Throughout the U.S., the pandemic is still raging. And with cooler weather and the height of flu season ahead, an already dire situation could get much, much worse. On today's show, a pandemic reality check. Short Wave's Maddie Sofia and Emily Kwong talk about how we got here and how we should all be thinking about the holidays and the coming winter.Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

A NASA spacecraft sent out to collect a sample of rock and dust from an asteroid has nabbed so much that it's created an unexpected problem. NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce shares a cautionary tale of a scientific mission that was almost too successful. For additional info and fun links, check out the episode page.Follow Maddie and Nell on Twitter. Maddie's @maddie_sofia and Nell's @nell_sci_NPR. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

What happens after a whale dies? Their carcasses, known as "whale falls," provide a sudden, concentrated food source for organisms in the deep sea. Biologist Diva Amon is our guide through whale-fall ecosystems and the unique species that exist on these fallen whales. (Encore Episode.)Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

This year, there will be a "blue moon" for Halloween. So for today's show, we're asking: What IS a blue moon? Is the moon ever blue? And are they as rare as the phrase "once in a blue moon" implies?For additional info and fun links, check out the episode page.Follow Maddie and Rebecca on Twitter for more science nuggets. Maddie's @maddie_sofia and Rebecca's @rebeccalramirez. Email the show your celestial musings and inquiries. We're at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

We know that people with Alzheimer's often have sleep problems. But does it work the other way? Do problems with sleep set the stage for this degenerative brain disease? NPR correspondent Jon Hamilton introduces us to some scientists looking into that connection in this updated report on the key role deep sleep may play in maintaining brain health and protecting the brain against Alzheimer's. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Happy Hallo-Week! Today we have the story of Twinkies that were left alone for eight years. One grew a moldy spot and another shriveled up in its packaging, almost like a mummy. NPR's Nell Greenfieldboyce explains how two scientists unraveled the mystery of the mummified and moldy snack cakes.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Crows have gotten a bad rap throughout history — a group of them is called a "murder," after all. To get some insight into crows and perhaps set the record straight, we talked to Kaeli Swift. She's a lecturer at the University of Washington and wrote her doctoral thesis on crow "funerals."Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Botanist and founder of #BlackBotanistsWeek Tanisha Williams explains why some leaves change color during fall and what shorter days and colder temperatures have to do with it.Plus, a bit of listener mail from you! Which you can always send by emailing [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

For much of the pandemic, some scientists had been pushing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to recognize that the coronavirus is spread through aerosols--very small particles that can linger in the air. The CDC did that this month, so we brought Senior Science Correspondent Maria Godoy onto the show to explain the distinction, and the implications for staying safe during the pandemic.Is the constant refining of the science behind the coronavirus leaving you confused? Send us your questions at [email protected] and we might answer them on a future episode.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Randall Munroe, the cartoonist behind the popular Internet comic xkcd, finds complicated solutions to simple, real-world problems. In the process, he reveals a lot about science and why the real world is sometimes even weirder than we expect. His latest book is called How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems. (Encore episode.)Here's more on nuclear tests of bottled beverages from nuclear historian Alex Wellerstein.Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Monika Schleier-Smith, associate professor of physics at Stanford University, studies quantum mechanics, the theory that explains the nature of the itty bitty parts of our universe: atoms, photons, and individual particles. It's the science responsible for innovations in computers, telecommunications, and medicine. Schleier-Smith was recently awarded a 2020 MacArthur Fellowship for her work in the field. It's research that often starts in a lab and as Schleier-Smith describes, requires both troubleshooting and optimism.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

