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Could Wormholes Exist?
Episode 1275
In science fiction, wormholes are hyperspace subway tubes linking one part of a galaxy directly to another, distant point. But could they actually ex…
1 year, 4 months ago
Orange Cat Lovers, Rise Up!
Episode 1274
Approximately 80% of orange cats are males, including the four orange cats owned by the Short Wave team. Scientists have long suspected that orange c…
1 year, 5 months ago
How Baby Bats Learn To Eavesdrop On Dinner
Episode 1273
Most bats use echolocation to navigate and hunt, but some use their ears for another trick: eavesdropping.
"And then these frog-eating bats, for exam…
1 year, 5 months ago
Learning A Second Language As An Adult
Becoming fluent in a second language is difficult. But for adults, is it impossible? Science says no. In this encore episode, Short Wave host Emily K…
1 year, 5 months ago
The Indicator: American Science Brain Drain
Episode 1271
Today, we're airing an episode of NPR's daily economics podcast, The Indicator from Planet Money. It's about a group of people we know well: scientis…
1 year, 5 months ago
Could AI Go Green?
Episode 1270
Google, Microsoft and Meta have all pledged to reach at least net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. Amazon set their net-zero deadline for 2040. To unde…
1 year, 5 months ago
What's The Environmental Cost Of AI?
Episode 1269
By 2028, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory forecasts that U.S. data centers could use as much as 12% of the nation's electricity. The reason: gen…
1 year, 5 months ago
Science Can Make You More Creative!
Episode 1268
Do you consider yourself a creative person? If not, you may be holding yourself back. Psychologist Zorana Ivcevic Pringle says creativity isn't a tra…
1 year, 5 months ago
Did Scientists Find Alien Life Or Just Controversy?
Episode 1267
Recently, a group of scientists claimed they found possible signs of life on a planet called K2-18b. The news made headlines. Researchers said they'd…
1 year, 5 months ago
What Can Minecraft Teach Us About Learning?
Episode 1266
Minecraft is a movie and a very popular video game with iconic block graphics that characters can "mine" for building material and gems. It's also wh…
1 year, 5 months ago