Short Wave
New discoveries, everyday mysteries, and the science behind the headlines — all in about 10 minutes, every weekday. It's science for everyone, using a lot of creativity and a little humor. Join host Maddie Sofia for science on a different wavelength.
How should we decide who, or what, is conscious?
In the age of AI, what differentiates humans from robots? What makes humans … human? To find answers,...
ListenPlot twist: We're probably way undercounting insects on Earth
Maybe you’ve wondered about it late at night as a mosquito buzzes in your ear. Or when you kick over...
ListenNASA's race against time to rescue a falling satellite
A valuable NASA satellite observatory is falling to Earth faster than scientists expected. It’s called...
ListenCould this anti-aging dog pill lead to one for you too?
Every dog lover’s greatest fear is inevitably losing their pet to time. We want our furry pals to...
ListenSky Uber? Air taxis could be here soon.
Taking an air taxi to the airport may become as simple as ordering a ride share today. In our first...
ListenThis July 4th, are you a thrill- or chill-seeker?
Independence Day is approaching!Imagine if someone has procured illegal fireworks from a couple of states...
ListenIs setting your trash on fire a good idea?
The U.S. generates 292 million tons of trash each year – and that trash has to go somewhere. Sometimes,...
ListenTicks are a growing problem, no matter where you live
In the grand scheme of things, Lyme disease is a fairly new scientific discovery. It was first traced...
ListenIs working from home actually good for you?
For many, being able to work from home is a boon: saving time on your commute, working in your sweatpants,...
ListenSalty Clouds aren’t the only strange thing about this object in space
There’s an object in space 25 times the size of Jupiter that’s stumped scientists for years. They...
ListenDid Trump's foreign aid cuts fuel the Ebola outbreak?
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is growing – and is likely larger than official...
ListenWhat can a tornado teach us about kindness?
One evening in May of 2011, tornado sirens went off in a small Missouri city called Joplin. Thousands...
ListenInside the mysterious minds of horses
Janet Jones has been fascinated by horses since childhood. She’s now a horse trainer and a neuroscientist,...
ListenWhy scientists launched two little robots to the moon
Two tiny transforming robots landed on the moon! These baseball-sized bots accompanied Japan's first...
ListenIs sewage the future of green aviation?
The war in Iran has disrupted the global fuel supply. That has sent airline prices soaring and cancelled...
ListenCould air pollution make your memory worse?
Summer is here, your windows are open and the smell of…car exhaust and the latest wildfire are wafting...
ListenInside the lab taste-testing the world's chocolate
Could standardizing chocolate help small-scale farmers? Chocolate scientist Julien Simonis thinks it...
ListenWhy your sunscreen is finally getting a major upgrade
Until this week, the United States hadn’t approved a new sunscreen ingredient in over 20 years. That...
ListenHow a single flu shot could protect you for decades
Every year, tens of millions of people in the U.S. get the flu vaccine. That’s because the virus changes...
ListenYour DNA is changing all the time. Here’s why
We tend to think of the DNA strands that contain our genetic code as consistent, stable units. But in...
ListenInner monologues are still a mystery
Emily Kwong is pretty sure she lacks an inner monologue, while the inner monologue of producer Rachel...
ListenPrepare to be baffled by what we don't know about eels
More than a century ago, all that people knew about European eels was that they lived in the rivers...
ListenThis common garden plant summons wasps as bodyguards
In our latest science news roundup: how nature adapts, for better or worse. When faced with pests, plants...
ListenWhy are scientists planting tiny forests in big cities?
Healthy forests help combat climate change, provide humans with drinking water and even improve mental...
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