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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.

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All Episodes

8:17

New Frogs Just Dropped

Short Wave ·

2024/10/18

In the humid rainforests of northern and eastern Madagascar reside seven newly described frog species. They often hang out near fast, flowing rivers. These treefrogs' high-pitched, "futuristic" sounds may help male frogs attract females over the sound of nearby rushing water. They also are what inspired their Star Trek-themed names. Have another animal you want us to dig into for a future episode? Email us at shortwave@npr.org!Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR

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14:12

Europa Clipper And The Search For Life In Space

Short Wave ·

2024/10/16

NASA's Europa Clipper mission launched Monday, beginning its years-long journey to the distant icy moon it's named after. This mission is designed to tell scientists more about the structure, the interior and the habitability of Europa, one of the four large moons of Jupiter. Host Regina G. Barber talks with astrobiologist and friend of the show Mike Wong about why their mutual love for this fascinating moon and what it means for the search for life outside of Earth. Plus, they talk about other icy

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17:55

5-Year-Olds Asked Us Science Questions. We Answer

Short Wave ·

2024/10/15

In honor of our show turning 5 (!!) today... 5 Short Wave staffersanswer 5(x2) questionsfrom some of our 5-year-old listenersand explain the science ... like they're 5. SPOILER ALERT: The questions are brilliant, delightful and span everything from how colors work to insects, the formation of Earth and space.Want to know more about the science of the world? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we might cover it on a future episode!Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR

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14:41

Why Traditional Plant Knowledge Is Not A Quick Fix

Short Wave ·

2024/10/14

Host Regina G. Barber talks with Rosalyn LaPier about ethnobotany--what it is and how traditional plant knowledge is frequently misunderstood in the era of COVID and psychedelics. And, how it's relevant and important for reproductive health today. (encore)Have a topic you want us to cover on a future episode? Email us at shortwave@npr.org!Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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12:55

What The Heck Is A Rock Glacier?

Short Wave ·

2024/10/11

Even though there are more than 10,000 rock glaciers in the western United States, most people would look at one without knowing it. Unlike the snowy glaciers we're more familiar with, rock glaciers are under-researched and hiding in plain sight. But inside these glaciers covered with rocks is a little bit of climate hope.Read more of science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce's reporting here. Want to know more about the hidden science of the world? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we might cover it

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13:45

Anxious? Try Watching A Scary Movie

Short Wave ·

2024/10/09

In human history, fear kept us safe when running from predators and anxiety kept us from going back to that lion-infested area. But what happens when these feelings get out of hand in humans today? And why do some of us crave that feeling from scary movies or haunted houses? For answers, we turn to Arash Javanbakht, a psychiatrist from Wayne State University. He likes studying fear so much, he wrote a whole book called Afraid. This episode, he gets into the difference between fear and anxiety, many

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14:54

How Do You Spot A Liar?

Short Wave ·

2024/10/08

For over a century, we've been inventing technology to catch liars in the act. To this end, the polygraph was invented and became wildly popular in the mid-20th century. Then, there was an era of "micro-expression training," which claimed person could be caught lying through a skilled analysis of their face. Now, there's talk of using artificial intelligence to analyze the human voice. But do any of these methods even work? And if not ... what are the risks? Emily and Gina investigates how deception

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12:23

Mapping The Entire Fruit Fly Brain

Short Wave ·

2024/10/07

Fruit fly brains are smaller than a poppy seed, but that doesn't mean they aren't complex. For the first time, researchers have published a complete diagram of 50 million connections in an adult fruit flies brain. The journal Nature simultaneously published nine papers related to this new brain map. Until now, only a roundworm and a fruit fly larva had been mapped in this way.Read more of science correspondent Jon Hamilton's reporting here. Want to know more about the future of brain science? Email

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7:28

What Lightning And Black Holes Have In Common

Short Wave ·

2024/10/04

Lightning: It happens all the time, and yet the exact details of how it's made has long eluded scientists. That is, until now. New research out this week in the journal Nature holds new insights into the precursor to lightning. To figure it out, researchers flew a NASA ER-2 – essentially the research version of a spy plane – over several tropical thunderstorms. What they found: The same high energy radiation is found in places like neutron stars and around black holes. Want to hear more stories

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13:58

Why Astronomers Are Teaching Climate Change

Short Wave ·

2024/10/02

Years ago, astronomy professors started noticing something that troubled them: Many of their students didn't understand climate change and the science supporting it. So a small group of professors decided to do something about it — teach climate change in their introductory astronomy courses. Want to hear more stories about climate change? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear from you!Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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12:00

If Fungi Win, Will We Be Ready?

