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
Beyond Condoms!
Contraceptive research has historically prioritized women because they bear the burden of pregnancy and most contraceptive options available today are for women. But there are efforts to widen the co…
00:13:08 |
Wed 19 Oct 2022
Choose Your Own (Math) Adventure
Ever read those Choose Your Own Adventure books of the 80s and 90s? As a kid, Dr. Pamela Harris was hooked on them. Years later she realized how much those books have in common with her field: combin…
00:12:01 |
Tue 18 Oct 2022
You're 50, And Your Body Is Changing: Time For The Talk
Perimenopause, the period of transition to menopause, is still a largely misunderstood chapter of reproductive life. It brings about both physical and mental health changes that patients might not he…
00:13:39 |
Mon 17 Oct 2022
Pop Quiz! Short Wave Birthday Edition
Short Wave hosts Aaron Scott and Emily Kwong quiz All Things Considered hosts Mary Louise Kelly and Sacha Pfeiffer on some science questions Short Wave has reported on over the past year. They say th…
00:14:08 |
Fri 14 Oct 2022
Why Do We Laugh?
Laughter: We do it spontaneously, we do it forcefully, we do it with each other and by ourselves. But why did we evolve to giggle in the first place?
Emily and Regina explore the evolutionary underpi…
Emily and Regina explore the evolutionary underpi…
00:13:17 |
Thu 13 Oct 2022
We Baked A Cake For Our 3rd Birthday!
Of course we have to have cake for Short Wave's third birthday! Sugar-ologist and biochemist Adriana Patterson talks to producer Berly McCoy to give us some tips from chemistry - the secret to making…
00:14:19 |
Wed 12 Oct 2022
The Quest To Save The California Condor
The California condor used to soar across the western skies of North America, but by the 1980s, the bird was on the edge of extinction — just 22 remained. Thanks to decades of conservation work, the …
00:12:10 |
Tue 11 Oct 2022
IVF Has Come A Long Way, But Many Don't Have Access
Since the first successful in vitro fertilization pregnancy and live birth in 1978, nearly half a million babies have been born using IVF in the United States. Assisted reproductive technology has ma…
00:13:01 |
Fri 07 Oct 2022
The Scorpion Renaissance Is Upon Us
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…
00:12:23 |
Thu 06 Oct 2022
A New Drug For A Relentless Brain Disease
ALS is a disease that destroys the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord we need for voluntary movement. There is no cure, but now there is a newly approved medication that may slow down the disea…
00:13:05 |
Wed 05 Oct 2022
Why Disaster Relief Underserves Those Who Need It Most
When a disaster like Hurricane Ian destroys a house, the clock starts ticking. It gets harder for sick people to take their medications, medical devices may stop working without electricity, excessiv…
00:13:20 |
Tue 04 Oct 2022
Predicting Landslides: After Disaster, Alaska Town Turns To Science
On August 18, 2015, in Sitka, Alaska, a slope above a subdivision of homes under construction gave way. This landslide demolished a building and killed three people. Today on the show, host Emily Kwo…
00:14:22 |
Mon 03 Oct 2022
Sustainable Seafood? It's A Question Of Data
The last several decades have taken a toll on the oceans: Some fish populations are collapsing, plastic is an increasing problem and climate change is leading to coral bleaching — as well as a host o…
00:14:07 |
Fri 30 Sep 2022
Why The Bladder Is Number One!
When's the last time you thought about your bladder? We're going there today! In this Short Wave episode, Emily talks to bladder expert Dr. Indira Mysorekar about one of our stretchiest organs: how i…
00:12:53 |
Thu 29 Sep 2022
Grasslands: The Unsung Carbon Hero
What's in a grassland? There are all sorts of wildflowers, many insects, animals like prairie dogs, bison and antelope — and beneath the surface, there's a lot of carbon. According to some estimates,…
00:13:48 |
Wed 28 Sep 2022
One Park. 24 Hours.
It's easy to take city parks for granted, or to think of them as separate from nature and from the Earth's changing climate. But the place where many of us come face-to-face with climate change is ou…
00:15:52 |
Tue 27 Sep 2022
Asteroid Deflection Mission, Activate!
In movies, asteroids careening towards Earth are confronted by determined humans with nuclear weapons to save the world! But a real NASA mission wants to change the course of an asteroid now (one not…
00:13:18 |
Mon 26 Sep 2022
Rise Of The Dinosaurs
Dinosaurs ruled the earth for many millions of years, but only after a mass extinction took out most of their rivals. Just how that happened remains a mystery — sounds like a case for paleoclimatolog…
00:14:27 |
Fri 23 Sep 2022
Working With Tribes To Co-Steward National Parks
In the final episode of Short Wave's Summer Road Trip series exploring the science happening in national parks and public lands, Aaron talks to National Park Service Director Charles Sams, who recent…
00:13:49 |
Thu 22 Sep 2022
Water Water Everywhere, But How Much Do You Really Need?
The water advice is everywhere - how much to drink (8 cups a day - really?), what to drink, when to drink, and all its benefits. On this episode we produced with our colleagues at Life Kit, hosts Aar…
00:19:19 |
Wed 21 Sep 2022
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