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Short Wave

A Life Sciences , Science and Astronomy podcast

#1 in Life Sciences · 🇲🇽 #1 in Life Sciences · 🇸🇬

About the show

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. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org. You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including sponsor-free listening for Short Wave.

Newest episodes

AI could help hospitals diagnose PTSD in real time

Nov 13, 2026 12 min

Every year, millions of people in the United States develop PTSD from a traumatic event—like a car crash, an assault or freak accident. A lot of those people end up in the ER answering the same question: “What brought you to the emergency department today?” Now, a research team in New York has an AI model that can use patients’ answers and demographics to spit out one number that tells medical staff how likely a patient is to develop PTSD a month later. The work – published in the journal Nature Communications – could help an often-overloaded emergency department team prevent mental health disorders before they start. Interested in more science in the news? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Can scientists reverse your age?

Nov 11, 2026 14 min

Reversing aging may sound like science fiction, but scientists have already found a way to do it—at least, theoretically. Based on a 2012 Nobel-prize winning discovery, researchers are testing whether they can revert diseased cells in the eye back to young and healthy ones. They gave people a drug this year. If it works, it’ll open the door to curing and possibly preventing other age-related diseases. And that led producer Berly McCoy to wonder: Could all this research eventually extend our human lifespans? If you like this episode, check out our episodes on zombie cells, why our hair turns gray and why we die. Interested in more science on aging? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

How this year's record El Niño could hit your wallet

Nov 10, 2026 9 min

Peru’s anchovy industry, the largest single-species fishery in the world, is being rocked by the ongoing El Niño . It’s not the first time the fishery has been impacted by the natural weather phenomenon — El Niño gets its name from Peruvian fishermen. And it’s a stark reminder of the reverberating economic consequences of El Niño events, which can cost the global economy trillions of dollars. Interested in more news and weather-related science? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

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All episodes

The newest 50 of 1,987 episodes

AI could help hospitals diagnose PTSD in real time

Nov 13, 2026 12 min

Can scientists reverse your age?

Nov 11, 2026 14 min

How this year's record El Niño could hit your wallet

Nov 10, 2026 9 min

An ‘Ozempic baby boom’? The GLP-1 pregnancy plot twist

Nov 9, 2026 12 min

The explosion of GLP-1 drugs has created a gray zone for pregnancy. That recently prompted the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to issue its first ever guidance on the topic. In a twist, the drugs may boost fertility for some, leading to more pregnancies – a phenomenon known on social media as “Ozempic babies”. But doctors caution against using the drugs during pregnancy itself. In fact, the more we looked into this story, the more twists and nuances we found. So, we brought Dr. Amy Valent of Oregon Health and Science University onto the show to break down the latest on what’s known about how these drugs affect fertility and pregnancy. Interested in more health news? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Predicting elections is getting harder. What did the midterms teach us?

Nov 5, 2026 12 min

Famously, polls got the 2016 election wrong. And they’d been off for multiple elections since. So, Monday night, political scientist Jack Rametta nervously refreshed his Senate forecasting model for the final time. Would it be right this time? Or would it yet again cast doubt on whether modeling, statistics and forecasting can still help us understand what motivates people to vote? Now that the results are in, so is Jack – to tell us how he did, and what his and other researchers’ predictions tell us about the evolving science of polling and forecasting. Interested in more science behind the news? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

AI is changing mathematics -- but not how you think

Nov 4, 2026 13 min

Math has created some of humanity's oldest intellectual challenges. And AI is completely changing the game. This year AI solved one of math’s most difficult problems. Since then, OpenAI published hundreds of new math results. So is this the end for the people who’ve dedicated their careers to pushing forward math? We get into it with NPR science correspondent Geoff Brumfel, who weighs the risks and rewards of AI’s math takeover. Interested in more technology and AI news? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

OpenAI whistleblowers on the fight over AI safety | Machine Gods

Nov 3, 2026 32 min

Check out NPR’s newest podcast, Machine Gods. It’s the official podcast of the singularity, meaning — the hypothetical future when machines will outpace our own intelligence…and our control. Whether you think that future is coming or not, hosts Kevin Roose and Casey Newton are here to help you understand the people trying to build it… and how their technology works. On this episode, listen to their exclusive interview with safety researchers who were fired by OpenAI. Interested in more technology and AI news? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Could virtual reality speed up learning?

