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
Breakthrough Infections, Long COVID And You
In rare cases, the delta variant of the coronavirus is causing vaccinated people to get sick — so-called "breakthrough infections." Now researchers are asking: Could these infections lead to long COV…
00:10:26 |
Tue 14 Sep 2021
The Pervasiveness Of Transgender Health Care Discrimination
A new report from the Center for American Progress finds that nearly half of transgender people have experienced mistreatment at the hands of a medical provider. NBC OUT reporter Jo Yurcaba explains …
00:13:14 |
Mon 13 Sep 2021
9/11 First Responders Have Higher Cancer Risks But Better Survival Rates
Twenty years later, first responders during the 9/11 attacks have an increased risk of getting some kinds of cancer. But, research shows that they're also more likely to survive. Host Emily Kwong tal…
00:09:00 |
Fri 10 Sep 2021
For Successful Wildfire Prevention, Look To The Southeast
Another destructive fire season has Western states searching for ways to prevent it. As climate correspondent Lauren Sommer reports, some answers might lie in the Southeastern U.S. The region leads t…
00:10:56 |
Thu 09 Sep 2021
Fewer COVID Vaccine Doses Materialized Last Fall Than The U.S. Government Hoped
Manufacturers can expect to face unforeseen hurdles when they begin to mass-produce a brand new pharmaceutical product, and in a pandemic, there are bound to be supply chain problems as well. But in …
00:12:55 |
Wed 08 Sep 2021
The Peculiar Case Of Dark Matter
The universe is so much bigger than what people can see, and astrophysicist Priyamvada Natarajan is trying to figure out that which we can not see. Producer Rebecca Ramirez talks with Priya and repor…
00:13:35 |
Tue 07 Sep 2021
So Long, Sofia
Today, we bid farewell to our founding host, Maddie Sofia!
In this special episode, the Short Wave team and some of our listeners remind Maddie of the huge impact she's had on all of us. There is lau…
In this special episode, the Short Wave team and some of our listeners remind Maddie of the huge impact she's had on all of us. There is lau…
00:14:55 |
Fri 03 Sep 2021
Nudibranchs Do It Better
Maddie and Emily get super nerdy one last time as they dive into the incredible world of nudibranchs. Not only are these sea slugs eye-catching for their colors, some of them have evolved to "steal" …
00:12:49 |
Thu 02 Sep 2021
Pandemic Dispatches From The ER
We're marking Maddie's last week on Short Wave!
Today, Maddie wanted to highlight a COVID-related episode from earlier this year. The pandemic has been a big part of our coverage and this particular …
Today, Maddie wanted to highlight a COVID-related episode from earlier this year. The pandemic has been a big part of our coverage and this particular …
00:14:17 |
Wed 01 Sep 2021
You Mite Want To Shower After This
It's Day 2 of our trip down Maddie Sofia memory lane! Today's encore episode is all about how you're never really alone.
We look at the tiny mites that live on your skin — including your face. They c…
We look at the tiny mites that live on your skin — including your face. They c…
00:12:08 |
Tue 31 Aug 2021
Why A Good Scare Is Sometimes The Right Call
This week is our last with Maddie as a host, so we're spending it with a trip down memory lane. The first episode Maddie invites us to relive and enjoy is our first listener question episode on the s…
00:12:21 |
Mon 30 Aug 2021
Is It Muggy Out? Check The Dew Point!
Going on a run and curious about how muggy it's going to be out? Maddie Sofia chats with producer Thomas Lu about relative humidity and why some meteorologists are telling us to pay more attention to…
00:10:15 |
Fri 27 Aug 2021
The Fight To Save Sunflower Sea Stars
Sunflower sea stars play a key role in ocean ecosystems on the West Coast - and they are disappearing in record numbers. Science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce tells us about the plight of the Su…
00:12:20 |
Thu 26 Aug 2021
How To Start Hormone Replacement Therapy
Medical transition-related treatments like hormone replacement therapy are associated with overwhelmingly positive outcomes in terms of both physical and mental health for transgender people. But, it…
00:14:26 |
Wed 25 Aug 2021
Ultracold Soup - The 'Superfluid' States Of Matter
(Encore episode) Class is back in session. We're going "back to school" to dig a little deeper on a concept you were taught in school: states of matter. Today, Emily and Maddie explore OTHER states o…
00:11:39 |
Tue 24 Aug 2021
To Build, Or Not To Build? That Is The Question Facing Local Governments
NPR climate correspondent Lauren Sommer talks with Emily about a dilemma facing many local governments now. Should they develop in areas vulnerable to rising sea levels?
On today's episode, we look a…
On today's episode, we look a…
00:11:31 |
Mon 23 Aug 2021
Micro Wave: Build Your Own Sandcastle Dreamhouse
It's summer, which for some means spare time at the beach, splashing in the waves and...building sandcastles. On today's episode, Emily Kwong asks: Scientifically, what is the best way to make a sand…
00:12:17 |
Fri 20 Aug 2021
When Sea Levels Rise, Who Should Pay?
Facebook's campus on the shoreline of San Francisco Bay is at risk from rising sea levels. So is a nearby low-income community. That's raising questions about who should be paying for climate change.…
00:11:30 |
Thu 19 Aug 2021
Spinosaurus: The Aquatic Dinosaur
(Encore episode) We chat with National Geographic Explorer and paleontologist Nizar Ibrahim about his team's discovery of the Spinosaurus, the first known swimming dinosaur. The discovery and subsequ…
00:14:10 |
Wed 18 Aug 2021
COVID-19 News: A Hospital System Overwhelmed, Booster Shots Update
In the last two weeks or so, the number of new daily COVID-19 cases in the United States has increased by about 40 percent. Compared to a year ago — when we didn't have the vaccine — we have three ti…
00:08:51 |
Tue 17 Aug 2021
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