Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
Why A Good Scare Is Sometimes The Right Call
30 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week is our last with Maddie as a host, so we're spending it with a trip down memory lane. The ...
Is It Muggy Out? Check The Dew Point!
27 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Going on a run and curious about how muggy it's going to be out? Maddie Sofia chats with producer Th...
The Fight To Save Sunflower Sea Stars
26 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sunflower sea stars play a key role in ocean ecosystems on the West Coast - and they are disappearin...
How To Start Hormone Replacement Therapy
25 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Medical transition-related treatments like hormone replacement therapy are associated with overwhelm...
Ultracold Soup - The 'Superfluid' States Of Matter
24 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
(Encore episode) Class is back in session. We're going "back to school" to dig a little deeper on a ...
To Build, Or Not To Build? That Is The Question Facing Local Governments
23 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
NPR climate correspondent Lauren Sommer talks with Emily about a dilemma facing many local governmen...
Micro Wave: Build Your Own Sandcastle Dreamhouse
20 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It's summer, which for some means spare time at the beach, splashing in the waves and...building san...
When Sea Levels Rise, Who Should Pay?
19 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Facebook's campus on the shoreline of San Francisco Bay is at risk from rising sea levels. So is a n...
Spinosaurus: The Aquatic Dinosaur
18 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
(Encore episode) We chat with National Geographic Explorer and paleontologist Nizar Ibrahim about hi...
COVID-19 News: A Hospital System Overwhelmed, Booster Shots Update
17 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In the last two weeks or so, the number of new daily COVID-19 cases in the United States has increas...
Three (Hopeful!) Takeaways From The UN's Climate Change Report
16 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Last week, the U.N. published a landmark report — detailing the current state of global climate ch...
Mirror, Mirror, On The Wall: Can Animals Recognize Their Reflection At All?
13 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
(Encore episode) The mirror self-recognition test has been around for decades. Only a few species ha...
Does Your Cat Like You — Or Just Tolerate You?
12 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
(Encore episode) It's another installment of our series, "Animal Slander," where we take a common ph...
Bringing Service Animals Into The Lab
11 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
(Encore episode) Joey Ramp's service dog, Sampson, is with her at all times, even when she has to wo...
Does Your Dog Love You? Science Has Some Answers
10 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
(Encore episode) Clive Wynne, founding director of the Canine Science Collaboratory at Arizona State...
Siriusly, It's The Dog Days Of Summer!
09 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ever wonder why we call it the Dog Days of Summer? Today on the show — Emily gives Maddie an astro...
Gravitational Waves: Unlocking The Secrets Of The Universe
06 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce gives us the latest in gravitational waves and shares wha...
How To Correct Misinformation
05 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
(Encore episode) The World Health Organization has called the spread of misinformation around the co...
COVID And Aduhelm On The Agenda At Denver Alzheimer's Meeting
04 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Alzheimer's Association International Conference took place in Denver this year. Today on the sh...
Whales' Vital Role In Our Oceans
03 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Whales are more than just beautiful creatures — they play a vital role in the ocean's ecosystem. T...
Caregiving During The Pandemic Takes A Toll On Mental Health
02 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Caregivers in the "Sandwich Generation" have reported a steep decline in mental health, as did other...
Lightning Bugs, Fireflies - Call Them What You Will, They're Awesome
30 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
There are thousands of species of lightning bug and they live all over the world except in Antarctic...
Breaking Down The New CDC Mask Guidance
29 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed its guidance on wearing masks. Sh...
Managing Wildfire Through Cultural Burns
28 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Fire has always been part of California's landscape. But long before the vast blazes of recent years...
Sweat: A Human Superpower
27 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sweating is critical to helping humans avoid overheating, and it's different than how most animals c...
Can We Predict Earthquakes? (Hint: No)
26 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It's a listener questions episode! Chuck, Short Wave fan, asks, "What is the current state of earthq...
The Great California Groundwater Grab
23 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
California is in the middle of a terrible drought. The rivers are running low, and most of its farme...
Who Runs The World? Squirrels!
22 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Squirrels are everywhere — living in our suburban neighborhoods to our city centers to our surroun...
How Tall Is Mount Everest? Hint: It Changes
21 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We talk to NPR's India correspondent Lauren Frayer about the ridiculously complicated science involv...
The Delta Variant And The Latest Coronavirus Surge
20 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
COVID-19 cases are on the rise in the last month due to the Delta variant. NPR correspondent Allison...
Building A Shark Science Community For Women Of Color
19 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As a kid, Jasmin Graham was endlessly curious about the ocean. Her constant questioning eventually l...
The Joy Of Ice Cream's Texture
16 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
July is National Ice Cream Month — and Sunday, July 18 is National Ice Cream Day (in the US)! Flav...
Three Guidelines To Understanding The Delta Variant
15 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Delta is quickly becoming the dominant coronavirus variant in multiple countries. The variant has sp...
What Science Fiction Gets Wrong About Space Travel
14 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Contrary to sci-fi depictions in shows like Iron Man and Star Wars, getting from point A to point B ...
