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 Mysterious "Great Attractor" Pulling Our Galaxy Off Course
No matter what you're doing right now – sitting, standing, walking – you're moving. First, because...
EscucharHow The New Catan Board Game Can Spark Conversations On Climate Change
Today, we're going full nerd to talk about a new board game — Catan: New Energies. The game's goal...
Escuchar10 Years After Flint, The Fight To Replace Lead Pipes Continues
Ten years ago, Flint, Mich. switched water sources to the Flint River. The lack of corrosion control...
EscucharBeavers Can Help With Climate Change. So How Do We Get Along?
NPR's Tom Dreisbach is back in the host chair for a day. This time, he reports on a story very close...
EscucharSustainable Seafood Is All Around You — If You Know Where To Look
Roughly 196 million tons of fish were harvested in 2020, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization...
EscucharAn 11-Year-old Unearthed Fossils Of The Largest Known Marine Reptile
When the dinosaurs walked the Earth, massive marine reptiles swam. Among them, a species of Ichthyosaur...
EscucharThe Nightmarish Worm That Lived 25 Million Years Longer Than Researchers Thought
500 million years ago, the world was a very different place. During this period of time, known as the...
EscucharHow The Brain Experiences Pleasure — Even The Kind That Makes Us Feel Guilty
We've all been there: You sit down for one episode of a reality TV show, and six hours later you're...
EscucharWhat To Know About The New EPA Rule Limiting 'Forever Chemicals' In Tap Water
Wednesday the Environmental Protection Agency announced new drinking water standards to limit people's...
EscucharThe Order Your Siblings Were Born in May Play a Role in Identity and Sexuality
It's National Siblings Day! To mark the occasion, guest host Selena Simmons-Duffin is exploring a detail...
EscucharHow Climate Change And Physics Affect Baseball
It's baseball season! And when we here at Short Wave think of baseball, we naturally think of physics....
EscucharThe "Barcodes" Powering These Tiny Songbirds' Memories May Also Help Human Memory
Tiny, black-capped chickadees have big memories. They stash food in hundreds to thousands of locations...
EscucharHow To Make The Most Of Next Week's Solar Eclipse
On April 8, the moon will slip in front of the sun, blocking its light and creating an eerie twilight...
EscucharThe Two Sides Of Guyana: A Green Champion And An Oil Producer
For Guyana the potential wealth from oil development was irresistible — even as the country faces...
EscucharThe Shy Rodents Lost To Science
Historic numbers of animals across the globe have become endangered or pushed to extinction. But some...
EscucharShots Are Scary. But They Don't Have To Be.
According to the CDC, about one in four adults has a fear of needles. Many of those people say the phobia...
EscucharWhat's It Like To Live In Space? One Astronaut Says It Changes Her Dreams
Few humans have had the opportunity to see Earth from space, much less live in space. We got to talk...
EscucharThe Evolutionary Mystery Of Menopause ... In Whales
Across the animal kingdom, menopause is something of an evolutionary blip. We humans are one of the...
EscucharSyphilis Cases Are Rising In Babies. Illinois Has A Potential Solution
The number of newborns born with syphilis – a serious sexually transmitted infection – has skyrocketed...
EscucharA Tale Of Two Bengali Physicists
When Shohini Ghose was studying physics as a kid, she heard certain names repeated over and over. "Einstein,...
EscucharAre We On The Brink Of A Nuclear Fusion Breakthrough?
Nuclear fusion could one day change the world by producing energy at lower costs than we generate it...
EscucharWhat We Know About Long COVID, From Brain Fog to Fatigue
"Long COVID has affected every part of my life," said Virginia resident Rachel Beale said at a recent...
EscucharThe Science Of Atomic Bombs At The Heart Of 'Oppenheimer'
Coming down from the buzz of the Oscars, we're taking a look at Christopher Nolan's award-winning film...
EscucharThe "Shocking" Tactic Electric Fish Use to Collectively Sense the World
Neuroscientist Nathan Sawtell has spent a lot of time studying the electric elephantnose fish. These...
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