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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Since the age of nine or ten, <a href="https://med.uc.edu/depart/eh/directory/entire-directory/Index/Pubs/burns2ki"target="_blank" >Katie Burns</a> has had debilitating pain from endometriosis, a condition where tissue resembling the uterine lining grows outside the uterus. For years, Katie was in the dark about what was causing her pain. Even after a diagnosis at age 20 it was hard to find relief, or even answers about her condition. Her search for better care is part of what led her to a career studying the disease, which affects tens of millions of people worldwide. And in 2012, she discovered something new about its origins. Today, we talk to Katie and science reporter <a href="https://www.science.org/content/author/meredith-wadman"target="_blank" >Meredith Wadman</a> about that discovery, which points to a surprising culprit of endometriosis — the immune system. Read Meredith’s full piece in <a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/driven-pain-endometriosis-scientist-uncovering-clues-its-causes"target="_blank" >Science Magazine HERE</a>.  Interested in more health science ? Email us your question at <a href="mailto:shortwave@npr.org"target="_blank" >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"target="_blank" >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>

A Surprising Cause Of Endometriosis Could Lead To Cure

On Monday, the Trump administration linked the use of Tylenol with rising autism rates, but science doesn’t support that claim. Guest host <a href="https://www.npr.org/people/825275572/sydney-lupkin"target="_blank" >Sydney Lupkin</a> talks to autism researcher <a href="https://www.bu.edu/psych/profile/helen-tager-flusberg/"target="_blank" >Helen Tager-Flusberg</a> about how autism is studied, the findings from decades of research, and what people–especially those who are pregnant–should do when they experience pain or fever. Plus, we dig into guidance behind using leucovorin to treat autism. Interested in more science behind the headlines? Email us your question at <a href="mailto:shortwave@npr.org"target="_blank" >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"target="_blank" >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>

Tylenol and Autism: What’s True and What Isn’t

Food allergies have risen in the United States over the last few decades. Research suggests that 40 years ago the prevalence of food allergies was <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1323893016301137"target="_blank" >less than 1%</a>. But today that number is <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/nchs_press_releases/2022/20220126.htm"target="_blank" >closer to 6%</a>. But this trend is not present in all countries — and what people are allergic to varies globally. Today, we dive into the complex world of food allergies with <a href="https://www.luriechildrens.org/en/doctors/waheeda-samady-3250/"target="_blank" >Dr. Waheeda Samady</a>. She's the director of clinical research at Northwestern University's Center for Food Allergy and Asthma Research. Have a food science question? Email us at <a href="mailto:shortwave@npr.org"target="_blank" >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"target="_blank" >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>

A Surprising Culprit of Food Allergies

The anti-aging product market was worth roughly 53 BILLION dollars in 2024. One of the latest big trends: red light therapy. Social media is rampant with claims about all sorts of purported health benefits to using directed red light regularly … but does the research really live up to all the hype? For answers, we turn to cosmetic chemist and science communicator <a href="https://labmuffin.com/about-michelle/"target="_blank" >Michelle Wong</a>. Together, she and host <a href="https://www.npr.org/people/1082526815/regina-g-barber"target="_blank" >Regina G. Barber</a> sift through the thin (albeit growing) research on red light therapy to find out which claims are clearly backed by the literature – and which still need a bit more experimental data.  Interested in more science behind skincare products? Email us your question at <a href="mailto:shortwave@npr.org"target="_blank" >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"target="_blank" >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 You Try Red-Light Therapy?

Octopuses and their arms are a bit of a mystery.  Not because scientists don’t know how they work; they’re boneless hydrostats, made up of groups of muscles working together and capable of bending, twisting, elongating or shortening — like a frog’s tongue, or an elephant’s trunk. But because scientists are still figuring out how most octopuses use those arms in the wild.  Scientists at the <a href="https://www.mbl.edu/research/research-centers/eugene-bell-center/bell-center-faculty-and-staff/hanlon-lab"target="_blank" >Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole</a> and the <a href="https://biology.fau.edu/marine-lab/people/chelsea-beninice.php"target="_blank" >marine lab at Florida Atlantic University</a> wanted to answer that question. By analyzing videos taken in the wild, they found that octopuses seemed to prefer doing certain tasks with certain arms… and that the majority of the time, they used their front arms to explore and their back arms to get around. Researchers on the project hope that furthering our understanding of octopus behavior and movement will be useful for developing things like soft robotics. Interested in more science discoveries? Email us your question at <a href="mailto:shortwave@npr.org"target="_blank" >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"target="_blank" >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>

