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
- 1345
- Years Active
- 2019 - 2025
Who pays for climate change?
A coalition of wealthier countries have promised that they'll provide $100 billion each year to help developing countries tackle climate change. So far, most haven't delivered on their promises, and …
00:10:03 |
Wed 10 Nov 2021
Can climate talk turn into climate action?
In the first week of COP26, the UN climate conference, world leaders took to the podium to talk about what their countries are going to do to fight climate change. They made big pledges, but protesto…
00:11:53 |
Tue 09 Nov 2021
What happens in the brain when we grieve
When we lose someone or something we love, it can feel like we've lost a part of ourselves. And for good reason--our brains are learning how to live in the world without someone we care about in it. …
00:15:10 |
Mon 08 Nov 2021
Why Aduhelm, a new Alzheimer's treatment, isn't reaching many patients
Aduhelm, known generically as aducanumab, is the first drug to actually affect the underlying disease process associated with Alzheimer's. Yet sales have been limited, and the drug is reaching very f…
00:09:45 |
Fri 05 Nov 2021
Housing and COVID: Why helping people pay rent can help fight the pandemic
When people can't afford rent, they often end up in closer quarters. NPR health policy correspondent Selena Simmons-Duffin shares two stories from her reporting and the research being done on housing…
00:13:23 |
Thu 04 Nov 2021
Planning for a space mission to last more than 50 years
In 1977, NASA sent out two Voyager probes to study Jupiter and Saturn. The spacecrafts were designed to last about five years, but they are still, to this day, collecting and sending back data from b…
00:14:08 |
Wed 03 Nov 2021
A new step toward ending 'the wrath of malaria'
Scientists have been trying to figure out how to eradicate malaria for decades. Globally, a child under the age of five dies from the disease every two minutes, and even for kids who do survive there…
00:10:56 |
Tue 02 Nov 2021
The history and future of mRNA vaccine technology (encore)
(Encore) The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are the first authorized vaccines in history to use mRNA technology. In light of the authorization for some children and teens now, we are …
00:12:13 |
Mon 01 Nov 2021
The countries left behind in climate negotiations
NPR climate correspondents Lauren Sommer and Dan Charles join the show before the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland (COP26) starts on Sunday. Diplomats, business executives, climate e…
00:13:44 |
Fri 29 Oct 2021
How metaphors and stories are integral to science and healing
New York's Bellevue Hospital is the oldest public hospital in the country, serving patients from all walks of life. It's also the home of a literary magazine, the Bellevue Literary Review, which turn…
00:12:50 |
Thu 28 Oct 2021
Spiders can have arachnophobia!
If you're not so fond of spiders, you may find kindred spirits in other spiders! Researcher Daniela Roessler worked with jumping spiders and found that they know to get away from the presence of oth…
00:12:17 |
Wed 27 Oct 2021
The opioid epidemic
Over the last 25 years, the opioid epidemic has been devastating to families and communities all over the U.S., and has caused half a million deaths. But it started as a way to treat severe pain. Tod…
00:16:07 |
Tue 26 Oct 2021
The zombies living in our midst
The idea of human zombies probably seems pretty far-fetched. But there are real zombies out there in the animal kingdom. To kick off Halloween week, science writer Ed Yong of The Atlantic creeps us o…
00:09:42 |
Mon 25 Oct 2021
Code Switch: Archaeological skeletons in the closet
Today, we present a special episode from our colleagues at Code Switch, NPR's podcast about race and identity.
In a small suburb of Washington, D.C., a nondescript beige building houses thousands of …
In a small suburb of Washington, D.C., a nondescript beige building houses thousands of …
00:32:45 |
Fri 22 Oct 2021
An ode to the Pacific lamprey
Pacific lamprey may 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 St…
00:16:43 |
Thu 21 Oct 2021
A biodiesel boom (and conundrum)
There's a biodiesel boom happening! It's fueled by incentives and policies intended to cut greenhouse emissions, and is motivating some oil companies like World Energy in Paramount, California to con…
00:12:31 |
Wed 20 Oct 2021
COVID-19 boosters are here
The United States is on the verge of dramatically expanding the availability of COVID-19 vaccine boosters to shore up people's immune systems. As NPR health correspondent Rob Stein reports, the Food …
00:11:08 |
Tue 19 Oct 2021
How do we make sense of the sounds around us?
Our colleagues at All Things Considered chatted with neuroscientist Nina Kraus about her new book Of Sound Mind. She shares how our brains process and create meaning from the sounds around us.
Learn m…
Learn m…
00:09:05 |
Mon 18 Oct 2021
The Mighty Mangrove
Along certain coastlines near the equator, you can find a tree with superpowers. Mangroves provide a safe haven for a whole ecosystem of animals. They also fight climate change by storing tons of car…
00:12:11 |
Fri 15 Oct 2021
The mystery of the mummified Twinkie
A box of Twinkies, left alone for eight years, held some surprises for Colin Purrington. Upon having a sugar craving, combined with being "just so bored, with the pandemic," Purrington opened the box…
00:12:39 |
Thu 14 Oct 2021
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