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 subscription supports the show and unlocks a sponsor-free feed. Learn more at plus.npr.org/shortwave
- Update frequency
- every 2 days
- Average duration
- 12 minutes
- Episodes
- 1344
- Years Active
- 2019 - 2025
A Tale Of Two Lunar Landing Attempts
A journey through some of the latest science stories catching our eyes. This time, we consider the Russian and Indian lunar landing attempts, how scientists are reconstructing music from people's bra…
00:09:42 |
Fri 25 Aug 2023
What Made Hilary Such A Weird Storm
One name has been on millions of minds — and all over the news — in the past week: Hilary.
It's been decades since a storm like this has hit Southern California, so even some scientists were shocked w…
It's been decades since a storm like this has hit Southern California, so even some scientists were shocked w…
00:12:20 |
Wed 23 Aug 2023
Fixing Our Failing Electric Grid... On A Budget
It's no secret that our electric grid is a flaming hot mess — and in order to reduce emissions, the U.S. needs to get a lot more renewables onto the grid. But there's a problem: Our electric grid is …
00:11:18 |
Mon 21 Aug 2023
The Key To Uncovering An Ancient Maya City? Lasers
Today we enter into the plot of a summer blockbuster adventure movie. Regina talks to NPR reporter Emily Olson about the recently uncovered ancient Maya city, Ocomtun. The large site, which researche…
00:14:08 |
Fri 18 Aug 2023
Is Math Real?
Kids ask, "Why?" all the time. Why does 1+1=2? Why do we memorize multiplication tables? Many of us eventually stop asking these questions. But mathematician Dr. Eugenia Cheng says they're key to unc…
00:12:38 |
Wed 16 Aug 2023
Sperm Can't Really Swim And Other Surprising Pregnancy Facts
There's the birds and the bees. And then there's what happens after. The process that leads to the beginning of pregnancy has a lot more twists and turns than a happenstance meeting. Today on Short W…
00:14:17 |
Mon 14 Aug 2023
The Fish That Conceal Themselves To Hunt
All Things Considered host Juana Summers joins Regina G. Barber and Berly McCoy to nerd-out on some of the latest science news buzzing around in our brains. They talk NASA shouting across billions of…
00:08:44 |
Fri 11 Aug 2023
The Science Of Happiness Sounds Great. But Is The Research Solid?
How do we really get happier? In a new review in the journal Nature Human Behavior, researchers Elizabeth Dunn and Dunigan Folk found that many common strategies for increasing our happiness may not …
00:11:14 |
Wed 09 Aug 2023
Black Metallurgists, Iron And The Industrial Revolution
The ability to create wrought iron cheaply has been called one of the most significant innovations in the British Industrial Revolution. It's known today as the Cort process, named after British bank…
00:10:58 |
Mon 07 Aug 2023
This Sausage-Shaped Part Of Your Brain Causes Out-Of-Body Experiences
Ever felt like you were watching yourself and the rest of the world from outside of your body? Or floating above yourself? Well, scientists finally know what part of your brain is causing that sensat…
00:10:26 |
Fri 04 Aug 2023
The Secrecy Of The Horseshoe Crab Blood Harvest
For decades, humans have harvested the blood of horseshoe crabs, which is used to test whether many of our vaccines and medicines are contaminated with harmful bacterial toxins. But the horseshoe cra…
00:14:51 |
Wed 02 Aug 2023
Christmas in July! Celebrate With Hilarious Research
Would you survive as a doctor in The Sims 4? What's the appropriate amount of free food to take from a public sample station before it's considered greedy? And how much of an impact do clock towers h…
00:13:29 |
Mon 31 Jul 2023
The Jackson Water Crisis Through A Student Journalist's Eyes
In this special episode, we hear from the high school grand prize winner of NPR's Student Podcast Challenge: Georgianna McKenny. A rising senior at the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science,…
00:11:54 |
Sat 29 Jul 2023
Peanuts, Pets And Poopy Shores
For most infants, introducing peanuts early can help prevent allergies later on — but a new study reveals most caregivers don't know that. Why? Plus — some summertime advice for keeping pets cool in …
00:09:18 |
Fri 28 Jul 2023
Why Babies Babble And What It Can Teach Adults About Language
In which we metaphorically enter the UCLA Language Acquisistion Lab's recording castle, guided by linguistics researcher Dr. Megha Sundara. NPR science correspondent Sydney Lupkin temporarily takes o…
00:10:57 |
Wed 26 Jul 2023
The Scorpion Renaissance Has Arrived
Scorpions: They're found pretty much everywhere, and new species are being identified all the time. Arachnologist Lauren Esposito says there's a lot to love about this oft-misunderstood creature. Mos…
00:12:24 |
Mon 24 Jul 2023
'Oppenheimer' And The Science Of Atomic Bombs
Christopher Nolan's new film 'Oppenheimer' chronicles the life and legacy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the first director of Los Alamos National Laboratory and so-called "Father of the Atomic Bomb." The…
00:12:27 |
Fri 21 Jul 2023
This Cellular Atlas Could Lead To Breakthroughs For Endometriosis Patients
For people with endometriosis—a mysterious disease where endometrial tissue grows outside of the uterus—medical visits can be especially frustrating. It takes some patients years (on average, ten yea…
00:11:04 |
Wed 19 Jul 2023
Meet The Residents Of The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Trash from humans is constantly spilling into the ocean — so much so that there are five gigantic garbage patches in the seas. They hang out at the nexus of the world's ocean currents, changing shape…
00:14:43 |
Mon 17 Jul 2023
Sea squirts and 'skeeters in our science news roundup
Science in the headlines: An amazingly preserved sea squirt fossil that could tell us something about human evolution, a new effort to fight malaria by genetically modifying mosquitos and why archeol…
00:08:59 |
Fri 14 Jul 2023
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