The Ripple Effects Of A Huge Drop In Cancer Screenings
13 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
At the height of the pandemic, routine cancer screenings declined by 90 percent. Screenings are resu...
The Mysterious Ice Worm
12 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On the mountaintop glaciers of the Pacific Northwest lives a mysterious, and often, overlooked creat...
Micro Wave: What Is 'Brain Freeze'?
09 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Summer's here. Time for a cool treat. So, you grab a popsicle from the freezer. Ahh ... that's bette...
FEMA Has An Equity Problem, Part Two: Race
08 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
FEMA acknowledges that the way it distributes aid often benefits some people more than others--and t...
Teens Ask, We Answer: What's Up With COVID Vaccines?
07 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
People between the ages of 12 and 17 are now eligible to get the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and health ...
FACT SMACK: Bats! They're Cooler Than Birds
05 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
With the help of ecologist Rodrigo Medellín, the "Bat Man of Mexico," Rasha Aridi (former Short Wav...
'Arrival': How To Talk To Aliens
02 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
(Encore episode) The 2016 movie Arrival, an adaptation of Ted Chiang's novella Story of Your Life, c...
FEMA Has An Equity Problem
01 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When a disaster like a hurricane or wildfire destroys a house, the clock starts ticking. It gets har...
The Climate Crisis Is A Public Health Crisis
30 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A recent study published in Nature found that 37 percent of heat-related deaths are due to climate c...
Organic Chemistry Helped Me Embrace My Identities
29 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As a kid, Ariana Remmel had a hard time figuring out where they fit in. So they found comfort in the...
Lessons Learned From Hindered Contact Tracing Efforts In The U.S.
28 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Early in the pandemic, contact tracing was viewed as one of the best options to quell the spread of ...
FDA Approves Aducanumab — A Controversial Drug For Alzheimer's
25 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The FDA has approved a new drug for Alzheimer's. But a lot of experts are skeptical about whether th...
Climate Change Is Threatening The U.S. West's Water Supply
24 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The past year has been the driest or second driest in most Southwestern U.S. states since record-kee...
Loving Sally Ride
23 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Tam O'Shaughnessy and Sally Ride, the first American woman to fly in space, shared a passion for get...
COVID-19 Vaccines, Boosters And The Renaissance In Vaccine Technology
22 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Health Correspondent Allison Aubrey updates us on the Biden Administration's goal to have 70 percent...
Behold! The Anus: An Evolutionary Marvel
21 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The anus is an evolutionary marvel. But how and when did this organ evolve into what it is today? To...
'Where We Come From': Emily Kwong's Story
20 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Nearly 1 billion people speak Mandarin Chinese. But Short Wave host Emily Kwong is not among them. A...
We're Off For Juneteenth
18 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Hey, Nerd! NPR takes Juneteenth off. We'll be back Sunday with a special episode from NPR's Where We...
#BlackBirdersWeek 2021: Celebrating The Joy Of Birds
17 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
#BlackBirdersWeek emerged last year from a groundswell of support for Christian Cooper, a Black man ...
'I'm Willing To Fight For It': Learning A Second Language As An Adult
16 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Becoming fluent in a second language is difficult. But for adults, is it impossible? Short Wave host...
The Disordered Cosmos
15 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Maddie talks with physicist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein about her new book, The Disordered Cosmos: A Jo...
Migrating Monarchs
14 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It is one of the Earth's great migrations: each year, millions of monarch butterflies fly some 3,000...
Yep, We Made Up Vegetables
11 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
After hearing a vicious rumor on the internet that vegetables aren't real, Maddie goes looking for a...
The Science Behind That Fresh Rain Scent
10 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
(Encore episode.) Scientists have known for decades that one of the main causes of the smell of fres...
Cleveland - What Climate Equity Could Look Like
09 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Biden Administration is working to fight climate change in a way that also address the country's...
COVID News Round-Up: Vaccination Progress, Booster Shots, Travel
08 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Nationwide, almost 65% of adults have had at least one vaccine shot, but vaccination rates vary sign...
Taking A New Look At Some Old Bones
07 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Paleontologist Yara Haridy looks at fossilized bones for a living. When she randomly walked by a sci...
Bringing The Sensation Of Touch To A Robotic Limb
04 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
There's big change that's happening in the field of artificial limbs: artificial limbs that both mov...
Scientific Sankofa And The Complexities Of Genetic Ancestry
03 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Short Wave reporter Emily Kwong speaks with Janina Jeff, the host and executive producer of In Those...
It's Okay To Let Go Of Herd Immunity
02 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers say the concept of achieving herd immunity threshold isn't the right finish line to end ...
Rainbows! How They Form And Why We See Them
01 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Happy Pride, Short Wave Listeners! Here's a fun episode from our archives to celebrate the month!It'...
Disabled Scientists Are Often Excluded From The Lab
28 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Scientists and students with disabilities are often excluded from laboratories — in part because o...
