Accessibility links
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
Short Wave

Podcast Directory
SW
NPR

Short Wave

From NPR

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

Most Recent Episodes

A black and white botanical-style illustration of brachiopod fossils, which resemble clams. At the top, the text "SHORT WAVE" appears with a stylized red and yellow wave pattern below it. On the left next to the image, a stylized red and yellow wave pattern runs vertically in front of a solid teal background.

Illustration of Spiriferida brachiopod fossils. After the end-Permian mass extinction, the majority of brachiopods died out, while many bivalves survived. Nastasic/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Nastasic/Getty Images

How did these species survive mass extinction events?

Around 250 million years ago, one of Earth’s largest known volcanic events set off The Great Dying: the planet’s worst mass extinction event. The eruptions spewed large amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, temperatures rose globally and oxygen in the oceans dropped. 

Why Some Species Survive Mass Extinctions

Listen · 11:35
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5585194/nx-s1-mx-5791637" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
A sandstone rock canyon formation that is patterned with tan, white and brown wavy layers. A portion of the top right shows a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. At the top, the text "SHORT WAVE" appears with a stylized red and yellow wave pattern below it. On the left next to the image, a stylized red and yellow wave pattern runs vertically in front of a solid teal background.

The Wave rock formation in the the Paria Canyon--Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness in Arizona. Francesco Riccardo Iacomino/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Francesco Riccardo Iacomino/Getty Images

What secrets everyday rocks share about human history

Why does the New York City skyline look the way it does? In part, because of what happened there 500 million years ago, says geologist Anjana Khatwa, author of the new book Whispers of Rocks. In it, she traces how geology has had profound effects on human life, from magnetism of the ocean floor to voter trends in the Southern U.S.

SCI POD - Whispers of Rocks

Listen · 12:59
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5545701/nx-s1-mx-5789294" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
The voting system we use can determine the election winner. Here's how
Amr Bo Shanab/Getty Images

The voting system we use can determine the election winner. Here's how

Ahead of Election Day tomorrow, millions of ballots are being cast in statewide, local and special elections. So, today, we're revisiting an episode asking: What would happen if the rules of our electoral system were changed? Producer Hannah Chinn reported on that very question, and today, with host Emily Kwong, they dive into three voting methods that are representative of alternative voting systems. They look at where these systems have been implemented, how they work and what they may mean for future elections. 

Elections: A Big Math Problem

Listen · 16:22
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5593111/nx-s1-mx-5787395" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
A spider rests atop translucent silk threads. At the top, the text "SHORT WAVE" appears with a stylized red and yellow wave pattern below it. On the left next to the image, a stylized red and yellow wave pattern runs vertically in front of a solid teal background.

A spider rests atop a stabilimenta, threads made from a different kind of silk than the rest of the web. Luigi Lenzini, Aracnofilia/Italian Society of Arachnology hide caption

toggle caption
Luigi Lenzini, Aracnofilia/Italian Society of Arachnology

This week in science: spiders, TV pixels and storytelling

Happy Halloween, Short Wavers! In today’s news round-up, we’ve got only treats. Hosts Regina Barber and Emily Kwong fill in NPR’s Ailsa Chang on a debate in spider web architecture, how the details shared in storytelling affect how you form memories and why more pixels may not translate to a better TV viewing experience.

This Week In Science: Spiders, TV Pixels And Storytelling

Listen · 10:31
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5591184/nx-s1-mx-5785091" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
A two-story house with warm yellow lights sits in the center of the photo behind an evening blue sky. The house is surrounded by leafless tree silhouettes and fog. At the top, the text "SHORT WAVE" appears with a stylized red and yellow wave pattern below it. At the top, the text "SHORT WAVE" appears with a stylized red and yellow wave pattern below it. On the left next to the image, a stylized red and yellow wave pattern runs vertically in front of a solid teal background.

Scientists say there is a "sweet spot" for mixing enjoyment and fear: not too tame and not too intense. Matt Champlin/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Matt Champlin/Getty Images

Why do we like haunted houses? The science behind why people pursue fear

Like haunted houses? Scientists do! That’s because they’re an excellent place to study how humans respond to – and even actively seek out – fear. In an immersive threat setting, as opposed to a carefully controlled lab, researchers can learn a lot about what scares people, why and how additional factors (like the presence of friends) might affect our experiences.

Like Being Scared? Here’s Why

Listen · 14:15
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5566696/nx-s1-mx-5781295" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Red caution tape reading “DANGER KEEP OUT” stretches across the foreground. In the background, a pile of cracked cement, broken from an earthquake, sits at the base of a bridge. At the top, the text "SHORT WAVE" appears with a stylized red and yellow wave pattern below it. On the left next to the image, a stylized red and yellow wave pattern runs vertically in front of a solid teal background.

