Short Wave
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  • Typical duration

    13 min

    per episode

  • If it hooks

    78%

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Short Wave episodes

  • Humble Pi: Enjoying When Math Goes Awry
    Over the last 24 hours, some of us Short Wavers celebrated Pi Day the only way we know how: eating some yummy pie and thinking math thoughts. Here on the show, many of us are math enthusiasts. But none of us claims to be a math perfectionist. We think there's at least as much joy and insight in the mistakes as there is in what we get right. It's a lesson we discussed in today's episode about Matt Parker's book, Humble Pi. It's an oldie but a goodie from our archives.We hope it inspires you to continue to celebrate pi and math everyday.

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    13 min
  • From A Basement In Lviv, The Latest On Russia's Invasion of Ukraine
    The UN says more than 600 civilians been killed, though the true number is likely far higher. Russia's attacks have begun to reach the westernmost parts of the country, including on a military installation near Ukraine's border with Poland.

    This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and correspondent Ryan Lucas.

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    13 min
  • Genetic Fact Vs. Fiction And Everything In Between With Janina Jeff
    Geneticist Janina Jeff is back on the show to talk with host Emily Kwong about season 2 of her podcast In Those Genes. They talk about rhythm, aging and navigating what can be ascribed to our genes and what is determined by society.

    Check out more of Janina's work on In Those Genes: inthosegenes.com
    Episodes referenced in today's Short Wave include:
    - R&B: Rhythm & Blackness
    - Black Don't Crack
    And listen to our last episode with Janina: n.pr/35TPyWJ

    Email the show at [email protected].

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    15 min
  • Once Derided As Graft, Earmarks Just Helped Congress Pass A Bipartisan Budget Deal
    The $1.5 trillion dollar package also contained billions in aid to Ukraine. One thing that was absent? COVID relief money that the White House was banking on.

    And the 2020 Census undercounted many Black, Latino, and Native Americans. White, non-Latino Americans were overcounted. That could help to perpetuate inequality.

    This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, congressional correspondent Kelsey Snell, correspondent Hansi Lo Wang, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro.

    Connect:
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    25 min
  • A Physics Legend Part Two: Chien-Shiung Wu's Granddaughter Reflects
    Growing up, Jada Yuan didn't realize how famous her grandmother was in the world of physics. In this episode, we delve into the life of physicist Chien-Shiung Wu from her granddaughter's perspective. Jada talks to host Emily Kwong about writing the article Discovering Dr. Wu for the Washington Post, where she is a reporter covering culture and politics.

    Check out part one in which Emily talks to Short Wave's scientist-in-residence about how Chien-Shiung Wu altered physics. She made a landmark discovery in 1956 about how our universe operates at the tiniest levels.

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    14 min
  • Exclusive: Attorney General Merrick Garland
    The head of the Justice Department said that he is committed to unraveling the conspiracy behind the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, and reiterated that political considerations are no reason to overlook possible criminality.

    Garland is also clear-eyed about the limits on the department's ability to protect Americans' right to vote in the face of restrictive new laws passed by Republican-controlled state legislatures. Democrats in Congress repeatedly failed to pass federal voting rights legislation and the Supreme Court struck down much of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

    This episode: congressional correspondent Susan Davis and national justice correspondent Carrie Johnson.

    Connect:
    Email the show at [email protected]
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    13 min
  • A Physics Legend Part One: How Chien-Shiung Wu Changed Physics Forever
    In the 1950's, a particle physicist made a landmark discovery that changed what we thought we knew about how our universe operates. And Chien-Shiung Wu did it while raising a family and an ocean away from her relatives in China. Short Wave's Scientist-In-Residence Regina Barber joins host Emily Kwong to talk about that landmark discovery--what it meant for the physics world, and what it means to Regina personally as a woman and a Chinese and Mexican American in physics.

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    13 min
  • Why Colorado's Democratic Governor Broke From His Party On Mask Mandates
    Democrat Jared Polis ended Colorado's statewide mask mandate in the summer of 2021 and didn't reinstate it during later coronavirus surges. In an interview with the NPR Politics Podcast, Polis suggested that prioritizing vaccine and testing availability over masking helped the state achieve a high rate of immunization and relatively low death rate.

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    14 min
  • TASTE BUDDIES: Science of Sour
    Pucker up, duderinos! Short Wave's kicking off a series on taste we're calling, "Taste Buddies." In today's episode, we meet Atlantic science writer Katherine Wu and together, we take a tour through the mysteries of sourness — complete with a fun taste test. Along the way, Katie serves up some hypotheses for the evolution of sour taste because, as Katie explains in her article, "The Paradox of Sour," researchers still have a lot to learn about this weird taste.

    Baffled by another mundane aspect of our existence? Email the show at [email protected] and who knows — it might turn into a whole series!

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    16 min
  • Biden Bans Russian Oil Imports
    The symbolic move was accompanied by an acknowledgement from the president that gas prices are likely to keep rising. Nominally at an all-time high, gasoline prices remain well below their 2008 peak after adjusting for inflation.

    This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, White House correspondent Scott Detrow, and chief economics correspondent Scott Horsley.

    Connect:
    Email the show at [email protected]
    Join the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.
    Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.
    Find and support your local public radio station.

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    12 min

About Short Wave

From the publisher's feed

New discoveries, everyday mysteries, and the science behind the headlines — in just under 15 minutes. It's science for everyone, using a lot of creativity and a little humor. Join hosts Emily Kwong…

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