The benefits of indoor air quality in schools are substantial, but American school buildings are old and many face major challenges when it comes to upgrades. Science and health correspondent Maria Godoy talks to host Aaron Scott about how there are a few hopeful signs that indoor air quality in schools will be improved- including some federal money and a new awareness of air quality because of the pandemic. Read Maria's story on indoor air quality in schools here: n.pr/3uy3A93 Email the show at...
Mar 28, 2022•13 min•Ep 619•Transcript available on Metacast In addition to flying, landing, and returning from the moon in 1969 — NASA's Apollo 11 crew helped with a series of scientific experiments. One of them was to leave a special instrument with lots of little reflectors on the surface of the moon. The goal of that experiment was to beam a laser at the moon. Today on the show, Scientist-In-Residence Regina G. Barber talks to host Aaron Scott about the lunar laser ranging experiment — and how shooting that laser helped us better understand one of Ein...
Mar 25, 2022•13 min•Ep 618•Transcript available on Metacast A struggling Wyoming coal town may soon go nuclear with help from an unlikely partner, billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates. NPR Correspondent Kirk Siegler takes us to Kemmerer, Wyo., where Gates' power company, supported by public funds, plans to open a new type of nuclear energy plant in hopes of replacing a closing coal plant. The model facility would create jobs and provide the flexible baseline energy needed to back up solar, wind and other renewables. But is it a good fit for rural Kemmer...
Mar 24, 2022•13 min•Ep 317•Transcript available on Metacast Cute, wrinkly faces aside, bulldogs have myriad health problems. Science points to purebred breeding practices as the reason. NPR Science correspondent Lauren Sommer talks to host Aaron Scott about how a bulldog breeding ban in Norway has fueled an ongoing debate on the practice of breeding dogs with low genetic diversity and, as a result, high instances of health problems. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Mar 23, 2022•12 min•Ep 616•Transcript available on Metacast The omicron outbreak has slowed dramatically in the U.S. But cases are rising in Britain due to an omicron subvariant. There are signs the U.S. could also see a bump in cases in the coming weeks. Stay safe out there, fabulous listeners! Feel free to drop us a line at ShortWave@npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Mar 22, 2022•8 min•Ep 615•Transcript available on Metacast Texas Governor Greg Abbott has directed the state's Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate certain gender-affirming care as possible child abuse, leaving parents of transgender youth feeling caught between two choices: support their children or face a possible investigation. Annaliese and Rachel are mothers living in Texas and both have transgender children. They speak to NPR about the emotional and mental toll this order has had on their families. And while the order is cur...
Mar 21, 2022•16 min•Ep 614•Transcript available on Metacast Arts therapies appear to ease a host of brain disorders from Parkinson's to PTSD. But these treatments that rely on music, poetry or visual arts haven't been backed by rigorous scientific testing. Now, artists and brain scientists have launched a program to change that. NPR's brain correspondent Jon Hamilton tells us about an initiative called the NeuroArts Blueprint. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Mar 18, 2022•14 min•Ep 613•Transcript available on Metacast On December 31, 2021, The Joe Rogan Experience podcast on Spotify posted an episode with an interview with physician Dr. Robert Malone full of misinformation about the Covid-19 vaccine. This sparked outrage, a letter from a group of medical professionals, scientists and educators to Spotify and a series of creators pulling their content from the platform. Science Vs . , a podcast produced by Gimlet Media which is owned by Spotify, decided to take a stand too. Listen to the episodes of Science Vs...
Mar 17, 2022•15 min•Ep 612•Transcript available on Metacast Understanding how life survives in extreme Earth environments could point to ways life can survive on other worlds. Astrobiologist Morgan Cable talks to host Emily Kwong about how her missions here on Earth have guided two upcoming NASA missions in search for alien life, not in a far off galaxy, but here in our solar system. The Titan Dragonfly and the Europa Clipper missions will each explore an ocean world in our solar system, where scientists believe we could find life--life that may be unlik...
Mar 16, 2022•13 min•Ep 611•Transcript available on Metacast Over the last 24 hours, some of us Short Wavers celebrated Pi Day the only way we know how: eating some yummy pie and thinking math thoughts. Here on the show, many of us are math enthusiasts. But none of us claims to be a math perfectionist. We think there's at least as much joy and insight in the mistakes as there is in what we get right. It's a lesson we discussed in today's episode about Matt Parker's book, Humble Pi . It's an oldie but a goodie from our archives.We hope it inspires you to c...
