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Science

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is launched.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in March of this year, carrying multiple Starshield satellites into orbit. National Reconnaissance Office/NRO via X hide caption

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National Reconnaissance Office/NRO via X

Exclusive

National Security

A classified network of SpaceX satellites is emitting a mysterious signal

An amateur satellite tracker stumbled across the signal, which is coming from Starshield satellites in a "hidden" part of the radio spectrum.

Starshield Transmissions

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A close-up image of a light skinned person wearing an orange puffer jacket and dark pants, holding a lit cigarette between their fingers. Smoke is visibly rising from the cigarette, and a blurred background suggests an outdoor setting with a cup placed on a table in the distance. At the top, the text "SHORT WAVE" appears with a stylized red and yellow wave pattern below it. On the left next to the image, a stylized red and yellow wave pattern runs vertically in front of a solid teal background.

Scientists found smokers who quit in middle age and older may have a lower risk for dementia than those who continue to smoke. Catherine Falls Commercial/Getty Images hide caption

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Catherine Falls Commercial/Getty Images

Short Wave

Quitting smoking may be good for your brain, even if you stop later in life

The rate of smoking cigarettes has steadily declined since the 1960s – when Congress required warnings on cigarette boxes. Research shows that people are more likely to try to quit smoking when they’re under 40. But a new study in the journal The Lancet Healthy Longevity shows that quitting later in life can still be beneficial – and could possibly lower your risk for dementia. For this and more news from the science journals, Short Wave hosts Regina G. Barber and Emily Kwong talk with All Things Considered host Mary Louise Kelly.

Science Says Quitting Smoking At Any Age Is Good For The Brain

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This illustration shows a big red button that says "DO NOT PUSH" in all capital letters on it.

Researchers are exploring the behavior of "death fold" proteins in the hopes of understanding why some cells die too soon and why others don't die soon enough. faithiecannoise/iStockphoto/Getty Images hide caption

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faithiecannoise/iStockphoto/Getty Images

Shots - Health News

'Death fold' proteins can make cells self-destruct. Scientists want to control them

Scientists are hoping to treat diseases including cancer and Alzheimer's by influencing how cells make life-or-death decisions.

A biologist holds a green and golden bell frog, an endangered species, at the research center of Macquarie University in Sydney. Some scientists are using gene-editing tools to try and protect frogs from the deadly chytrid fungus, which is threatening amphibian species all over the world.

A biologist holds a green and golden bell frog, an endangered species, at the research center of Macquarie University in Sydney. Some scientists are using gene-editing tools to try and protect frogs from the deadly chytrid fungus, which is threatening amphibian species all over the world.
SAEED KHAN/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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SAEED KHAN/AFP via Getty Images

Scientists are modifying wildlife DNA. Should these species be released into nature?

Scientists are researching ways to genetically modify plants and animals to be more resistant to threats like climate change. The IUCN is voting on whether those species should be allowed in nature.

A gloved hand comes out of the frame to the left, holding a mask with which to administer anesthesia. Lights are blurred in the background, as the viewpoint is focused upward, facing the ceiling. In the foreground, two-thirds of the way to the top of the image, the text "SHORT WAVE" appears with a stylized red and yellow wave pattern below it.

Anesthesia can be administered through a mask while patients undergo surgery. czardases/Getty Images hide caption

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Short Wave

What Happens When You're Under Anesthesia?

It's World Anesthesia Day tomorrow! So, we invite you to take a deep breathe. Picture a relaxing scene. Maybe a beach in Tahiti, your toes in the sand, a cold drink in hand. Now imagine your favorite music playing in the background. If Dr. Alopi Patel were your anesthesiologist, that's exactly what she'd have you do while you waited for surgery. Before she puts patients under the sway of anesthesia, she likes to explain everything that will happen after they lose consciousness and lead them in guided imagery to help them relax before their procedure. She calls this "verbal anesthesia," and says "it's a type of anesthesia you can't really put in an I.V." Anesthesia is a cornerstone of modern medicine makes tons of surgeries possible today. But Dr. Patel says it wasn't always this way — and shares the history and mechanisms behind this once-controversial procedure. (encore)Curious about other breakthroughs in the history of science? Let us know by emailing [email protected]!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.

sci pod - anesthesia encore

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A conceptual image of weed testing shows two hands: the left holds a vial of CBD oil and the right holds a marijuana leaf. In the background, to the left, are three containers of cannabis buds. In the center is a microscope. To the right are vials of tests and a dropper tool. On the left next to the image, a stylized red and yellow wave pattern runs vertically in front of a solid teal background. In the foreground, at the top, the text "SHORT WAVE" appears with a stylized red and yellow wave pattern below it.

