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
Sepsis Is A Global Killer. Can Vitamin C Be The Cure?
Every day, approximately 30,000 people die globally of sepsis. The condition comes about when your immune system overreacts to an infection, leading potentially to organ failure and death. There is n…
00:11:10 |
Tue 04 Feb 2020
From Stream To Sky, Two Key Rollbacks Under The Trump Administration
The Trump Administration has rolled back dozens of environmental regulations, which it regards as a burden to industry. Today on Short Wave, NPR National Desk correspondents Jeff Brady and Nathan Rot…
00:13:25 |
Mon 03 Feb 2020
The Surprising Origin Of Some Timely Advice: Wash Your Hands
Today we know that one of the easiest and most effective things you can do to protect yourself from the cold, flu, and other respiratory illnesses (including those like the novel coronavirus) is to w…
00:10:52 |
Fri 31 Jan 2020
Where The 2020 Democrats Stand On Climate Change
With the Iowa caucuses around the corner, we give you a Short Wave guide (with some help from our friends at NPR Politics) to where the top-tier Democratic presidential candidates stand on climate ch…
00:11:21 |
Thu 30 Jan 2020
A Decade of Dzud: Lessons From Mongolia's Deadly Winters
Mongolia has a many-thousand year history of herding livestock. But in the past two decades, tens of thousands have left the countryside because of a natural disaster you may have never heard of. "Dz…
00:09:23 |
Wed 29 Jan 2020
A Brief History (And Some Science) Of Iran's Nuclear Program
With the Iran nuclear deal in further jeopardy, we take a look at how the country's nuclear program began with NPR's Geoff Brumfiel. (The United States has a surprising role.) We'll also hear how the…
00:12:06 |
Tue 28 Jan 2020
Archaeology...From Space
Sarah Parcak explains how she uses satellite imagery and data to solve one of the biggest challenges in archaeology: where to start digging. Her book is called 'Archaeology From Space: How The Future…
00:10:37 |
Mon 27 Jan 2020
China's Coronavirus Is Spreading. But How?
A deadly virus believed to have originated in China was found in the US this week. NPR global health correspondent Jason Beaubien explains what we know and don't know about the disease — and the like…
00:10:49 |
Fri 24 Jan 2020
The Comeback Bird: Meet the Ko'Ko'
For nearly forty years, the Guam Rail bird (locally known as the ko'ko') has been extinct in the wild — decimated by the invasive brown tree snake. But now, after a decades-long recovery effort, the …
00:10:59 |
Thu 23 Jan 2020
Can A Low-Carb Diet Prevent A Plague Of Locusts?
Swarms of locusts can destroy crops and livelihoods. Right now, countries in East Africa are dealing with the threat. At a lab in Tempe, Arizona, researchers are trying to figure out how to minimize …
00:09:30 |
Wed 22 Jan 2020
Mighty Mice Return From Space
Some very unusual mice with big muscles are back on Earth after a month on the International Space Station. NPR science correspondent Jon Hamilton shares the story of the two researchers behind the e…
00:11:25 |
Tue 21 Jan 2020
2020 So Far: Fires, Floods, And Quakes
Already this year, natural disasters have wreaked havoc in Australia, Indonesia, and Puerto Rico. We look at some science behind the wildfires, floods, and earthquakes in those places with NPR report…
00:12:17 |
Fri 17 Jan 2020
Can A 100-Year-Old Treatment 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…
00:12:01 |
Thu 16 Jan 2020
In Mozambique, Meteorologists Can't Keep Up With Climate Change
Accurate weather forecasting can be a matter of life or death. So countries with less money like Mozambique face a big challenge. They can't build and maintain their own weather radar or satellites. …
00:12:16 |
Wed 15 Jan 2020
Your Brain On Storytelling
Storytelling can be a powerful tool to convey information, even in the world of science. It can also shift stereotypes about who scientists are. We talked to someone who knows all about this - Liz Ne…
00:12:39 |
Tue 14 Jan 2020
Space Junk: How Cluttered Is The Final Frontier?
Since the dawn of Sputnik in 1957, space-faring nations have been filling Earth's orbit with satellites. Think GPS, weather forecasting, telecommunications satellites. But as those have increased, so…
00:11:20 |
Mon 13 Jan 2020
Animal Slander! - "Blind As A Bat" And "Memory Of A Goldfish"
Host Maddie Sofia and reporter Emily Kwong evaluate what truth there is to the popular phrases "blind as a bat" and "memory of a goldfish." Hint: The phrases probably weren't born out of peer-reviewe…
00:09:34 |
Fri 10 Jan 2020
The Link Between Kitchen Countertops And A Deadly Disease
It's called silicosis, and it's been known about for decades. So why is it now emerging in new numbers among workers who cut kitchen countertops? NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce explai…
00:12:48 |
Thu 09 Jan 2020
What's Behind Australia's Historic Fires
Biologist Lesley Hughes from Macquarie University in Australia explains why the recent bushfires there could change the country forever. Hughes is a former federal climate commissioner, and has been …
00:11:11 |
Wed 08 Jan 2020
Food Waste + Poop = Electricity
Some dairy farmers in Massachusetts are using food waste and manure to create renewable energy. Each farm produces enough to power about 1,500 homes. Not only does this process create electricity, NP…
00:09:39 |
Tue 07 Jan 2020
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