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


Short Wave

Most bats use echolocation to navigate and hunt, but some use their ears for another trick: eavesdropping. "And then these frog-eating bats, for example, they are actually listening in on the mating calls of frogs that are much, much lower in frequency," says behavioral ecologist <a href="https://stri.si.edu/scientist/rachel-page">Rachel Page.</a> But how the bats knew this eavesdropping trick was a mystery. So she set up and experiment with baby bats and a speaker. Have a question about the animals all around us? Email us at <a href="mailto:shortwave@npr.org">shortwave@npr.org</a> — we'd love to hear from you! Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at <a href="http://plus.npr.org/shortwave">plus.npr.org/shortwave</a>. Learn more about sponsor message choices: <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a> <a href="https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy">NPR Privacy Policy</a>

How Baby Bats Learn To Eavesdrop On Dinner

Becoming fluent in a second language is difficult. But for adults, is it impossible? Science says no. In this encore episode, Short Wave host <a href="https://www.npr.org/people/767284140/emily-kwong">Emily Kwong</a> dissects the "critical period hypothesis," a theory which linguists have been debating for decades — with the help of <a href="https://sarahfphillips.com/">Sarah Frances Phillips</a>, a Ph.D. student in the linguistics department at New York University. Together, Emily and former Short Wave host <a href="https://www.madelinesofia.com/">Maddie Sofia</a> explore where the theory comes from, how it applies to second-language acquisition and what it means for Emily's efforts to learn Mandarin Chinese as an adult. Have a linguistics or neuroscience question? Email us at <a href="mailto:shortwave@npr.org">shortwave@npr.org</a> — we'd love to hear from you! Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at <a href="http://plus.npr.org/shortwave">plus.npr.org/shortwave</a>. Learn more about sponsor message choices: <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a> <a href="https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy">NPR Privacy Policy</a>

Learning A Second Language As An Adult

Today, we're airing an episode of NPR's daily economics podcast, <a href="https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510325/the-indicator-from-planet-money">The Indicator from Planet Money</a>. It's about a group of people we know well: scientists. President Trump's federal cuts and scrutiny of academic institutions are forcing some U.S. scientists to head for the border. On today's show, an entomologist keeping America's farms safe from pests reconsiders America. And a CEO of a Canadian hospital explains how they are benefiting from the exodus. Want to learn more about the intersection of science and the economy? Email us at <a href="mailto:shortwave@npr.org">shortwave@npr.org</a>. Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at <a href="http://plus.npr.org/shortwave">plus.npr.org/shortwave</a>. Learn more about sponsor message choices: <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a> <a href="https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy">NPR Privacy Policy</a>

The Indicator: American Science Brain Drain

<a href="https://sustainability.google/operating-sustainably/net-zero-carbon/">Google</a>, <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2020/01/16/microsoft-will-be-carbon-negative-by-2030/">Microsoft</a> and <a href="https://sustainability.atmeta.com/climate/">Meta </a>have all pledged to reach at least net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. <a href="https://sustainability.aboutamazon.com/climate-solutions">Amazon </a>set their net-zero deadline for 2040. To understand how these four tech companies could possibly meet their climate goals amid an artificial intelligence renaissance, Short Wave co-host <a href="https://www.npr.org/people/767284140/emily-kwong">Emily Kwong</a> discusses the green AI movement. Speaking with scientists, CEOs and tech insiders, she explores three possible pathways: nuclear energy, small language models (SLMs) and back-to-the-future ways of keeping data centers cool. Listen to Part 1 of Short Wave's reporting on the environmental cost of AI <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/05/07/1249592906/energy-water-ai-climate-tech">here</a>. Have a question about AI and the environment? Email us at <a href="mailto:shortwave@npr.org">shortwave@npr.org</a> — we'd love to hear from you! Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at <a href="http://plus.npr.org/shortwave">plus.npr.org/shortwave</a>. Learn more about sponsor message choices: <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a> <a href="https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy">NPR Privacy Policy</a>

Could AI Go Green?