Short Wave ·

2024/10/01

Over six million fungal species are believed to inhabit planet Earth. Outsmarting them is the work of Arturo Casadevall's lifetime. What If Fungi Win? is the question at the heart of Arturo's new book, co-authored with journalist Stephanie Desmon. In this episode, Emily and Regina take a trip to Arturo's lab at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and meet a group of scientists thinking about the fungal consequences of climate change, urban heat islands, and scooping up microbes with candy. Curious

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10:56

Do NYC Birds Hold The Clues To The Next Pandemic?

Short Wave ·

2024/09/30

Most viruses that become epidemics in humans begin in other animals. It's how scientists suspect COVID-19 emerged. And now, less than five years after the start of the pandemic, some scientists are concerned about another disease that could do something similar: bird flu, or H5N1. Over the past year, the virus has spilled into cows and other animals — even infecting some people working closely with the animals. Some scientists hope to build a more resilient public health system by finding ways to

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11:55

Hurricane Helene Is Here And Powerful

Short Wave ·

2024/09/27

Governors across the southeastern United States have declared statewide states of emergency as Hurricane Helene continues its ascent. After forming in the northwestern Caribbean Sea Tuesday, Helene escalated from a tropical storm, then to a cyclone, and finally to a Category 4 hurricane by the time it made landfall late Thursday night. We talk to hurricane climatologist Jill Trepanier about how a storm tropical storm system rapidly intensifies into a major hurricane, the impact of a changing climate

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14:25

The Reality Of OCD

Short Wave ·

2024/09/25

Around 2% of the global population struggles with obsessive compulsive disorder, or OCD. That's roughly 163 million people who go through cycles of obsessions – unwanted intrusive thoughts, images or urges – and compulsions, or behaviors to decrease the distress caused by these thoughts. In movies and TV, characters with OCD are often depicted washing their hands or obsessing about symmetry. Dr. Carolyn Rodriguez says these are often symptoms of OCD, but they're not the only ways it manifests – and

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12:18

Harnessing The Ghost Particles Blasting Through You

Short Wave ·

2024/09/24

At the beginning of the universe, annihilation reigned supreme. Equal amounts of matter and antimatter collided. There should have been nothing left. And, yet, here we all are. Matter won out. The question is: why? Scientists are probing the mysteries of a ghostly subatomic particle for answers. To do it, they'll need to shoot a beam of them 800 miles underground. Interested in more mysteries of the universe? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices:

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14:12

Solving The EV Battery Recycling Puzzle

Short Wave ·

2024/09/23

Electric vehicle batteries will all, eventually, reach the end of their lives. When that happens, they should be recycled. But what breakthroughs could make that happen cleanly, efficiently — and close to home? Today, business correspondent Camila Domonoske takes us on a tour of one company trying to crack the EV battery recycling puzzle — to learn what this case study can tell us about the larger battery picture. Plus, why recycling is kind of like wresting with Lego bricks.Read more of Camila's

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5:48

How To Get A Haircut In Space

Short Wave ·

2024/09/21

Hey, Short Wavers! Today we're sharing an excerpt of the new NPR podcast How To Do Everything. How To Do Everything is half advice show, half survival guide, and half absurdity-fest — and it's not made by anyone who understands math. In fact, it comes from the same team that brings you NPR's news quiz Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me!We think you'll like their vibe, and we especially think you'll like this excerpt from their recent episode. It features astronaut Frank Rubio, who holds the record for the

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8:42

The Scuba Diving Lizards Breathing By Bubble

Short Wave ·

2024/09/20

What's scaly, striped and breathes underwater like a scuba diver? Water anoles! These lizards can form a bubble over their head to support breathing underwater. They're found in the tropical forests of southern Costa Rica. Want more critter stories? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear your thoughts!Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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13:55

Are Crabs The Final Form?

Short Wave ·

2024/09/18

Evolution keeps making crabs. In fact, it's happened so often that there's a special scientific term for an organism turning crab-like: carcinization. But how many times has it happened, and why? When did the very first crab originate? What about all the times crabs have been unmade? And does all this mean that we, too, will eventually become crabs? In this episode, host Emily Kwong chats with Javier Luque about crabs, carcinization and change.Want more paleontological science stories? Email us at

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12:11

The physics of wheelchair basketball, from a Paralympian

Short Wave ·

2024/09/17

Patrick Anderson is widely recognized as the greatest wheelchair basketball player of all time. He's represented Canada at the Paralympics six times and led his team to win three gold — and one silver — medals. But since he first started playing in the 1990s, the sport has changed dramatically. He says that's due in part to the technological innovations in wheelchair athletics. In this episode, guest host Andrew Mambo chats with Patrick about the reasons for these changes. They also cover the origin

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1,574 results

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