Nov 2, 2026 9 min

Does swinging a lightsaber help us learn? New research from Florida Atlantic University and Brown University found that movement dramatically helps with certain kinds of complex learning. The research was published in the journal Science Advances. Interested in more science involving video games? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Is your favorite crime show rooted in fake science?

Oct 30, 2026 14 min

If you’ve ever seen a crime show, you probably know how the plot unfolds: A victim is found, an investigation ensues and police conduct a high-stakes search for the culprit. Detectives and crime lab techs collect hair, examine bullet casings and photograph bloodstains. But just how reliable are these clues – and does science back them up? Well, today on the show, with the help of legal expert Chris Fabricant, we’re diving into which of these forensic techniques are junk “science”, which we should be more cautious about – and why all of them haunt the legal system. Interested in more crime and pop science? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

MAHA’s midterm report card

Oct 28, 2026 13 min

It’s been just over two years since the rise of Make America Healthy Again, or MAHA. The movement united a coalition of moms, wellness influencers and voters across the political spectrum over concerns about chronic illness and childhood diseases. And when Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took over as Secretary of Health and Human Services, it seemed like MAHA would be front and center in Washington. But as we approach the midterm elections, has the Trump administration made good on the MAHA agenda? On today’s episode, we dig into what’s changed, what hasn’t and what that means for your health. Interested in more health science? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

You Can See Everything and the science of spotting liars

Oct 27, 2026 13 min

It feels like everyone we know is talking about the new documentary You Can See Everything. It tracks the effort of comedian and documentarian Nathan Fielder to suss out how deceptive Elizabeth Holmes, disgraced founder of the company Theranos, is. And after watching the film, we all left the theater wondering -- what could we see? How possible is it to ever really spot someone lying? So we of course called up an expert in deception and counter-deception research, Maria Hartwig, a professor of psychology at CUNY, the City University of New York. For more on sussing out a liar, check out our episode about what's wrong with the polygraph. Interested in more deep dives on the science behind pop culture blockbusters? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

The battle between matter and antimatter

Oct 26, 2026 11 min

At the beginning of our universe, in addition to matter, there was also an equal amount of antimatter, matter's opposite. But today, there's lots more matter than antimatter. So how did that happen? Well, the answer might have to do with neutrinos, a very mysterious, elusive particle. They're incredibly difficult to catch and study because they don't really interact with anything. But a group of scientists is now betting that one specific, hypothetical type of neutrino might have played a very important role in getting matter to win the war against antimatter. Today, we go galaxy brain and delight in getting to spend a little time pondering this hypothetical, long ignored particle. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

The dormant viruses in all of us may help explain long COVID

Oct 23, 2026 14 min

Virtually every human on Earth has a slew of different types of dormant viruses in our bodies. They are remnants of past infections and are—generally—harmless. Unless they wake up, which can be triggered by extreme stress or something that severely compromises the immune system. But now, through a unique study on the immune systems of astronauts, scientists are considering broadening their ideas about what can wake up our dormant viruses…and learning what all this has to do with long COVID. If you liked this episode, check out our episodes on a universal flu vaccine and what scientists got wrong about covid. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Can planting more trees make allergies worse?

Oct 21, 2026 11 min

Trees provide shade and clean air in congested cities, so planting more of them seems like a straightforward solution. But trees also produce a natural pollutant— pollen. In this episode, producer Juan Diego Ramirez reports on the link between growing urban canopies and allergy exposure, and what you can do to protect yourself. Interested in more health stories? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

What are the odds we're not alone in the universe?

