralysis. It’s spread by only two of the nearly 50 species of ticks in the United States. Historically, most Lyme cases were limited to a small region, including the Great Lakes area and northeastern US. But thanks to changing temperatures, animal migration

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13:46

Is working from home actually good for you?

Short Wave ·

2026/06/29

For many, being able to work from home is a boon: saving time on your commute, working in your sweatpants, throwing in a load of laundry before a meeting. People say it makes them happier. But a new study suggests that, despite all the advantages, working from home isn’t creating a happier workforce. It’s making people more socially isolated. We get into all the details with NPR mental health correspondent Rhitu Chatterjee.Interested in more everyday science? Email us your question at

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9:29

Salty Clouds aren’t the only strange thing about this...

Short Wave ·

2026/06/26

There’s an object in space 25 times the size of Jupiter that’s stumped scientists for years. They haven’t been able to figure out if it’s a planet or a failed star. But scientists are one step closer to an answer thanks to the powerful James Webb Space Telescope. After analyzing data collected by the telescope, astronomers have uncovered unexpected new clues floating light years away from us: Salty clouds sitting in space as hot as some home ovens. And if this mystery isn’t enough, we have more to

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10:41

Did Trump's foreign aid cuts fuel the Ebola outbreak?

Short Wave ·

2026/06/24

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is growing – and is likely larger than official numbers show. The deadly disease spreads through bodily fluids, on average killing half the people it infects. And while officially declared in May, the case numbers point to the virus circulating for months without being detected. To make matters worse, there’s not a vaccine for this specific species of ebolavirus – at least, not yet. NPR global health correspondent Jonathan Lambert has been

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12:44

What can a tornado teach us about kindness?

Short Wave ·

2026/06/23

One evening in May of 2011, tornado sirens went off in a small Missouri city called Joplin. Thousands of homes were destroyed in the tornado, about a third of the town’s 50,000 residents were displaced and around 160 people died. And in the months following the tornado, the town became known not just for the destruction, but the kindness and cooperation that led to its recovery. Scientists who have studied behavior after mass traumas say, disasters can spark an outpouring of kindness and powerful

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13:46

Inside the mysterious minds of horses

Short Wave ·

2026/06/22

Janet Jones has been fascinated by horses since childhood. She’s now a horse trainer and a neuroscientist, which allows her to explore the minds of the animals to which she’s devoted her life. She even recently wrote a book all about their brains. She says there’s an enormous gap between the way humans have relied on horses for tens of thousands of years – and what we actually know about their brains. And they have lots to teach us humans. That’s why we’re diving into science today. Interested in

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10:51

Why scientists launched two little robots to the moon

Short Wave ·

2026/06/19

Two tiny transforming robots landed on the moon! These baseball-sized bots accompanied Japan's first successful lunar lander. They rolled out of SLIM as balls and transformed into a rover. The bots cracked down the middle to reveal a little camera in the center. The halves then acted as spinning wheels that helped them waddle, bounce and roll over hard terrain as they explored. In this roundup of space news, we also get into the latest turn about how much the universe is expanding and the Earthly

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12:37

Is sewage the future of green aviation?

Short Wave ·

2026/06/17

The war in Iran has disrupted the global fuel supply. That has sent airline prices soaring and cancelled scores of flights. This got Short Wave host Emily Kwong wondering: Could another fuel source help take us to the skies? Today on the show, we explore the chemistry and cost of sustainable aviation fuel. Along the way, we highlight two initiatives to create a regional SAF supply – one in Washington and one in Pennsylvania. Interested in more stories about the future of flying? Email us your

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10:21

Could air pollution make your memory worse?

Short Wave ·

2026/06/16

Summer is here, your windows are open and the smell of…car exhaust and the latest wildfire are wafting in. This air pollution is harmful to almost every organ, including the brain. Today on Short Wave, we talk about one way air pollution may cloud your memory.Interested in more episodes about how where we live affects us? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org and we may turn it into an episode!Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for

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10:29

Inside the lab taste-testing the world's chocolate

Short Wave ·

2026/06/15

Could standardizing chocolate help small-scale farmers? Chocolate scientist Julien Simonis thinks it could help persuade consumers to pay for higher quality chocolate, in turn helping out these growers. Every cacao bean is different, and for a long time, there wasn't a standard way of comparing the quality of chocolate. But in 2009, a sustainable agriculture nonprofit started a program called Cacao of Excellence. The goal was to develop a standard way of evaluating cacao just like those sommelier’s

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9:30

Why your sunscreen is finally getting a major upgrade

Short Wave ·

2026/06/12

Until this week, the United States hadn’t approved a new sunscreen ingredient in over 20 years. That changed Tuesday, when the FDA approved a new chemical for U.S. sunscreens. It’s called bemotrizinol, and NPR science correspondent Maria Godoy joins us to tell us all about it — including the soonest it’s expected to hit shelves.Interested in more science news? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for

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11:26

How a single flu shot could protect you for decades

Short Wave ·

2026/06/10

Every year, tens of millions of people in the U.S. get the flu vaccine. That’s because the virus changes year-to-year and protection only lasts around six months. Adolfo Garcia-Sastre wants to change that. He’s one scientist working on a universal flu vaccine that could provide decades of protection against all flu illnesses – but only if his team can find the resources that disappeared when U.S. funding dipped.If you liked this episode, listen to our episode on a vaccine trial that could end

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14:12

Your DNA is changing all the time. Here’s why

Short Wave ·

2026/06/09

We tend to think of the DNA strands that contain our genetic code as consistent, stable units. But in reality, the cells that make up our bodies are constantly replicating and changing. Even as you read this sentence, in fact, the genes within your cells are mutating. So, what causes these mutations and what’s the impact? Science writer Roxanne Khamsi examines the answers in her new book, Beyond Inheritance. Today on the show, she gets into how scientists examine these mutations, how they’ve shifted

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14:17

Inner monologues are still a mystery

Short Wave ·

2026/06/08

Emily Kwong is pretty sure she lacks an inner monologue, while the inner monologue of producer Rachel Carlson won’t stop chatting. But how well can a person know their inner self? And what does science have to say about it? We dig in in this encore episode of Short Wave.To learn more about Charles Fernyhough’s research on voice hearing, visit the project website. If you liked this episode, check out our episode on when your brain is actually an "adult."Interested in more science inside your

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1,540 results

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