By 2028, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory forecasts that U.S. data centers could use as much as 12% of the nation's electricity. The reason: generative AI. Since 2022, AI innovation by four leading tech companies — Google, Microsoft, Meta and Amazon — has led to annual increases in both energy and water consumption. So, in this episode, Short Wave co-host <a href="https://www.npr.org/people/767284140/emily-kwong">Emily Kwong</a> probes huge water footprint of AI. We begin with the rise of data centers, then look at how computers came to need so much water and, finally, what tech companies are doing to try to turn the ship around. P.S. Part 2 talks about the leading solutions in the green AI movement. So don't miss our Friday episode! Curious about tech and the environment? Email us at <a href="mailto:shortwave@npr.org">shortwave@npr.org</a> — we'd love to hear from you! Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at <a href="http://plus.npr.org/shortwave">plus.npr.org/shortwave</a> Learn more about sponsor message choices: <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a> <a href="https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy">NPR Privacy Policy</a>

What's The Environmental Cost Of AI?

Do you consider yourself a creative person? If not, you may be holding yourself back. Psychologist <a href="https://medicine.yale.edu/profile/zorana-ivcevic/">Zorana Ivcevic Pringle</a> says creativity isn't a trait. Creativity is a choice. After studying creativity for more than 20 years, she has some suggestions for how anyone can stick with their creative ideas. Guest host and producer <a href="https://www.npr.org/people/985775371/berly-mccoy">Berly McCoy</a> talks to her about her new book <a href="https://www.porchlightbooks.com/products/creativity-choice-zorana-ivcevic-pringle-9781541704329">The Creativity Choice</a>. Curious about more psychology research? Let us know by emailing <a href="mailto:shortwave@npr.org">shortwave@npr.org</a>. Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at <a href="http://plus.npr.org/shortwave">plus.npr.org/shortwave</a>. Learn more about sponsor message choices: <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a> <a href="https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy">NPR Privacy Policy</a>

Science Can Make You More Creative!

Recently, a group of scientists claimed they found possible signs of life on a planet called K2-18b. The news made headlines. Researchers said they'd detected sulphur-based gases that, on Earth, are strongly associated with life. But the research caused an uproar in astronomy circles because other scientists don't think the data is strong enough to celebrate an alien find just yet. In fact, they have some real issues with how this whole thing went down, and a new analysis casts further doubt on the findings. NPR science correspondent <a href="https://www.npr.org/people/4494969/nell-greenfieldboyce">Nell Greenfieldboyce</a> is here to wade into the controversy — and tell us what all this means for the future of searching for life beyond our solar system. Want to hear more about new science research? Let us know by emailing <a href="mailto:shortwave@npr.org">shortwave@npr.org</a>. Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at <a href="http://plus.npr.org/shortwave">plus.npr.org/shortwave</a>. Learn more about sponsor message choices: <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a> <a href="https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy">NPR Privacy Policy</a>

Did Scientists Find Alien Life Or Just Controversy?

Minecraft is a movie and a very popular video game with iconic block graphics that characters can "mine" for building material and gems. It's also what cognitive scientist <a href="https://hmc-lab.com/people/charley_wu/index.md">Charley Wu</a> and his team utilized to study how people learned as they played. Their unique study focused on both individual and social learning — and they found a clear answer to which players were most successful. (Hint: Get you a player who can do both.) Their results were published recently in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-58365-6">Nature Communications</a>. Want to hear more about new science research? Let us know by emailing <a href="mailto:shortwave@npr.org">shortwave@npr.org</a>. Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at <a href="http://plus.npr.org/shortwave">plus.npr.org/shortwave</a>. Learn more about sponsor message choices: <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a> <a href="https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy">NPR Privacy Policy</a>

What Can Minecraft Teach Us About Learning?