Oct 20, 2026 14 min

There are hundreds of billions of stars in the galaxy we live in. Many of them have their own exoplanets. So why haven’t we found proof of alien life yet? And what’s the probability of us contacting or being contacted anyway? That’s exactly what a famous math formula called the Drake Equation tries to answer. It takes into account a whole variety of factors, including the rate at which stars like the Sun are born, how many of those stars have planets, how many of those planets are hospitable to life and the likelihood of intelligent life on that habitable planet communicating with us. Today on the show, Regina Barber and Seven Rasmussen talk about the equation as it was created back in 1961 – and whether it still matters for astrobiologists today. Interested in more episodes on space or math? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org – we might answer it in a future episode! Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

What the world's leading researchers think about saunas

Oct 19, 2026 13 min

Saunas have gone from a Scandinavian tradition to a global wellness phenomenon. But how long should a person endure heat? Do saunas actually work? And if so, what are their benefits? NPR health reporter Will Stone goes as deep as the science will let him to explore the sauna hype waves and find out what happens to our bodies when we step in them. Interested in more about thermal physiology? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

The terrifying physics of prehistoric sea monsters

Oct 16, 2026 9 min

While dinosaurs roamed the earth, giant monsters roamed the sea. Mosasaurs were like the deadly T-rexes of the ocean: They grew up to the size of a bus and chased down their smaller prey. A recent study in the journal Current Biology details just how exactly they might have done that. And the answer is fast – way faster than humans can swim – and sneakily. Interested in more animal or paleontological news? Email us what you want us to talk about at shortwave@npr.org Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

What's at stake if we can't regrow our forests

Oct 15, 2026 13 min

In 2022, parachutist Luigi Cani dropped 100 million seeds over the Amazon rainforest while skydiving. He did it to raise awareness about deforestation and help regrow the forest. But there has been little scientific follow up to see whether it worked. So, today, we talk to restoration ecologist Pedro Brancalion about the surprising complexity involved in regrowing a forest, and when dropping seeds from the sky – by people or by drones – could work. If you liked this episode, check out our others on building microforests in cities and scientists’ creative idea to save a keystone tree species that grows very slowly. Interested in more tree science? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

What Flock cameras really see – and how

Oct 14, 2026 15 min

Police departments across the U.S. are installing Flock cameras, saying the surveillance devices help deter theft and solve crimes, like helping find stolen property and missing people. But as the technology and its use by federal agencies expands, a handful of people have taken matters into their own hands. A hacker collective ripped down a Flock camera and made a copy of the software inside for investigative journalists at 404 Media and Wired. We talk to one of those journalists, Joseph Cox, about what he and his colleagues found, how the data is being used, why some residents are pushing back against the cameras and the future of the technology. Interested in more science and technology news? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

The sound of fear: Why so many animals scream

Oct 13, 2026 13 min

It's Halloween season — and what better way to celebrate October 13th than to explore the haunting sound of fear? That's exactly what we do in this episode, where host Regina G. Barber and NPR science correspondent Nate Rott dive into the science behind the sound of fear. Along the way, they find out what marmot shrieks, baby cries and horror movie soundtracks have in common — and what all of this tells us about ourselves. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

One of the toughest parts of ADHD is left out of the diagnosis

Oct 9, 2026 12 min

ADHD diagnoses are on the rise in the United States, but what if professionals are missing a key part of the disorder? In the 1970s, some clinicians recognized a lot of their ADHD patients had trouble with emotional regulation. But because it was easier to measure behavior rather than emotions, the criteria eventually fell off the radar. Today in the U.S., emotional dysregulation is not a part of the ADHD diagnostic criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Dr. Sasha Hamdani thinks that needs to change. In today’s episode, she talks about her book Too Sensitive, and explains what is going on in the brains of people with Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria. Interested in more mental health science? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. Wender, P. H. (1971). Minimal Brain Dysfunction in Children. Wiley-Interscience. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4581984/ Barkley, R. A. (2015). Emotional dysregulation is a core component of ADHD. In R. A. Barkley (Ed.), Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Handbook for Diagnosis and Treatment (4th ed., pp. 81–115). Guilford Press. https://www.guilford.com/excerpts/barkley2.pdf?t=1 Shaw, P., Stringaris, A., Nigg, J., & Leibenluft, E. (2014). Emotion dysregulation in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry, 171(3), 276–293. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2013.13070966 Faraone, S. V., et al. (2019). Emotional dysregulation in adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: Validity, aetiology, and clinical implications. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 107, 132–142.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.08.021 Bondü, R., & Esser, G. (2015). Justice and rejection sensitivity in children and adolescents with ADHD symptoms. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 24(2), 185–198.htt...

