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Science

Sunday

Checking your 2024 horoscope? Astronomy explains why your sign might have changed

Some of the constellations that are visible from the Northern Hemisphere at different times of the year. NASA/JPL-Caltech hide caption

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NASA/JPL-Caltech

Space

Checking your 2024 horoscope? Astronomy explains why your sign might have changed

Our view of the constellations has changed since they were first mapped thousands of years ago. That new perspective could also mess with your astrological horoscope in the new year.

Checking your 2024 horoscope? Astronomy explains why your sign might have changed

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Friday

Wildfire smoke this year woke up places unaccustomed to its effects. Now what?

Smoke from wildfires turned the skies orange behind New York's Chrysler Building in June 2023. The smoke affected millions across the central and eastern U.S. David Dee Delgado/Getty Images hide caption

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David Dee Delgado/Getty Images

Climate

Wildfire smoke this year woke up places unaccustomed to its effects. Now what?

Wildfires worsened by climate change spewed smoke over much of North America this year. It's a new reality Americans haven't yet processed: how dangerous the smoke is for human health.

Wildfire smoke this year woke up places unaccustomed to its effects. Now what?

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2023 in science: AI, the hottest year on record, and galactic controversy
NPR

Short Wave

2023 in science: AI, the hottest year on record, and galactic controversy

2023 was filled with scientific innovation, exploration and new discoveries. A few of the biggest threads we saw unraveling this year came from the James Webb Space Telescope, the changing climate and artificial intelligence. Today, host Regina G. Barber wraps up these three areas of science news with the help of correspondent Geoff Brumfiel and All Things Considered host Ari Shapiro.

2023 in science: AI, the hottest year on record, and galactic controversy

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Thursday

A year in music science: wonder, volume and animals that groove

Listening to our favorite songs can trigger feelings of awe and wonder in our brains—and there's a scientific reason for that. Plus, two other stories on the science behind music. Ralf Hiemisch/Getty Images hide caption

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Ralf Hiemisch/Getty Images

Short Wave

A year in music science: wonder, volume and animals that groove

As 2023 comes to a close, Short Wave teamed up with our friends at All Things Considered to round up some of our favorite stories of the year — this time, about the science behind music. First, science correspondent Rob Stein talks to researchers (and Phish's Mike Gordon) about what happens to our brains on music. Then, All Things Considered host Juana Summers and investigations correspondent Sacha Pfeiffer share a study about why lead singers, like Jeff Beck, have gotten quieter over the years. And finally, All Things Considered hosts Ailsa Chang and Ari Shapiro explore research that says some animals might be able to perceive melody and rhythm, too.

A year in music science: wonder, volume and animals that groove

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Wednesday

People want to make everything better — but sometimes different is just as good
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Short Wave

People want to make everything better — but sometimes different is just as good

Are people ever satisfied? Two social psychologists, Ethan Ludwin-Peery and Adam Mastroianni, fell down a research rabbit hole accidentally answering a version of this very question. After conducting several studies, the pair found that when asked how things could be different, people tend to give one kind of answer, regardless of how the question is asked or how good life felt when they were asked. Short Wave's Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber digs into the research—and how it might reveal a fundamental law of psychology about human satisfaction. (encore)

People want to make everything better — but sometimes different is just as good

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Tuesday

Apes remember long-lost friends and family they haven't seen in decades

Chimpanzees and bonobos recognize photos of groupmates they haven't seen for more than 25 years, and respond even more enthusiastically to pictures of their friends, a new study finds. Kate Grounds/Edinburgh Zoo hide caption

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Kate Grounds/Edinburgh Zoo

Animals

Apes remember long-lost friends and family they haven't seen in decades

Researchers found that chimpanzees and bonobos were able to recognize photos of former groupmates after more than 25 years apart, according to a new study from Johns Hopkins University.

Health workers struggle to prevent an infectious disease 'disaster in waiting' in Gaza

Palestinian children, having fled the Israeli bombing of the northern Gaza Strip in response to the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, are living in temporary shelters at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. Global health groups say they are doing what they can to keep a lid on infectious diseases amid crowded, unsanitary conditions and a devastated health-care system. Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto via Reuters Connect hide caption

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Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto via Reuters Connect

Goats and Soda

Health workers struggle to prevent an infectious disease 'disaster in waiting' in Gaza

Public health experts say conditions in war-torn Gaza are ripe for the spread of infectious disease. Health workers are struggling to spot and contain outbreaks, even as the health system teeters.

