Podcast Episodes

The Science Of Fear And Horror Movies

Creepy crawly season is upon us, Short Wavers! We're welcoming fall with a contemplation of fear and anxiety. In human history, fear kept us safe. It helped us flee from predators. Anxiety made us wa…

Published on 2 months, 3 weeks ago

What Are Flies Doing In The Middle Of The Ocean?

Episode 1354

In the North Sea — between the United Kingdom, Norway and Denmark — thousands of flies swarmed an oil rig. Engineer Craig Hannah noticed they’d stay still on the rig for hours, suddenly taking off al…

Published on 2 months, 3 weeks ago

Why Animal Scavengers Protect Your Health

Worldwide, populations of scavenging animals that feed on rotting carcasses are declining. Scientists are finding that this can seriously hurt human health. NPR science reporter Jonathan Lambert has …

Published on 2 months, 4 weeks ago

Nature Quest: How High Will Sea Levels Rise?

Episode 1352

How high will the ocean rise under climate change? By 2050, scientists have a pretty good idea. But why does it matter where you live? And what can humans do to slow it down? 
This episode is part of …

Published on 2 months, 4 weeks ago

Why Do Some Hurricane Survivors Thrive After Disaster?

Episode 1351

You’ve probably heard of PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder. But what about its counterpart, post-traumatic growth?
The term was coined in the 90s to describe the positive psychological growth that …

Published on 3 months ago

A Surprising Cause Of Endometriosis Could Lead To Cure

Since the age of nine or ten, Katie Burns has had debilitating pain from endometriosis, a condition where tissue resembling the uterine lining grows outside the uterus. For years, Katie was in the da…

Published on 3 months ago

Tylenol and Autism: What’s True and What Isn’t

On Monday, the Trump administration linked the use of Tylenol with rising autism rates, but science doesn’t support that claim. Guest host Sydney Lupkin talks to autism researcher Helen Tager-Flusber…

Published on 3 months ago

A Surprising Culprit of Food Allergies

Food allergies have risen in the United States over the last few decades. Research suggests that 40 years ago the prevalence of food allergies was less than 1%. But today that number is closer to 6%.…

Published on 3 months ago

Should You Try Red-Light Therapy?

Episode 1347

The anti-aging product market was worth roughly 53 BILLION dollars in 2024. One of the latest big trends: red light therapy. Social media is rampant with claims about all sorts of purported health be…

Published on 3 months, 1 week ago

Untangling The Science of Octopus Arms

Episode 1346

Octopuses and their arms are a bit of a mystery.  Not because scientists don’t know how they work; they’re boneless hydrostats, made up of groups of muscles working together and capable of bending, t…

Published on 3 months, 1 week ago