Short Wave
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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.If you're hooked, try Short Wave Plus. Your su...
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AI is great at predicting text. Can it guide robots?
It seems like artificial intelligence is everywhere in our virtual lives. It's in our search results and our phones. But what happens when AI moves ou...
The physics of the Winter Olympics
Watching a ski jumper fly through the air might get you wondering, “How do they do that?” The answer is – physics!
That’s why this episod...
These bacteria may be key to the fight against antibiotic resistance
In 1928, a chance contaminant in Scottish physician Alexander Fleming’s lab experiment led to a discovery that would change the field of medicine fore...
Babies got beat: Why rhythm might be innate
Rhythm is everywhere. Even if you don’t think you have it, it’s fundamental to humans’ biological systems. Our heartbeat is rhythmic. Speech is rhythm...
How do extreme G-forces affect Olympic bobsledders?
Olympic sliding sports – bobsled, luge and skeleton – are known for their speed. Athletes chase medals down a track of ice at up to 80 or 90 mph. With...
Autism: debunking Trump claims, and what scientists still don't know
Autism has a long history of misinformation that continues to today. The Trump administration has perpetuated some of this misinformation in the last...
Why research into ‘forever chemicals’ includes firefighters
PFAS make pans nonstick, clothes waterproof and furniture stain resistant. They're so ubiquitous, they're even inside of us. Now, researchers are look...
Lessons and failures from the Challenger space shuttle explosion
On Jan. 28, 1986, NASA’s 25th space shuttle mission, Challenger, left the launchpad in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Seventy-three seconds into flight, Cha...
How scientists predict big winter storms
This past weekend, Winter Storm Fern struck the States. Sleet, snow and ice battered Americans all the way from New Mexico to New York. Scientists pre...
What drives animals to your yard? It's complicated
Listener Shabnam Khan has a problem: Every time she works in her garden, she’s visited by lizards and frogs. Shabnam has lived in the metro Atlanta ar...
Iran offline: How a government can turn off the internet
There’s an ongoing, near-total blackout of the internet in Iran. The shutdown is part of a response by the government to ongoing protests against risi...
The plight of penguins in Antarctica
A new study shows penguins are breeding earlier than ever in the Antarctic Peninsula. This region is one of the fastest-warming areas of the world due...
A failed galaxy could solve the dark matter mystery
Cloud 9 is a failed galaxy. It’s a clump of dark matter, called a dark matter halo, that never formed stars. But this failure could be the key to a my...
Is ‘The Pitt’ accurate? Medical experts weigh in
Medical drama The Pitt is winning Golden Globes… and health care workers’ hearts. Medical experts say the show, which chronicles a fictional Pittsburg...
Come critter spotting with us on a cold winter's night
In today's episode, host Emily Kwong leads us on a night hike in Patuxent River State Park in Maryland. Alongside a group of naturalists led by Serene...
10 breakthrough technologies to expect in 2026
Wanna know where tech is headed this year? MIT Technology Review has answers. They compile an annual list called "10 Breakthrough Technologies". Today...
When is your brain actually an "adult"?
There’s this idea that something happens in the human brain when we turn 25. Suddenly, we can rent a car without fees. Make rational decisions. We may...
The ozone layer is still healing…thanks to science
In the mid-1980s, scientists published a startling finding–a giant hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica. That’s the protective shield that blocks l...
These little microbes may help solve our big problems
Microbes are little alchemists that perform all manner of chemical reactions. A team of microbiologists co-founded a non-profit to try to harness thos...
Hot galaxies alert!
Most astronomers agree that young galaxy clusters should be relatively cool compared to older ones. But researchers recently found a very young cluste...
Micro Forests: An Emerging Climate Hero?
Healthy forests help combat climate change, provide humans with drinking water and even improve mental and physical health. But it’s hard to imagine a...
Behold a T-Rex holotype, paleontology's "gold standard"
What happens behind the scenes of a dinosaur exhibit? Short Wave host Regina Barber got to find out … by taking a trip to the Carnegie Museum of Natur...
Did Earth’s Water Come From Space?
Choose your fighter for the origin of water on Earth! Was it always here or did it come to this planet from somewhere else in space? And, either way,...
The trouble of zero
What better time to contemplate the conundrum that is zero than the start of a new year? Zero is a fairly new concept in human history and even more r...
Science In 2025 Took A Hit. What Does It Mean?
Science in the United States took some big hits this year. The Trump Administration disrupted federal funding for all kinds of scientific pursuits. Ad...
Climate Anxiety Is Altering Family Planning
Gen Z and younger millennials are generally the most climate literate generations. As an age cohort that started learning about climate change in scho...
Why Kratom Is At The Heart Of A Big Public Health Debate
Kratom and 7-OH products are available in many smoke shops. But earlier this year, the FDA recommended certain 7-OH products be scheduled alongside op...
Why Drones Are Catching Whale Breaths
Scientists in the Arctic are catching the exhaled breaths of whales to better understand their health. How? Drones. Whales breathe through their blowh...
Drinking Turns Some Red With Asian Glow—And May Fight Tuberculosis
Ever gotten a scarlet, hot face after drinking alcohol or know someone who has? Many people felt it as they celebrate the holidays with loved ones, si...
Why Suicide Prevention is 'Everyone's Business'
Written by Jo Lambert, ‘Hold The Hope’ is now being used as suicide prevention training material by the UK’s National Health Service Mental Health Tru...
No, Raccoons Aren’t Pet-Ready (Yet)
Dogs are man’s best friend. And it’s no secret that we at Short Wave love cats (Regina has four)! Both of these iconic pets have been domesticated – e...
GLP-1 Pills Are On The Way. Here's What To Know
You may have heard of Ozempic, and other GLP-1 drugs. They’re everywhere. And they typically involve weekly injections — which can have a sticker pric...
The Indicator: Take A Penny, Leave A Penny, Get Rid Of The Penny
In November, the U.S. stopped production of the humble penny after 232 years in circulation. On today’s show, Darian Woods and Wailin Wong from NPR's...
"A Very, Very Big Deal." Countries Take On Fossil Fuels
Many countries are frustrated with U.N. climate conferences. While some countries urgently want to transition away from fossil fuels — the main driver...
Could Architecture In Space Make A Greener Earth?
Humankind has the technology to go to space. Space architect Ariel Ekblaw says the bottleneck now is real estate: getting larger volumes of space stat...
Is The Quantum Future Here?
This year, quantum science and computing came up a lot. There have been broad claims that quantum science and engineering could one day help cure dise...
Could This Exoplanet Harbor Life?
Want to be a top notch candidate for hosting alien life? Then there's a few key requirements you should be aware of: Ideally, you're a large object li...
How Replaceable Are You?
In the 1970’s TV show called Six Million Dollar Man, a test pilot is in a horrible accident. The show’s famous line goes, “We can rebuild him. We have...
The Closest Thing To A Cure For Allergies
More than 100 million people in the U.S. have some allergy each year. That’s about every 1 in 3 adults. For many, the fix is a bandaid: over-the-count...
Controversy In Yellowstone
Thirty years ago, park rangers reintroduced grey wolves into Yellowstone National Park. They wanted to restore the ecosystem and get the elk populatio...