The magnets used in these letters are one of the more obvious uses of magnets, but magnets are also found in many other household objects. Fred Tanneau/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Short Wave
From NPR
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.
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Throughout his long career in STEM, James West has been an advocate for diversity and inclusion. Will Kirk/Johns Hopkins University hide caption
A nurse takes a Moderna Covid-19 vaccines ready to be administered at a vaccination site at Kedren Community Health Center, in South Central Los Angeles. Apu Gomes/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
For a scientific experiment, a person sits in front of a computer, and an EEG measures the electrical signals released by neurons in their brain. Getty Images hide caption
Facial recognition researcher Joy Buolamwini stands for a portrait behind a mask she had to use so that software could detect her face. Buolamwini's research has uncovered racial and gender bias in facial analysis tools sold by companies such as Amazon that have a hard time recognizing certain faces, especially darker-skinned women. Steven Senne/AP hide caption
Until Henrietta Lacks' cells came along, whenever human cells were put in a lab dish, they would die immediately or reproduce only a few times. HeLa cells, by contrast, grew indefinitely. National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research via AP hide caption
Brain Trouble, the second book in The Magnificent Makers series. Penguin Random House hide caption
Happy Valentine's day from the scorpions at NPR Short Wave! Richard Newstead/Getty Images hide caption