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Short Wave

NPR
Climate Change
Mental Health
NASA
Neuroscience
Tuberculosis
Dopamine
Smartphones
FDA
NPR
Artificial Intelligence
Micro Forests
Bobsled
Screen Time
Mars
Food Allergies
Biodiversity
Social Media
Brain-Computer Interfaces
Neuralink
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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. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org. You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including sponsor-free listening for Short Wave.... more

PublishesDailyEpisodes1930Founded7 years ago
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Life SciencesAstronomyScience

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Latest Episodes

WBUR’s The Midnight Rebellion is a one-of-a-kind podcast: a “choose your own”-style show set 100 years in the future when the climate has gone haywire, and it’s up to you to save the planet. Rooted in science, this fictional adventure was created for... more

When’s the last time you looked at your poop? Dr. Trisha Pasricha says you should look every time because it could save your life. A change in bowel habits is the number one indicator someone might have colon cancer, a disease on the rise in people u... more

Ahead of the peak of the Perseid meteor shower, we're re-airing our first episode with host Regina G. Barber. In it, Regina and planetary scientist Melissa Rice explore all things shooting stars. They talk about the different types, where they come f... more

In Senegal, rice farmers are trying to kill three birds with one stone – er, fish. Rice and fish are already a natural combination; they’re even the main ingredients of thieboudienne, the delicious national dish. But could that combination also reduc... more

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Recent Guests

Melissa Rice
Planetary scientist, NASA team member
NASA/JPL/Planetary Science
Episode: Shooting stars are just pea-sized rocks... and other space wonders
Jonathan Lambert
NPR Global Health Reporter
NPR
Episode: More food and money, less disease: Senegal's surprising eco-experiment
Ryan Calumber
Chief Strategy Officer at Proofpoint
Proofpoint
Episode: The new era of AI-powered cybercrime
Ashley Podorodsky
Vice President for Research and Economic Development at Dakota State University
Dakota State University
Episode: The new era of AI-powered cybercrime
Charlene Cooper
Director of cyber.org and educator focusing on K-12 cybersecurity education
cyber.org
Episode: The new era of AI-powered cybercrime
Jenna McLaughlin
NPR's cyber security correspondent
NPR
Episode: The new era of AI-powered cybercrime
Zeke Housefather
Climate scientist in California
Episode: Are extreme wildfires the new normal?
Lisa Patel
Pediatrician and environmental scientist
Stanford Medicine Children's Health
Episode: Are extreme wildfires the new normal?
Martia Sultan
Aquarist and shark nursery coordinator
Episode: A cooler of eggs and a bold plan to save leopard sharks

Hosts

Emily Kwong
Host of Short Wave; frequent co-host; NPR affiliation
Regina Barber
Host of Short Wave; co-host; facilitates interviews

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 9.1k ratings
  • Trash burning episode is very disappointing.

    I normally love this show. But this felt like PR for the water incineration industry. Why were the industry representatives referred to as “experts” over and over, and the science-based non-profit representative not? And it didn’t even explain that the industry reps were from the waste incineration industry. And how can you even do a longish piece like this without mentioning the chemicals created by burning plastics like dioxins and furans that are so toxic and long lasting? This felt like PR,... more

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Greenmgreen
    United Statesa month ago
  • Everyday science

    I enjoy the science tidbits that I would otherwise never know about like the LA micro forest. Thank you Emily and team for reminding us of the importance and miracles of science and nature!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Nickel Bridge Fan
    United States2 months ago
  • Less politics more science

    Their politics I can do without but the science is what keeps me coming back!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    0626chras
    United States2 months ago
  • Not always 100% on, but love it!

    There are a few little bits I would tweak, but overall I really appreciate this podcast getting some important (& fun) info. to the public. Thank you!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Shel Lynn
    United States3 months ago
  • Pole position

    •EPISODE 1235 “The Great Antarctic Food Web Puzzle”. Unlistenable. Why do Americans refuse to pronounce “Antarctica” correctly?

    ~

    •EPISODE 1297 “When Eavesdropping Pays Off” in which a guest uses the non-word “nother” (twice in one sentence).

    ~

    •EPISODE: “Why is NASA going to the moon again?” In which the host confuses “disinterest” (impartiality) with “uninterest” (Meh).

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    (Gibberer)
    Australia4 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The show is family-friendly and suitable for a quick daily science fix.
Listeners praise concise, accessible science bites and engaging hosts.
Guests are well-curated, bringing credible expertise to diverse topics.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Want to spend a year living in NASA's Mars simulation?
Q: Okay, Scott, Ari, should we start with human isolation?
Yes, the discussion frames NASA's recruitment around understanding stress, teamwork, and how people cope with long-term separation from loved ones, which informs future long-duration missions.
More food and money, less disease: Senegal's surprising eco-experiment
Q: Why is this area suitable for trying fish in rice fields despite being near the Sahel?
Because the Senegal River and irrigation infrastructure create a green corridor in an otherwise hot, dry region, allowing rice farming and the raised water levels needed for fish in a controlled, self-contained system.
Are extreme wildfires the new normal?
Q: Is it my imagination or are wildfires increasing globally?
Globally, total land burned is not simply rising; in some regions it's decreasing, but in others, especially North American forests and boreal regions, fires are bigger, more intense, and more frequent due to warming and drier conditions.
Could this nasal spray replace all your vaccines one day?
Q: Like how long do we have to go to get this universal vaccine to start working in humans?
The guest explained that after proving proof of concept in humans, there would be toxicology studies in animals, dose-escalation studies, and multiple phased clinical trials, and they estimate a multi-year timeline—roughly three to four years or more before human-use scenarios could be realistically realized, depending on safety outcomes and funding.
Does the science of peptides live up to the hype?
Q: So if characteristic products are sold overseas or via compounding pharmacies, how reliable is the quality control?
Quality control can be inconsistent, and many products marketed for humans are not approved by the FDA; researchers warn of contaminants and mismatched contents, making the products unsafe.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Interests
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Frequently Asked Questions About Short Wave

What is Short Wave about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Short form science show delivering bite-sized explorations of new discoveries, puzzling questions, and the science behind headlines in under 15 minutes. Episodes mix interviews with researchers and journalists, accessible explanations, and a light, humorous tone to make complex topics approachable for a broad audience. Notable strengths include a diverse set of guest experts, clear takeaways, and a knack for connecting lab findings to everyday life and current events. The format tends to spotlight timely topics—from health and environment to space and technology—while maintaining a consistent, human-centered storytelling style that appeals to curious listeners who want credible context without heavy jargon.

Where can I find podcast stats for Short Wave?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Short Wave. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Short Wave and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Short Wave get?

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What are the audience demographics for Short Wave?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Short Wave, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Short Wave have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Short Wave has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Short Wave?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Short Wave:

1. The Indicator from Planet Money
2. Consider This from NPR
3. Throughline
4. Planet Money
5. Science Friday

How many episodes of Short Wave are there?

Short Wave launched 7 years ago and published 1930 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Short Wave?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Short Wave?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Short Wave from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Short Wave?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Short Wave. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Short Wave?

Recent guests on Short Wave include:

1. Melissa Rice
2. Jonathan Lambert
3. Ryan Calumber
4. Ashley Podorodsky
5. Charlene Cooper
6. Jenna McLaughlin
7. Zeke Housefather
8. Lisa Patel

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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