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Short Wave podcast

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Short Wave

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  NPR  

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

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

 

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#1057

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 Earth is spinning around on its axis. This rotation is the reason we have days. Second, because Earth and other planets in our solar system are orbiting the sun. That's why we have years. Third, you're moving because the sun and the rest of our solar system is orbiting the center of the Milky Way galaxy at over 500,000 miles per hour. If all of that isn't nauseating enough, everything in the entire universe is expanding outward. All the time. But in the 1970s, astrophysicists noticed something strange about our galactic neighborhood, or Local Group. The whole clump of neighboring galaxies was being pulled off course at over one million miles per hour, towards something we couldn't see — the "Great Attractor." This Great Attractor sits in the "Zone of Avoidance," an area of space that is blocked from view by the stars and gas of the Milky Way. Today on the show, host [Regina G. Barber] (https://www.npr.org/people/1082526815/regina-g-barber) talks to astrophysicist [Jorge Moreno] (https://www.pomona.edu/directory/people/jorge-moreno) about this mysterious phenomenon: What it might be and what will happen when we eventually reach it. Curious about other cosmic mysteries? Email us at [shortwave@npr.org] (mailto:shortwave@npr.org) .Learn more about sponsor message choices: [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) [NPR Privacy Policy] (https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy) ... Read more

01 May 2024

12 MINS

12:48

01 May 2024

#1056

How 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 is simple: Build and develop a modern-day island without catastrophically polluting it. Although the concept mirrors the effects of climate change, those words don't actually appear in the game. NPR correspondent [Nate Rott] (https://www.npr.org/people/348779465/nathan-rott) talks to [Emily ] (https://www.npr.org/people/767284140/emily-kwong) about the thinking behind the new game and how the developers hope it can start conversations around energy use and pollution. Have questions or comments for us to consider for a future episode? Email us at [shortwave@npr.org] (mailto:shortwave@npr.org) — we'd love to hear from you!Learn more about sponsor message choices: [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) [NPR Privacy Policy] (https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy) ... Read more

29 Apr 2024

11 MINS

11:35

29 Apr 2024

#1055

10 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 in the pipes caused lead to leach into the water supply of tens of thousands of residents. Pediatrician [Mona Hanna-Attisha] (https://msuhurleypphi.org/about/about-mona.html) recognized a public health crisis in the making and [gathered data] (https://flintwaterstudy.org/2015/09/pediatric-lead-exposure-presentation-from-hurley-medical-center-doctors-concerning-flint-mi/) proving the negative health impact on Flint's young children. In doing so, she and community organizers in Flint sparked a national conversation about lead in the U.S. water system that persists today. Today on the show, host [Emily Kwong] (https://www.npr.org/people/767284140/emily-kwong) and science correspondent [Pien Huang] (https://www.npr.org/people/729920828/pien-huang) talk about the state of Flint and other cities with lead pipes. Efforts to replace these pipes hinge on proposed changes to the EPA's Lead and Copper Rule. Have questions or comments for us to consider for a future episode? Email us at [shortwave@npr.org] (mailto:shortwave@npr.org) — we'd love to hear from you!Learn more about sponsor message choices: [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) [NPR Privacy Policy] (https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy) ... Read more

26 Apr 2024

13 MINS

13:12

26 Apr 2024

#1054

Beavers Can Help With Climate Change. So How Do We Get Along?

NPR's [Tom Dreisbach] (https://www.npr.org/people/349305392/tom-dreisbach) is back in the host chair for a day. This time, he reports on a story very close to home: The years-long battle his parents have been locked in with the local wild beaver population. Each night, the beavers would dam the culverts along the Dreisbachs' property, threatening to make their home inaccessible. Each morning, Tom's parents deconstructed those dams — until the annual winter freeze hit and left them all in a temporary stalemate.As beaver populations have increased, so have these kinds of conflicts with people...like Tom's parents. But the solution may not be to chase away the beavers. They're a keystone species that scientists believe could play an important role in cleaning water supplies, creating healthy ecosystems and alleviating some of the effects of climate change. So, today, Tom calls up Jakob Shockey, the executive director of the non-profit Project Beaver. Jakob offers a bit of perspective to Tom and his parents, and the Dreisbachs contemplate what a peaceful coexistence with these furry neighbors might look like.Have questions or comments for us to consider for a future episode? Email us at [shortwave@npr.org] (mailto:shortwave@npr.org) — we'd love to hear from you!Learn more about sponsor message choices: [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) [NPR Privacy Policy] (https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy) ... Read more

