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
Can Global Shipping Go Zero Carbon?
A lot of the stuff we buy in the U.S. comes by ship — ships that use a particularly dirty kind of fuel. Now a big shipping company says it wants to go zero carbon. Climate reporter Becky Hersher tell…
00:11:12 |
Mon 11 Nov 2019
The Mind-Bending Ascent Of Helium — And Why It's Running Low
Helium is the second-most common element in the cosmos, but it's far rarer on planet Earth. As part of our celebration of the periodic table's 150th birthday, reporter Geoff Brumfiel shares a brief h…
00:13:04 |
Fri 08 Nov 2019
Life After Whale Death
What happens after a whale dies? Their carcasses, known as "whale falls," provide a sudden, concentrated food source for organisms in the deep sea. Biologist Diva Amon is our guide through whale-fall…
00:09:30 |
Thu 07 Nov 2019
Fighting An Insect Invasion With... An Insect Invasion
The spotted lanternfly is eating its way through trees and crops in eastern Pennsylvania. NPR science correspondent Dan Charles explains how scientists hope to stop the spread of this invasive pest b…
00:09:56 |
Wed 06 Nov 2019
The U.S. Wants Out Of The Paris Agreement
It's official, but not a surprise. The U.S. has told the United Nations it wants to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, the global accord to fight climate change. President Trump announced his intenti…
00:09:19 |
Tue 05 Nov 2019
A Revolutionary Experiment To Edit Human Genes
Victoria Gray has sickle cell disease, a painful and debilitating genetic condition that affects millions of people around the world. But an experimental gene-editing technique known as CRISPR could …
00:12:32 |
Mon 04 Nov 2019
When A Listener Calls...
It's our first-ever listener questions episode! On this Short Wave, listener Charlotte asks why some people seek out scary experiences. We reached out to Ken Carter, a psychology professor at Oxford …
00:10:30 |
Fri 01 Nov 2019
The Zombies That Walk Among Us
The idea of human zombies probably seems pretty far-fetched. But there are real zombies out there in the animal kingdom. Ed Yong of The Atlantic creeps us out with a couple of examples. Hint: they in…
00:09:42 |
Thu 31 Oct 2019
Crows Don't Forget
Crows have gotten a bad rap throughout history. Think about it. A group of them is called a "murder." To get some insight into crows and perhaps set the record straight, we talked to Kaeli Swift. She…
00:09:25 |
Wed 30 Oct 2019
Wildfire Season Is Here To Stay
Californians face a terrible new normal as wildfire season grows longer and more intense. Jennifer Montgomery, head of the California's Forest Management Task Force, explains three key factors at the…
00:09:25 |
Tue 29 Oct 2019
Meet Two MacArthur 'Genius Grant' Scientists
We meet two scientists working on opposite sides of the world, both thinking creatively about rising sea levels and our changing oceans. Andrea Dutton, a geologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madi…
00:10:44 |
Mon 28 Oct 2019
Seen Any Nazi Uranium? These Researchers Want To Know
NPR science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel shares the story of Nazi Germany's attempt to build a nuclear reactor — and how evidence of that effort was almost lost to history. It's a tale he heard from …
00:13:17 |
Fri 25 Oct 2019
Adversarial AI
Artificial intelligence might not be as smart as we think. University and military researchers are studying how attackers could hack into AI systems by exploiting how these systems learn. It's known …
00:09:47 |
Thu 24 Oct 2019
Logging 'The Lungs' of North America
The world's largest intact temperate rainforest is in a place you may not expect: southeast Alaska. The Trump administration wants to eliminate a longstanding rule protecting the Tongass National For…
00:10:20 |
Wed 23 Oct 2019
Finally, An All-Female Spacewalk
NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir completed the first all-female spacewalk last week. The historic moment came 35 years after Kathryn Sullivan became the first American woman to spacewa…
00:12:15 |
Tue 22 Oct 2019
Randall Munroe's Absurd Science For Real-World Problems
Randall Munroe, the cartoonist behind the popular Internet comic xkcd, finds complicated solutions to simple, real-world problems. In the process, he reveals a lot about science and why the real worl…
00:09:35 |
Mon 21 Oct 2019
Exploring The Rainforest With 'TreeTop Barbie'
Pioneering ecologist Nalini Nadkarni takes us up into the canopy — the area above the forest floor — where she helped research and document this unexplored ecosystem. Plus: the story of her decades-l…
00:13:02 |
Fri 18 Oct 2019
The Squishy Science Behind ASMR
The science is nascent and a little squishy, but researchers like Giulia Poerio are trying to better understand ASMR — a feeling triggered in the brains of some people by whispering, soft tapping, an…
00:10:41 |
Thu 17 Oct 2019
What We Know (And Don't) About The Dangers Of Vaping
Amid an outbreak of lung injury cases, there's a new spotlight on the dangers of vaping, a practice that's been marketed as an alternative to smoking. NPR health correspondent Allison Aubrey explains…
00:09:43 |
Wed 16 Oct 2019
Kicking The Habit With 'Shrooms
Magic mushrooms — they're not just for getting weird with your friends. Researchers are increasingly looking at psychedelics to treat conditions such as depression and addiction.
Learn more about spon…
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00:10:06 |
Tue 15 Oct 2019
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