Mar 15, 2022•12 min•Ep 610•Transcript available on Metacast Geneticist Janina Jeff is back on the show to talk with host Emily Kwong about season 2 of her podcast In Those Genes. They talk about rhythm, aging and navigating what can be ascribed to our genes and what is determined by society. Check out more of Janina's work on In Those Genes: inthosegenes.com Episodes referenced in today's Short Wave include: - R&B: Rhythm & Blackness - Black Don't Crack And listen to our last episode with Janina: n.pr/35TPyWJ Email the show at shortwave@npr.org . Learn m...
Mar 14, 2022•15 min•Ep 609•Transcript available on Metacast Growing up, Jada Yuan didn't realize how famous her grandmother was in the world of physics. In this episode, we delve into the life of physicist Chien-Shiung Wu from her granddaughter's perspective. Jada talks to host Emily Kwong about writing the article Discovering Dr. Wu for the Washington Post, where she is a reporter covering culture and politics. Check out part one in which Emily talks to Short Wave's scientist-in-residence about how Chien-Shiung Wu altered physics. She made a landmark di...
Mar 11, 2022•14 min•Ep 608•Transcript available on Metacast In the 1950's, a particle physicist made a landmark discovery that changed what we thought we knew about how our universe operates. And Chien-Shiung Wu did it while raising a family and an ocean away from her relatives in China. Short Wave's Scientist-In-Residence Regina Barber joins host Emily Kwong to talk about that landmark discovery--what it meant for the physics world, and what it means to Regina personally as a woman and a Chinese and Mexican American in physics. Learn more about sponsor ...
Mar 10, 2022•12 min•Ep 607•Transcript available on Metacast Pucker up, duderinos! Short Wave 's kicking off a series on taste we're calling, "Taste Buddies." In today's episode, we meet Atlantic science writer Katherine Wu and together, we take a tour through the mysteries of sourness — complete with a fun taste test. Along the way, Katie serves up some hypotheses for the evolution of sour taste because, as Katie explains in her article, "The Paradox of Sour, " researchers still have a lot to learn about this weird taste. Baffled by another mundane aspec...
Mar 09, 2022•15 min•Ep 606•Transcript available on Metacast Over the last few years, we've all found different ways to cope with the pandemic. Some people started drinking more, moving less, maybe eating more. Now that the pandemic is at a lull, health experts say it's time to take stock of these habits. Short Wave host Aaron Scott chats with health correspondent Allison Aubrey about how our daily habits have been affected and changed — for better or worse — and how one might start to change ones they want to change. You can follow Aaron on Twitter @Aaro...
Mar 08, 2022•11 min•Ep 605•Transcript available on Metacast For over a decade, Dr. Thomas Insel headed the National Institute of Mental Health and directed billions of dollars into research on neuroscience and the genetic underpinnings of mental illnesses. Health correspondent Rhitu Chatterjee talks with Dr. Thomas Insel about his new book, Healing: Our Path from Mental Illness to Mental Health and how he came to realize where the U.S's mental health care system had failed, despite scientific advances in the field. Learn more about sponsor message choice...
Mar 07, 2022•13 min•Ep 604•Transcript available on Metacast In 2021, Short Wave host Emily Kwong ran her first marathon. In collaboration with our colleagues at Life Kit , Emily talks about her experience and discusses keys to training with running coach Laura Norris. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
Mar 04, 2022•23 min•Ep 603•Transcript available on Metacast The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) just released the second of three reports on climate change. Nearly 300 scientists from all over the world worked together to create this account of how global warming is affecting our society. NPR climate reporter Rebecca Hersher fills us in on this major climate science report and actually brings three empowering takeaways hidden within it. Read the report here: https://bit.ly/3hzWNFv And listen to Rebecca Hersher's hopeful ta...
Mar 03, 2022•10 min•Ep 602•Transcript available on Metacast What bird has a ten-foot wingspan and breeds almost exclusively on a single island in the Pacific Ocean? Find out in this special quiz episode of Short Wave. Host Emily Kwong tests the bird knowledge of musician and nature enthusiast Anthony Albrecht. He recently produced an album of 53 calls from threatened Australian birds to bring awareness to their vulnerable status. Listen to the album, titled Songs of Disappearance, released by the Bowerbird Collective and BirdLife Australia, here . Learn ...