24 Apr 2024

14 MINS

14:06

24 Apr 2024

#1053

Sustainable 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 of the United Nations. The organization also notes that the number of overfished stocks worldwide has tripled in the last century. All of this overfishing has led to the decline of entire species, like Atlantic cod. Enter the Monterey Bay Aquarium's [Seafood Watch] (https://www.seafoodwatch.org/) . It and other free guides give consumers an overview of the world of fish and seafood, helping people to figure out the most sustainable fish available to them. With the help of Life Kit's Clare Marie Schneider, we figure out how to make informed decisions about what we eating – whether that's at a restaurant or the local supermarket.Check out more from Life Kit on [sustainable seafood] (https://www.npr.org/2024/03/07/1196978795/sustainable-seafood-responsible-fish-guide) .Have questions or comments for us to consider for a future episode? Email us at [shortwave@npr.org] (mailto:shortwave@npr.org) — we'd love to hear from you!A previous version of this episode incorrectly stated that there are native wild salmon in Chile. Salmon are not native to Chile.Learn more about sponsor message choices: [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) [NPR Privacy Policy] (https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy) ... Read more

22 Apr 2024

14 MINS

14:27

22 Apr 2024

#1052

An 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 that measured over 80 feet long. Today, we look into how a chance discovery by a father-daughter duo of fossil hunters furthered paleontologist's understanding of the "giant fish lizard of the Severn." Currently, it is the largest marine reptile known to scientists. [Read more] (https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0300289) about this specimen in the study published in the journal PLOS One. Have another ancient animal or scientific revelation you want us to cover? Email us at [shortwave@npr.org] (mailto:shortwave@npr.org) — we might talk about it on a future episode!Learn more about sponsor message choices: [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) [NPR Privacy Policy] (https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy) ... Read more

19 Apr 2024

08 MINS

08:57

19 Apr 2024

#1051

The 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 Cambrian period, basically all life was in the water. The ocean was brimming with animals that looked pretty different from the ones we recognize today — including a group of predatory worms with a throat covered in teeth and spines. Researchers thought these tiny terrors died out at the end of the Cambrian period. But a paper published recently in the journal [Biology Letters] (https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2024.0042) showed examples of a new species of this worm in the fossil record 25 million years after scientists thought they'd vanished from the Earth. One of the authors of the paper, [Karma Nanglu] (https://mcz.harvard.edu/people/karma-nanglu) , tells us how this finding may change how scientists understand the boundaries of time. Curious about other weird wonders of the ancient Earth? Email us at [shortwave@npr.org] (mailto:shortwave@npr.org) .Learn more about sponsor message choices: [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) [NPR Privacy Policy] (https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy) ... Read more

17 Apr 2024

13 MINS

13:00

17 Apr 2024

#1050

How 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 sitting guiltily on the couch, blinking the screen-induced crust off your eyeballs. Okay. Maybe you haven't been there like our team has. But it's likely you have at least one guilty pleasure, whether it's playing video games, [reading romance novels] (https://www.npr.org/2024/02/13/1197954719/its-been-a-minute-unlocking-desire-smut) or getting swept into [obscure corners of TikTok] (https://www.npr.org/2024/02/08/1229783535/ultimate-world-cruise-tiktok-reality-show) . It turns out that experiencing – and studying – pleasure is not as straightforward as it might seem. And yet, pleasure is quite literally key to the survival of humanity. So today on the show, we explore the pleasure cycle: What it is, where it lives in the brain and how to have a healthier relationship with the things that make us feel good. Want more on the brain? Email us the neuroscience you want us to talk about at [shortwave@npr.org] (mailto:shortwave@npr.org) ! (Also please email us if you would like to gush about any of the books you've been loving — romantasy or otherwise!)Learn more about sponsor message choices: [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) [NPR Privacy Policy] (https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy) ... Read more

