• Short Wave

  • By: NPR
  • Podcast

Short Wave

By: NPR
Listen for free

  • Summary

  • New discoveries, everyday mysteries, and the science behind the headlines — in just under 15 minutes. It's science for everyone, using a lot of creativity and a little humor. Join hosts Emily Kwong and Regina Barber for science on a different wavelength.

    If you're hooked, try Short Wave Plus. Your subscription supports the show and unlocks a sponsor-free feed. Learn more at plus.npr.org/shortwave
    Copyright 2019-2021 NPR - For Personal Use Only
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Astronomy Biological Sciences Politics & Government
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Episodes
  • Hear Christmas Carols And Talk To Santa On Ham Radio

    Hear Christmas Carols And Talk To Santa On Ham Radio
    Dec 24 2024
    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 physicist and electrical engineer Nathaniel Frissell about this Antarctic Christmas Carol tradition and his use of shortwave radio for community science.

    Read more about Santa Net, which connects children (known in the shortwave radio community as "little harmonics") with Santa.

    Want more tech stories? Let us know by emailing shortwave@npr.org!

    Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at     plus.npr.org/shortwave.

    Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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    10 mins
  • How Does An Airplane Stay In The Air?

    How Does An Airplane Stay In The Air?
    Dec 23 2024
    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 at the thought of flying. So, amid the travel rush of the holiday season, we ask MIT aeronautical engineer Mark Drela: How does a plane lift off and stay up in the air?

    Interested in more stories on physics? Email us at shortwave@npr.org. We'd love to hear from you!

    Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at     plus.npr.org/shortwave.

    Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    NPR Privacy Policy
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    15 mins
  • The First Woman To Get A New Kind Of Kidney Transplant

    The First Woman To Get A New Kind Of Kidney Transplant
    Dec 20 2024
    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 operating room.

    Towana is a 53-year-old grandmother from Gadsden, Ala. She's been on dialysis for four hours a day, three days a week since 2016. Her immune system would reject a human kidney. So the Food and Drug Administration made an exception to its usual clinical study requirements to allow Looney this new kind of pig kidney. But the procedure is controversial.

    Interested in more environmental stories? Email us at shortwave@npr.org. We'd love to hear from you!

    Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at     plus.npr.org/shortwave.

    Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    NPR Privacy Policy
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    14 mins

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