In Christchurch, New Zealand, a series of earthquakes between 2011 and 2013 destroyed buildings, shook foundations and collapsed bridges. Here, a footbridge is taped off after the damage. Matthew Williams-Ellis/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Matthew Williams-Ellis/Getty Images

From New Zealand to New York, people and communities are moving to avoid climate disasters

In the face of floods, wildfires and other natural disasters, when should a community relocate to avoid potential harm? Listener Molly Magid asks that very question. Molly wanted to know how other communities have chosen the path of “managed retreat.” That’s the purposeful and coordinated movement of people and assets out of harm’s way. In today’s episode, Short Wave's Emily Kwong and Hannah Chinn explore cases from New York to Illinois and Alaska to see how successful relocation happens — and what stops it. 

Nature Quest: Rebuild or Relocate Post-Disaster?

Listen · 14:28
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5575704/nx-s1-mx-5779427" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
A hand holds a white and brown hair brush with strands of hair stuck to the bristles.

By some estimates, half of all women will experience hair loss in their lifetime. Viktoriya Skorikova/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Viktoriya Skorikova/Getty Images

Of all the female hair loss remedies on social media, what works?

People may think of hair loss as a guy thing. But by some estimates, half of all women experience hair loss in their lifetime. And when your social media algorithm gets a whiff? Good. Luck. There are some solutions out there based in science, but not every remedy works for every person — or every type of hair loss. (Yes, there are different types. And the type you have matters!) So today, pharmaceuticals correspondent Sydney Lupkin guest hosts the show to talk about causes of hair loss and how to figure out which treatments may be best for you. 

What Works – And Doesn’t – For Hair Loss?

Listen · 11:56
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5553489/nx-s1-mx-5776122" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
An image of a spionid, a marine worm on a black background. The worm is colorful and twists around itself.

Researchers found a fossil that suggests these parasitic marine worms, spionids, are around 100 million years older than previously known. Vasily Radashevsky hide caption

toggle caption
Vasily Radashevsky

What a fossil mystery tells us about parasites today

Parasites have roamed the Earth for a long time. They were here before the dinosaurs: The oldest fossils are more than 500 million years old. Today on the show, Regina G. Barber speaks with paleontologists Karma Nanglu and Danielle de Carle about a mysterious fossil called the “Riddler,” and the oldest-ever leech fossil. They share stories of the enduring power of parasitism through the ages and why the clues to prehistoric mysteries may be tucked in a basement.

Parasites Have Haunted Us For Millions Of Years

Listen · 15:00
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5575617/nx-s1-mx-5774633" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
A deceased northern flicker is belly-up on a brick path. Some feathers are loose on the sidewalk. A volunteer is examining the bird’s tailfeathers with white gloved hands. In the foreground, towards the top, the text "SHORT WAVE" appears with a stylized red and yellow wave pattern below it. To the left of this image, a stylized red and yellow wave pattern runs vertically in front of a solid teal background.

Ethan Ableman, a volunteer for Lights Out DC, examines the unique feathers of a northern flicker that died after colliding with a building earlier this year in Washington, D.C. Angel Ruszkiewicz hide caption

toggle caption
Angel Ruszkiewicz

Windows Can Be Lethal For Birds. What's The Fix?

Around this time of year, every night, a quiet exodus is occurring. Hundreds of millions of birds are migrating thousands of miles south for the winter. One of the biggest dangers for these tiny travelers? Glass. 

Migrating Birds Have a Big, Clear Problem

Listen · 15:20
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5567169/nx-s1-mx-5771111" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
An illustration of transparent, iridescent lungs. On the left side, a cluster of lymph nodes in bright orange are growing. At the top, the text "SHORT WAVE" appears with a stylized red and yellow wave pattern below it. On the left next to the image, a stylized red and yellow wave pattern runs vertically in front of a solid teal background.

Tuberculosis can cause the lymph nodes in an infected person's chest to swell. Annually, more than 10 million people are diagnosed with an active tuberculosis infection. Kateryna Kon/Science Photo Library/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Kateryna Kon/Science Photo Library/Getty Images

We have the cure. Why is tuberculosis still around?

Tuberculosis – the world’s deadliest infectious disease – could be dormant in your system for years before you realize you have it. In the U.S., it’s relatively rare; provisional data shows that there were just over 10,000 cases in 2024. But in other parts of the world, especially lower-income countries, the disease is spreading much more actively. Worldwide, more than 10 million people are diagnosed with an active tuberculosis infection every year. And even though modern medicine has all the tools to cure it, over a million people around the world still die from the sickness annually.

We Have the Cure. Why is Tuberculosis Still Around?

Listen · 15:10
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5552528/nx-s1-mx-5766056" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
or search npr.org