Health workers struggle to prevent an infectious disease 'disaster in waiting' in Gaza

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Monday

Just how big can a snowflake get? It depends on what you mean by 'snowflake'

This 35.33 mm (1.39 inches) snowflake photographed in Stonybrook, NY in 2015 was the largest captured over multiple winters by researchers using a special camera designed to image falling snowflakes. Sandra Yuter hide caption

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Sandra Yuter

Just how big can a snowflake get? It depends on what you mean by 'snowflake'

The Guinness World Record folks would have us believe in a 19th century snowflake more than a foot wide, but some scientists are skeptical.

Just how big can a snowflake get? It depends on what you mean by 'snowflake'

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This holiday, dig into some of the hilarious science of Christmas BMJs past

A screenshot taken by journalist Jordan Oloman during his playthrough as a doctor in the social simulation video game The Sims 4. Jordan Oloman/The Sims 4 hide caption

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Jordan Oloman/The Sims 4

Short Wave

This holiday, dig into some of the hilarious science of Christmas BMJs past

Would you survive as a doctor in The Sims 4? What's an appropriate amount of free food to take from a public sample station before it's greedy? And how much do clock towers affect sleep? These are the types of questions answered in the Christmas issue of The BMJ — one of the journal's most highly anticipated issues each year. And we find out the answers in this very episode. So, sit back, relax and prepare to be amused by this ghost of Christmas Past (encore).

This holiday, dig into some of the hilarious science of Christmas BMJs past

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Sunday

Saturday

How the real-life Rudolphs get enough rest: Sleep while you chew!

Scientists measured the brainwaves of cud-chewing reindeer, and found that they are similar to those of deep sleep. Leo Rescia hide caption

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Leo Rescia

Animals

How the real-life Rudolphs get enough rest: Sleep while you chew!

Scientists say reindeer seem to sleep while they chew, allowing them to forage all day in the summertime and still get enough sleep.

How the real-life Rudolphs get enough rest: Sleep while you chew!

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Friday

How do you find delicious treats in the snow? Ask the reindeer

A Svalbard reindeer snuffles through the snow. Espen Bergersen hide caption

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Espen Bergersen

Animals

How do you find delicious treats in the snow? Ask the reindeer

Reindeer have to dig for food in dark, snowy conditions during winter. Their vision is adapted to make that task less challenging.

How do you find delicious treats in the snow? Ask the reindeer

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It's not just you: Christmas lights look different now, and can give you headaches

Buses pass under the 2007 'Enchanted' Oxford Street LED Light Display in London, England. Chris Jackson/Getty Images hide caption

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Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Short Wave

It's not just you: Christmas lights look different now, and can give you headaches

LED light bulbs are the future. They're better for the environment and the pocket book. But for some people, certain LEDs lights — particularly holiday lights—are also a problem. They flicker in a way that causes headaches, nausea and other discomfort. Today, we visit the "Flicker Queen" to learn why LEDs flicker — and what you can do about it.

It's not just you: Christmas lights look different now, and can give you headaches

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Thursday

On Yalda night, the Iranian winter solstice tradition, observers gather with family and read classic poetry aloud to greet the returning sun.

On Yalda night, the Iranian winter solstice tradition, observers gather with family and read classic poetry aloud to greet the returning sun. Jasmin Merdan/Getty Images hide caption

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Jasmin Merdan/Getty Images

World

It's the winter solstice. Here are 5 ways people celebrate the return of light

Winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year, and it fell at exactly 4:20 a.m. ET on Saturday in the Northern Hemisphere. Here are five ways it's celebrated around the world.

Science says declining social invites is OK. Here are 3 tips for doing it

Can you relate? Planet Flem/Getty hide caption

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Planet Flem/Getty

National

Science says declining social invites is OK. Here are 3 tips for doing it

A new study has examined the potential ramifications of declining an invitation for a social outing, and found that people tend to overestimate just how much it matters.

Science says declining social invites is OK. Here are 3 tips for doing it

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