Episodios

  • Could Running Change Your Brain?

    Could Running Change Your Brain?
    Apr 4 2025
    Running an entire marathon takes a lot of energy. Neuroscientist Carlos Matute knows this: he's run 18 of them. He wondered how runners' bodies get the energy they need to make it to the finish line.

    His new research in the journal Nature Metabolism may be the first step in answering the question – and suggests their brains might be (temporarily) depleting a fatty substance that coats nerve cells called myelin.

    Have other questions about the brain? Let us know by emailing shortwave@npr.org!

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    8 m
  • Tornado Alley: Home Of Extreme Winds

    Tornado Alley: Home Of Extreme Winds
    Apr 2 2025
    Each year, the United States has about 1,200 tornadoes. Many of them happen in tornado alley, a very broad swath of the U.S. that shifts seasonally. This area gets at least ten times more tornadoes than the rest of the world. Science writer Sushmita Pathak says that huge difference can be chalked up to one word: geography. But there's a slice of South America with similar geographical features that gets comparatively fewer tornadoes, so what gives? Sushmita wades into the research weeds with guest host Berly McCoy, one of Short Wave's producers.

    Read Sushmita's full article on tornadoes that she wrote for the publication Eos.

    Have other science weather stories you think we should cover on the show? Let us know by emailing shortwave@npr.org!

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    11 m
  • The Iguanas That Rafted To Fiji

    The Iguanas That Rafted To Fiji
    Apr 1 2025
    Most iguanas are indigenous to the Americas. So how did the Fijian species end up on the island, nearly 5000 miles away in the South Pacific? According to a new study in the journal PNAS, it was probably via raft ... that is, on clump of floating trees.

    And this rafting hypothesis isn't entirely unprecedented. After hurricanes Luis and Marilyn hit the Caribbean in the 1990s, researchers found that a group of iguanas had floated over 180 miles away from Guadeloupe to the territory of Anguilla.

    Want to hear more about iguanas? Or rafts? Or evolutionary biology? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

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    9 m
  • Is AI Ready For Robots?

    Is AI Ready For Robots?
    Mar 31 2025
    It seems like artificial intelligence is everywhere in our virtual lives. It's in our search results and our phones. But what happens when AI moves out of the chat and into the real world? NPR science editor and correspondent Geoff Brumfiel took a trip to the Intelligence through Robotic Interaction at Scale Lab at Stanford University to see how scientists are using AI to power robots and the large hurdles that exist for them to perform even simple tasks.

    Read Geoff's full story.

    Interested in more AI stories? Email us your ideas at shortwave@npr.org.

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    13 m
  • Rare Narwhal Footage Shows New Tusk Activities

    Rare Narwhal Footage Shows New Tusk Activities
    Mar 28 2025
    What are the narwhals up to? Generally, we don't really know! They are mysterious creatures. NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce talks about new, rare drone footage scientists captured of arctic narwhals. The video sparked new ideas for how they use their tusks.

    Read Nell's full piece.

    Love mysterious critters and want to hear more? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

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    12 m
  • The Algae That Thrive in Arctic Darkness

    The Algae That Thrive in Arctic Darkness
    Mar 26 2025
    Microalgae are tiny organisms that convert energy from sunlight into fuel. The arctic ecosystem depends on them. In springtime, the algae bloom brilliant shades of green and draw tiny crustaceans, fish, birds and more to arctic waters. But what happens in wintertime, when the sun goes down and darkness reins for months? In the depths of the polar night, biogeochemist Clara Hoppe has found evidence that some microalgae are still ready to photosynthesize. Today on the show: how tiny microalgae limbo for their lives and come out more powerful than scientists ever imagined.

    Want to hear more stories of nature pushing the boundaries of what scientists previously thought possible? Let us know by emailing shortwave@npr.org!

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    14 m
  • Climate Change + Baseball = More Home Runs

    Climate Change + Baseball = More Home Runs
    Mar 25 2025
    Baseball season is nigh! From Yankee stadium in New York to Dodger stadium in Los Angeles, teams around the country will face off Thursday to mark the start of the 2025 MLB season. And when we here at Short Wave think of baseball, we naturally think of physics. To get the inside scoop on the physics of baseball, like how to hit a home run, we talk to Frederic Bertley, CEO and President of the Center of Science and Industry, a science museum in Columbus, Ohio. In this encore episode, he also talks to host Regina G. Barber about how climate change is affecting the game.

    Interested in the science of other sports? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear from you.

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    12 m
  • What Scientists Got Wrong About COVID-19

    What Scientists Got Wrong About COVID-19
    Mar 24 2025
    Early in the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists predicted the SARS-CoV-2 virus would mutate slowly. They were wrong. Hundreds of thousands of viral mutations and multiple seasonal waves later, we now know why. The answer changes researchers' understanding of viral evolution — and it could help predict the evolution of other viruses in the future. Emily talks about it all with Sarah Zhang, a health writer for The Atlantic.

    Want to hear more virology or human biology stories? Let us know by emailing shortwave@npr.org.

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    12 m