Independent testing has shown that contaminated weed is getting through testing protocols and reaching consumers in multiple states where it has been legalized. Wera Rodsawang/Getty Images hide caption

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Wera Rodsawang/Getty Images

Short Wave

Why patchy state weed regulations may put your health at risk

Marijuana is decriminalized or legal in some form in multiple states. But, because it’s illegal on the federal level, states have had to build their own regulatory infrastructure. Without a centralized body to guide them, regulations in one state can look vastly different from those in another. For more on the scope of the issue, Short Wave host Regina G. Barber talks to independent science journalist Teresa Carr and NPR pharmaceuticals correspondent Sydney Lupkin. 

Why Legal Weed Isn’t Always Safe

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An illustration of a transparent human cell over a black background. Inside the cell are mitochondria, a nucleus, various other organelles and water droplets. At the top, the text "SHORT WAVE" appears with a stylized red and yellow wave pattern below it. On the left next to the image, a stylized red and yellow wave pattern runs vertically in front of a solid teal background.

To better understand the building block of life, the cell, a community of researchers is trying to build a synthetic one. SCIEPRO/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images hide caption

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SCIEPRO/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images

Short Wave

Why scientists want to build a cell from scratch

There are more human cells in your body than there are stars in the Milky Way galaxy! Cells are the fundamental building blocks of life but that doesn’t mean they are simple – biology still doesn’t have a full picture of how exactly a living cell works. Host Regina G. Barber talks with bioengineers Kate Adamala and Drew Endy about why scientists are trying to build a cell from scratch, piece by piece. They dive into what it would look like to be inside of a cell, why scientists are bothering with making a cell from scratch and how engineers are leading the field.

Synthetic Cells: The Next Bioengineering Frontier

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Panda Bao Li the panda eats bamboo at the National Zoo on Jan. 28, 2025. The zoo, as well as other Smithsonian facilities, will be closed beginning on Oct. 12 as the government shutdown continues.

Panda Bao Li eats bamboo at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 28. The zoo, as well as other Smithsonian facilities, will be closed beginning on Oct. 12 as the government shutdown continues. Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images hide caption

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Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

2025 government shutdown

Smithsonian museums and National Zoo set to close as shutdown takes its toll

The shutdown is forcing the closure of a number of America's beloved cultural institutions starting Sunday. Twenty-one Smithsonian museums, its research centers and the National Zoo are all affected.

A small white boat, partially capsized and stripped of its sail, lies next to an uprooted tree along a sandy beach. Palm trees rise in the background. At the top, the text "SHORT WAVE" appears with a stylized red and yellow wave pattern below it. On the left next to the image, a stylized red and yellow wave pattern runs vertically in front of a solid teal background.

A sailboat beached by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. Most weather forecasting models are less accurate at predicting storms in the tropics; that's in part because different factors drive weather and climate near the equator than in the middle latitudes. Rebecca E Marvil/Getty Images hide caption

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Rebecca E Marvil/Getty Images

Short Wave

The tropics have a weather forecasting problem. He’s trying to fix it.

Weather in the tropics is decidedly different than it is in the middle latitudes. It turns out, so are the weather systems – the factors that create things like the daily temperature and humidity! Historically, most weather forecasting models have been based on data from high-income countries in the northern hemisphere. But different factors drive weather and climate near the equator – meaning that these weather forecast models are much less accurate at predicting weather in the tropics. This has implications for storm readiness, flooding preparedness and more.

Why The Tropics Have A Weather Forecasting Problem

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Wind turbines stand next at the Neurath coal-fired power plant on April 15, 2024, in Ingendorf, Germany.

Wind turbines stand next to the Neurath coal-fired power plant on April 15, 2024, in Ingendorf, Germany. Andreas Rentz/Getty Images hide caption

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Andreas Rentz/Getty Images

Energy

Renewable energy outpaces coal for electricity generation in historic first, report says

For the first time on record, renewable energy generated more electricity for the planet than coal, a new report says.

Renewable energy outpaces coal for electricity generation in historic first

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Caleb Strickland, age 4, is being carried in the arms of his mother, Nora Strickland.

Caleb Strickland, 4, has an artificial heart pump keeping him alive while he waits for a transplant. Nora Strickland, his mom, says she feels far away from the Trump administration's disputes with universities. Elissa Nadworny/NPR hide caption

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Children's Health

This 4-year-old's heart is failing. A federal grant that might help him was canceled

A Cornell University researcher has been developing an artificial heart for children for more than 20 years. Now, his research is on hold and his lab is shut down.

