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Short Wave: Daily Summaries Delivered
by NPR
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 and Regina Barber for science on a different wavelength.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- Todayconversational13 min4-min read
AI is changing mathematics -- but not how you think
NPR's Shortwave explores how AI is upending mathematics, from gold-medal Olympiad performance to OpenAI's flood of 370 new results and a claimed solution to the Navier-Stokes Millennium Prize problem. Science correspondent Geoff Brumfel argues the 'mathpocalypse' narrative is overblown: AI-generated proofs are powerful but often sloppy, and human verification remains essential.
- Yesterdayinterview32 min7-min read
OpenAI whistleblowers on the fight over AI safety | Machine Gods
On the debut interview of NPR's new tech podcast Machine Gods, hosts Kevin Roose and Casey Newton speak with Mikita Balesni and Tomek Korbeck, two safety researchers fired by OpenAI in early October, about the mysterious Hugging Face incident, the fraught external audit process, and what their terminations signal about the future of safety oversight inside frontier AI labs.
- 2 days agoconversational9 min5-min read
Could virtual reality speed up learning?
In this science news roundup episode of NPR's Shortwave, host Emily Kwong and Ari Daniel are joined by Juana Summers to discuss three recent studies: a VR video game experiment showing big body movements dramatically speed up category learning, an implant-electrode study revealing the amygdala's role in visual memory formation, and the discovery of 84 new low-energy X-ray sources in nearby galaxies — 'cosmic vampires' and 'zombie disks.'
- 5 days agonarrative14 min5-min read
Is your favorite crime show rooted in fake science?
This Shortwave episode from NPR examines how 'junk science' — forensic techniques that have been scientifically debunked — continues to be admitted as evidence in American criminal courts, keeping innocent people in prison. Through a conversation with Chris Fabricant of the Innocence Project, the episode explains why flawed forensics persist, who they harm, and what reforms could fix the system.
- 1 weeks agonarrative13 min4-min read
MAHA’s midterm report card
The podcast examines the evolving influence and internal fractures of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement two years after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. became Secretary of Health and Human Services, revealing a coalition strained by unmet promises on food, chemicals, and wellness policies. As midterm elections approach, the episode questions whether MAHA can sustain political unity or will splinter along ideological lines.
- 1 weeks agonarrative13 min4-min read
You Can See Everything and the science of spotting liars
The episode explores the psychology of deception through the lens of the documentary You Can See Everything, which centers on Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos, while challenging the myth that body language or facial cues reliably reveal lies. It argues that truth detection is far more complex than pop culture suggests, and our desire for certainty often blinds us to ambiguity.
- 1 weeks agoconversational11 min4-min read
The battle between matter and antimatter
This episode of NPR's Shortwave explores two major scientific stories: a theoretical breakthrough in understanding how matter dominated antimatter in the early universe through heavy right-handed neutrinos, and the ongoing effort by Ukrainian scientists to rebuild and upgrade a damaged radio telescope despite the war with Russia. The conversation blends deep cosmology with real-world scientific resilience.
- 1 weeks agonarrative14 min4-min read
The dormant viruses in all of us may help explain long COVID
Many common viruses, such as those causing chickenpox and mono, can remain dormant in the human body for life and reactivate under stress or immune suppression. Recent research, including studies on astronauts, shows that even healthy individuals can experience viral reactivation, raising important questions about long-term health implications, including links to long COVID and autoimmune diseases.
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About Short Wave
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 and Regina Barber for science on a different wavelength.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Podzilla's Short Wave daily summary?
It's a free AI-powered email that summarizes new episodes of Short Wave as soon as they're published. You get the key takeaways, notable quotes, and links & mentions — all in a quick read.
How does the Short Wave podcast summary work?
When a new episode drops, our AI transcribes and analyzes it, then generates a personalized summary tailored to your interests and profession. It's delivered to your inbox every morning.
Is this an official Short Wave product?
No. Podzilla is an independent service that summarizes publicly available podcast content. We're not affiliated with or endorsed by NPR.
Can I get summaries of other podcasts too?
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How often does Short Wave release new episodes?
Short Wave publishes daily. Our AI generates a summary within hours of each new episode.
What topics does Short Wave cover?
Short Wave covers topics including Science, News, Daily News. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
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