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How Muggy Is It? Check The Dew Point!
Episode 743
Last week, Lauren Sommer talked with Short Wave about the dangerous combination of heat and humidity in the era of climate change and how the heat index can sometimes miss the mark in warning people …
Published on 3 years, 3 months ago
How Freaked Out Should We Be About Ukraine's Nuclear Plant?
Episode 742
The world has been warily watching the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine. The nuclear complex is being held by Russian forces, while the plant itself is being run by an increasingly ragged and ex…
Published on 3 years, 3 months ago
Heat Can Take A Deadly Toll On Humans
Episode 741
Heat—it's common in summer in much of the world, but it's getting increasingly more lethal as climate change causes more extreme heat. NPR climate correspondent Lauren Sommer talks with Short Wave's …
Published on 3 years, 3 months ago
What The Universe Is Doing RIGHT NOW
Episode 740
A century ago, astronomers were locked in a debate about the scope of our universe. Were we it?
The answer is no. There are other galaxies beyond the Milky Way, and they are speeding away from us. An…
Published on 3 years, 3 months ago
When Should I Get My Omicron Booster Shot?
Episode 739
Updated COVID boosters are now available that target the Omicron subvariant and many Americans 12 and older are eligible for the shot. Host Emily Kwong and health correspondent Allison Aubrey talk ab…
Published on 3 years, 3 months ago
Name That Tune! Why The Brain Remembers Songs
Episode 738
Why do some songs can stick with us for a long time, even when other memories start to fade? Science reporter (and former Short Wave intern) Rasha Aridi explains the neuroscience behind that surprisi…
Published on 3 years, 3 months ago
The Race To Rescue The Guadalupe Fescue
Episode 737
Big Bend National Park in Texas is home to the only remaining Guadalupe fescue in the United States. The grass is tucked away in the Chisos Mountains, high above the Chihuahuan Desert. These mountain…
Published on 3 years, 3 months ago
Short Wave Goes To The Circus
Episode 736
Julia Ruth has a pretty cool job: it takes a lot of strength, a lot of balance, and a surprising amount of physics.
As a circus artist, Julia has performed her acrobatic Cyr wheel routine around the…
Published on 3 years, 3 months ago
'Scallop Discos': How Some Glitzy Lights Could Lead To A Low-Impact Fishery
Episode 735
Scientists in the UK have discovered that if they take a pot meant for catching crabs and just add some bright lights, scallops flock through the door like it's Studio 54. Scallops are normally fishe…
Published on 3 years, 3 months ago
Surf's Always Up — In Waco, Texas
Episode 734
Some of the world's best artificial waves are happening hundreds of miles from the ocean—in Waco, Texas. They're so good, they're attracting top professionals, casual riders and a science corresponde…
Published on 3 years, 3 months ago