We hit the road with NPR Education Reporter Elissa Nadworny. She's been on a weekslong road trip to get an up-close view of how colleges across the U.S. are handling the pandemic. On today's show, she tells us how one university has been using mass testing to fight the spread of the coronavirus on its campus. It's a strategy that's run into some challenges, namely, student behavior.Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Today's episode is about how you're never alone. That's because there are tiny mites that live on your skin — including your face. They come out at night and mate. And we're not totally sure what they eat. See? Don't you feel better already?Researcher Megan Thoemmes tells us about the lives of these eight-legged creatures — and what they can tell us about ourselves.Also, if you can believe it, Short Wave launched a year ago today. Happy anniversary to us! And thanks for listening!Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Back in December, we brought you two episodes on the MOSAiC expedition. With hundreds of scientists from 20 countries, the German-led polar research mission is the largest in history. But the mission has also been marked by reports of gender discrimination and harassment. So today, we're turning away from the research and talking to Chelsea Harvey, an E&E News reporter who joined MOSAiC for several weeks. We talk about her recent story and her own experiences on the expedition.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Adriana Briscoe, a professor of biology and ecology at UC Irvine, studies vision in butterflies. As part of her research, she's trained them to detect light of a certain color. She also explains why they bask in the sunlight, and why some of them have 'hearts' in their wings. Plus, you'll never guess where their photoreceptors are.She's written about the importance of teachers and mentors in diversifying the STEM fields. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Environmental scientist Heidi Appel explains how plants detect sound — and whether talking to yours could help them grow big and strong. Plus, a bit of listener mail from you! Which you can always send by emailing [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Even though we've been living with the pandemic for months, there's still lots of confusion about coronavirus tests and what the results do — and don't — mean. NPR correspondent Rob Stein explains the types of tests, when they are most accurate and how to make sense of the results. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In honor of Fat Bear Week coming to a close, Short Wave is revisiting our episode on black bear hibernation. (Fat Bear Week is the annual tournament celebrating some of the fattening bears of Katmai National Park.) On today's show, Rae Wynn-Grant, a large carnivore biologist, explains there's a lot more going on during hibernation than you might expect.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

From who historically wins the awards, to how they portray the process of science and collaboration, host Maddie Sofia and NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce discuss the many problems with Nobel Prizes in science. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Pomologist Juan Carlos Melgar explains two key factors to why some fruits ripen faster in a paper bag — and others don't. Plus, a bit of listener mail from you! Which you can always send by emailing [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Some of the most prestigious scientists in history advanced racist and eugenicist views. But why is that rarely mentioned in textbooks? Today on the show, we speak with science educators building an anti-racist perspective into their curriculum and seeking to make the science classroom more inclusive.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Fueled by climate change, hurricanes are becoming stronger and more frequent. Those storms have repeatedly led to spills and fires at chemical manufacturing plants along the Gulf Coast. But can companies — and the people who work for them — be held responsible or even sent to prison for failing to adequately prepare for climate change? NPR's Rebecca Hersher reported on that question, which is at the center of a recent lawsuit. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

A recent CDC report estimates Native Americans and Alaskan Natives are 3.5 times more likely to get COVID-19 than white people, and those under 18 are more likely to test positive. This report is the first time the federal government has released hard numbers on the coronavirus in tribal nations, but it is most notable for what it does not say about how the virus is affecting Native Americans and Alaskan Natives. And some scientists believe that the CDC's current numbers are an underestimate. Jourdan Bennett-Begaye, reporter and deputy managing editor of Indian Country Today, explains why the CDC data is so limited in scope — and her efforts to bring more data transparency to the table. Jourdan wrote about the CDC's findings here. Support the work of Indian Country Today here. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

NPR Science Correspondent Jon Hamilton gives us an update on those mighty mice that went into space this past winter. The results could have big implications for the future of space travel.Check out the study to learn more about the results.Also, since it's a Micro Wave, we hear some listener mail from you! Which you can always send us by emailing [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

