Short Wave

The mineral zircon is the oldest known piece of Earth existing on the surface today. The oldest bits date back as far as 4.37 billion years — not too far from the age of Earth itself at about 4.5 billion years old. And, unlike other minerals, zircon is hard to get rid of. This resilience enables scientists to use zircon to determine when major geological events on Earth happened. As part of our series on time, host Aaron Scott talks to science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce about why this mineral is often considered a geologic clock and has earned the nickname "Time Lord."

This episode is part of our series, "Finding Time — a journey through the fourth dimension to learn what makes us tick." Read more of Nell's reporting on zircon here.

Curious about other aspects of our universe? Email us at [email protected].

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President Biden heads to Mexico City this week for two days of meetings with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Biden's trip comes after he made his first visit to the U.S.-Mexico border as president, and the three are set to talk about issues affecting all of their countries, including immigration.

This episode: White House correspondents Asma Khalid and Tamara Keith, and Mexico City correspondent Eyder Peralta.

This episode was produced by Elena Moore and Lexie Schapitl. It was edited by Casey Morell. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.

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When Dr. Chloé Schmidt was a PhD student in Winnepeg, Canada, she was studying wildlife in urban areas. She and her advisor Dr. Colin Garroway came across a 2020 paper that posed a hypothesis: If the echos of systemic racism affect the human residents of neighborhoods and cities, then it should affect the wildlife as well. Short Wave Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber talks to Chloé and Colin about their findings of how redlining and biodiversity are intertwined.

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After 15 rounds of balloting, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was elected Speaker of the House. The series of votes were contentious at times, and McCarthy made several concessions to secure the office. What can be expected from his tenure?

This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, and senior political editor & correspondent Domenico Montanaro.

This episode was produced by Elena Moore and Casey Morell. It was edited by Casey Morell. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. Research and fact checking by Katherine Swartz. Thanks to Lexie Schapitl and Barbara Sprunt.

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The California Republican was able to win over some of his detractors today as balloting for the Speaker of the House entered a fourth day. However, neither he — nor any other candidate — has won enough votes to take the position, leaving the House in continued limbo.

This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and senior political editor & correspondent Domenico Montanaro.

In the event a speaker is elected late Friday or overnight Saturday, we plan to be in your feeds Saturday morning with the latest.

This episode was produced by Elena Moore and Casey Morell. It was edited by Casey Morell. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. Research and fact-checking by Katherine Swartz. Thanks to Lexie Schapitl.

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From space, it looks almost elegant: a narrow plume cascading off the Pacific Ocean, spilling gently over the California coast. But from the ground, it looks like trouble: flash flooding, landslides and power outages. California is enduring the effects of an atmospheric river, a meteorological phenomenon where converging air systems funnel wet air into a long, riverine flow that dumps large amounts of rain when it makes landfall. "Atmospheric rivers can transport volumes of water many times that of the Mississippi River," says Dr. Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UCLA, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, and the Nature Conservancy of California. Daniel joined Short Wave's Aaron Scott to explain where these "rivers" of air come from, how climate change is fueling more of them, and why you're a lot more likely to have heard of them if you happen to live on the west coast of almost any continent.

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After more votes, the House of Representatives is no closer to electing a new Speaker. Republicans voted for other candidates as more House members offered up longshot alternatives to Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, and senior political editor & correspondent Domenico Montanaro.

This episode was produced by Elena Moore and Casey Morell. It was edited by Casey Morell. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. Research and fact-checking by Katherine Swartz. Thanks to Lexie Schapitl.

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Every month, 1.8 billion people menstruate globally. For those people, managing periods is essential for strong reproductive and emotional health, social wellbeing and bodily autonomy. But a lot of people haven't been educated about periods or the menstrual cycle since they were kids — if at all.

This episode, a period manual in four parts: How periods work, the different stages of the menstrual cycle, how to know when something's wrong, and whether to have a period in the first place.

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Following three more votes on Wednesday, Republicans in the House remain divided on who should be the chamber's speaker. Support for Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) remains high among Republicans, but he has not obtained the support of an overall majority of representatives.

This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, and senior political editor & correspondent Domenico Montanaro.

This episode was produced by Elena Moore and Casey Morell. It was edited by Casey Morell. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. Research and fact-checking by Katherine Swartz. Thanks to Lexie Schapitl.

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Speaking to Short Wave from about 250 miles above the Earth, Josh Cassada outlined his typical day at work: "Today, I actually started out by taking my own blood," he said. The astronauts aboard the International Space Station are themselves research subjects, as well as conductors of all sorts of science experiments: Gardening in microgravity, trapping frigid atoms, examining neutron stars. Then, there's the joy of walks into the yawning void of space. Speaking from orbit, Cassada told fellow physicist and Short Wave Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber about research aboard the station, what it takes to keep the ISS going and which countries' astronauts make the best food.

Curious about the other goings-on in space? Beam us an email at [email protected] — we might answer it in a future episode!

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