What's missing from the lethal injection conversation

Oct 7, 2026 14 min

You might have seen the news that Christa Pike, a convicted murderer in Tennessee, did not die from the injections given to her as part of her death penalty sentence last week. After her failed execution, she was hospitalized, where she continues to receive critical medical care, according to her attorneys. Her survival is singular, but her mishandled execution is not. A review of executions carried out between 1890 and 2010 indicated that three out of every hundred executions were botched – and that lethal injection executions, which began in 1982, have a more frequent incidence of complications than any other method. All of this has re-raised the question of how humane lethal injections are as a form of execution. So, today on the show, we speak to anesthesiologist Gail Van Norman, a medical expert who testified about Christa’s case and many other lethal injection executions. She told us how she and other experts predicted much of how Christa's execution would unfold. Read a perspective piece from one of the seven media witnesses to last week's failed execution. Interested in more science and criminal justice stories? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Science-backed guidance for healthy screen time

Oct 6, 2026 12 min

We’re all aware – and wary – of doomscrolling. Lots of screen time can be bad for us. But what if that’s not always the case? We spoke with the author of a study that found a positive relationship between screen time and brain development in young people. This episode, we sort through what to actually worry about when it comes to screen time – and what guidelines already exist that can empower you and the kids in your life. Interested in learning more about how screen time affects your brain? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

The genetic secret helping bats survive a deadly epidemic

Oct 5, 2026 13 min

We’re easing you into Halloween season with an episode about bats. There’s a silent serial killer decimating little brown bats as they hibernate. White nose syndrome has driven populations across the U.S. to almost the brink of extinction over the last decade. But recently, conservation biologist Giorgia Auteri and her team noticed several genetic mutations in the survivors. These mutations could explain how natural selection has shifted the existing population – and inform conservation efforts in the future. Interested in more animal science? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Eating alone may be secretly spiking your blood sugar

Oct 2, 2026 9 min

Being more social has a ton of benefits: lower stress, decreased inflammation – even living a longer life! Recently, some scientists have added lowering your blood sugar to the list. To figure it out, researchers had people break bread both in duos and alone. And they think the results could tell us something about the roots of our social nature. Consider it another reason to prioritize our social lives. Interested in more science in the news? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

How much of Earth's life is still undiscovered?

Sep 30, 2026 13 min

If you, like us, clicked on the cute cat photos posted everywhere recently, announcing the discovery of the first new cat species in more than a century, you might have wondered how rare it is to find a new species. Turns out, it’s not! We live in an era of “unprecedented” discovery, says John Wiens, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Arizona. And scientists say we’re still just scratching at the surface of how much life exists on Earth. Interested in more science in the news? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

What social media gets wrong about inflammation

Sep 29, 2026 14 min

Inflammation is all over our feeds. Influencers claim it’s the reason you're bloated or fatigued, the source of digestive problems and the cause of more serious illnesses like Alzheimer's or cardiovascular disease. But how much of that is scientifically backed, and how viable are the solutions you see on social media? Short Wave talks to immunologist Shruti Naik to separate the health from the hype. Interested in more wellness science? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

A fall mystery: why do only certain leaves turn red?

Sep 28, 2026 13 min

Leaves turn yellow in the fall because Chlorophyll breaks down, revealing the yellow pigment that was there all along. But why red? Red is a different story altogether. Leaves have to make a new pigment to turn red. Why would a dying leaf go an extra mile to do that? Scientists don’t really know. NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce reports on the leading hypotheses out there. Read more of Nell's reporting on this topic. Interested in more seasonal science? Email us your ideas at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

'Super' El Niño is coming. What should you expect?

