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
Happy New Year from Short Wave!
To kick off the new year right, Maddie fills out a Short Wave mad lib crafted by Emily. It's a little tribute to you, our awesome listeners.
We're back with new episodes next week. Hope you had a sa…
We're back with new episodes next week. Hope you had a sa…
00:03:49 |
Fri 01 Jan 2021
How Will Climate And Health Policy Look Under Biden?
Today, something special...an episode of The NPR Politics Podcast we think you might appreciate. Our colleagues take a look at Joe Biden's approach to climate and health policy.
His climate agenda wil…
His climate agenda wil…
00:15:43 |
Thu 31 Dec 2020
It's Okay To Sleep Late (Do It For Your Immune System)
Dr. Syed Moin Hassan was riled up. "I don't know who needs to hear this," he posted on Twitter, "BUT YOU ARE NOT LAZY IF YOU ARE WAKING UP AT NOON." Hassan speaks to Short Wave's Emily Kwong about de…
00:11:31 |
Tue 29 Dec 2020
2020: At Least It Was Good For Space Exploration?
Between the pandemic, protests, the recession — the list goes on — there was big space news in 2020. And there was a lot of it! To round it up, Maddie chats with NPR science correspondents Nell Gree…
00:11:36 |
Mon 28 Dec 2020
Happy Holidays from Short Wave!
Maddie and Emily play a quick game of "Fact or Fiction?" with help from Ariela Zebede, our resident fact-checker. Plus, a little reminder that you can support the show by donating to your local publi…
00:03:53 |
Fri 25 Dec 2020
Seeing Monsters? It Could Be Sleep Paralysis
It's a listener questions episode! Josh Smith wrote in to tell us that as a teenager, he was plagued by sleep paralysis. Now he's afraid his kid might be experiencing it too. Josh asks what the scien…
00:12:27 |
Thu 24 Dec 2020
Oof! 2020: A Hot Year For The Record Books
Nearly tied with 2016 for the hottest year on record, 2020 was hot, hot, hot! NPR climate reporters Rebecca Hersher and Lauren Sommer explain why more heat trapped in the atmosphere means longer heat…
00:16:25 |
Tue 22 Dec 2020
Antimatter: Matter's "Evil Twin"
Physicists have done the math and there should be as much antimatter as matter in the universe — but that hasn't been the case so far. NPR correspondent Geoff Brumfiel explains what's up with matter'…
00:12:29 |
Mon 21 Dec 2020
Mirror, Mirror, On The Wall: Can You Reveal An Animal's Inner World At All?
The mirror self-recognition test has been around for decades. Only a few species have what it takes to recognize themselves, while others learn to use mirrors as tools. NPR science correspondent Nell…
00:11:05 |
Fri 18 Dec 2020
The Science Behind The Historic mRNA Vaccine
Millions of doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, just days ago granted emergency use authorization by the FDA, are being distributed across the country. It's the first widely-available vaccine to us…
00:15:32 |
Thu 17 Dec 2020
How A 100-Year-Old Treatment Could Help Save Us From Superbugs
In 2015, Steffanie Strathdee's husband nearly died from a superbug, an antibiotic resistant bacteria he contracted in Egypt. Desperate to save him, she reached out to the scientific community for hel…
00:13:33 |
Tue 15 Dec 2020
To Unlock Sublime Flavor, Cook Like A Scientist
What is flavor? Is it merely what your nose and tongue tell you? For cookbook author and recipe developer Nik Sharma, flavor is a full-body experience. Drawing upon his background in molecular biolog…
00:14:31 |
Mon 14 Dec 2020
Chang'e-5: To The Moon And Back
It's been more than 40 years since rocks from the moon have come back to Earth. But in late November, a Chinese craft landed on the moon's surface--it's the country's first mission designed to retrie…
00:11:58 |
Fri 11 Dec 2020
Climate Change And 2020's Record-Breaking Hurricane Season
The 2020 Atlantic Hurricane season broke records and caused enormous damage. NPR climate reporter Rebecca Hersher talks us through the 2020 season--what was driven by climate change and what it means…
00:13:27 |
Thu 10 Dec 2020
Science From Curiosity And A Little Paper
Manu Prakash is the co-inventor of the Foldscope, a low-cost microscope aimed at making scientific tools more accessible. We chat with him about why he wants to change how we think about science, and…
00:14:04 |
Tue 08 Dec 2020
How Effective Are Antibody Treatments For COVID-19?
The FDA has issued emergency use authorizations for two monoclonal antibody treatments for COVID-19 – one produced by Eli Lilly and another by Regeneron. As science correspondent Richard Harris expla…
00:12:06 |
Mon 07 Dec 2020
Why We See Rainbows
It's another "Back To School" episode where we take a concept you were maybe taught in school as a kid, but didn't really learn or just forgot. Short Wave producer Thomas Lu and host Maddie Sofia go …
00:08:42 |
Fri 04 Dec 2020
Nebraska Doctor: 'Don't Call Us Heroes.' Dig Deep And Do Your Part
Like many states in the Midwest, Nebraska was somewhat spared during the early days of the pandemic. But now, the state has more cases per capita than any other in the country. We talk with two Omaha…
00:15:35 |
Thu 03 Dec 2020
Too Much Of A Good Thing: The Cautionary Tale of Biotech Crops
Some of the most popular agricultural biotech products are running into problems. These plants have been genetically modified to fend off insects, and have been great for the environment and for farm…
00:14:26 |
Tue 01 Dec 2020
The Long Legacy Of The Arecibo Telescope
The National Science Foundation recently announced it plans to decommission the Arecibo Telescope in Puerto Rico. The world-renowned telescope has suffered substantial damage this year. Today, we rev…
00:13:20 |
Mon 30 Nov 2020
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