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
- 1341
- Years Active
- 2019 - 2025
When The Tides Keep Getting Higher
As sea levels rise from climate change, coastal communities face a greater risk of chronic flooding. Climate scientist Astrid Caldas and her colleagues have looked at where it's happening now and whe…
00:10:22 |
Tue 03 Mar 2020
A Tale Of Two (Very Different) Drug Prices
NPR Pharmaceuticals Correspondent Sydney Lupkin joins us to talk about a dad who learned his daughter needed an expensive drug — but there was a nearly identical one that was thousands of dollars che…
00:12:19 |
Mon 02 Mar 2020
Short Wave Presents: Life Kit's Tips To Prepare For The Coronavirus
How can you protect yourself and your family as the coronavirus spreads around the globe? Today we're featuring an episode from our friends over at NPR's Life Kit. They'll walk you through what you n…
00:15:54 |
Sat 29 Feb 2020
A Short Wave Guide To Good — And Bad — TV Forensics
Raychelle Burks is a forensic chemist AND a big fan of murder mysteries. Today, we talk pop culture forensics with Raychelle and what signs to look for to know whether or not a tv crime show is getti…
00:11:40 |
Fri 28 Feb 2020
Vaccines, Misinformation, And The Internet (Part 2)
In the second of two episodes exploring anti-vaccine misinformation online, Renee DiResta of the Stanford Internet Observatory explains why the Internet is so good at spreading bad information, and w…
00:13:34 |
Thu 27 Feb 2020
Vaccines, Misinformation, And The Internet (Part 1)
In the first of two episodes exploring anti-vaccine misinformation online, we hear the story of what happened to Cincinnati-area pediatrician Nicole Baldwin when her pro-vaccine TikTok video made her…
00:13:10 |
Wed 26 Feb 2020
This NASA Engineer Is Bringing Math And Science To Hip Hop
NASA engineer Dajae Williams is using hip hop to make math and science more accessible to young people. We talk with Dajae about her path to NASA, and how music helped her fall in love with math and …
00:12:19 |
Tue 25 Feb 2020
Australia's Next Danger: Mudslides
With many of Australia's hillsides stripped bare by fire, scientists are rushing to predict where mudslides could be triggered by rainfall. NPR science reporter Rebecca Hersher and photographer Mered…
00:10:26 |
Mon 24 Feb 2020
A Board Game Where Birds (And Science) Win
Wingspan is a board game that brings the world of ornithology into the living room. The game comes with 170 illustrated birds cards, each equipped with a power that reflects that bird's behavior in n…
00:12:00 |
Fri 21 Feb 2020
Foldscope: 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…
00:12:16 |
Thu 20 Feb 2020
Harvard Professor's Arrest Raises Questions About Scientific Openness
Harvard chemist Charles Lieber was arrested in January on charges he lied about funding he received from China. Some say the case points to larger issues around scientific collaboration in an era of …
00:13:48 |
Wed 19 Feb 2020
Can Taking Zinc Help Shorten Your Cold?
It's possible — but it depends on a few key factors. NPR health correspondent Allison Aubrey explains, and tells the story of the scientist who uncovered the importance of zinc for human health in th…
00:11:35 |
Tue 18 Feb 2020
Is This Love? Or Am I Gonna Fight A Lion.
Ever wonder what's causing all those reactions in your body when you're falling in love with someone? We certainly did. So, we called up Adam Cole, who gathered up all the science and wrote "A Neuros…
00:11:27 |
Fri 14 Feb 2020
The Weedkiller That Went Rogue
A few years ago farmers started noticing their crops were developing damaged leaves. Turns out the culprit was dicamba, a weedkiller being sprayed by other farmers. Now a trial is underway to decide …
00:12:18 |
Thu 13 Feb 2020
Does Your Cat Really Hate You?
It's the latest installment of our series, "Animal Slander," where we take a common phrase about animals and see what truth there is to it. The issue before the Short Wave court today: "Do cats deser…
00:12:09 |
Wed 12 Feb 2020
A Tiny Satellite Revolution Is Afoot In Space
Meet the CubeSat: a miniaturized satellite that's been growing in sophistication. In the last 20 years, over 1,000 CubeSats have been launched into space for research and exploration. We talk about t…
00:10:40 |
Tue 11 Feb 2020
There's A Plan To Drive Down Global Insulin Prices. Will It Work?
Diabetes is a growing global problem, especially in low and middle income countries. Half of the 100 million in need of insulin lack reliable access. The World Health Organization wants to do somethi…
00:11:14 |
Mon 10 Feb 2020
A Coronavirus Listener Q&A Episode
How does the coronavirus spread? Does wearing a face mask actually help? And why is the virus getting so much media coverage? This episode, we answer your coronavirus-related questions with the help …
00:11:50 |
Fri 07 Feb 2020
Service Animals In The Lab: Who Decides?
Joey Ramp's service dog, Sampson, is with her at all times, even when she has to work in a laboratory. It wasn't always easy to have him at her side. Joey tells us why she's trying to help more servi…
00:13:25 |
Thu 06 Feb 2020
Discovering 'Stormquakes'
Seismologist Wenyuan Fan explains the accidental discovery — buried deep in seismic and meteorological data — that certain storms over ocean water can cause measurable seismic activity, or 'stormquak…
00:11:40 |
Wed 05 Feb 2020
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