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  • The Most Convincing Evidence Yet Of Life On Mars

    The Most Convincing Evidence Yet Of Life On Mars
    2025/09/12
    Was there ever life on Mars? Planetary scientists think there could have been but there hasn’t been any direct evidence. After years of roaming Mars, NASA’s Perseverance rover saw spots on Mars rocks. These spots could be the most likely clue that Mars had organic life millions of years ago. Host Regina G. Barber speaks with recent PhD graduate and planetary scientist Hemani Kalucha. She explains why the size, shape and color of these spots – as well as the location of these rocks on Mars – point to ancient life.


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    13 分
  • Brain Implants Are Here — And Getting Better

    Brain Implants Are Here — And Getting Better
    2025/09/10
    Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are surgically implanted devices that link the brain to a computer. They can be helpful for people who’ve lost the ability to move or speak.


    And they’re making progress. New generations of BCIs could go as far as to detect a person’s inner monologue.


    But that progress is raising questions about the future privacy of our brains, and has some scientists asking, “What happens when you want to keep some things to yourself?”


    NPR brain correspondent Jon Hamilton talks to Short Wave’s Emily Kwong about the future of BCIs.


    Read more of Jon’s reporting on brain implants.


    Interested in more on the future of brain science? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org – we may feature it in an upcoming episode!


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    13 分
  • 'Interstellar': Time Dilation And Wormholes Explained

    'Interstellar': Time Dilation And Wormholes Explained
    2025/09/09
    Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar was a phenomenon in 2014. Set in the future, Earth has been struck by a global crop blight. Former NASA pilot Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) is pulled into a NASA mission to transport the human race to a new planet, via wormhole. Back on Earth, Cooper’s daughter, Murph (Jessica Chastain), attempts to complete an equation that will allow this mass-transport of humanity from Earth.


    Many scientists praised the film, particularly for its depiction of black holes. In this episode co-hosts Regina G. Barber and Emily Kwong talk about Interstellar with Star Trek scientific advisor and astrophysicist Erin Macdonald. They walk through wormholes, black holes and all the ways space-time stretches in the film.


    Interested in more on the science behind science fiction? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org – we may feature it in an upcoming episode!


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    15 分
  • Sip or Skip? The Truth About Electrolytes

    Sip or Skip? The Truth About Electrolytes
    2025/09/08
    U.S. consumers spend more than $10 billion a year on sports drinks, according to Beverage Industry, a trade publication. And we can’t lie that sometimes a Gatorade or electrolyte tablet sounds really appealing in the quest to hydrate daily – especially since it’s been a very hot, long summer. But the question is: Are we even sweating enough to warrant all these sugary electrolyte-filled drinks? NPR health correspondent Pien Huang has been on the case, and she brings us answers she’s racked up in her reporting today.


    Read more of Pien’s reporting on electrolytes and hydration.


    Interested in more consumer health or human biology stories? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org – we may feature it in an upcoming episode!


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    11 分
  • What Marsquakes Reveal About The Planet's Habitability

    What Marsquakes Reveal About The Planet's Habitability
    2025/09/05

    Mars is known for its barren desert landscape and dry climate. But two recent studies in the journals Nature and Science go beneath the surface, exploring the interior of the red planet using seismic data from NASA’s InSight mission. And now, this data is also giving scientists a glimpse into the planet’s history – to see how Mars evolved over billions of years and how its inner structure compares to that of Earth.

    Interested in more science news? Let us know at shortwave@npr.org.

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    8 分
  • Have a Stutter? It Could Be Inherited

    Have a Stutter? It Could Be Inherited
    2025/09/03
    For a long time, scientists have suspected that stuttering — a common speech condition that affects an estimated 1 in every 100 people — could be heritable. Despite how common it is, it's still a remarkably understudied condition.

    Geneticists Piper Below and Dillon Pruett were determined to fix that. With the help of 23andMe data, they recently identified 57 genetic regions linked to stuttering in the human genome. Their findings represent a new breakthrough in how researchers think about speech conditions, genetics and the conditions that are linked to them. They're what some are calling a "quantum leap" in the field.

    Interested in more human biology and genetics episodes? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.
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    14 分
  • Stopping SSRIs Can Be Hard. Researchers Are Unsure Why

    Stopping SSRIs Can Be Hard. Researchers Are Unsure Why
    2025/09/02
    More than 1 in 10 people in the United States take an antidepressant. And the most commonly prescribed type of antidepressant are SSRIs — or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. That includes drugs like Zoloft, Prozac and Lexapro. But what happens when some patients decide they want to stop taking their SSRIs? While doctors know stopping SSRIs can sometimes cause unpleasant short-term side effects – like dizziness, anxiety, insomnia and nausea – some people report symptoms that last months, even years. So, with investigative reporter Emily Corwin and professor of clinical psychology Michael Hengartner, we’re diving into the research around the long-term effects of going off your antidepressants – what it shows and its limits.


    Read more of Emily Corwin’s reporting on the topic here.


    Want more stories on mental health? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.


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    13 分
  • A (Monday Night) Football Mystery

    A (Monday Night) Football Mystery
    2025/09/01
    Monday night football is back! What better way to celebrate than a close look at some of the physics powering the sport? Specifically, the spiral pass. If you've ever watched part of a professional football game, you've probably seen a tight spiral pass. They're those perfect throws where the football leaves the player's hand and neatly spins as it arcs through the air. Those passes can seem to defy fundamental physics — and for a long time, scientists couldn't figure out exactly why. That is, until experimental atomic physicist Tim Gay cracked the case within the last few years. His answer comes after two decades of hobby research and more than a couple late night shouting matches with two other physicists over Zoom. (encore)


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    12 分