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Short Wave 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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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

Most Recent Episodes

Body Electric: How AI is changing our relationships
Daniel Hertzberg

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.

Body Electric: How AI is changing our relationships

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Evolution keeps making crabs. We asked a scientist why

True crabs are crustaceans belonging to the suborder Brachyura. The fiddler crab faced towards the camera, here, is one of those true crabs. McDonald Wildlife Photography Inc./Getty Images hide caption

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McDonald Wildlife Photography Inc./Getty Images

Evolution keeps making crabs. We asked a scientist why

Evolution keeps making crabs. In fact, it's happened so often that there's a special scientific term for an organism turning crab-like: carcinization. But how many times has it happened, and why? When did the very first crab originate? What about all the times crabs have been unmade? And does all this mean that we, too, will eventually become crabs? In this episode, host Emily Kwong chats with Javier Luque about crabs, carcinization and change.

Evolution keeps making crabs. We asked a scientist why

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Climate change is one reason for hotter oceans. But there are others

Hurricane Francine hit Louisiana last week, dumping rain across the South. Forecasters are expecting a lot of hurricanes and tropical storms in the next few weeks. Jack Brook/AP hide caption

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Jack Brook/AP

Climate change is one reason for hotter oceans. But there are others

Hurricane season is heating up: Hurricane Francine hit Louisiana last week and dumped rain across the South, and forecasters expect more stormy activity in the Atlantic in the next few weeks.

Climate change is one reason for hotter oceans. But there are others

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How has tech changed wheelchair basketball? We asked a Paralympian

Patrick Anderson of Team Canada shoots during a wheelchair basketball match against Team Germany at the 2024 Summer Paralympic Games. This is Anderson's sixth Paralympic Games. Naomi Baker/Getty Images hide caption

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Naomi Baker/Getty Images

How has tech changed wheelchair basketball? We asked a Paralympian

Patrick Anderson is widely recognized as the greatest wheelchair basketball player of all time. He's represented Canada at the Paralympics six times and led his team to win three gold — and one silver — medals. But since he first started playing in the 1990s, the sport has changed dramatically. He says that's due in part to the technological innovations in wheelchair athletics. In this episode, guest host Andrew Mambo chats with Patrick about the reasons for these changes. They also cover the origin of the sport, how the innovations that have changed gameplay and the rising popularity of wheelchair basketball around the world. Plus, the commonality between sport wheelchairs and stance cars.

How has tech changed wheelchair basketball? We asked a Paralympian

Listen · 12:11
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This restaurant is reducing food waste with "trash pie"

Shuggie's co-owners David Murphy and Kayla Abe aim to reduce food waste by using upcycled ingredients. Ryan Kellman/NPR hide caption

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Ryan Kellman/NPR

This restaurant is reducing food waste with "trash pie"

We close out Climate Solutions Week with a look at the final step in the food system: waste. Roughly 30-40% of all food produced globally gets thrown out — a huge problem when it comes to climate change. Shuggie's Trash Pie and Natural Wine has answers for what to do with all that waste – be it bruised fruit and wilted greens salad or meatballs made out of beef hearts. The San Francisco restaurant describes itself as a "climate-solutions restaurant" — and they're hoping you find these dishes appealing. Or at least, that you're willing to give them a try. Shuggie's is one of a growing number of eateries trying to address this problem.

This restaurant is reducing food waste with "trash pie"

Listen · 14:13
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A hotter climate threatens chocolate. This German company invented a substitute
Sandra Singh for NPR

A hotter climate threatens chocolate. This German company invented a substitute

Climate change is contributing to erratic weather where cocoa beans are grown and threatening the global chocolate supply. Record rainfall last year led to fungal infections among cacao trees and dwindled supply of cocoa beans. Heat is also making it more difficult for cocoa beans to thrive. So, for day three of Climate Solutions Week, we look at one innovation in the food industry: chocolate substitutes.

A hotter climate threatens chocolate. This German company invented a substitute

Listen · 14:39
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Climate change is coming for your wine

In hotter temperatures, cabernet grapes lose their rich red color and produce sweeter, more alcoholic wines. Ryan Kellman/NPR hide caption

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Ryan Kellman/NPR

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.

Climate change is coming for your wine

Listen · 13:03
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Why grocery delivery or meal kits could lower your carbon footprint

In some cases, food delivery can be a more climate-friendly option than cooking at home, which often requires multiple trips to the grocery store. choochart choochaikupt/Getty Images hide caption

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choochart choochaikupt/Getty Images

Why grocery delivery or meal kits could lower your carbon footprint

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?

Why grocery delivery or meal kits could lower your carbon footprint

Listen · 13:33
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Can dogs understand the meaning of words? Scientists are trying to figure it out
Courtesy of Patrick Wood

Can dogs understand the meaning of words? Scientists are trying to figure it out

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.

Can dogs understand the meaning of words? Scientists are trying to figure it out

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Feeling itchy? Air pollution might be making it worse

On Sept. 9, 2020, smoke from multiple wildfires turned the sky above the San Francisco Bay area orange. But it wasn't just colorful... it was harmful to Bay area residents' skin. Brittany Hosea-Small/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Brittany Hosea-Small/AFP via Getty Images

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.

Feeling itchy? Air pollution might be making it worse

Listen · 13:11
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