In its first 100 days, the Trump administration — specifically, the Department of Government Efficiency — shuttered agencies and slashed budgets pertaining to foreign aid, scientific research, food safety and more. How will this impact people's health and well-being both in the U.S., and around the world? To answer that question, we're calling in our colleagues: global health correspondent <a href="https://www.npr.org/people/470414236/gabrielle-emanuel">Gabrielle Emmanuel</a> and health policy reporter <a href="https://www.npr.org/people/349308023/selena-simmons-duffin">Selena Simmons-Duffin</a>. (P.S. If you liked this episode, check out the breakdown of health and science policy changes we did after Trump's first 50 days — with different NPR reporters — <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/03/11/1266983351/trump-science-medical-research-layoffs">here</a>.) Want to hear more about how policy changes affect scientific research and discovery? Let us know by emailing <a href="mailto:shortwave@npr.org">shortwave@npr.org</a>. Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at <a href="http://plus.npr.org/shortwave">plus.npr.org/shortwave</a>. Learn more about sponsor message choices: <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a> <a href="https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy">NPR Privacy Policy</a>

Are DOGE Cuts Making America Healthy?

A good night's sleep makes a big difference to our mental and physical health. Without quality sleep, we're less productive. Grumpy. It can even affect our hearts. Meanwhile, more and more people are having problems falling and staying asleep, including kids. So some parents are turning to a supplement called melatonin as a potential solution. But some experts worry that there isn't enough research about how regularly taking melatonin affects kids in the long term. Today on the show, we explore the research with Michael Schulson, who recently wrote about the topic for <a href="https://undark.org/2025/04/08/melatonin-children-bedtime/">Undark.</a> Want to hear more stories about human health? Email us and let us know at <a href="mailto:shortwave@npr.org">shortwave@npr.org</a>. Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at<a href="http://plus.npr.org/shortwave"> plus.npr.org/shortwave</a>. Learn more about sponsor message choices: <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a> <a href="https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy">NPR Privacy Policy</a>

Should Kids Be Taking Melatonin?

From starfish and sea slugs to jellyfish and sponges, the ocean's invertebrates are some of the most ancient and diverse critters on Earth. And so are their superpowers, as marine biologist <a href="https://ecologyandevolution.cornell.edu/catherine-drew-harvell">Drew Harvell</a> calls their unique abilities. In her new book, <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/723673/the-oceans-menagerie-by-drew-harvell/">The Ocean's Menagerie</a>, she chronicles the amazing abilities of some of these spineless creatures and showcases how they've inspired our science and medicine. <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/08/31/1032864371/nudibranchs-do-it-better">Listen to our past episode on nudibranchs — the potent slugs of the sea — HERE.</a> Want to hear more stories about underwater marvels? Email us and let us know at <a href="mailto:shortwave@npr.org">shortwave@npr.org</a>. Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at<a href="http://plus.npr.org/shortwave"> plus.npr.org/shortwave</a>. Learn more about sponsor message choices: <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a> <a href="https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy">NPR Privacy Policy</a>

Harnessing Spineless Sea Creatures' Superpowers

Some scientists are convinced that beyond Neptune, there's a planet they've yet to see. This so-called "Planet 9" is so far away, it would be a faint object. The stretch of sky researchers would have to search is huge. But a new astronomical facility on a mountaintop in Chile could help tackle the search. The NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory has been under construction for years. Now, scientists are finetuning its instruments so the telescope can begin its 10-year mission of taking images of almost the entire southern sky. Read more of science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce's reporting <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/04/09/nx-s1-5347688/planet-nine-vera-rubin-observatory">here</a>. Want to hear more stories about the mysteries of space? Email us and let us know at <a href="mailto:shortwave@npr.org">shortwave@npr.org</a>. Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at<a href="http://plus.npr.org/shortwave"> plus.npr.org/shortwave</a>. Learn more about sponsor message choices: <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a> <a href="https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy">NPR Privacy Policy</a>

