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
White scholars can complicate research into health disparities
The COVID-19 has exposed longstanding and massive health disparities in the U.S., resulting in people of color dying at disproportionately higher rates than other races in this country. Today on the…
00:13:17 |
Wed 13 Oct 2021
Cockroaches are cool!
Cockroaches - do they get a bad rap? Producer Thomas Lu teams up with self-proclaimed lesbian cockroach defender Perry Beasley-Hall to convince producer/guest host Rebecca Ramirez that indeed they a…
00:12:44 |
Tue 12 Oct 2021
Bonobos and the Evolution of Nice
How did humans evolve some key cooperative behaviors like sharing? NPR Science Correspondent Jon Hamilton reports back from a bonobo sanctuary in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where scientists…
00:13:03 |
Fri 08 Oct 2021
Why Music Sticks in Our Brains
Why do some songs can stick with us for a long time, even when other memories start to fade? Science reporter (and former Short Wave intern) Rasha Aridi explains the neuroscience behind that surprisi…
00:13:23 |
Thu 07 Oct 2021
Here's a better way to talk about hair
Humans have scalp hair. But why is human scalp hair so varied? Biological anthropologist Tina Lasisi wanted to find out. And while completing her PhD at Penn State University, she developed a better …
00:15:37 |
Wed 06 Oct 2021
How foraging reconnected Alexis Nikole Nelson with food and her culture
Our colleagues at the TED Radio Hour introduce us to forager and TikTok influencer Alexis Nikole Nelson. She shares how the great outdoors has offered her both an endless array of food options and an…
00:13:35 |
Tue 05 Oct 2021
The Toll Of Burnout On Medical Workers — And Their Patients
Burnout has long been a problem among health care workers. The pandemic has only made it worse. Some were hopeful COVID vaccines would provide some relief, but that hasn't been the case. Now, health …
00:12:46 |
Mon 04 Oct 2021
SURPRISE! It's A...Babbling Baby Bat?
A paper published recently in the journal Science finds similarities between the babbling of human infants and the babbling of the greater sac-winged bat (Saccopteryx bilineata) — a small species of …
00:08:18 |
Fri 01 Oct 2021
Goodbye, Climate Jargon. Hello, Simplicity!
People are likely to be confused by common climate change terms like "mitigation" and "carbon neutral," according to a recent study. So how can everyone do a better job talking about climate change s…
00:10:11 |
Thu 30 Sep 2021
How To Help Someone At Risk Of Suicide
Suicide was the 11th leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2020, according to the most current data. But research shows that suicide is preventable. Host Emily Kwong talks with NPR health corresponde…
00:14:53 |
Wed 29 Sep 2021
Scientists Are Racing To Save Sequoias
Based on early estimates, as many as 10,600 large sequoias were killed in last year's Castle Fire — up to 14% of the entire population. The world's largest trees are one of the most fire-adapted to w…
00:11:14 |
Tue 28 Sep 2021
A Science Reporter And A 'Mild' Case Of Breakthrough COVID
Will Stone is a science reporter for NPR. He's been reporting about the pandemic for a while now, so he knows the risks of a breakthrough infection, is vaccinated, and follows COVID guidelines as the…
00:11:46 |
Mon 27 Sep 2021
After Years Of Delays, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope To Launch In December
In December, NASA is scheduled to launch the huge $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope, which is sometimes billed as the successor to the aging Hubble Space Telescope. NPR correspondents Rhitu Chat…
00:14:09 |
Fri 24 Sep 2021
The Surf's Always Up — In Waco, Texas
Some of the world's best artificial waves are happening hundreds of miles from the ocean—in Waco, Texas. They're so good, they're attracting top professionals, casual riders and a science corresponde…
00:11:34 |
Thu 23 Sep 2021
Mapping The Birds Of Bougainville Island
In the early 1900s, the Whitney South Sea expedition gathered 40,000 bird specimens for the American Museum of Natural History. The collection is an irreplaceable snapshot of avian diversity in the S…
00:12:08 |
Wed 22 Sep 2021
How Long Does COVID Immunity Last Anyway?
With booster shots on the horizon for some people, one of the biggest questions is: Am I still protected against COVID-19 if I've only had two doses of the vaccine? As science correspondent Michaele…
00:12:35 |
Tue 21 Sep 2021
Afraid of Needles? You're Not Alone
Many people are afraid of needles in some capacity — about 1 in 10 experience a "high level" of needle fear, says clinical psychologist Meghan McMurtry. But that fear is often underrecognized or misu…
00:13:59 |
Mon 20 Sep 2021
A Great Outdoors For Everyone
Fatima's Great Outdoors, a new children's book, centers on a girl named Fatima, who's struggling to adjust to her new life in the U.S. But on her very first camping trip with her family,
Fatima unexp…
Fatima unexp…
00:13:49 |
Fri 17 Sep 2021
A Lotl Love For The Axolotl
It is found in only one lake in the world, never grows up, and occasionally takes bites of its friends: who could we be talking about? The axolotl of course! With some help from Dr. Luis Zambrano, p…
00:12:14 |
Thu 16 Sep 2021
Climate Change Means More Subway Floods; How Cities Are Adapting
Millions of people rely on subways for transportation. But as the world warms, climate-driven flooding in subways is becoming more and more common. NPR correspondents Lauren Sommer and Rebecca Hershe…
00:10:07 |
Wed 15 Sep 2021
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