Are humans ever satisfied? Two social psychologists, Ethan Ludwin-Peery and Adam Mastroianni, fell down a research rabbit hole accidentally answering a version of this very question. After conducting several studies, the pair found that when asked how things could be different, people tend to give one kind of answer, regardless of how the question is asked or how good life felt when they were asked. Short Wave's Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber digs into the research—and how it might reveal a fundamental law of psychology about human satisfaction.

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After President Biden announced a second set of classified documents had been improperly stored at his Wilmington, Del., residence, Attorney General Merrick Garland said Thursday he was appointing Robert Hur, the former U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland who now serves in private practice, as a special counsel to examine the issue.

This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, national justice correspondent Carrie Johnson, and politics correspondent Susan Davis.

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 Devin Speak.

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Inside the mountaintop glaciers of the Pacific Northwest lives a mysterious, and often, overlooked creature. They're small, black, thread-like worms that wiggle through snow and ice. That's right, ice worms! Little is known about them. But one thing scientists are sure of? They can't really handle freezing temperatures. In this episode, NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce talks to Emily about how ice worms survive in an extreme environment and why scientists don't understand some of the most basic facts about them.

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Both the president and his predecessor are facing investigations from the Department of Justice over the potential mishandling of classified documents. But the two cases have strong differences between them, both in terms of scale and practice.

This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, national security correspondent Greg Myre, and senior political editor and 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 Devin Speak.

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There's always a moment of intense isolation when Jessica Mejía gets dropped off on the Greenland ice sheet for a multi-week research stint. "You know you're very much alone," said Jessica, a postdoctoral researcher in glaciology at the University of Buffalo. Glaciers such as those that cover Greenland are melting due to climate change, causing sea levels to rise. That we know. But these glaciers are also moving. What we don't know is just how these two processes – melting and movement – interact and ultimately impact how quickly sea levels will rise. Jessica Mejía, a postdoctoral researcher in glaciology at the University of Buffalo, joins Short Wave's Aaron Scott to explain what it's like to live on a glacier for a month, and what her research could mean for coastal communities all over the world.

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The Democratic National Committee announced South Carolina would supplant Iowa and New Hampshire as the first state in the party's 2024 nominating contests, but not everyone in the DNC is convinced it's a good idea. Meanwhile, New Hampshire and Georgia missed a DNC-imposed deadline on aligning their primaries with the party's proposed timelines. How will things shake out before the next presidential campaigns start in earnest?

This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, political reporter Barbara Sprunt, and senior political editor and 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 Devin Speak.

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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.

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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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