Stay ConnectedNew 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.
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Smoke from wildfires can travel huge distances. We've already seen smoke from the fires in California reach all the way to Minnesota. And with all that smoke comes possible risks to human health. So what actually is smoke? Jessica Gilman, an atmospheric chemist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, explains what it's made of, how it behaves in the atmosphere, and smoke's role in climate change.
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On a rapidly changing planet, there are many ways to measure the health of an ecosystem. Can sound be one of them? We dive into a new methodology that applies machine learning technology to audio soundscape recordings. Lead researcher Sarab Sethi explains how this method could be used to potentially predict ecosystem health around the world.
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Encore episode. This one doesn't end the way you'd expect. Inspired by the Netflix documentary series "Night On Earth," we learn everything we can about a mouse and scorpion who do battle on the regular — from two scientists who study them: Ashlee Rowe at the University of Oklahoma and Lauren Esposito at the California Academy of Sciences.
If you have Netflix, you can watch the critters clash about 18 minutes into the episode 'Moonlit Plains' here.
Read more about Lauren's work with scorpions here, and Ashlee's work with grasshopper mice here. And you can learn more about grasshopper mouse vocalizations from Northern Arizona University's Bret Pasch here.
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Socializing is critical for mental and emotional health. You need it. We need it. But what's the safest way to socialize during a pandemic? We propose a few rules-of-thumb and suggestions to see you through, whether you're isolating at home or an essential worker on the job. Plus, check out Yuki Noguchi's reporting on cancer's deepening impacts during the pandemic.
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The 2016 movie 'Arrival,' an adaptation of Ted Chiang's novella 'Story of Your Life,' captured the imaginations of science fiction fans worldwide. Field linguist Jessica Coon, who consulted on the film, breaks down what the movie gets right — and wrong — about linguistics.
Have ideas for our next installment of the Science Movie Club? Email the show at shortwave@npr.org.
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Professional sports are back - but it's anything but normal. The most obvious difference is the glaring absence of fans in the stands. This has led to some creative experimentation with recordings of crowd noise being piped into venues. We talk to a sports psychology researcher about the effects that empty bleachers and lack of real crowd noise are having on players, coaches, referees and fans.
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Encore episode. Storytelling can be a powerful tool to convey information, even in the world of science. It can also shift stereotypes about who scientists are. We talked to someone who knows all about this — Liz Neeley, the Executive Director of Story Collider, a nonprofit focused on telling "true, personal stories about science."
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Traditional farming depletes the soil and releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. But decades ago, a scientist named Rattan Lal helped start a movement based on the idea that carbon could be put back into the soil — a practice known today as "regenerative agriculture."
NPR food and agriculture correspondent Dan Charles explains how it works and why the idea is having a moment.
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School districts, parents and teachers are all facing big decisions about how to return to the classroom this fall. NPR health correspondent Allison Aubrey and education correspondent Cory Turner join Geoff Brumfiel to discuss what the science says about kids and COVID-19, what schools are doing to try to keep students and teachers safe and why there are so many differing approaches in school districts around the U.S.
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Saving endangered species usually brings to mind tigers or whales. But scientists say many parasites are also at risk of extinction. Short Wave's Emily Kwong talks with Chelsea Wood, an Assistant Professor in the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences at the University of Washington, who tells us about the important role parasites play in ecosystems and a new global plan to protect them.
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