Short Wave
NewThe dormant viruses in all of us may help explain long COVID
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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.
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Episodes 1,580
The dormant viruses in all of us may help explain long COVID
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 …
Show notes
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.
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NPR Privacy PolicyCan planting more trees make allergies worse?
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 …
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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 [email protected].
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NPR Privacy PolicyWhat are the odds we're not alone in the universe?
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 …
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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 [email protected] – we might answer it in a future episode!
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NPR Privacy PolicyWhat the world's leading researchers think about saunas
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 …
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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 [email protected].
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NPR Privacy PolicyThe terrifying physics of prehistoric sea monsters
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 …
Show notes
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 [email protected]
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NPR Privacy PolicyWhat's at stake if we can't regrow our forests
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 …
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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 [email protected].
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NPR Privacy PolicyWhat Flock cameras really see – and how
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 …
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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 [email protected].
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NPR Privacy PolicyThe sound of fear: Why so many animals scream
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 …
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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.
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NPR Privacy PolicyOne of the toughest parts of ADHD is left out of the diagnosis
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 …
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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 [email protected].
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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.https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-014-0560-9
Cleveland Clinic. (2022). Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD): Symptoms & Treatment. Cleveland Clinic Health Library. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24099-rejection-sensitive-dysphoria-rsd
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NPR Privacy PolicyWhat's missing from the lethal injection conversation
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 …
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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 [email protected].
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NPR Privacy PolicyScience-backed guidance for healthy screen time
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 …
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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 [email protected].
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NPR Privacy PolicyThe genetic secret helping bats survive a deadly epidemic
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 …
Show notes
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 [email protected].
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NPR Privacy PolicyEating alone may be secretly spiking your blood sugar
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 …
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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 [email protected].
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NPR Privacy PolicyHow much of Earth's life is still undiscovered?
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 …
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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 [email protected].
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NPR Privacy PolicyWhat social media gets wrong about inflammation
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 …
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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 [email protected].
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NPR Privacy PolicyA fall mystery: why do only certain leaves turn red?
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 …
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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 [email protected].
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NPR Privacy Policy'Super' El Niño is coming. What should you expect?
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 …
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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 [email protected].
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NPR Privacy PolicyVaccinated or not, we’re on the brink of a measles epidemic
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 …
Show notes
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 [email protected].
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NPR Privacy PolicyThe science of self-worth (and how to boost yours)
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 …
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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 [email protected] – it may become a future episode!
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NPR Privacy PolicyWhy we should all be 'bookmaxxing'
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 …
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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 [email protected].
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NPR Privacy PolicyThe latest on AI panic — and whether it's justified
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 …
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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 [email protected].
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NPR Privacy PolicyWhen batteries get a facelift, so does renewable energy
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 …
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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 [email protected].
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NPR Privacy PolicyWhy you'll probably be misdiagnosed in your lifetime
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 …
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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 [email protected].
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NPR Privacy PolicyShould race affect BMI guidelines? Doctors are split
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 …
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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.
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NPR Privacy PolicyHow scientists discovered that animals are doctors, too
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 …
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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 [email protected]. They may become a future episode!
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NPR Privacy PolicyLindsay Clancy and postpartum psychosis
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 …
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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 [email protected].
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NPR Privacy PolicyHow hurricanes triggered lizard evolution
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 …
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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 [email protected].
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NPR Privacy PolicyWhen is your brain actually 'adult'?
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 …
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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 [email protected].
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This episode was produced by Rachel Carlson. It was edited by Rebecca Ramirez. Tyler Jones checked the facts. The audio engineer was Kwesi Lee.
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NPR Privacy PolicyA new investigation shows heat is even deadlier than we thought
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 …
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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 [email protected].
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 PolicyThe science of emotional regulation — and how to do it better
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 …
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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 [email protected]. We might cover it in a future episode!
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