Short Wave
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
Episodes (2552)
Why your sunscreen is finally getting a major upgrade
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How a single flu shot could protect you for decades
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Your DNA is changing all the time. Here’s why
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Inner monologues are still a mystery
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Prepare to be baffled by what we don't know about eels
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This common garden plant summons wasps as bodyguards
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Why are scientists planting tiny forests in big cities?
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Why you can't stop scrolling: the science of 'dark flow'
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This distant planet has wild weather and gemstone clouds
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Should we reengineer the world's deadliest animal?
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Is it getting windier?
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The magic — and science — of synchronous fireflies
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The supertree shielding coastlines and storing carbon
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Why renaming this common hormonal disorder is a huge deal
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A solution for California's water woes
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What's up with your nightmares?
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A chemical found in fish could help reinvent your sunscreen
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Should you be fibermaxxing? Here's what the science says
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Why Swedish scientists gave salmon cocaine
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Without this pill, lots of people would be dead
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Hantavirus: the risks, the science and what you need to know
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How science is taking tripping mainstream
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This medical condition stumped doctors for years
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The secret behind clownfish stripes and more fishy fascinations
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Coffee is complex. Can science standardize it for the better?
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NASA is practicing moonwalks. When are we going back?
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Set up solar, or save a tree? It’s complicated
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The mystery that led this family to get their stomachs removed
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Why a chimp 'civil war' shows how societies collapse
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Where did our moon come from?
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Eating disorder recovery in a diet culture world
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These voicemails save lives
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The psychology behind why you dread small talk
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A new approach to brain health, one neuron at a time
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Is there still a gender gap in medical research?
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Are you pooping all wrong?
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Who's to blame for all this plastic?
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Quantum physics is for everybody
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Why are bees special? We get inside a hive to find out
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The world is running out of helium — again
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Never had the flu? Scientists may know why
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Why is NASA going to the moon again?
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Predicting spring bloom is an art and a science
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Space news: Project Hail Mary, Artemis, data centers
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What's up with recycled wastewater's PR problem?
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The world’s freshwater is getting saltier. Why?
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The world has a groundwater problem. Can we solve it?
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Day Zero: When the wells run dry
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How did these flowers evolve to survive a megadrought?
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A dietitian and doctor review RFK Jr's new food pyramid
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