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Short Wave

Short Wave

NPR

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
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173 Listeners

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2 Comments

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Top 10 Short Wave Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Short Wave episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Short Wave for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Short Wave episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Short Wave - Can Optimism Be Learned? (Like Right Now?)
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04/29/20 • 13 min

Optimism is often thought as a disposition, something you're born with or without. So can it be learned? On today's show, Maddie talks with Alix Spiegel, co-host of NPR's Invisibilia, about "learned optimism." We'll look at what it is, the research behind it, and how it might come in handy in certain circumstances, like maybe a global pandemic?
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30 Listeners

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3 Comments

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Short Wave - The Pandemic Time Warp
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05/18/20 • 11 min

The pandemic has upended every aspect of our lives, including the disorienting way many of us have been perceiving time. It might feel like a day drags on, while a week (or month!) just flies by. We talk with Dean Buonomano, a professor of neurobiology and psychology at UCLA, about his research into how the brain tells time. We'll also ask him what's behind this pandemic time warp.
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11 Listeners

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Black holes are one of the most beguiling objects in our universe. What are they exactly? How do they affect the universe? And what would it be like to fall into one? We venture beyond the point of no return with Yale astrophysicist Priyamvada Natarajan, into a fascinating world of black holes — where the laws of physics break down.
Talk the mysteries of our universe with Short Wave reporter Emily Kwong on Twitter @emilykwong1234. Email the show your biggest cosmological questions at [email protected].
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11 Listeners

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Short Wave - A Coronavirus Listener Q&A Episode
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02/07/20 • 11 min

How does the coronavirus spread? Does wearing a face mask actually help? And why is the virus getting so much media coverage? This episode, we answer your coronavirus-related questions with the help of NPR global health and development reporter Pien Huang.
Follow Pien on Twitter @Pien_Huang and host Maddie Sofia @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected]. Also, we're looking for a summer intern! Apply here.
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11 Listeners

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3

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Short Wave - Crows Don't Forget
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10/30/19 • 9 min

Crows have gotten a bad rap throughout history. Think about it. A group of them is called a "murder." To get some insight into crows and perhaps set the record straight, we talked to Kaeli Swift. She's a lecturer at the University of Washington and wrote her doctoral thesis on crow "funerals."
In an earlier version of this episode, we used the word "spooky" to describe crows. Because that word has a history of being used as a racial slur, we chose to replace it with the words "scary" and "creepy." Thanks to our listeners who helpfully pointed this out to us, and we apologize. You can learn more about this from our friends at Code Switch.
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10 Listeners

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2 Comments

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Short Wave - Wildfire Season Is Here To Stay
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10/29/19 • 9 min

Californians face a terrible new normal as wildfire season grows longer and more intense. Jennifer Montgomery, head of the California's Forest Management Task Force, explains three key factors at the heart of why the state is now at such high risk. It turns out, one of them goes all the way back to Spanish colonization. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter: @maddie_sofia. Or email the show at [email protected].
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9 Listeners

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3 Comments

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Short Wave - Letters From The 1918 Pandemic
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05/04/20 • 12 min

The 1918 flu outbreak was one of the most devastating pandemics in world history, infecting one third of the world's population and killing an estimated 50 million people. While our understanding of infectious diseases and their spread has come a long way since then, 1918 was notably a time when the U.S. practiced widespread social distancing.
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7 Listeners

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2 Comments

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Short Wave - Our More-Than-Five Senses
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01/22/21 • 10 min

You're familiar with touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing. But your body moves through the world with more than five senses. NPR Short Wave reporter 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.
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6 Listeners

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Short Wave - How Bears Come Out Of Hibernation Jacked
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04/30/20 • 13 min

Spring is in the air — and so are black bears coming out of hibernation. Rae Wynn-Grant, a large carnivore biologist, explains there's a lot more going on during hibernation than you might expect.
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6 Listeners

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Short Wave - Can Skiing Survive Climate Change?
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04/15/22 • 13 min

Climate change poses an existential threat to the ski industry. A warmer climate means less snow and less now menas a shorter season for snowboarders and skiiers. NPR correspondent Kirk Siegler first covered the issue 15 years ago as local station reporter in Aspen. Now he returns to that world-renowned destination and tells Short Wave co-host Aaron Scott about one resort's efforts to push the nation toward clean energy while it continues catering to the carbon-generating, jet-set crowd.
Check out Kirk's full All Things Considered story here: n.pr/3rse2xP
Email the show at [email protected].
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FAQ

How many episodes does Short Wave have?

Short Wave currently has 1193 episodes available.

What topics does Short Wave cover?

The podcast is about Life Sciences, Nature, Podcasts and Science.

What is the most popular episode on Short Wave?

The episode title 'Can Optimism Be Learned? (Like Right Now?)' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Short Wave?

The average episode length on Short Wave is 13 minutes.

How often are episodes of Short Wave released?

Episodes of Short Wave are typically released every day.

When was the first episode of Short Wave?

The first episode of Short Wave was released on Oct 6, 2019.

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Comments

JP
Jack Post

@jackpost

Aug 21

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good

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1 Like

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Arielle Nissenblatt

@ariellen

Jan 18

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Short Wave is so consistently worth the listen.

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