Sep 25, 2026 12 min

The world is bracing for the worst effects of a Super El Niño. Or a Godzilla El Niño. But what does that really even mean? For millennia El Niño has shaped weather across the globe, fueling flooding in parts of the U.S., droughts and wildfires in Australia and Indonesia, and disrupting fisheries across the Pacific. Scientists have long wondered if human activities — chiefly the burning of fossil fuels — are making El Niños stronger. Now, on the eve of the strongest El Niño on record, a team of researchers think they have an answer. Interested in more science behind the weather? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Vaccinated or not, we’re on the brink of a measles epidemic

Sep 23, 2026 14 min

Measles is making a comeback. Ongoing outbreaks in Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah have documented hundreds of cases, mostly among unvaccinated people. And while local and federal politicians debate the definitions and impact of those measles-associated deaths, health experts worry that we’re overlooking the real problem: the threat of a full-scale epidemic. Today, we talk to one of those experts – epidemiologist Michael Mina – to figure out who’s most at risk and whether there’s any way for us to turn this epidemic around. Interested in more health and medical news? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

The science of self-worth (and how to boost yours)

Sep 22, 2026 12 min

Your self-worth today can be affected by your memories. But you have power over those memories – when you re-experience them. By doing that, you can reshape your self-esteem for the better and change your perspective. That idea and the broader science of self-worth are at the heart of Marisa Franco’s new book Worth. It’s so intriguing to us, we couldn’t pass up the chance to share it with you. That’s why today’s episode is a peek at a conversation Marisa had about self-worth on NPR’s self-help podcast Life Kit. Interested in more psychology episodes? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org – it may become a future episode! Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Why we should all be 'bookmaxxing'

Sep 19, 2026 10 min

Remember your mom, dad and teachers telling you to read because it’s good for you? Well, a compilation of the latest research shows they were right. “Reading is one of the simplest and most accessible activities for actually supporting cognitive performance, brain health, mental health, but also overall wellbeing throughout our lives,” said Christelle Langley, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Cambridge and co-author of review, published in the journal Psychological Medicine. The review looked specifically at recreational reading — reading for fun — and found broad benefits for children, adolescents and older adults. This episode, we dive deep into the joys and health benefits of bookmaxxing. Interested in the science of reading? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

The latest on AI panic — and whether it's justified

Sep 18, 2026 14 min

AI is in the news again – for its potential to end civilization. A researcher at Anthropic resigned very publicly last week, citing concerns about the accelerating capabilities of AI and what he called “irresponsible” behavior from major AI companies Anthropic and OpenAI. Following his resignation, the leaders of both companies called for an internationally cooperative, industry-wide slowdown on advanced AI development. And Wednesday, OpenAI disclosed six more incidents of “unexpected or concerning model behavior” and debuted a new framework for reporting misalignments. So, given all these events, how worried should we be about the future of AI? And what safety measures are – or could be – set in place to safeguard humanity? NPR’s power and policy reporter Huo Jingnan reports. Interested in more science and technology news? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

When batteries get a facelift, so does renewable energy

Sep 16, 2026 13 min

For years, renewable energy companies have faced a problem: How to store the mass amounts of energy they produce for later use. Batteries may be just the solution. In California, there's now enough grid-scale battery storage to power millions of homes for a few hours. Battery power is often the second largest source of energy on a given day in the state. So, we're revisiting the fast-growing technology with Cooper Katz McKim, a producer on The Indicator from Planet Money. Listen to the three-part battery series. Have questions about the future of energy? Contact us at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Why you'll probably be misdiagnosed in your lifetime

Sep 15, 2026 13 min

Nearly every person will experience at least one diagnostic error in their lifetime. That means either a delayed diagnosis, a wrong diagnosis – or no diagnosis at all. That’s according to a report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine from 2015 on diagnostic error. Today on the show we talk to a physician who was personally affected by the crisis, and New York Times editor and author of the book The Elusive Body: Patients, Doctors and the Diagnosis Crisis. If you liked this episode, check out these other episodes:- How science is taking tripping mainstream- What If You Took The "Trip" Out Of Ketamine?- Could Psychedelics Become Tripless?- The Reality Of OCD Interested in more medical science? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Should race affect BMI guidelines? Doctors are split

Sep 14, 2026 13 min

BMI is a quick, cheap way for doctors to estimate body fat and screen for conditions like heart disease and diabetes. But medicine has long known that BMI is problematic and unnuanced. By using it, groups of people have fallen through the cracks and conditions have been caught late. So, some doctors want to add nuance – to consider race when using BMI. But using race in medicine comes with its own problems. So what’s the way forward? To find out, we talk to Katie Wu, a science writer at The Atlantic. Read more of Katie’s reporting on BMI and race. Interested in more science health stories? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