This Telescope Could Find "Planet 9"

A fish walks into a pharmacy ... well, not exactly. Fish aren't being prescribed anti-anxiety drugs. But they are experiencing the effects. Researchers have found more than 900 different pharmaceutical ingredients in rivers and streams around the world, though they're not yet sure how this could change the behavior of fish and other aquatic animals in the wild."We can't, you know, dump a bunch of pharmaceuticals into the river," says <a href="https://www.slu.se/cv/jack-brand/">Jack Brand</a>, biologist at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. Instead, Jack's team did the next best thing – with some surprising results. This episode was reported by NPR science correspondent <a href="https://www.npr.org/people/703751120/jonathan-lambert">Jon Lambert</a>. <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/04/14/nx-s1-5359433/anxiety-drugs-found-in-rivers-make-salmon-take-more-risks">Check out</a> more of his reporting. Want to hear more stories about animal behavior? Email us and let us know at <a href="mailto:shortwave@npr.org">shortwave@npr.org</a>. Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at<a href="http://plus.npr.org/shortwave"> plus.npr.org/shortwave</a>. Learn more about sponsor message choices: <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a> <a href="https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy">NPR Privacy Policy</a>

Why These Salmon Are On Anxiety Meds

Welcome!! This is the first episode of Nature Quest, a monthly Short Wave segment that answers listener questions about your local environment. This month, we hear from a listener in California who's concerned that the flowers in his neighborhood are blooming way, way earlier. Is that normal? And is climate change the culprit? Short Wavers Emily Kwong and Hannah Chinn investigate. Got a question about changes in your local environment? Send a voice memo to <a href="mailto:shortwave@npr.org">shortwave@npr.org</a> with your name, where you live and your question. We might make it into our next Nature Quest episode! Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at<a href="http://plus.npr.org/shortwave"> plus.npr.org/shortwave</a>. Learn more about sponsor message choices: <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a> <a href="https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy">NPR Privacy Policy</a>

Nature Quest: Are Flowers Blooming Early?

As global warming continues and space technology improves, there is more and more talk about the growing possibility of a sci-fi future in which humans become a multiplanetary species. Specifically, that we could live on Mars. Biologist <a href="http://www.weinersmith.com/">Kelly Weinersmith</a> and cartoonist <a href="https://theweinerworks.com/">Zach Weinersmith</a> have spent four years researching what life on Mars would look like if we did it anytime soon. In their book <a href="https://www.acityonmars.com/">A City On Mars</a>, they get into all sorts of questions: How would we have babies in space? How would we have enough food? They join host <a href="https://www.npr.org/people/1082526815/regina-g-barber">Regina G. Barber</a> and explain why it might be best to stay on Earth. Check out Kelly and Zach Weinersmith's book <a href="https://www.acityonmars.com/">A City On Mars</a>. Have another space story you want us to cover on a future episode? Email us at <a href="mailto:shortwave@npr.org">shortwave@npr.org</a> — we'd love to hear from you! Learn more about sponsor message choices: <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a> <a href="https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy">NPR Privacy Policy</a>

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#1275

How Baby Bats Learn To Eavesdrop On Dinner

#1274

Learning A Second Language As An Adult

#1273

The Indicator: American Science Brain Drain

#1272

Could AI Go Green?

#1271

What's The Environmental Cost Of AI?

#1270

Science Can Make You More Creative!

#1269

Did Scientists Find Alien Life Or Just Controversy?

#1268

What Can Minecraft Teach Us About Learning?

#1267

Are DOGE Cuts Making America Healthy?

#1266

Should Kids Be Taking Melatonin?

#1265

Harnessing Spineless Sea Creatures' Superpowers

#1264

This Telescope Could Find "Planet 9"

#1263

Why These Salmon Are On Anxiety Meds

#1262

Nature Quest: Are Flowers Blooming Early?

#1261

Should Humans Live On Mars?