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
The Purple Urchins Don't Die
NPR climate correspondent Lauren Sommer explains how scientists are getting creative to deal with the hordes of urchins overtaking kelp forests in the Pacific Ocean — and why this kind of drastic eco…
00:12:33 |
Fri 26 Mar 2021
Brood X: The Rise Of The 17-Year Cicadas
The cicadas are coming! After 17 years, Brood X is emerging this spring to mate. If you're in the eastern part of the United States, get ready to be surrounded by these little critters! Host Maddie S…
00:13:54 |
Thu 25 Mar 2021
Meet The 'Glacier Mice'
(Encore episode.) In 2006, while hiking around the Root Glacier in Alaska, glaciologist Tim Bartholomaus encountered something strange and unexpected on the ice — dozens of fuzzy, green moss balls. I…
00:11:21 |
Wed 24 Mar 2021
A Look Inside The World's Biggest Vaccine Maker
NPR's international correspondent Lauren Frayer takes us on a tour of the factory of the world's largest vaccine maker: Serum Institute of India. The company aims to manufacture 100 million doses a m…
00:09:25 |
Tue 23 Mar 2021
How A New Deal Legacy Is Building Clean Energy In Rural North Carolina
In North Carolina, a rural electric cooperative is reliving its New Deal history, bringing technologies like fast Internet and clean, low-carbon heating to communities that some have abandoned.
Learn …
Learn …
00:13:57 |
Mon 22 Mar 2021
The U.S. Has A History Of Linking Disease With Race And Ethnicity
(Encore episode.) The coronavirus is all over the headlines these days. Accompanying those headlines? Suspicion and harassment of Asians and Asian Americans. Our colleague Gene Demby, co-host of NPR'…
00:12:43 |
Fri 19 Mar 2021
Reflections On Coronavirus A Year In
It's been about a year since the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic. The world has learned a lot in that time — about how the virus spreads, who is at heightened risk and h…
00:15:25 |
Thu 18 Mar 2021
A Quick Dive Into How Submarines Work
Submarines can descend thousands of feet below the surface of the ocean, but to do so, they have to deal with an enormous amount of pressure. In this episode, engineer and pilot Bruce Strickrott of t…
00:08:49 |
Wed 17 Mar 2021
What Earth Looked Like 3.2 Billion Years Ago
Encore episode. The surface of the Earth is constantly recycled through the motion of plate tectonics. So how do researchers study what it used to look like? Planetary scientist Roger Fu talks to hos…
00:11:30 |
Tue 16 Mar 2021
Our Pandemic Future
It's been about a year since the coronavirus pandemic started to take hold in the United States. Recently, NPR science correspondent Rob Stein has been talking to infectious disease experts, epidemio…
00:13:11 |
Mon 15 Mar 2021
A Year Into The Pandemic, The Incarcerated Among The Most Vulnerable
In the year since the pandemic began, the coronavirus has severely impacted inmates and staff in U.S. jails and prisons. According to The Marshall Project, in the last year, over 380,000 prisoners t…
00:12:47 |
Fri 12 Mar 2021
The Importance Of Diversifying Alzheimer's Research
Alzheimer's disease affects more than 6 million Americans and a disproportionate number are Black. NPR science correspondent Jon Hamilton explains why Black Americans may be at higher risk, and how d…
00:12:38 |
Thu 11 Mar 2021
CDC's Do's and Don'ts For Fully Vaccinated People
The CDC released new guidance Monday, allowing people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to resume some pre-pandemic activities, including gathering indoors with other vaccinated people without wearin…
00:10:29 |
Wed 10 Mar 2021
One Key To Healthy Oceans? Sharks
Shark scientist Melissa Christina Marquez explains just how important sharks are to keeping the oceans healthy, including their role in mitigating climate change. Plus, there may be some talk about s…
00:11:02 |
Tue 09 Mar 2021
Millions Of U.S. Homes Face An Expensive Flooding Threat
More than 4 million U.S. homes face substantial risk of expensive flood damage, according to new research. On top of that, NPR climate reporter Rebecca Hersher found that communities where flood insu…
00:14:41 |
Mon 08 Mar 2021
Is The Sperm Race A Fairy Tale?
A lot of us were taught that conception happens with a survivor-style sperm race — the fastest and strongest sperm fight to make it to the egg first. In this Back To School episode, we revisit this m…
00:12:53 |
Fri 05 Mar 2021
The Fight Over The Future Of Natural Gas
A growing number of cities are looking at restricting the use of gas in new buildings to reduce climate emissions. But some states are considering laws to block those efforts, with backing from the n…
00:13:46 |
Thu 04 Mar 2021
Pandemic Dispatches From The ER, One Year Later
The coronavirus has disrupted all of our lives, and that's especially true for healthcare workers. We hear reflections from Dr. Jamila Goldsmith and Mariah Clark, two emergency room workers. They tel…
00:12:35 |
Wed 03 Mar 2021
Vaccine Distribution: An Equity Challenge
The Biden Administration has prioritized speed in its COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Also, a priority...distributing those doses to the populations most impacted by the coronavirus. Host Maddie Sofia talk…
00:13:10 |
Tue 02 Mar 2021
Code Switch: A Shot In The Dark
Today, we present a special episode from our colleagues at Code Switch, NPR's podcast about race and identity.
As the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines unfolds, one big challenge for public health officia…
As the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines unfolds, one big challenge for public health officia…
00:25:25 |
Mon 01 Mar 2021
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