How scientists discovered that animals are doctors, too

Sep 11, 2026 13 min

When people are sick, we seek out medications and treatments to help heal. For a long time, scientists thought that was a uniquely human ability. But it turns out, many other animals do a version of it too! And since the late 1980s, western researchers have been trying to get a peek behind the curtain. And aside from just cataloguing all the cool examples just to know, there’s a real hope that studying animals’ medical cabinets may be the most promising way to expand our own. We get into the weeds with freelance science journalist Mandy Nguyen. Interested in more animal stories? Email us your ideas and questions to explore at shortwave@npr.org. They may become a future episode! Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Lindsay Clancy and postpartum psychosis

Sep 9, 2026 14 min

The trial around Lindsay Clancy may be over for now, but it still leaves us with questions. On today’s episode, we talk to psychiatrists and patients to answer them: What is postpartum psychosis, exactly? Why don’t we know more about it? And what can you do if you are worried about a postpartum loved one? Interested in more stories on mental health? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

How hurricanes triggered lizard evolution

Sep 8, 2026 11 min

Hurricane season is upon us and it turns out that these powerful storms can quickly affect the biology of animals. After hurricanes Irma and Maria hit the islands that make up Turks and Caicos about a decade ago, the silver key anole adapted. They now have a shorter fourth toe on their hind legs! That could help them cling to objects better. But how do you know unless you put lizards in front of a fan and record how long they can hold on? This study is out now in the journal Current Biology. Interested in more science in the news? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

When is your brain actually 'adult'?

Sep 7, 2026 13 min

Summer is winding down and school is back. And all of that has us thinking about this idea that something happens in the human brain when we turn 25. Suddenly, we can rent a car without fees. Make rational decisions. We may even regret some of our past… indiscretions. All because we’re developed…right? Well, a paper in the journal Nature suggests that may not be the case. Neuroscientists found four distinct turning points in brain development across the human lifespan – and that the brain may be in its “adolescent” phase until about the age of 32. (Encore episode) Interested in more of the science inside your brain? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.This episode was produced by Rachel Carlson. It was edited by Rebecca Ramirez. Tyler Jones checked the facts. The audio engineer was Kwesi Lee. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

A new investigation shows heat is even deadlier than we thought

Sep 4, 2026 14 min

Hot weather isn’t just an inconvenience. It’s killing thousands more Americans than show up in official records. That’s the finding from a new NPR investigation, in partnership with Boston University. And the way they came up with that new, better estimate of the true toll of heat is, of course, with science. This episode, we’ll bring you all the details – and chat about why getting good estimates could save lives. Interested in more science-based investigations? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

The science of emotional regulation — and how to do it better

Sep 2, 2026 12 min

Do you ever feel like your emotions control you instead of you controlling them? Maybe you lash out at someone after a long day at work or indulge to avoid a stressful situation. It’s called emotional dysregulation and don’t worry – we all experience it at some point. Luckily, there’s a better way of dealing with our feelings: building emotional intelligence. That may seem daunting, but Short Wave is here to guide you through everything from understanding the importance of emotions to how we can repair our relationship to them. Interested in learning more about your brain and your feelings? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. We might cover it in a future episode! Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. It includes perks like bonus episodes, early access, archive access, curated playlists and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

What can seashells teach us about the health of our oceans?

Sep 1, 2026 13 min

Seashells: They're beautiful remnants to carry home from the beach—and so much more! According to environmental journalist Cynthia Barnett, seashells record history more accurately than the humans who first wrote it down. In this episode, we talk about the science of seashells, their impact on humankind and the scientist behind a very famous tongue twister. Check out Cynthia’s book The Sound of the Sea and check out Emily’s reporting on sandcastles. Interested in more marine biology stories? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s hperks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Football is here – and so is a new study on CTE

