Episodes

  • Researchers Are Figuring Out How African Ancestry Can Affect Certain Brain Disorders

    Researchers Are Figuring Out How African Ancestry Can Affect Certain Brain Disorders
    Jul 3 2024
    Black Americans have been underrepresented in most genomic studies of neurological disorders. As a result, scientists don't know much about whether African ancestry affects a person's risk for these disorders or their response to a particular treatment. To help close this gap, the Lieber Institute for Brain Development, African American community leaders in Baltimore, and researchers from Duke University and Morgan State University created the African Ancestry Neuroscience Research Initiative in 2019. The team found that genes associated with African ancestry appear to affect certain brain cells in ways that could increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease and stroke.

    Read science correspondent Jon Hamilton's full story here.

    Curious about brain science? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

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    13 mins
  • Could '3 Body Problem's Aliens Exist? The Science Behind Netflix's New Hit

    Could '3 Body Problem's Aliens Exist? The Science Behind Netflix's New Hit
    Jul 2 2024
    Before the '3 Body Problem' became a bestselling book and a smash TV show ... it was a physics concept, with big implications for how we understand planetary orbits. In this episode, we learn about the science behind the screen. Plus, why it's plausible a nearby, mysterious planet could hold life.

    This story is part of Short Wave's Space Camp series about all the weird, wonderful things happening in the universe —check out the full series.

    Curious about other science behind the things you love? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

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    14 mins
  • Want Juicy Barbecue This Fourth Of July? Cook Low And Slow

    Want Juicy Barbecue This Fourth Of July? Cook Low And Slow
    Jul 1 2024
    Perfecting your grilling technique ahead of the Fourth of July? Chefs will tell you that cooking is not just an art — it's a science. And the spirit of summer barbecues, NPR science correspondent Sydney Lupkin brings us this encore piece about how understanding the chemistry of cooking meat can help you perfect your barbeque. It's all about low and slow cooking.

    This story was originally reported for NPR by Gisele Grayson. Read her reporting.

    Curious about other science powering the things you love? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

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    12 mins
  • Move Over Norse Mythology, There's A New Loki In Town — A Dinosaur

    Move Over Norse Mythology, There's A New Loki In Town — A Dinosaur
    Jun 28 2024
    A brand new species of ceratops, or horned dinosaur, was recently discovered in northern Montana. The dinosaur is called Lokiceratops rangiformis, after the Norse god Loki, and is believed to have lived roughly eighty million years ago. The bones of the plant-eating dinosaur were found on private land in an area well known for its large amount of fossils, and at first, researchers thought the bones belonged to another species of dinosaur!

    Want to hear more about dinosaurs or other paleontological discoveries? Email us at shortwave@npr.org to let us know. We'd love to hear from you!

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    9 mins
  • The Human Brain Is Hardwired To Recognize Faces. But What If You Can't?

    The Human Brain Is Hardwired To Recognize Faces. But What If You Can't?
    Jun 26 2024
    Humans are hardwired to see faces — even in inanimate objects. We have a lima bean-shaped part of our brains dedicated to facial recognition. But this process isn't always straightforward. Science journalist Sadie Dingfelder is one of 10 million Americans who are face blind, or struggle to recognize the faces of people they know. In her new book, Do I Know You? she dives into this, as well as the science of memory and imagination.

    Want more episodes on the wonder of the human brain? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

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    13 mins
  • Some Stars Explode As They Die. We Look At Their Life Cycle

    Some Stars Explode As They Die. We Look At Their Life Cycle
    Jun 25 2024
    This summer, scientists have their eyes and telescopes trained on the small constellation system T Coronae Borealis. They think it will explode as part of a periodic nova — a once-in-a-lifetime event according to NASA scientists. And so, with the help of astrophysicist Sarafina El-Badry Nance, we continue our journey farther and deeper into spacetime with a look at the stars: How they're born and how they die. Sarafina has always been drawn to one particular star: Betelgeuse, a red supergiant in the shoulder of the constellation Orion that is nearing the end of its life. What stages of life did Betelgeuse — or any star — go through before it reached this moment?

    This episode is part of our series Space Camp — all abut the weird, wonderful phenomena in our universe. Check it out here: https://npr.org/spacecamp

    Curious about the night sky? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear from you!

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    15 mins
  • Earth Is More Than A Planet With Life On It. It's A "Living Planet"

    Earth Is More Than A Planet With Life On It. It's A "Living Planet"
    Jun 24 2024
    About ten years ago, science writer Ferris Jabr started contemplating Earth as a living planet rather than a planet with life on it. It began when he learned that the Amazon rainforest doesn't simply receive the rain that defines it; rather, it helps generate that rain. The Amazon does that by launching bits of biological confetti into the atmosphere that, in turn, seed clouds. After learning this, he began looking for other ways life changes its environment. That led to his new book Becoming Earth: How Our Planet Came to Life. He talks to host Regina G. Barber about examples of life transforming the planet — from changing the color of the sky to altering the weather.

    Have a story about the environment you'd like us to cover? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

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    14 mins
  • We're In For A Brutal Hurricane Season, According To Predictions

    We're In For A Brutal Hurricane Season, According To Predictions
    Jun 21 2024
    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting a record number of hurricanes this season, which began on June 1 and runs through Nov. They're forecasting anywhere from 17 to 25 storms in the Atlantic basin, including at least four major hurricanes. Scientists think this storm activity could be due to strong winds, warmer ocean temperatures and a scientific mystery unfolding in the Atlantic.

    Questions about hurricanes or other weather disasters? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to consider it for a future episode!

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    12 mins