664 episodes
Short Wave Short Wave
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- Science
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4.7 • 5.4K Ratings
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New discoveries, everyday mysteries, and the science behind the headlines — all in about 10 minutes, every weekday. It's science for everyone, using a lot of creativity and a little humor. Join host Emily Kwong 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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The Queen of Nuclear Physics (Part One): Chien-Shiung Wu's Discovery
In the 1950's, a particle physicist made a landmark discovery that changed what was known about how the universe operates. 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.
Email the show at shortwave@npr.org. -
TASTE BUDDIES: Why Bitter Tastes Better For Some
Host Aaron Scott talks to biochemist Masha Niv about how we taste bitter things and why.
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Who Else Can See Your Period Tracker Data?
Apps like period trackers are great for staying on top of your health, but they have a dark side: often, your data is sold to third parties.
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How Vaccine Misinformation Spread Through The Parenting World
Correspondent Allison Aubrey shares how vaccine misinformation has spread among parents--and how some are fighting back.
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The Importance Of The Vaginal Microbiome
Fatima Aysha Hussain talks to host Emily Kwong about the vaginal microbiome--how it may affect health and how a transplant study could help people with bacterial vaginosis.
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Who Would Be Most Affected By Roe Reversal
NPR's Yuki Noguchi talks about who would be most impacted the reversal of Roe v. Wade.
Customer Reviews
Thanks for the story on Chien-Shiung Wu
I loved the perspective of Jada Yuan on her grandmother and the story of how one immigrant became an intellectual giant but still saw her greatest priority as making a better life for her family and raising them to take advantage of the opportunities in her adopted country. As someone who studied theoretical physics I also appreciated that you wanted to make the magnitude of her research accessible to the audience!
Love it
Feeds my nerdy brain
Great podcast
Love all the topics on here, especially about Covid. Thank you Short Wave and NPR.