Mar 02, 2022•14 min•Ep 601•Transcript available on Metacast NPR science correspondent Lauren Sommer joins Short Wave host Emily Kwong to talk about a team of researchers who were the first to document a pack of orcas attacking a blue whale. Their work shows that killer whales, while stars in marine parks and movies, are also the ocean's top-- and often vicious-- predators. Humans' complex relationship with them may say more about humans than about the orcas. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Mar 01, 2022•14 min•Ep 600•Transcript available on Metacast Scientists are piecing together what led up to a massive volcanic eruption in Tonga last month. NPR science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel joins the show to talk about the likely sequence of events— and what it can teach us about future eruptions like this one. Email the show at ShortWave@NPR.org Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Feb 28, 2022•15 min•Ep 599•Transcript available on Metacast One of the video games that Short Wave's Scientist in Residence has been playing a lot in the pandemic is Animal Crossing, in which bits of stars fall along the beach. It got Regina thinking — what ARE shooting stars? For answers on all things asteroid, meteoroid and comet, she turns to planetary scientist Melissa Rice . Haven't had any luck Googling to learning more about a cool phenomenon? Shoot us an email shortwave@npr.org , and we'll dig up some answers. Learn more about sponsor message cho...
Feb 25, 2022•11 min•Ep 598•Transcript available on Metacast The pandemic is at a turning point. Hospitalizations in this country are down. Deaths are starting to decline. Some of the states that have had the strictest COVID restrictions are starting to dial back. With fewer cases, and more tools to manage COVID, we can start putting more focus on other diseases again. Doctors are encouraging patients to get the checkups they've been holding off on. NPR science correspondent Allison Aubrey talks about the future of masking, virus detection and routine pre...
Feb 24, 2022•13 min•Ep 597•Transcript available on Metacast Everyone sees the world differently. Exactly which colors you see and which of your eyes is doing more work than the other as you read this text is different for everyone. Also different? Our blind spots – both physical and social. As we continue celebrating Black History Month, today we're featuring Exploratorium Staff Physicist Educator Desiré Whitmore . She shines a light on human eyesight – how it affects perception and how understanding another person's view of the world can offer us a full...
Feb 23, 2022•13 min•Ep 596•Transcript available on Metacast A few years ago, ecologist Elizabeth Clare had an idea--what if she could study rare or endangered animals in the wild without ever having to see or capture them? What if she could learn about them by only pulling data out of thin air? It turns out, the air's not so thin. There are bits of DNA floating around us, and Elizabeth figured out how to collect it. She talks to guest host Lauren Sommer about testing her collection method in a zoo, how another science team simultaneous came up with and t...
Feb 22, 2022•13 min•Ep 595•Transcript available on Metacast Raychelle Burks is a forensic chemist and an associate professor at American University. She's also a big fan of murder mysteries. Today, we talk pop culture forensics with Raychelle and what signs to look for to know whether or not a tv crime show is getting the science right. (ENCORE) What else bothers you about TV accuracy? E-mail the show at shortwave@npr.org . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Feb 18, 2022•12 min•Ep 594•Transcript available on Metacast As a kid, Jasmin Graham was endlessly curious about the ocean. That eventually led her to a career in marine science studying sharks and rays. But until relatively recently, she had never met another Black woman in her field. That all changed in 2020 when she connected with a group of Black women studying sharks through the Twitter hashtag #BlackInNature . Finding a community was so powerful that the women decided to start a group. On today's show, Jasmin talks with host Maddie Sofia about Minor...
Feb 17, 2022•12 min•Ep 593•Transcript available on Metacast You're likely familiar with touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing - but there are actually more than five senses. Emily Kwong speaks to neurobiologist André White, assistant professor at Mount Holyoke College, about the beautiful, intricate system that carries information from the outside world in. (ENCORE) Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Feb 16, 2022•11 min•Ep 592•Transcript available on Metacast When Abra Lee became the landscape manager at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, she sought some advice about how to best do the job. The answer: study the history of gardening. That led to her uncovering how Black involvement in horticulture in the U.S. bursts with incredible stories and profound expertise, intertwined with a tragic past. She's now teaching these stories and working on a book, Conquer the Soil: Black America and the Untold Stories of Our Country's Gardeners, Farm...
Feb 15, 2022•15 min•Ep 591•Transcript available on Metacast Humans have scalp hair. But why is human scalp hair so varied? Biological anthropologist Tina Lasisi wanted to find out. And while completing her PhD at Penn State University, she developed a better system for describing hair — rooted in actual science. (Encore) To hear more from Tina, check out these webinars: Why Care About Hair ( https://bit.ly/3liJZ96 ) and How Hair Reveals the Futility of Race Categories ( https://s.si.edu/3Dik6g8 ). And to dive deep into Tina's research, we recommend her p...
Feb 14, 2022•16 min•Ep 590•Transcript available on Metacast 