Untangling The Science of Octopus Arms

For centuries, the primary way that astronomers studied outer space was through sight. But just ten years ago, scientists successfully established a way to ‘listen’ to our cosmos – detecting gravitational waves created by huge cosmic events that took place billions of light years away. NPR science correspondent <a href="https://www.npr.org/people/4494969/nell-greenfieldboyce"target="_blank" >Nell Greenfieldboyce</a> explains how scientists detect those gravitational waves, what kind of cosmic events we’re detecting now, and what they could tell us about our universe.Interested in more stories about the cosmos? Email us your question at <a href="mailto:shortwave@npr.org"target="_blank" >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"target="_blank" >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 Does a Black Hole Collision Sound Like?

Parkinson’s Disease affects around a million people in the United States. And that number is on the rise, in part because our population is getting older.  <a href="https://www.ucihealth.org/clinicians/claire-henchcliffe-1730276825"target="_blank" >Dr. Claire Henchcliffe</a>, chair of neurology at the University of California, Irvine, is one of the scientists at the forefront of Parkinson’s research. She's working toward new treatment options for Parkinson’s, including recent discoveries about the potential use of stem cells.  Science correspondent <a href="https://www.npr.org/people/2100615/jon-hamilton"target="_blank" >Jon Hamilton</a> dives into this research — and even a future where scientists can prevent the disease altogether — on the show with Henchcliffe.  Interested in more on the future of brain science? Email us your question at <a href="mailto:shortwave@npr.org"target="_blank" >shortwave@npr.org</a> – we may feature it in an upcoming 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"target="_blank" >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 Do Stem Cells Mean For The Future Of Parkinson's?

Rhinoplasty is one of the most common facial plastic surgeries performed today. And it turns out, the ability to reconstruct a nose with living tissue has been known for a very long time – over 2500 years! But what spurred our ancestors to master this reconstructive technique? Well, there’s quite a range of answers – everything from adultery to duels and syphilis. Short Wave host <a href="https://www.npr.org/people/1082526815/regina-g-barber"target="_blank" >Regina G. Barber</a> speaks with bioengineer and Princeton University professor <a href="https://mae.princeton.edu/about-mae/spotlight/crowd-control-can-we-herd-cells-sheepdogs-herd-sheep"target="_blank" >Daniel Cohen</a> about the surprisingly long history of rhinoplasty – and how this art was lost and found throughout the ages.Want more tales of science throughout time? Email us at <a href="mailto:shortwave@npr.org"target="_blank" >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"target="_blank" >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 Surprisingly Long History Of Nose Jobs

Was there ever life on Mars? Planetary scientists think there could have been but there hasn’t been any direct evidence. After years of roaming Mars, NASA’s Perseverance rover saw spots on Mars rocks. These spots could be the most likely clue that Mars had organic life millions of years ago. Host <a href="https://www.npr.org/people/1082526815/regina-g-barber"target="_blank" >Regina G. Barber</a> speaks with recent PhD graduate and planetary scientist <a href="https://magazine.caltech.edu/post/socaltech-hemani-kalucha"target="_blank" >Hemani Kalucha</a>. She explains why the size, shape and color of these spots – as well as the location of these rocks on Mars – point to ancient life. Interested in more science behind skincare products? Email us your question at <a href="mailto:shortwave@npr.org"target="_blank" >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"target="_blank" >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 Most Convincing Evidence Yet Of Life On Mars

<a href="https://www.npr.org/2011/05/12/135598390/mind-reading-technology-turns-thought-into-action"target="_blank" >Brain-computer interfaces</a> (BCIs) are surgically implanted devices that link the brain to a computer. They can be helpful for people who’ve lost the ability to move or speak.  And they’re making progress. New generations of BCIs could go as far as to detect a person’s inner monologue. But that progress is raising questions about the future privacy of our brains, and has some scientists asking, “What happens when you want to keep some things to yourself?” NPR brain correspondent <a href="https://www.npr.org/people/2100615/jon-hamilton"target="_blank" >Jon Hamilton</a> talks to Short Wave’s Emily Kwong about the future of BCIs. <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/08/20/nx-s1-5506334/brain-computer-implant-speak-inner-speech-mind"target="_blank" >Read more</a> of Jon’s reporting on brain implants. Interested in more on the future of brain science? Email us your question at <a href="mailto:shortwave@npr.org"target="_blank" >shortwave@npr.org</a> – we may feature it in an upcoming 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"target="_blank" >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>