With election season underway, we present a Short Wave guide (with some help from our friends at NPR Politics) to Joe Biden's plan to combat the coronavirus. Political correspondent and NPR Politics Podcast co-host Scott Detrow breaks it down for us.Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia and Scott Detrow @scottdetrow. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In case you missed our announcement last week, Short Wave is temporarily shifting production schedules. We're publishing episodes in your feed four times each week instead of five. That means we'll be taking a break every Wednesday for a bit. But, don't worry! We've got a giant back catalog for you to browse in the meantime. Like this episode full of listener questions all about the flu. And, if you're needing a break from the news, check out our very first 'Animal Slander' episode to find out whether or not goldfish actually have a bad memory.We'll see you tomorrow with a new episode!Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Perimenopause, the period of transition to menopause, is still a largely misunderstood chapter of reproductive life. It brings about both physical and mental health changes that doctors rarely educate their patients about. We're joined by health correspondent Rhitu Chatterjee to talk about perimenopause, and how to advocate for yourself as you're going through it.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Artificial intelligence might not be as smart as we think. University and military researchers are studying how attackers could hack into AI systems by exploiting how these systems learn. It's known as "adversarial AI." In this encore episode, Dina Temple-Raston tells us that some of these experiments use seemingly simple techniques. For more, check out Dina's special series, I'll Be Seeing You. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In the United States, Black infants die at over twice the rate of White infants. New research explores one key factor that may contribute to the disproportionately high rates of death among Black newborns: the race of their doctor. Reproductive health equity researcher Rachel Hardeman explains the findings. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Ed Yong, a science writer for The Atlantic, writes that the U.S. is caught in a "pandemic spiral." He argues some of our intuitions have been misleading our response, rather than guiding us out of disaster. For instance, flitting from from one prominent solution to another, without fully implementing any of them. To counter these unhelpful instincts, he offers some solutions.Read Ed's piece: "America Is Trapped in a Pandemic Spiral".As always, you can reach the show by emailing [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In case you missed our announcement Monday, Short Wave is temporarily shifting production schedules. We're dropping episodes into your feed four times a week instead of five. That means we'll be taking a break every Wednesday through the end of the year. But, fear not! We've got a giant back catalog for you to browse in the meantime. Like this episode from last year about three factors at the heart of why California is at such high risk for wildfires. Or this one about Giant Panda conservation and zoos. We'll see you tomorrow with a new episode!Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Flushing toilets can consume a lot of water. So Tak-Sing Wong, a biomedical engineer at Penn State University, is trying to minimize how much is needed. Wong developed a slippery coating for the inside of a toilet bowl. In this encore episode, he tells us it can potentially move human waste more efficiently, leaving a cleaner bowl with less water. Follow host Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In her new book, x+y, mathematician Eugenia Cheng uses her specialty, category theory, to challenge how we think about gender and the traits associated with it. Instead, she calls for a new dimension of thinking, characterizing behavior in a way completely removed from considerations of gender. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Asked and answered: why some of you might be more prone to being bitten by mosquitoes* than others. Turns out, some interesting factors could make you more appetizing. Plus, in true micro wave fashion, we go over some of your delightful listener mail.*In general, much more research needs to be done to understand all the nuances of what makes us so appealing to some mosquitoes.Email us your scientific questions, praise, comments and concerns at [email protected]. It just might end up in an episode!Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce had to know more when she recently heard this mind-bending fact for the first time: a quarter of all known animal species are beetles. Turns out — it's not just that beetles are incredibly diverse. It's that they inspire a lot of passionate study within the scientific community. But there's at least one other animal that might give beetles a run for their money. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Fire has always been part of California's landscape. But long before the vast blazes of recent years, Native American tribes held controlled burns that cleared out underbrush, encouraged new plant growth, and helped manage wildfires. It's a tradition that disappeared with the arrival of Western settlers. NPR climate correspondent Lauren Sommer explains how tribal leaders are trying to restore the practice by partnering up with state officials who are starting to see cultural burns as a way to help bring extreme wildfires under control. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

