Short Wave
New discoveries, everyday mysteries, and the science behind the headlines — all in about 10 minutes, every weekday. It's science for everyone, using a lot of creativity and a little humor. Join host Maddie Sofia for science on a different wavelength.
The Mystery of the Dead Coho Salmon
For decades, Coho salmon were turning up dead in urban streams the Pacific Northwest. The salmon would...
EscucharHow To Have Hard Conversations
Many people are gearing up for holiday conversations with loved ones who may disagree with them —...
EscucharDon't Let Jet Lag Ruin Your Holiday Plans
Getting enough sleep regularly can be tough — and even harder when you're traveling for the holidays....
EscucharThe Mystery Mollusk Roaming The Midnight Zone
This critter lurks in the ocean's midnight zone, has a voluminous hood, is completely see through and...
EscucharShould Humans Live On Mars?
As global warming continues and space technology improves, there is more and more talk about the growing...
EscucharThese Drones Could Help Keep Your Lights On
One in four U.S. households experiences a power outage each year. Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory...
EscucharEating Breakfast? You Can Thank Fermentation
In this episode, you're invited to the fermentation party! Join us as we learn about the funk-filled...
EscucharPicking Up Cosmic Vibrations
A pivotal week in Corey Gray's life began with a powwow in Alberta and culminated with a piece of history:...
EscucharA Better Life For Trafficked Turtles
In North-Central New Jersey, there is a backyard teeming with around 200 turtles. Many of these shelled...
EscucharElections Are One Big Math Problem
It's Election Day in the United States. Across the nation, millions of ballots are being cast. But what...
EscucharDid Life Start In Hydrothermal Vents?
How did life start on Earth? The answer is a big scientific mystery scientists are actively investigating....
EscucharThe Best (And Oldest) Tadpole Ever Discovered
For years, we've been asking, "Which came first: the chicken or the egg?" Maybe what we should have...
EscucharThe Sound Of Fear: Why Do Animals Scream?
NOTE: This episode contains multiple high-pitched noises (human and other animals) that some listeners...
EscucharEmbracing Death: Why We Age
Humans have seen a significant increase in life expectancy over the past 200 years — but not in overall...
EscucharHoney, They Cloned The Apples!
What's your favorite apple? Maybe it's the crowd-pleasing Honeycrisp, the tart Granny Smith or the infamous...
EscucharSaving The Hawaiian Tree Snails
More than a million species are at risk of extinction, many within decades, because of human actions....
EscucharA Brand New Kind of Schizophrenia Treatment
For the past 70 years, schizophrenia treatments all targeted the same chemical: dopamine. While that...
Escuchar'Ghost Genes' Could Help Save The American Red Wolf
Every American red wolf alive right now is descended from only 14 canids. In the 1970s, humans drove...
EscucharGame Night With 'Shrooms
Calling all foragers! The new board game Undergrove, co-designed by Elizabeth Hargrave and Mark Wooten,...
EscucharNew Frogs Just Dropped
In the humid rainforests of northern and eastern Madagascar reside seven newly described frog species....
EscucharEuropa Clipper And The Search For Life In Space
NASA's Europa Clipper mission launched Monday, beginning its years-long journey to the distant icy moon...
Escuchar5-Year-Olds Asked Us Science Questions. We Answer
In honor of our show turning 5 (!!) today... 5 Short Wave staffersanswer 5(x2) questionsfrom some of...
EscucharWhy Traditional Plant Knowledge Is Not A Quick Fix
Host Regina G. Barber talks with Rosalyn LaPier about ethnobotany--what it is and how traditional plant...
EscucharWhat The Heck Is A Rock Glacier?
Even though there are more than 10,000 rock glaciers in the western United States, most people would...
Escuchar