15 Apr 2024

13 MINS

13:42

15 Apr 2024

#1049

What 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 exposure to some PFAS chemicals. For decades, PFAS have been used to waterproof and stain-proof a variety of consumer products. These "forever chemicals" in a host of products — everything from raincoats and the Teflon of nonstick pans to makeup to furniture and firefighting foam. Because PFAS take a very long time to break down, they can accumulate in humans and the environment. Now, a growing body of research is linking them to human health problems like serious illness, some cancers, lower fertility and liver damage. Science correspondent [ Pien Huang ] (https://www.npr.org/people/729920828/pien-huang) joins the show today to talk through this new EPA rule — what the threshold for safe levels of PFAS in tap water is, why the rule is happening now and how the federal standards will be implemented. [Read more] (https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/04/10/1243775736/epa-pfas-forever-chemicals-drinking-water-limits) of Pien's reporting on the EPA's first ever rule on PFAS in drinking water.Want to hear more about health and human safety? Email us at [shortwave@npr.org] (mailto:shortwave@npr.org) — we might cover your question on a future episode!Learn more about sponsor message choices: [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) [NPR Privacy Policy] (https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy) ... Read more

12 Apr 2024

12 MINS

12:48

12 Apr 2024

#1048

The 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] (https://www.npr.org/people/349308023/selena-simmons-duffin) is exploring a detail very personal to her: How the number of older brothers a person has can influence their sexuality. Scientific research on sexuality has a dark history, with long-lasting harmful effects on queer communities. Much of the early research has also been debunked over time. But not this "fraternal birth order effect." The fact that a person's likelihood of being gay increases with each older brother has been found all over the world – from Turkey to North America, Brazil, the Netherlands and beyond. Today, Selena gets into all the details: What this effect is, how it's been studied and what it can (and can't) explain about sexuality.Interested in reading more about the science surrounding some of our closest relatives? Check out more stories in NPR's series on [The Science of Siblings] (https://www.npr.org/series/1241438370/the-science-of-siblings) . Email us at [shortwave@npr.org] (mailto:shortwave@npr.org) — we'd love to hear from you.Learn more about sponsor message choices: [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) [NPR Privacy Policy] (https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy) ... Read more

10 Apr 2024

12 MINS

12:25

10 Apr 2024

#1047

How 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. To get the inside scoop on the physics of baseball, like how to hit a home run, we talk to Frederic Bertley, CEO and President of the Center of Science and Industry, a science museum in Columbus, Ohio. He also talks to host [Regina G. Barber] (https://www.npr.org/people/1082526815/regina-g-barber) about how climate change is affecting the game. Interested in the science of other sports? Email us at [shortwave@npr.org] (mailto:shortwave@npr.org) — we'd love to hear from you.Learn more about sponsor message choices: [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) [NPR Privacy Policy] (https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy) ... Read more

07 Apr 2024

12 MINS

12:06

07 Apr 2024

#1046

The "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 in the wild – and then come back to these stashes when other food sources are low. Now, researchers at [Columbia University's Zuckerman Institute] (https://zuckermaninstitute.columbia.edu/chickadees-are-memory-geniuses-their-barcode-neural-activity-may-be-thank) think neural activity that works like a barcode may be to thank for this impressive feat — and that it might be a clue for how memories work across species. Curious about other animal behavior mysteries? Email us at [shortwave@npr.org] (mailto:shortwave@npr.org) .Learn more about sponsor message choices: [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) [NPR Privacy Policy] (https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy) ... Read more

05 Apr 2024

08 MINS

08:58

05 Apr 2024

#1045

How 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 in the middle of the day. Stars will come out, the air will get cold, colors will dance around the horizon. It's a full-body experience born from the total solar eclipse that will be visible from North America. Today on the show, Regina G. Barber talks to NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce about why some people say this experience is one of the most beautiful celestial events you can see – and how to prepare for it. Want more ways to enjoy the eclipse? Check out Regina's interview with an eclipse chaser on NPR's Life Kit podcast. Share your eclipse stories with us at shortwave@npr.org! We'd love to see it!Learn more about sponsor message choices: [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) [NPR Privacy Policy] (https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy) ... Read more