This 4-year-old’s heart is failing. A federal grant that might help him was canceled

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Twenty two new MacArthur Fellows were announced Wednesday. They include, clockwise from top left, Tonika Lewis Johnson, Jeremy Frey, Heather Christian, Nabarun Dasgupta, Margaret Wicker Pearce, Ángel F. Adames Corraliza, Hahrie Han and Tommy Orange.

Twenty two new MacArthur Fellows were announced Wednesday. They include, clockwise from top left, Tonika Lewis Johnson, Jeremy Frey, Heather Christian, Nabarun Dasgupta, Margaret Wicker Pearce, Ángel F. Adames Corraliza, Hahrie Han and Tommy Orange. John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation hide caption

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John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

Culture

Thinkers, dreamers, doers: Here's who made the 2025 MacArthur Fellow list

A cartographer, a composer, a neurobiologist, and a novelist are among the recipients of this year's "Genius Grants." Each Fellow will receive a no-strings attached award of $800,000.

Thinkers, dreamers, doers: Here's who made the 2025 MacArthur Fellow list

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From left, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry Heiner Linke, Secretary General of the Swedish Academy of Sciences Hans Ellegren, and Member of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry Olof Ramstrom pose Wednesday after announcing Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar Yaghi as the recipients the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, at the Nobel Assembly of the Karolinska Institutet, in Stockholm, Sweden.

From left, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry Heiner Linke, Secretary General of the Swedish Academy of Sciences Hans Ellegren, and Member of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry Olof Ramstrom pose Wednesday after announcing Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar Yaghi as the recipients the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, at the Nobel Assembly of the Karolinska Institutet, in Stockholm, Sweden. Fredrik Sandberg/TT News Agency via AP hide caption

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Fredrik Sandberg/TT News Agency via AP

Research on metal-organic frameworks gets the chemistry Nobel Prize

From capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere or sucking water out of dry desert air, the trio's new form of molecular architecture can absorb and contain gases inside metal organic frameworks.

This black-and-white photo shows the ship Endurance in the winter of 1915. Large pieces of sea ice are in the foreground, with the three-masted ship behind the ice.

Endurance is shown in the winter of 1915. The ship became stuck in ice and eventually sank. A new paper says it wasn't as well-built as previously believed. Frank Hurley/Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge via Getty Images hide caption

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Frank Hurley/Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge via Getty Images

History

Famed polar exploration ship Endurance not as strong as legend held, researcher says

Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton's crew famously survived after the Endurance became stuck in ice in 1915. A researcher says the ship was ill-equipped for the voyage and Shackleton was aware.

Famed polar exploration ship Endurance not as strong as legend held, researcher says

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An aerial photograph of an oblong gray-colored island, surrounded by snow and ice. At the top, the text "SHORT WAVE" appears with a stylized red and yellow wave pattern below it.On the left next to the image, a stylized red and yellow wave pattern runs vertically in front of a solid teal background.

Kaffeklubben Island, or Coffee Club Island, is an uninhabited island lying off the northern shore of Greenland. It contains the northernmost undisputed point of land on Earth. Martin Nissen/Wikimedia Commons hide caption

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Martin Nissen/Wikimedia Commons

Short Wave

Scientists explored the northernmost island of Greenland. Here’s what they found

Some scientific discoveries take place in a lab. Others are made deep in the rainforest, along the ocean floor or on the dark side of the moon. And still others are made squelching through mud and ice on the northernmost island on Earth… at least, if you’re NPR climate correspondent Alejandra Borunda. Two summers ago, Alejandra followed an expedition of scientists to Greenland’s Inuit Qeqertaat, or Kaffeeklubben (“Coffee Club”) Island. The researchers with her were aiming to find what plants grew at the farthest north point of the island. Along the way, she had an adventure … and witnessed the good, the bad and the muddy realities of scientific expeditions.

Doing Science at the Edge of the Earth

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From left, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics Chair Olle Eriksson, Secretary General of the Swedish Academy of Sciences Hans Ellegren and Member of the Nobel Committee for Physics Goran Johansson announce Tuesday that John Clarke, Michel H Devoret and John M. Martinis, on screen behind, are the recipients the Nobel Prize in Physics.

From left, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics Chair Olle Eriksson, Secretary General of the Swedish Academy of Sciences Hans Ellegren and Member of the Nobel Committee for Physics Goran Johansson announce Tuesday that John Clarke, Michel H Devoret and John M. Martinis, on screen behind, are the recipients the Nobel Prize in Physics. Christine Olsson/TT News Agency via AP hide caption

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Christine Olsson/TT News Agency via AP

The Nobel Prize for physics is awarded for discoveries in quantum mechanical tunneling

The Nobel committee said that the laureates' work provides opportunities to develop "the next generation of quantum technology, including quantum cryptography, quantum computers, and quantum sensors."

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