Yesterday

Doing Science at the Edge of the Earth

Some scientific discoveries take place in a lab. Others are made deep in the rainforest, along the ocean floor or on the dark side of the moon. And still others are made squelching through mud and ice on the northernmost island on Earth… at least, if you’re NPR climate correspond ... Show More

13m 15s

Oct 7

Solved: The Potato Origin Mystery

Usually, when two different species mate, it’s a disaster. At least, that’s what scientists had generally thought about hybrids, the offspring of these unions. But some researchers are starting to change their view as they learn of more beneficial hybrid events. The Atlantic scie ... Show More

12m 27s

Oct 6

The Science Of Fear And Horror Movies

Creepy crawly season is upon us, Short Wavers! We're welcoming fall with a contemplation of fear and anxiety. In human history, fear kept us safe. It helped us flee from predators. Anxiety made us wary of potential dangers — like venturing into a known lion-infested area. But wha ... Show More

13m 45s

Feb 2020

The Coronavirus Goes Global

What began as a public health crisis in China is well on the way to becoming a pandemic. And while there is a lot of news about the coronavirus, there is also a lack of understanding about the severity of the threat. As officials warn of a potential outbreak in the U.S., we ask: ... Show More

23m 28s

Nov 2020

Special Edition: The Next Year of the Virus

Eight months into the pandemic, the coronavirus is on a rampage around the world. In Europe, a surge in cases has led to a new wave of lockdowns. The U.S. is entering its most dangerous period for the virus yet, and more than 10 million people have been infected. With Michelle Fa ... Show More

29m 50s

Jul 2020

A Missed Warning About Silent Coronavirus Infections

At the end of January, long before the world understood that seemingly healthy people could spread the coronavirus, a doctor in Germany tried to sound the alarm. Today, we look at why that warning was unwelcome.Guests: Matt Apuzzo, an investigative reporter for The New York Times ... Show More

30m 32s

Mar 2021

The pandemic is officially a year old. We've learnt so much.

A year ago today, the World Health Organisation officially declared the coronavirus outbreak a "pandemic". In reality, it'd been clear for some time that the SARS-CoV-2 virus wasn't going to go away anytime soon. Cases outside China had been growing fast and Italy was going into ... Show More

12m 1s

Sep 2020

How the world has changed six months into the coronavirus pandemic

It has been about six months since coronavirus shook the west. We’ll talk to the FT’s Gillian Tett and Hannah Kuchler about how the pandemic has changed the global economy and the medical industry community in such a short amount of time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy f ... Show More

10 m

Aug 2022

The global monkeypox outbreak amid a pandemic

As much of the world’s focus remained firmly fixed on ending the coronavirus pandemic, another illness was quietly spreading in the background and has now emerged as a global health concern. A few months ago, monkeypox, an infectious viral disease, began cropping up in countries ... Show More

23m 52s

Aug 2021

A New Chapter of the Coronavirus

Recent data from the C.D.C. has found that not only can vaccinated people get infected with the Delta variant of the coronavirus, though instances are rare, but they also can potentially spread the virus just as much as an unvaccinated person.What are the practical implications o ... Show More

21m 2s

Jan 2021

Why Are U.S. Coronavirus Cases Falling? And Will the Trend Last?

The number of new coronavirus cases in the United States is falling, but has the country turned a corner in the pandemic? And what kind of threats do the new variants pose to people and to the vaccine rollout?Today, we discuss the latest in the quest to stamp out the pandemic. G ... Show More

26m 17s

Reflections On Coronavirus A Year In