03 Apr 2024

13 MINS

13:14

03 Apr 2024

#1044

The 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 rising seas. Today on the show, host [ Emily Kwong] (https://www.npr.org/people/767284140/emily-kwong) talks to reporter [Camila Domonoske] (https://www.npr.org/people/348744968/camila-domonoske) about her 2021 trip to Guyana and how the country is grappling with its role as a victim of climate change while it moves forward with drilling more oil. (encore)For more of Camila's reporting and pictures from her visit, check out " [Guyana is a poor country that was a green champion. Then Exxon discovered oil] (https://n.pr/3nBLMHT) ."Want to more about how countries around the world are grappling with climate change? Write us at [shortwave@npr.org ] (mailto:shortwave@npr.org) to let us know — your suggestion might become a future episode! Learn more about sponsor message choices: [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) [NPR Privacy Policy] (https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy) ... Read more

01 Apr 2024

15 MINS

15:59

01 Apr 2024

#1043

The Shy Rodents Lost To Science

Historic numbers of animals across the globe have become endangered or pushed to extinction. But some of these species sit in limbo — not definitively extinct yet missing from the scientific record. Rediscovering a "lost" species is not easy. It can require trips to remote areas and canvassing a large area in search of only a handful of animals. But new technology and stronger partnerships with local communities have helped these hidden, "uncharismatic" creatures come to light. Have other scientific gray areas you want us to cover in a future episode? Email us at [shortwave@npr.org] (mailto:shortwave@npr.org) !Learn more about sponsor message choices: [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) [NPR Privacy Policy] (https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy) ... Read more

29 Mar 2024

13 MINS

13:28

29 Mar 2024

#1042

Shots Are Scary. But They Don't Have To Be.

[According to the CDC] (https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/vac-admin.html) , about one in four adults has a fear of needles. Many of those people say the phobia started when they were kids. For some people, the fear of needles is strong enough that they avoid getting important treatments, vaccines or tests. That poses a serious problem for public health. Researchers have helped develop a five step plan to help prevent what they call "needless pain" for kids getting injections or their blood drawn. Guest host [Tom Dreisbach] (https://www.npr.org/people/349305392/tom-dreisbach) talks with [Dr. Stefan Friedrichsdorf] (https://www.ucsfbenioffchildrens.org/providers/dr-stefan-friedrichsdorf) of UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals, who works with a team to implement the plan at his own hospital. Friedrichsdorf told us some of the most important research on eliminating pain has come from researchers in Canada. Learn more about their work [here] (https://helpkidspain.ca/) . This episode was inspired by the reporting of our colleague April Dembosky, a journalist at member station KQED and KFF Health News. Read her digital story [here] (https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/02/13/1230448059/shots-needles-phobia-vaccines-pain-fear-kids) .Got another question for a doctor? Email us at [shortwave@npr.org] (mailto:shortwave@npr.org) .Learn more about sponsor message choices: [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) [NPR Privacy Policy] (https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy) ... Read more

27 Mar 2024

13 MINS

13:19

27 Mar 2024

#1041

What'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 to one of these lucky people — NASA astronaut [Loral O'Hara] (https://www.nasa.gov/people/loral-ohara/) . She will soon conclude her nearly seven month stay on the International Space Station. Transmitting from space to your ears, Loral talks to host [Regina G. Barber] (https://www.npr.org/people/1082526815/regina-g-barber) about her dreams in microgravity, and her research on the ISS: 3D-printing human heart tissue, how the human brain and body adapt to microgravity, and how space changes the immune systems of plants. Have questions you want us to send to outers pace? Email us at [shortwave@npr.org] (mailto:shortwave@npr.org) !Learn more about sponsor message choices: [podcastchoices.com/adchoices] (https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices) [NPR Privacy Policy] (https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy) ... Read more

25 Mar 2024

12 MINS

12:14

25 Mar 2024