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
1425 episodes transcribedThe Trump administration has advanced the theory the coronavirus began as a lab accident, but scientists who research bat-borne coronaviruses disagree...
Dark energy makes up almost 70% of our universe and is believed to be the reason the universe is expanding. Yet very, very little is known about it. T...
The 1918 flu outbreak was one of the most devastating pandemics in world history, infecting one third of the world's population and killing an estimat...
In several major cities, public health officials work every year to monitor the flu. It's called sentinel surveillance. And as early as mid-February,...
Spring is in the air — and so are black bears coming out of hibernation. Rae Wynn-Grant, a large carnivore biologist, explains there's a lot more goin...
Optimism is often thought as a disposition, something you're born with or without. So can it be learned? On today's show, Maddie talks with Alix Spieg...
Humans have a long history of inventions: electricity, telephones, computers, music — the list goes on. It's clear we're shaping the world around us....
During the pandemic, ventilators have been considered a vital medical tool to treat critically-ill COVID-19 patients. But more and more evidence is su...
The U.S. may need 100,000 people trained in the public health practice of contact tracing — tracking and isolating people who've been in contact with...
We're all spending more time these days at home — including our bathrooms. But why do they look the way they do? From toilets to toothbrush holders, b...
Welcome back to "Animal Slander," the series where we take common expressions about animals and debunk them with science. Today on the show, we tackle...
Happy (early) Earth Day, Short Wave listeners. We've received many questions from you about climate change, specifically what can individuals and hous...
Scientific models of disease don't predict the future. They're just one tool to help us all prepare for it. NPR global health correspondent Nurith Aiz...
Last Tuesday, the military helped evacuate dozens of critically ill COVID-19 patients from overwhelmed hospitals in Queens. NPR's Rebecca Hersher says...
Science writer Jennifer Leman did it. She ranked all 158 moons in our solar system. The criteria? Interviews with NASA scientists, astronomers, and he...
Bats are critically important for ecosystems around the world. But they also harbor some of the toughest known zoonotic diseases, and are the likely o...
Social distancing has some of us taking up bread baking for the first time, including host Maddie Sofia. Chemist and baker Patricia Christie explains...
Liz Neeley, science communication expert and executive director of The Story Collider, shares some advice for how to talk to your friends and family a...
Some patients with COVID-19 are experiencing a crash after about a week of showing symptoms of the disease. The cause?Well, as NPR's Geoff Brumfiel ex...
Brandon Taylor's story has a happy ending. Today he's a successful writer whose debut novel 'Real Life' received glowing reviews earlier this year. Bu...
