Short Wave

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Short Wave Podcast

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

  1. Solutions Week: The Cost Of Food Delivery

    12 HR AGO

    Solutions Week: The Cost Of Food Delivery

    Since the height of the pandemic, there has been a boom in the use of food delivery services. Day 2 of NPR's Climate Solutions Week is all about the environmental impacts of how we shop for our food. So in this episode, NPR correspondent Scott Neuman reports on a question we've all wanted to know the answer to: What is the impact of getting food delivered on our carbon footprint? Interested in hearing more climate solutions? Email us at [email protected] – we'd love to hear your ideas! Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

    14 min
  2. Solutions Week: Climate Change Is Coming For Your Wine

    1 DAY AGO

    Solutions Week: Climate Change Is Coming For Your Wine

    In California's Napa Valley, the nation's unofficial wine capital, one varietal reigns supreme: cabernet sauvignon. But climate change is threatening the small blue-black grapes for which cabernet sauvignon is named. Increasingly severe heat waves are taking a toll on the grape variety, especially in late summer during ripening. To kick off NPR's Climate Solutions Week, climate correspondent Lauren Sommer joins host Regina G. Barber for a deep dive into the innovations wineries are actualizing — and the ways that cabernet farmers and fans alike could learn to adapt. Climate change is affecting our food, and our food is affecting the climate. NPR is dedicating a week to stories and conversations about the search for solutions. Read more of Lauren's reporting on how climate change is affecting wine. Interested in hearing more climate solutions? Email us at [email protected]. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

    13 min
  3. Body Electric: How AI Is Changing Our Relationships

    3 DAYS AGO

    Body Electric: How AI Is Changing Our Relationships

    Hey, Short Wavers! Today, we have a special present for all of you: An episode from our good friends at NPR's Body Electric podcast all a bout artificial intimacy! Thanks to advances in AI, chatbots can act as personalized therapists, companions and romantic partners. The apps offering these services have been downloaded millions of times. If these relationships relieve stress and make us feel better, does it matter that they're not "real"? On this episode of Body Electric, host Manoush Zomorodi talks to MIT sociologist and psychologist Sherry Turkle about her new research into what she calls "artificial intimacy" and its impact on our mental and physical health. Binge the whole Body Electric series here. Plus, sign up for the Body Electric Challenge and our newsletter here. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

    27 min
  4. Dogs Go Viral For 'Talking' To Humans — But Can They?

    4 DAYS AGO

    Dogs Go Viral For 'Talking' To Humans — But Can They?

    Last year, a dog named Bunny went viral on TikTok for pressing buttons with words on them to "communicate" with her owner. But can dogs even understand those words on a soundboard in the first place? A new study in the journal PLOS One seeks answers. Host Regina G. Barber and producer Rachel Carlson break down that story and more of the week's news with the help of All Things Considered's Ari Shapiro. Have other viral headlines that you want us to put to the test for its scientific truth? Email us at [email protected] — we might cover it on a future episode! Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

    9 min
  5. Feeling Itchy? Air Pollution Might Be Making It Worse

    6 DAYS AGO

    Feeling Itchy? Air Pollution Might Be Making It Worse

    Short Wave producer Hannah Chinn has adult-onset eczema. They're not the only one. Up to ten percent of people in the United States have it, according to the National Eczema Association — and its prevalence is increasing. Despite its ubiquity, a lot about this skin condition remains a mystery. So today, Hannah's getting answers. They sat down with Raj Fadadu, a dermatologist at UC San Diego, to ask: What is eczema? What triggers it in the first place? And might climate change make it worse sometimes? If you liked this episode, check out our episode on the science of itchiness. Also, follow us! That way you never miss another Short Wave episode. Interested in hearing more about climate change and human health? Email us at [email protected] — we'd love to hear your feedback! Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

    13 min
  6. Are You Overestimating The Algorithm?

    3 SEPT

    Are You Overestimating The Algorithm?

    Humans hallucinate. Algorithms lie. At least, that's one difference that Joy Buolamwini and Kyle Chayka want to make clear. When ChatGPT tells you that a book exists when it doesn't – or professes its undying love – that's often called a "hallucination." Buolamwini, a computer scientist, prefers to call it "spicy autocomplete." But not all algorithmic errors are as innocuous. So today's show, we get into: How do algorithms work? What are their impacts? And how can we speak up about changing them? This is a shortened version of Joy and Kyle's live interview, moderated by Regina G. Barber, at this year's Library of Congress National Book Festival. If you liked this episode, check out our other episodes on facial recognition in Gaza, why AI is not a silver bullet and tech companies limiting police use of facial recognition. Interested in hearing more technology stories? Email us at [email protected] — we'd love to consider your idea for a future episode! Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

    14 min
  7. Batteries: The Lemonade Of Life

    2 SEPT

    Batteries: The Lemonade Of Life

    Just in time for the return of the school year, we're going "Back To School" by revisiting a classic at-home experiment that turns lemons into batteries — powerful enough to turn on a clock or a small lightbulb. But how does the science driving that process show up in household batteries we use daily? Host Emily Kwong and former host Maddie Sofia talk battery 101 with environmental engineer Jenelle Fortunato. Want us to cover more science basics? Email us your ideas at [email protected] — we might feature them on a future episode! Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

    10 min
  8. Detecting Pests By Eavesdropping On Insects

    30 AUG

    Detecting Pests By Eavesdropping On Insects

    From Indonesia to Wisconsin, farmers all over the world struggle with a huge problem: pests. On top of that, it's tough for farmers to identify where exactly they have the pests and when. Reporter Lina Tran from NPR member station WUWM in Milwaukee joins host Emily Kwong to tell the story of how researchers in the Midwest are inventing new forms of pest detection that involve eavesdropping on the world of insects. Plus, hear what aphid slurping sounds like. If you liked this episode, check out behind-the-scenes photos of Insect Eavesdropper experiments in Lina's digital story! Interested in hearing more insect news? Email us at [email protected]. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

    14 min
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About

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

Information

  • Creator
    NPR
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2024
  • Episodes
    1.1K
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2019-2021 NPR - For Personal Use Only
  • Show Website
    Short Wave

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