Episodes

  • Americans Are Not Going To The Dentist Enough

    Americans Are Not Going To The Dentist Enough
    Dec 5 2025
    An estimated 5-10% of the U.S. population experiences a disorder with their TMJ, the joint that connects their jaw to their skull. The good news? Relief is possible. The secret? Go see your dentist. Today on the show, Emily talks with Justin Richer, an oral surgeon, about the diagnosis and treatment of TMJ disorders.

    Got a question about your teeth or dentistry? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

    Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.

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    13 mins
  • What Are AI Data Centers Doing To Your Electric Bill?

    What Are AI Data Centers Doing To Your Electric Bill?
    Dec 3 2025
    Electricity bills are on track to rise an average of 8 percent nationwide by 2030 according to a June analysis from Carnegie Mellon University and North Carolina State University. The culprits? Data centers and cryptocurrency mining. Bills could rise as much as 25 percent in places like Virginia. Science writer Dan Charles explains why electric utilities are adding the cost of data center buildings to their customers’ bills while the data companies pay nothing upfront.

    Read the full June analysis here.

    To listen to more on the environmental impact of data centers, check out our two-part reported series:

    - Why the true water footprint of AI is so elusive

    - How tech companies could shrink AI's climate footprint

    Interested in how technology affects everyday life? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.

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    14 mins
  • Why Experts Are Racing To Learn About This Interstellar Comet

    Why Experts Are Racing To Learn About This Interstellar Comet
    Dec 2 2025
    The comet 3I/ATLAS is taking a long holiday journey this year. It’s visiting from another solar system altogether. Those interstellar origins have the Internet rumor mill questioning whether 3I/ATLAS came from aliens. Co-hosts Emily Kwong and Regina G. Barber dive into that, plus what it and other interstellar comets can tell us about planets beyond our solar system.


    Read more of NPR’s coverage of 3I/ATLAS. Also, if you liked this episode, check out our episodes on:

    - the physics in the film Interstellar

    - why Pluto is still helpful for learning how our solar system formed


    Interested in more space science? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.


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    14 mins
  • Who Should Track Their Blood Sugar?

    Who Should Track Their Blood Sugar?
    Dec 1 2025
    Prediabetes is common in the U.S. — around 1 in 3 people have it. And many people may not know they have it. But last year, the FDA approved the first over-the-counter continuous glucose monitor. Since then, more people without diabetes have started checking their blood glucose levels. Diabetologist and University of California, San Francisco professor of medicine Dr. Sarah Kim shares the science behind blood glucose with host Emily Kwong.


    Check out more of NPR’s coverage about continuous glucose monitors.


    Interested in more science of the human body? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.

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    14 mins
  • What’s In A Kiss? 21 Million Years Of Evolution

    What’s In A Kiss? 21 Million Years Of Evolution
    Nov 28 2025
    How far back in evolutionary history does kissing go? Through phylogenetic analysis, an international team of scientists found that kissing was likely present in the ancestor of all apes – which lived 21 million years ago. Not only that: They were definitely kissing Neanderthals. The study was published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior. In this news roundup, we also talk about new clues about the collision that created our moon and a moss surviving the hardships of space.

    Interested in stories about human evolution? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.

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    9 mins
  • How To Disagree Better

    How To Disagree Better
    Nov 26 2025
    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 psychological research showing that as much as we disagree, there are ways to bridge these divides -- and people who are actively using these strategies well in their daily lives. (encore)

    Want to hear more neuroscience and psychology? Email us your ideas to shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear from you!

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    15 mins
  • Nature Quest: The Earthquake Prediction Problem

    Nature Quest: The Earthquake Prediction Problem
    Nov 25 2025
    Their whole life, producer Hannah Chinn 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 towns and permanently shift the landscape. But how exactly do scientists know this much about the scope of earthquakes if they can’t even predict when those earthquakes are going to happen? Together with host Emily Kwong, Hannah goes on a quest for answers. Plus, they get into what a Cascadia earthquake has in common with a Thanksgiving turkey.

    This story is part of Nature Quest, our monthly segment that brings you a question from a Short Waver who is noticing a change in the world around them. Have an environment-based question you want us to investigate on the next Nature Quest? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.

    Check out our previous episode on earthquake prediction.

    Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.

    Listen to Short Wave on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

    This episode was produced by Hannah Chinn and Rachel Carlson. It was edited by Rebecca Ramirez. Tyler Jones checked the facts. The audio engineer was Kwesi Lee. Special thanks to scientists Paul Lundgren and Suzanne Carbotte.

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    15 mins
  • SNAP Delays: The Science Of Hunger And Food Insecurity

    SNAP Delays: The Science Of Hunger And Food Insecurity
    Nov 24 2025

    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 societies. It can mean shorter term issues like trouble focusing, as well as longer term mental health and physical struggles like chronic disease and social isolation. Host Regina G Barber speaks with experts looking at the impacts of food insecurity – from the known tolls and misconceptions to ways to bridge the gap.

    If you liked this show, check out our episode on loneliness and the brain. To learn about ways you can find free or low-cost food, check out NPR’s Life Kit episode on the topic.

    Interested in more public health or human biology stories? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.

    Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.

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    12 mins