Aug 31, 2026 15 min

The NFL season begins this week, but America’s favorite sport has been on our minds for other reasons recently. New research released in the journal BMJ reveals that 1 in 4 former NFL players in this sample had CTE, a neurodegenerative brain disease caused by repetitive head injuries. Past studies already showed that football players are at high risk for CTE, but this study – which assessed ex-NFL players who died from 2016 to 2021 – revealed that at least a quarter of those former players died with CTE, and the study’s lead author says the actual numbers are likely higher. What does that mean for players (and fans) of American football? Short Wave host Nate Rott and NPR sports correspondent Becky Sullivan find out. If you liked this episode, check out our episode on the brain injuries caused by operating blast weapons. Interested in more sports science? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

NASA's newest telescope has a top secret past

Aug 28, 2026 13 min

The new Nancy Grace Roman space telescope is slated to launch this weekend. It was originally built for the National Reconnaissance Office as a spy satellite, but was never launched. Instead, NRO gave it to NASA about 15 years ago. After some major modifications, it’s set to begin its five-year mission peering at new supernovas, distant galaxies and planets orbiting stars outside our solar system. It should help scientists get a better understanding of the mysterious force known as dark energy – which will tell us about the fate of the universe. If you liked this episode, check out Regina’s reporting demystifying the mysterious red dots spotted by the James Webb Space Telescope. Interested in more space news? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

How your metabolism could alter your mental health

Aug 26, 2026 12 min

In 2009, medical student Shebani Sethi watched a patient in a weight loss program make a remarkable recovery. The dietary intervention she underwent alleviated her schizophrenia symptoms, something the woman had tried – and failed – to treat with medication for years. That experience sent Shebani down a medical path that would lead her to treating mental health in a radically different way. Today host Emily Kwong talks to Shebani about the emerging field of metabolic psychiatry and how ketogenic metabolic therapy may treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression. Read Shebani’s article on metabolic psychiatry here. Interested in more lifestyle science? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

AI-made viruses could be the future of medicine

Aug 25, 2026 11 min

The era of AI-generated viruses is here. Some scientists are using AI to design viruses that can attack bacteria. The hope is that these tailor-made viruses can fight drug-resistant bacterial infections in people. And longer-term, Brian Hie, the Stanford researcher spearheading this project, hopes that AI can help create more complicated biological systems to treat formidable diseases. But some experts warn that placed in the wrong hands, this technology could create the next pandemic. Interested in more AI-related research? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

How much has the U.S.’s wildlife changed since Lewis and Clark?

Aug 24, 2026 14 min

Ever wish you could have been part of the Lewis and Clark expedition? Us too. The Corps of Discovery came across scores of plants and animals that were new to Western science: Grizzly bears, ponderosa pines, a “barking squirrel” that William Clark would later call the prairie dog. A modern effort is underway to see how much the country’s wildlife has changed in the 220-some years since their journey. Host Nate Rott tags along with some scientists re-surveying a part of the expedition’s route in western Montana. And he wishes he was in better shape. Interested in more science in the news? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Why scientists are stoked about mysterious black hole stars

Aug 21, 2026 12 min

You've heard of black holes. You've heard of stars. But have you heard of the newly discovered black hole stars that may explain multiple mysteries of the universe? We just did and we're honestly freaking out about it. Learn everything you need to know about it in this episode. Plus, hear some other cool stories fresh off the presses: Which exercise can help reduce your risk of dementia and how shrews shrink — and then regrow — parts of their body throughout the year. Interested in hearing more reporting on space, scientific mysteries or other emerging science? We want to know! Email us what you'd like us to talk about at shortwave@npr.org! Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

More men are taking testosterone. What gives?

Aug 19, 2026 14 min

If you’re a guy – or even just friends with a guy – and on the Internet, you may have noticed that testosterone discourse is everywhere. There’s Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announcing testosterone screenings for soldiers, Joe Rogan discussing hormone therapy, and influencers discussing high- and low-T levels. Those levels affect more than just sex. They also affect metabolism, bone health, muscle mass, red blood cell production and brain function. NPR science reporter Will Stone took a deep dive into it all: What deficiency looks like in men, what doctors recommend and what the research says about who actually needs testosterone replacement therapy. Interested in hearing more reporting on popular science topics? Email us what you’d like us to cover at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

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Podcast details

Created by: NPR
Status: Active
Latest episode: Nov 13, 2026
Episodes: 1,987
Release period: Daily
Avg. episode length: 12 min
Explicit: No
Language: English

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