Podcast Episodes

The Dubious World's Largest Snowflake Record

Episode 1197

Snowflakes. These intricate, whimsical crystals are a staple of magical wintry scenes, but how big can they really get? Well, according to the Guinness World Record keepers, the "largest snowflake" e…

Published on 11 months, 3 weeks ago

The Trouble With Zero

Episode 1196

Happy New Year, Short Wavers! What better time to contemplate the conundrum that is zero than this, the reset of the year? Zero is a fairly new concept in human history and even more recent as a numb…

Published on 11 months, 4 weeks ago

The Biggest Health Stories of 2024

2024 was full of science news. There was a total solar eclipse, the Paris Olympics, elections in the United States and elsewhere, technological breakthroughs and many space launches. But perhaps abov…

Published on 11 months, 4 weeks ago

Bird Backpacks Could Help This Parrot Bounce Back

Episode 1194

The thick-billed parrot is the only surviving parrot species native to the United States. These brightly colored birds once roamed across the American Southwest and as far south as Venezuela — but to…

Published on 1 year ago

Why These Squirrels Are Eating Meat

Episode 1193

In pop culture, squirrels are often seen as jerky, excited critters on the hunt for nuts to stuff themselves with and tuck away for later. But squirrels are on the hunt for something a bit meatier in…

Published on 1 year ago

Will GMOs Bring Back The American Chestnut Tree?

Episode 1192

In the early 20th century, a blight fungus wiped out most of the 4 billion American chestnut trees on the eastern seaboard. The loss was ecologically devastating. Short Wave host Emily Kwong dives de…

Published on 1 year ago

Hear Christmas Carols And Talk To Santa On Ham Radio

Episode 1191

On Christmas Eve, scientists at field stations across Antarctica sing carols to one another...via shortwave. On today's episode, the Short Wave podcast explores shortwave radio. We speak with space p…

Published on 1 year ago

How Does An Airplane Stay In The Air?

Episode 1190

There are many statistics out there that prove that flying on a commercial airplane is safe, that plane crashes are overall pretty unlikely. Still, up to an estimated 40% of Americans feel some fear …

Published on 1 year ago

The First Woman To Get A New Kind Of Kidney Transplant

Episode 1189

Towana Looney became the first living person in the world to get a kidney from a new kind of genetically modified pig last month. Health correspondent Rob Stein got exclusive access to be in the oper…

Published on 1 year ago

This Huge Mining Pit Is About To Be A Lake

Episode 1188

Old mines leave behind a a pressing problem: Huge holes that make the landscape look like a chunk of swiss cheese. But in Germany, some scientists and city planners are turning these into lakes.

The …

Published on 1 year ago