Épisodes

  • Why Dew Point Is This Summer's 'It Girl'

    Why Dew Point Is This Summer's 'It Girl'
    Jul 4 2025
    Happy Independence Day, Short Wavers! Do you have plans outdoors this weekend and want to figure out just how swampy it's gonna feel? For that kind of mental preparation, we're revisiting an episode in which some meteorologists are telling us to pay more attention to dew point temperature, not relative humidity.

    Interested in more weather episodes? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.

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    10 min
  • RFK Jr.'s New Vaccine Advisors Signal Big Changes

    RFK Jr.'s New Vaccine Advisors Signal Big Changes
    Jun 30 2025
    The Advisory Committee on Immunization Policy, an influential CDC committee that shapes U.S. vaccine policy, has become a flashpoint in recent weeks. Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired all 17 members and replaced them with 7 new members — many of whom do not have deep expertise in vaccines, and some of whom have spread vaccine misinformation. NPR public health correspondent Pien Huang was at the new working group's first meeting last week. This episode, she talks with Emily about the sweeping changes they promised to how vaccine policy is made in the U.S. — and resurrected issues that have been advanced by groups that question vaccines.

    Read more of Pien's reporting on this topic.

    Want us to cover more twists and turns in U.S. health policy? Or less? Either way, tell us by emailing shortwave@npr.org! We'd love to know what you're hearing — and want to hear from us!

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    14 min
  • Aha! The Power Of A Short Rest

    Aha! The Power Of A Short Rest
    Jun 27 2025
    Since 2004, scientific research has shown that a full night of sleep may lend itself to a burst of insight in the morning. But what about the earlier stages of sleep? And what about just a nap? A research team based in Germany found that even a 20-minute nap could deliver a "eureka" moment, and published their findings in the journal PLOS Biology this week.

    Have a question about sleep? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear from you!

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    9 min
  • When Eavesdropping Pays Off

    When Eavesdropping Pays Off
    Jun 25 2025
    Why did the ornithologist strap a taxidermy badger to a remote controlled car and drive it around the prairie? To interrogate the secret world of animal eavesdropping in the grasslands, of course! Today on the show, we travel to the most imperiled ecosystem on the planet to unravel a prairie mystery and find out why prairie dogs are grassland engineers worth keeping tabs on.

    Special thanks to Andrew Spencer and the     Cornell Lab of Ornithology for providing the Long-billed Curlew call recording, and to American Prairie for providing prairie soundscape recordings.

    Got a question about other animal ecosystem engineers? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

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    12 min
  • Does It Feel Like Mosquitoes Are Getting Worse?

    Does It Feel Like Mosquitoes Are Getting Worse?
    Jun 24 2025
    Mosquitoes are the deadliest animal on the planet, and some of them may be on the rise. At least in listener Abigail Krich-Starr's area, that's due to warmer, wetter weather — which, yes, is linked to climate change. But it doesn't stop there: Ecologists and entomologists say increased heat could also alter mosquito behavior, shift their natural habitat, and even change how pathogens incubate and spread inside their bodies.

    So how do you protect yourself against the (mosquito) masses? Our experts suggested several things:
    - Assess your risk by checking local mosquito surveillance efforts, like this one for the state of Massachusetts
    - Consider rescheduling outdoor events happening between dusk and dawn, which is peak biting time for multiple mosquito species
    - Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants, weather-permitting, to limit exposed skin
    - Use an EPA-approved DEET repellent, and/or a permethrin spray for clothing and outdoor gear

    This episode is part of Nature Quest, a monthly Short Wave segment that answers listener questions about the local environment.

    Got a question about changes in     your local environment? Send a voice memo to shortwave@npr.org with your name, where you live and your question. We might make it into our next Nature Quest episode!

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    13 min
  • The Power Grid Problem

    The Power Grid Problem
    Jun 23 2025
    The U.S.'s power grid — a nearly 100-year-old network of electrical circuits — is facing increased demand and weather-related stress. What will it take to modernize? We interrogate that question today with the help of Anjan Bose, an electrical engineer at Washington State University.

    Interested in more stories about electricity? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

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    11 min