logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2023
10m 55s

News Round Up: Algal Threats, An Asteroi...

NPR
About this episode
After reading the science headlines this week, we have A LOT of questions. Why did the Virgin Islands declare a state of emergency over a large blob of floating algae? What can a far-off asteroid tell us about the origins of life? Is the ever-popular bee waggle dance not just for directions to the hive but a map?

Luckily, it's the job of the Short Wave team to decipher the science behind the day's news. This week, co-host Aaron Scott, Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber and science correspondent Geoff Brumfield are on the case. Buckle up as we journey beyond the headlines and sail out to sea, blast off to space and then find our way home with the help of some dancing bees!

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

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

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Today
How To Disagree Better
Many people are gearing up for holiday conversation with loved ones who may disagree with them -- on everything from politics to religion and lifestyle choices. These conversations can get personal and come to a halt quickly. But today on the show, we get into neuroscience and ps ... Show More
15m 28s
Yesterday
Nature Quest: The Earthquake Prediction Problem
Their whole life, producer <a href="https://www.npr.org/people/1255819925/hannah-chinn"target="_blank" >Hannah Chinn</a> has known about the Big One: a massive earthquake forecasted to hit the West Coast. Scientists say it’ll destroy buildings, collapse bridges, flood coastal t ... Show More
14m 35s
Nov 24
SNAP Delays: The Science Of Hunger And Food Insecurity
<p dir="ltr">One in every eight households in the U.S. isn’t always sure where the next meal will come from. Limited food access can spell hunger – and that can affect the body and mind. So can cheaper, less nutritious foods. Hunger has a huge impact on individuals – and whole so ... Show More
12m 6s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2021
Journey Toward the Center of the Earth
Sixty years ago, geologists tried to drill down through the Earth’s crust to pull up a piece of the Earth’s mantle. Their mission didn’t go exactly as planned. But it sowed the seeds for a new field of science that’s helped us rewrite not only the history of the planet, but, pote ... Show More
28m 22s
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
Jan 2024
OSIRIS-REx: The space mission to find the origins of life
<p>Why did life happen on Earth? And how did it begin? Even the world’s most advanced space scientists still don’t fully understand these questions, but a mission by NASA called OSIRIS-REx hopes to fill in the missing chapters from Earth’s origin story. The spacecraft traveled bi ... Show More
20m 27s
Feb 2010
Do animals use toilet paper?
We investigate the toilet habits of the animal kingdom this week as well as taking a pot shot at which way a dirty golf ball swings in mid air, answering whether warmer waters attract more sharks and if there's a genetic basis to intelligence. We also get an update on what geolog ... Show More
59m 9s
Nov 2023
Dead Planets Society: #11 Cube Earth Part Two
Turning the Earth into a cube, the gift that just keeps giving. Last episode we had fish bowl spaceships, this time we have sea monsters! If you thought cubifying the Earth couldn’t get more wacky, you’re in for a treat. In the Dead Planets Society season finale, Leah Crane and C ... Show More
17m 11s