logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2023
12m 3s

News Round Up: Chocolate, A Solar Valent...

NPR
About this episode
After reading the science headlines this week, we have A LOT of questions. Is chocolate really that good for your health? How do solar flares affect life on earth? And what's the big deal about scientists identifying the chemical motivation for tsetse fly sex? Luckily, it's the job of Short Wave co-hosts Emily Kwong and Aaron Scott and Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber to decipher the science behind the headlines. Hang out with us as we dish on some of the coolest science stories in this Valentines-themed installment of our regular newsy get-togethers!

Have suggestions for what we should cover in our next news roundup? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Today
Nature Quest: What Does Climate Change Sound Like?
Feel like summers are hotter than they used to be? It’s not just your imagination. Climate researchers say that average annual temperatures around the country have been trending upwards for the past 50 years — and are still on the rise. But it can be hard to represent those numbe ... Show More
13m 31s
Yesterday
Sea Camp: To Mine Or Not To Mine
Deep sea mining for rare earth elements could start as early as 2026, even as 38 countries have called for a moratorium on it. The metals that companies are targeting are used in many green technologies like electric cars and wind turbines – but mining them is destructive to the ... Show More
13m 17s
Aug 22
Could labs replace your natural chocolate?
Chocolate may fill grocery store shelves around the world, but the raw product that powers chocolate is far more selective. The majority of chocolate farms are found in West Africa and South America – just 20 degrees north or south of the equator. Each farm produces chocolate of ... Show More
8m 50s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2020
Presenting: Science Vs
We know that carbon dioxide is rising and we know that it’s warming the world, but how did scientists figure that out in the first place? And what will all this warming mean for our future? Our friends at the Gimlet podcast, Science Vs., visited a couple climate scientists to fin ... Show More
47m 27s
Jun 2022
Venus, Volcanoes & Virtual Clothing
In this week's programme we are going to be sharing some science highlights - sci-lights, if you will - going in depth with some of the latest science news from the past month plus some fascinating science stories. We ask researchers what policies need to be in place to protect b ... Show More
59m 6s
Feb 2021
Invisible Forces that Influence Your Life & How The News of the Day Affects You
Men - and teenage boys - sometimes act foolishly in front of beautiful women. They are also known to take more risks if they know a woman is watching. Why? This episode begins with an interesting explanation that points to evolution as the reason why. http://www.eurekalert.org/pu ... Show More
53m 32s
Feb 2019
Periodic Table: 150 Au Years
This week we're celebrating 150 years of the Periodic Table - we'll find out how scientists uncovered the elements in the first place and what other mysterious materials may be waiting to be discovered. Plus a way to power up the body's own morphine-like chemicals, how microbes a ... Show More
55m 25s
Jun 2024
The new science of ageing and the quest to live forever
The super-rich are trialling innumerable whacky theories to radically extend their lives, from not eating after 11pm to taking hundreds of supplements a day and even blood transfusions from their children. But what does the science tell us? Could some of these ideas actually prov ... Show More
28m 59s
Feb 2023
SYSK Choice: Why Half of Life is a Total Mystery & How The News Affects Us
You have likely noticed that men – and teenage boys – will sometimes act foolishly in front of a pretty women. It is also true that men take more risks if they know a woman is watching. Why do they do that? This episode begins with an evolutionary explanation. http://www.eurekale ... Show More
53m 31s
Jan 2023
The science stories you missed over the past four weeks
In this episode of the Nature Podcast, we catch up on some science stories from the holiday period by diving into the Nature Briefing.We’ll hear: how Brazil’s President Lula has started to make good on his pro-environment promises; a new theory for why giant ichthyosaurs congrega ... Show More
23m 39s
Nov 2020
Neutrinos give insights into the workings of the Sun’s core
Scientists have finally confirmed the existence of a CNO cycle fusion reaction in the Sun, and why women’s contraception research needs a reboot.In this episode:00:47 Detection of CNO neutrinosSince the 1930s it has been theorised that stars have a specific fusion reaction known ... Show More
35m 20s
Listen to millions of songs and podcasts on Anghami