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.
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- Update frequency
- every 2 days
- Average duration
- 12 minutes
- Episodes
- 1345
- Years Active
- 2019 - 2025
Where Do Climate Negotiations Stand At COP27?
Climate negotiations continue at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Tens of thousands of attendees from around the world have gathered in the seaside resort town. They've come to discuss some of the ke…
00:13:04 |
Wed 16 Nov 2022
Searching For A New Life
Today, we pass the mic to our colleagues at All Things Considered to share the first piece in their series on the impact of climate change, global migration and far-right politics. They begin with t…
00:14:42 |
Tue 15 Nov 2022
Corey Gray Is Picking Up Cosmic Vibrations
A pivotal week in Corey Gray's life began with a powwow in Alberta and culminated with a piece of history: the first-ever detection of gravitational waves from the collision of two neutron stars. Cor…
00:14:21 |
Mon 14 Nov 2022
Climate Tipping Points And The Damage That Could Follow
If Earth heats up beyond 1.5 degrees, the impacts don't get just slightly worse--scientists warn that abrupt changes could be set off, with devastating impacts around the world. As the 27th annual cl…
00:12:47 |
Fri 11 Nov 2022
Depression And Alzheimer's Treatments At A Crossroads
Researchers are launching a make-or-break study to test the conventional wisdom about what causes Alzheimer's disease. And in a recent small study, the antidepressant effects of ketamine lasted longe…
00:11:53 |
Thu 10 Nov 2022
Why Do We Cry?
Last month, Short Wave explored the evolutionary purpose of laughter. Now, we're talking tears. From glistening eyeballs to waterworks, what are tears? Why do we shed them? And what makes our species…
00:12:51 |
Wed 09 Nov 2022
Traditional Plant Knowledge Is Not A Quick Fix
Regina G. Barber talks with Dr. 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 releva…
00:14:51 |
Tue 08 Nov 2022
COP-out: Who's Liable For Climate Change Destruction?
World leaders have gathered in Egypt this week to begin climate talks at the 27th Conference of the Parties. However, there are still outstanding questions about who should pay for climate change los…
00:11:57 |
Mon 07 Nov 2022
Control: Eugenics And The Corruption Of Science
In 1859, Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species, a book about the evolution of non-human animals by natural selection. In its wake, a political idea arose — eugenics. Reading Darwin's bo…
00:14:04 |
Fri 04 Nov 2022
Should Daylight Saving Time Be Permanent?
Correspondent Allison Aubrey talks to host Emily Kwong about the pros and cons of adopting permanent Daylight Saving Time or year-round Standard Time.
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00:13:36 |
Thu 03 Nov 2022
Allergic To Cats? There's Hope Yet!
Katie Wu is a cat person. She has two of them: twin boys named Calvin and Hobbes. But up until grad school, she couldn't be anywhere close to a cat without her throat tightening and her nose clogging…
00:13:40 |
Wed 02 Nov 2022
Saving The Pacific Lamprey
Pacific lamprey have lived on Earth for about 450 million years. When humans came along, a deep relationship formed between Pacific lamprey and Native American tribes across the western United States…
00:15:32 |
Tue 01 Nov 2022
Donate Your Body To Science?
Halloween calls to mind graveyards and the walking dead, so, naturally, Short Wave wanted to know what happens when you donate your body to real scientists. Host Aaron Scott talked with journalist Ab…
00:13:04 |
Mon 31 Oct 2022
100 Years Of Box Turtles
The common box turtle is found just about anywhere in the continental United States east of Colorado. For all their ubiquity, it's unclear how many there are or how they're faring in the face of many…
00:13:55 |
Fri 28 Oct 2022
He Had His Father's Voice: Tracking A Rare Bird Hybrid
When Steve Gosser heard the song of a scarlet tanager in the woods, he knew to look for a bright-red bird with black wings. But when he laid eyes on the singer, he saw instead a dark-colored head, bl…
00:13:15 |
Thu 27 Oct 2022
The Tigray Medical System Collapse
The civil war in Ethiopia is destroying the medical system in the northern Tigray region, which serves nearly 7 million people. Doctors are operating without anesthesia and re-using medical equipment…
00:11:44 |
Wed 26 Oct 2022
When Autumn Leaves Start To Fall
Botanist and founder of #BlackBotanistsWeek Tanisha Williams explains why some leaves change color during fall and what shorter days and colder temperatures have to do with it. Plus, a bit of listene…
00:10:47 |
Tue 25 Oct 2022
New Discoveries In Underwater Plant Sex
Plants living underwater can't count on pollinating insects to get it on. The prevailing theory has been that pollen moves underwater simply by floating around in water currents. But a team of resear…
00:10:36 |
Mon 24 Oct 2022
Brain Cells In A Dish Play Pong And Other Brain Adventures
The world of brain research had two incredible developments last week. Researchers have taught a dish of brain cells to play the video game Pong to help develop more intelligent AI. Separately, scien…
00:13:52 |
Fri 21 Oct 2022
These Animals Will Mess You Up
The natural world is filled with treats ... and tricks. Today, Internet zoologist and TikTok star Mamadou Ndiaye takes over to talk about some of those tricks — specifically the murderous ones. He tu…
00:12:46 |
Thu 20 Oct 2022
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