Big Vape: The Incendiary Rise of Juul E-cigarettes
27 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Juul Labs seemingly started out with the aim to reduce smoking, but the company's e-cigarettes came ...
The Curious Stardust At The Ocean Floor
26 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers report in the journal Science that they appear to have some clues about the origin of Ea...
The State Of Vaccinations In The U.S.
25 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Eight states have passed an important milestone: getting 70% of all adults vaccinated with at least ...
'Off The Charts' Rise In Alcoholic Liver Disease Among Young Women
24 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
**Heads up. This episode discusses addiction and alcoholism.**Some doctors are seeing a disturbing s...
Who Should Control Earth's Thermostat?
21 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Solar geoengineering--the human attempt to cool the planet by reflecting sunlight away from Earth--i...
Biden Proposes A 'Civilian Corps' To Address Climate Change
20 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
During the Great Depression, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt created the Civilian Conservation C...
Pandemic Could Roll Back Advancements For Women in STEMM
19 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In general, there are more men in STEMM fields than women. Representation in science, technology, en...
Too soon? The CDC Relaxes Mask Guidance For Fully Vaccinated
18 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Many Americans are baring their faces in public again, following new CDC recommendations that fully ...
Racism, Opioids And COVID-19: A Deadly Trifecta
17 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
(Encore.) Drug overdose deaths are on the rise all around the country, including in Chicago, Illinoi...
Animal Slander! The Origins Of "Badgering" Will Bum You Out
14 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It's the latest installment of our series, "Animal Slander," where we take a common saying about ani...
In The Pandemic, Children Face A Mental Health Crisis
13 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the proportion of emergency depar...
SCOOP: There's A Dirt Shortage
12 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Mud and dirt have often been treated as waste products from excavation or dredging sites. But these ...
Pediatricians Work To Persuade Parents And Teens To Get COVID-19 Vaccine
11 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Some colleges and universities have announced that COVID vaccination will be mandatory (with some ex...
The Past, Present and Future of mRNA Vaccines
10 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are the first authorized vaccines in history to us...
'Everyone I Know Has Lost Someone': An Update From India
07 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The numbers are staggering. India has been reporting more than 300,000 COVID-19 cases each day for t...
A Fragile X Treatment May Be On The Horizon
06 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Katie Clapp and Michael Tranfaglia's son was born with a genetic disorder that affects brain develop...
Why Some Countries Have Low Vaccination Rates
05 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We've been talking a lot about COVID in the US. Now, we want to look at how things are going in some...
A Vaccination Update And The CDC's Latest Guidance On Masks
04 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The rate of vaccination in the U.S. continues to slow. Maddie Sofia talks with NPR health correspond...
Burnout: The Crisis Plaguing Health Care Workers
03 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today, NPR's mental health correspondent Rhitu Chatterjee guests hosts Short Wave. She talks to Dr. ...
The Viral TikTok Explaining mRNA Vaccines With ... Forks!
30 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We at Short Wave are sometimes a little too aware of how difficult it can be to explain science to a...
Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster: 10 Years Later
29 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In 2011, villages and towns around the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear plant in Japan were evacuated becau...
5 Ways To Cut Carbon Emissions At Home
28 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Feeling green? If you'd like to do something to slow down climate change, even if it's just a small ...
The U.S. Vaccination Rate Continues To Slow
27 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Short Wave's Emily Kwong talks with NPR health correspondent Allison Aubrey about some of the latest...
A 142-Year-Old Science Seed Caper
26 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On April 15, at four o'clock in the morning, a small group of scientists found their way to a secret...
U.S. Renews Its Commitment To Addressing Climate Change
23 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
President Biden is hosting dozens of world leaders for a virtual climate summit on Thursday and Frid...
Medicine And The Horseshoe Crab
22 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Horseshoe crabs have been around for 450 million years — nearly unchanged. And their blood has hel...
Micro Wave: Why Hair Turns Gray
21 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Why does hair turn gray? Stress? Age? Genetics? We turn to dermatologist Dr. Jenna Lester for answer...
Half Of U.S. Adults Have Gotten A Vaccine — But Hurdles Remain For Herd Immunity
20 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today, NPR Health Correspondent Allison Aubrey offers perspective on how to think about the latest c...
A Classroom Where Math And Community Intersect
19 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When you think of mathematicians, do you think of lone geniuses scribbling away at complex equations...
Why Scientists Are Racing To Save Historical Sea Level Records
16 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
(Encore episode.) Archival records may help researchers figure out how fast the sea level is rising ...
Why Baltimore Is Suing Big Oil Over Climate Change
15 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
(Encore episode.) Earlier this year, the Supreme Court heard arguments in a case brought by the city...
A Rising Tide of Violence Against Environmental Activists
14 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
(Encore episode.) Global Witness documented that 212 environmental and land activists were murdered ...
What Happens When The Tides Get Higher
13 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
(Encore episode.) As sea levels rise from climate change, coastal communities face a greater risk of...
Debating When The 'Age Of Humans' Began
12 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Humans have changed the Earth in such profound ways that scientists say we have entered a new geolog...