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Life Sciences · NPR

Short Wave

by NPR

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. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org. You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including sponsor-free listening for Short Wave.

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

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

#10 trending · Science

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

Sep 25
12 min

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

#11 trending · Life Sciences

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

Sep 23
14 min

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

#21 trending · Life Sciences

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

Sep 22
12 min

Why we should all be 'bookmaxxing'

#29 trending · Life Sciences

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

Sep 19
10 min

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

Sep 18
14 min

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

Sep 16
13 min

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

Sep 15
13 min

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

Sep 14
13 min

How scientists discovered that animals are doctors, too

When people are sick, we seek out medications and treatments to help heal. For a long time, scientists thought that was a uniquely human ability. But it turns out, many o

Sep 11
13 min

Lindsay Clancy and postpartum psychosis

The trial around Lindsay Clancy may be over for now, but it still leaves us with questions. On today’s episode, we talk to psychiatrists and patients to answer them: What

Sep 9
14 min

How hurricanes triggered lizard evolution

Hurricane season is upon us and it turns out that these powerful storms can quickly affect the biology of animals. After hurricanes Irma and Maria hit the islands that ma

Sep 8
11 min

When is your brain actually 'adult'?

Summer is winding down and school is back. And all of that has us thinking about this idea that something happens in the human brain when we turn 25. Suddenly, we can ren

Sep 7
13 min

A new investigation shows heat is even deadlier than we thought

Hot weather isn’t just an inconvenience. It’s killing thousands more Americans than show up in official records. That’s the finding from a new NPR investigation, in partn

Sep 4
14 min

The science of emotional regulation — and how to do it better

Do you ever feel like your emotions control you instead of you controlling them? Maybe you lash out at someone after a long day at work or indulge to avoid a stressful si

Sep 2
12 min

What can seashells teach us about the health of our oceans?

Seashells: They're beautiful remnants to carry home from the beach—and so much more! According to environmental journalist Cynthia Barnett, seashells record history more

Sep 1
13 min

Football is here – and so is a new study on CTE

The NFL season begins this week, but America’s favorite sport has been on our minds for other reasons recently. New research released in the journal BMJ reveals that 1 in

Aug 31
15 min

NASA's newest telescope has a top secret past

The new Nancy Grace Roman space telescope is slated to launch this weekend. It was originally built for the National Reconnaissance Office as a spy satellite, but was nev

Aug 28
13 min

How your metabolism could alter your mental health

In 2009, medical student Shebani Sethi watched a patient in a weight loss program make a remarkable recovery. The dietary intervention she underwent alleviated her schizo

Aug 26
12 min

AI-made viruses could be the future of medicine

The era of AI-generated viruses is here. Some scientists are using AI to design viruses that can attack bacteria. The hope is that these tailor-made viruses can fight dru

Aug 25
11 min

How much has the U.S.’s wildlife changed since Lewis and Clark?

Ever wish you could have been part of the Lewis and Clark expedition? Us too. The Corps of Discovery came across scores of plants and animals that were new to Western sci

Aug 24
14 min

Chart trend

Position in the Life Sciences chart (US), last 90 days.

#1
all-time peak
641
days in the top 3 since Nov 2024

Chart positions

Where Short Wave ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 28, 2026).

#3 — Life Sciences US
#13 ▼ 1 Science US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

Picks a topic, gives you the information, and unlike a lot of podcasts, keeps the length just right with no unnecessary clutter. Brings new science to you in a perfect format.

HDA2929 · Aug 2026

I normally love this show. But this felt like PR for the water incineration industry. Why were the industry representatives referred to as “experts” over and over, and the science-based non-profit representative not? And it didn’t even explain that the industry reps were from the waste incineration industry. And how can you even do a longish piece like this without mentioning the chemicals created by burning plastics like dioxins and furans that are so toxic and long lasting? This felt like PR, not science.

Greenmgreen · Jul 2026

I enjoy the science tidbits that I would otherwise never know about like the LA micro forest. Thank you Emily and team for reminding us of the importance and miracles of science and nature!

Nickel Bridge Fan · Jun 2026

I always learn something I never knew I needed to know on Short Wave. Fun questions, upbeat hosts, great pacing, and my kids are happy to have it on in the car, too!

aaanyhoodles · Apr 2026

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About Short Wave on Reason.fm

Here you find the Apple Podcasts chart positions of Short Wave, its latest episodes to listen to directly, and reviews from listeners. Rankings are updated daily for the United States.

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