Brain Implants Are Here — And Getting Better

Christopher Nolan’s <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0816692/"target="_blank" >Interstellar</a> was a phenomenon in 2014. Set in the future, Earth has been struck by a global crop blight. Former NASA pilot Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) is pulled into a NASA mission to transport the human race to a new planet, via wormhole. Back on Earth, Cooper’s daughter, Murph (Jessica Chastain), attempts to complete an equation that will allow this mass-transport of humanity from Earth.  Many scientists praised the film, particularly for its depiction of black holes. In this episode co-hosts <a href="https://www.npr.org/people/1082526815/regina-g-barber"target="_blank" >Regina G. Barber</a> and <a href="https://www.npr.org/people/767284140/emily-kwong"target="_blank" >Emily Kwong</a> talk about Interstellar with Star Trek scientific advisor and astrophysicist <a href="https://www.erinpmacdonald.com/"target="_blank" >Erin Macdonald</a>. They walk through wormholes, black holes and all the ways space-time stretches in the film.  Interested in more on the science behind science fiction? Email us your question at <a href="mailto:shortwave@npr.org"target="_blank" >shortwave@npr.org</a> – we may feature it in an upcoming 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"target="_blank" >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>

'Interstellar': Time Dilation And Wormholes Explained

U.S. consumers spend more than $10 billion a year on sports drinks, according to <a href="https://www.bevindustry.com/articles/96745-2024-state-of-the-beverage-industry-sports-drinks-embrace-everyday-wellness"target="_blank" >Beverage Industry</a>, a trade publication. And we can’t lie that sometimes a Gatorade or electrolyte tablet sounds really appealing in the quest to hydrate daily – especially since it’s been a very hot, long summer. But the question is: Are we even sweating enough to warrant all these sugary electrolyte-filled drinks? NPR health correspondent <a href="https://www.npr.org/people/729920828/pien-huang"target="_blank" >Pien Huang</a> has been on the case, and she brings us answers she’s racked up in her reporting today. <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/08/04/nx-s1-5470190/electrolytes-sport-drinks-hydration-salt"target="_blank" >Read more</a> of Pien’s reporting on electrolytes and hydration. Interested in more consumer health or human biology stories? Email us your question at <a href="mailto:shortwave@npr.org"target="_blank" >shortwave@npr.org</a> – we may feature it in an upcoming 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"target="_blank" >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>

Sip or Skip? The Truth About Electrolytes

Mars is known for its barren desert landscape and dry climate. But two recent studies in the journals <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09361-9"target="_blank" >Nature</a> and <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adk4292"target="_blank" >Science</a> go beneath the surface, exploring the interior of the red planet using seismic data from NASA’s <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/insight/"target="_blank" >InSight mission.</a> And now, this data is also giving scientists a glimpse into the planet’s history – to see how Mars evolved over billions of years and how its inner structure compares to that of Earth. Interested in more science news? Let us know at <a href="mailto:shortwave@npr.org"target="_blank" >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"target="_blank" > 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>

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#1353

A Surprising Cause Of Endometriosis Could Lead To Cure

#1352

Tylenol and Autism: What’s True and What Isn’t

#1351

A Surprising Culprit of Food Allergies

#1350

Should You Try Red-Light Therapy?

#1349

Untangling The Science of Octopus Arms

#1348

What Does a Black Hole Collision Sound Like?

#1347

What Do Stem Cells Mean For The Future Of Parkinson's?

#1346

The Surprisingly Long History Of Nose Jobs

#1345

The Most Convincing Evidence Yet Of Life On Mars

#1344

Brain Implants Are Here — And Getting Better

#1343

'Interstellar': Time Dilation And Wormholes Explained

#1342

Sip or Skip? The Truth About Electrolytes

#1341

What Marsquakes Reveal About The Planet's Habitability