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Short Wave

NPR
Climate Change
Mental Health
NASA
Artificial Intelligence
Neuroscience
Tuberculosis
NPR
Micro Forests
Bobsled
Screen Time
Smartphones
Aging
Biodiversity
Social Media
Penny
Suicide Prevention
Challenger Disaster
Winter Storm
Dopamine
Fiber

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

PublishesDailyEpisodes1951Founded7 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Life SciencesAstronomyScience

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Artwork for Short Wave

Latest Episodes

For years, renewable energy companies have faced a problem: How to store the mass amounts of energy they produce for later use. Batteries may be just the solution. In California, there's now enough grid-scale battery storage to power millions of home... more

Nearly every person will experience at least one diagnostic error in their lifetime. That means either a delayed diagnosis, a wrong diagnosis – or no diagnosis at all. That’s according to a report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering an... more

BMI is a quick, cheap way for doctors to estimate body fat and screen for conditions like heart disease and diabetes. But medicine has long known that BMI is problematic and unnuanced. By using it, groups of people have fallen through the cracks and ... more

When people are sick, we seek out medications and treatments to help heal. For a long time, scientists thought that was a uniquely human ability. But it turns out, many other animals do a version of it too! And since the late 1980s, western researche... more

Key Facts

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Accepts Sponsors
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Recent Guests

Michael Huffman
Biologist
University of Tokyo / previously Tanzania fieldwork
Episode: How scientists discovered that animals are doctors, too
Yap Derota
Biologist
Emory University
Episode: How scientists discovered that animals are doctors, too
Mohamedi Kalunday
Guide and traditional healer informant
Mahale Mountains National Park (Tanzania)
Episode: How scientists discovered that animals are doctors, too
Elodie Freiman
Primatologist
Brown University
Episode: How scientists discovered that animals are doctors, too
Mandy Nguyen
Science journalist
NPR
Episode: How scientists discovered that animals are doctors, too
Veerle Berhink
Psychiatrist and director of the Women's Mental Health Center at Mount Sinai
Mount Sinai
Episode: Lindsay Clancy and postpartum psychosis
Ayanna Lage
Survivor who discusses her experience with postpartum psychosis
Not specified
Episode: Lindsay Clancy and postpartum psychosis
Joave Vaknin
Postdoctoral researcher and lead author of the pottery dating study
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Episode: How hurricanes triggered lizard evolution
Shane Campbell-Staten
Researcher questioned about lizard toes study
Princeton University
Episode: How hurricanes triggered lizard evolution

Hosts

Regina Barber
Host of Short Wave, introduced on the show; NPR/Short Wave; NPR affiliation varies across instances
Emily Kwong
Host of Short Wave (co-host); NPR science podcast host

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 9.1k ratings
  • The best

    Love them

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    laniktodd
    United States10 days ago
  • False science

    Stating that the Covid pandemic was natural is false and not science, as there was never an original animal host discovered with this strain of virus - as well the first discovered Covid incident occurred within proximity of the Wuhan Lab.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    HTTR_
    United States21 days ago
  • Sitting on the fence

    Clearly knowledgeable people talking about interesting subjects. Anything that can bring science to a mainstream audience is a good thing. But I find the giddy banter distracting. Is this what smart people think they need to do to make science interesting? I think not. Tell a story about science and trust your audience.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    MiDav73
    United Statesa month ago
  • 6 stars

    Picks a topic, gives you the information, and unlike a lot of podcasts, keeps the length just right with no unnecessary clutter. Brings new science to you in a perfect format.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    HDA2929
    United Statesa month ago
  • Helo

    everybody here EK clubs have been loving this podcast we only think it fitting to offer our gratitude by making a fan club we would love to have you as a admin if you would be willing and would be honored to have a fair club for your podcast among our clubs on band

    Sincerely, EKclubs

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Ek clubs on band
    United States2 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Some feedback calls for stricter balance when industry perspectives are involved, especially in sponsor reads.
Many appreciate the mix of hard science and accessible storytelling, with strong guest selections.
Listeners praise the concise, in-depth science coverage and approachable host dynamic.

Chart Rankings

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

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Lindsay Clancy and postpartum psychosis
Q: What are the main barriers to effective treatment, and what can clinicians and families do?
Barriers include lack of diagnosis awareness, limited access to timely care, stigma, and hospital policies; improvements include early screening for symptoms, ensuring access to appropriate medications like lithium when suitable, and strong support networks to monitor and advocate for the parent and child.
Lindsay Clancy and postpartum psychosis
Q: Why does postpartum psychosis happen, and how is it different from postpartum depression?
Postpartum psychosis can onset suddenly after birth and is more severe, with symptoms like paranoia, hallucinations, and risk to self or baby; it is more similar to bipolar disorder than to typical postpartum depression, which tends to develop more gradually.
When is your brain actually 'adult'?
Q: Okay, Duncan, let's talk about your study and how you identified these different turning points.
The study analyzed 4,000 MRI scans from birth to age 90, identifying four turning points in brain development, with the first phase showing a surge in short-range connectivity, the 9-to-32 window focusing on long-range connectivity and myelination, and a later, more gradual change into a stable pattern by around 66, with aging preserving efficiency.
Football is here – and so is a new study on CTE
Q: What did the study find about prevalence among the brains examined?
The study found a minimum prevalence of 25% and a possible upper bound close to 98% within the specific brain bank population, though researchers caution that this does not represent the broader NFL population due to selection bias.
Football is here – and so is a new study on CTE
Q: What exactly is CTE?
CTE is a neurodegenerative disease linked to repetitive head impacts, with brain changes best diagnosed postmortem by examining tau protein accumulations, and it shares some characteristics with Alzheimer's but is currently not diagnosable in living people.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About Short Wave

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

The show delivers quick, accessible science updates and explainers across a broad range of topics, from space and astronomy to biology, technology, and environmental science. Episodes mix expert guests with engaging hosts who translate complex research into relatable stories, often tying discoveries to everyday life and current headlines. Listeners likely appreciate concise, well-researched science light on jargon, with a friendly, curious tone and a penchant for visuals and real-world implications. A notable strength is the consistent use of diverse experts—from space scientists to physicians and journalists—creating a well-rounded science briefing in under 15 minutes per episode.

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?

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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. Throughline
3. Science Friday
4. Planet Money
5. Consider This from NPR

How many episodes of Short Wave are there?

Short Wave launched 7 years ago and published 1951 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.

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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. Michael Huffman
2. Yap Derota
3. Mohamedi Kalunday
4. Elodie Freiman
5. Mandy Nguyen
6. Veerle Berhink
7. Ayanna Lage
8. Joave Vaknin

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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