About 30% of people in science and engineering jobs in the U.S. were born outside the country. So when the Trump Administration suspended certain work visas in June, including one held by a lot of international scientists, research labs across the nation felt the effects. On the show, we talk to a physicist affected by the order, and The Chronicle of Higher Education's Karin Fischer about what policies like this mean for science research in the U.S.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

*Astrophysically speaking. That's the subject of Katie Mack's new book: the possible ends to our entire universe. Specifically, she breaks down some following potential outcomes: heat death, the big crunch and vacuum decay. (Spoiler alert: the names of the other scenarios we don't get to in this episode are just as cool.)Email the show your existential questions at [email protected]. But please, no existential dread at this time — we're full up on that.P.S. We're off Monday for Labor Day. So, catch you Tuesday!Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Since the dawn of Sputnik in 1957, space-faring nations have been filling Earth's orbit with satellites. Think GPS, weather forecasting, telecommunications satellites. And as those have increased, so, too, has space junk. On today's show, we talk about the first mission to clean up space junk and the problem debris poses to sustainability in space. (Encore episode.)Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Black holes are one of the most beguiling objects in our universe. What are they exactly? How do they affect the universe? And what would it be like to fall into one? We venture beyond the point of no return with Yale astrophysicist Priyamvada Natarajan, into a fascinating world of black holes — where the laws of physics break down. (Encore episode.)Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Science writer Jennifer Leman did it. She ranked all 158 moons in our solar system. The criteria? Interviews with NASA scientists, astronomers, and her own moonpinions. She talks to host Maddie Sofia about some of her favorites. Here's her full list for Popular Mechanics. (Encore episode.) Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Space Week on Short Wave! Today, an encore of our episode on dark energy. This mysterious energy makes up almost 70% of our universe and is believed to be the reason the universe is expanding. Yet very little is known about it. To figure out what we do know — and what it could tell us about the fate of the universe — we talk to astrophysicist Sarafina Nance.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In early August a cable snapped at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, causing substantial damage to one of the largest single dish radio telescopes in the world. Planetary scientist Edgard Rivera-Valentín explains what's at stake until the damage is repaired and the unique role the telescope plays in both scientific research and popular culture. Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Smoke from wildfires can travel huge distances. We've already seen smoke from the fires in California reach all the way to Minnesota. And with all that smoke comes possible risks to human health. So what actually is smoke? Jessica Gilman, an atmospheric chemist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, explains what it's made of, how it behaves in the atmosphere, and smoke's role in climate change.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

On a rapidly changing planet, there are many ways to measure the health of an ecosystem. Can sound be one of them? We dive into a new methodology that applies machine learning technology to audio soundscape recordings. Lead researcher Sarab Sethi explains how this method could be used to potentially predict ecosystem health around the world.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Encore episode. This one doesn't end the way you'd expect. Inspired by the Netflix documentary series "Night On Earth," we learn everything we can about a mouse and scorpion who do battle on the regular — from two scientists who study them: Ashlee Rowe at the University of Oklahoma and Lauren Esposito at the California Academy of Sciences. If you have Netflix, you can watch the critters clash about 18 minutes into the episode 'Moonlit Plains' here. Read more about Lauren's work with scorpions here, and Ashlee's work with grasshopper mice here. And you can learn more about grasshopper mouse vocalizations from Northern Arizona University's Bret Pasch here.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Socializing is critical for mental and emotional health. You need it. We need it. But what's the safest way to socialize during a pandemic? We propose a few rules-of-thumb and suggestions to see you through, whether you're isolating at home or an essential worker on the job. Plus, check out Yuki Noguchi's reporting on cancer's deepening impacts during the pandemic.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The 2016 movie 'Arrival,' an adaptation of Ted Chiang's novella 'Story of Your Life,' captured the imaginations of science fiction fans worldwide. Field linguist Jessica Coon, who consulted on the film, breaks down what the movie gets right — and wrong — about linguistics.Have ideas for our next installment of the Science Movie Club? Email the show at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy