Short Wave

The terrifying physics of prehistoric sea monsters

While dinosaurs roamed the earth, giant monsters roamed the sea. Mosasaurs were like the deadly T-rexes of the ocean: They grew up to the size of a bus and chased down th

What's at stake if we can't regrow our forests

In 2022, parachutist Luigi Cani dropped 100 million seeds over the Amazon rainforest while skydiving. He did it to raise awareness about deforestation and help regrow the

What Flock cameras really see – and how

Police departments across the U.S. are installing Flock cameras, saying the surveillance devices help deter theft and solve crimes, like helping find stolen property and

The sound of fear: Why so many animals scream

It's Halloween season — and what better way to celebrate October 13th than to explore the haunting sound of fear? That's exactly what we do in this episode, where host Re

One of the toughest parts of ADHD is left out of the diagnosis

ADHD diagnoses are on the rise in the United States, but what if professionals are missing a key part of the disorder? In the 1970s, some clinicians recognized a lot of t

What's missing from the lethal injection conversation

You might have seen the news that Christa Pike, a convicted murderer in Tennessee, did not die from the injections given to her as part of her death penalty sentence last

Science-backed guidance for healthy screen time

We’re all aware – and wary – of doomscrolling. Lots of screen time can be bad for us. But what if that’s not always the case? We spoke with the author of a study that fou

The genetic secret helping bats survive a deadly epidemic

We’re easing you into Halloween season with an episode about bats. There’s a silent serial killer decimating little brown bats as they hibernate. White nose syndrome has

Eating alone may be secretly spiking your blood sugar

Being more social has a ton of benefits: lower stress, decreased inflammation – even living a longer life! Recently, some scientists have added lowering your blood sugar

How much of Earth's life is still undiscovered?

If you, like us, clicked on the cute cat photos posted everywhere recently, announcing the discovery of the first new cat species in more than a century, you might have w

What social media gets wrong about inflammation

Inflammation is all over our feeds. Influencers claim it’s the reason you're bloated or fatigued, the source of digestive problems and the cause of more serious illnesses

A fall mystery: why do only certain leaves turn red?

Leaves turn yellow in the fall because Chlorophyll breaks down, revealing the yellow pigment that was there all along. But why red? Red is a different story altogether. L

'Super' El Niño is coming. What should you expect?

The world is bracing for the worst effects of a Super El Niño. Or a Godzilla El Niño. But what does that really even mean? For millennia El Niño has shaped weather acros

Vaccinated or not, we’re on the brink of a measles epidemic

Measles is making a comeback. Ongoing outbreaks in Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah have documented hundreds of cases, mostly among unvaccinated people. And

The science of self-worth (and how to boost yours)

Your self-worth today can be affected by your memories. But you have power over those memories – when you re-experience them. By doing that, you can reshape your self-est

Why we should all be 'bookmaxxing'

Remember your mom, dad and teachers telling you to read because it’s good for you? Well, a compilation of the latest research shows they were right. “Reading is one of th

The latest on AI panic — and whether it's justified

AI is in the news again – for its potential to end civilization. A researcher at Anthropic resigned very publicly last week, citing concerns about the accelerating capabi

When batteries get a facelift, so does renewable energy

For years, renewable energy companies have faced a problem: How to store the mass amounts of energy they produce for later use. Batteries may be just the solution. In Cal

Why you'll probably be misdiagnosed in your lifetime

Nearly every person will experience at least one diagnostic error in their lifetime. That means either a delayed diagnosis, a wrong diagnosis – or no diagnosis at all. Th

Should race affect BMI guidelines? Doctors are split

BMI is a quick, cheap way for doctors to estimate body fat and screen for conditions like heart disease and diabetes. But medicine has long known that BMI is problematic