NPR News: Why this tribe is buying up hundreds of acres of farmland — and flooding it

Why this tribe is buying up hundreds of acres of farmland — and flooding it
The Stillaguamish Tribe in Washington state has been buying land in its traditional territory and removing levees. The goal is to turn farmland into wetlands with the hopes of restoring Chinook salmon.

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NPR News: Timmy the stranded whale rescued after weekslong effort

Timmy the stranded whale rescued after weekslong effort
Timmy captured the hearts of whale lovers across the globe who rooted for a happy ending for the humpback.

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NPR News: Why PEPFAR's top scientist stepped down

Why PEPFAR's top scientist stepped down
NPR's Juana Summers talk with Mike Reid, the former chief science officer of PEPFAR, about why he resigned over concerns about America's global health strategy.

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NPR News: Trump gives the go-ahead for a major new Canada-U.S. oil pipeline

Trump gives the go-ahead for a major new Canada-U.S. oil pipeline
More state and federal approvals are needed for the 3-foot-wide Bridger Pipeline Expansion, which would stretch from the Canadian border with Montana down through eastern Montana and Wyoming, where it would link up with another pipeline.

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NPR News: Giving coffee a jolt could help assess its quality

Giving coffee a jolt could help assess its quality
NPR's science podcast Short Wave looks at the secrets behind scorpions' weapons, using electricity to measure the quality of a cup of coffee, and what shapes the content of dreams.

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NPR News: Why this physicist says we shouldn't write off wormholes

Why this physicist says we shouldn't write off wormholes
In science fiction, wormholes are hyperspace subway tubes linking one part of a galaxy directly to another, distant point. But could they actually exist? To find out, we talk to theoretical physicist Ron Gamble, who says wormholes aren't just a matter of science fiction — and they have big implications about the shape of space itself. Want to hear about more hypotheticals physicists have to confront in their work? Email us at shortwave@nprg.org — we might turn your idea into a whole episode! 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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NPR News: The 'Purdubik's Cube' solves the beloved puzzle in record time

The 'Purdubik's Cube' solves the beloved puzzle in record time
NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Matthew Petrohay about his team's undergraduate project at Purdue University. They built a robot that set a new world record for shortest time to solve a Rubik's cube.

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NPR News: This week in science: biker safety, orange cats and a gum disease-heart rhythm link

This week in science: biker safety, orange cats and a gum disease-heart rhythm link
Emily Kwong and Regina Barber of Short Wave talk about a tool to increase biker safety, the genetic secrets that make orange cats orange, and a link between gum disease and heart rhythm disorders.

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NPR News: The Indicator: American science brain drain

The Indicator: American science brain drain
Today, we're airing an episode of NPR's daily economics podcast, The Indicator from Planet Money. It's about a group of people we know well: scientists. President Trump's federal cuts and scrutiny of academic institutions are forcing some U.S. scientists to head for the border. On today's show, an entomologist keeping America's farms safe from pests reconsiders America. And a CEO of a Canadian hospital explains how they are benefiting from the exodus. Want to learn more about the intersection of science and the economy? 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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NPR News: U.S. halts cattle imports from Mexico, citing fears of flesh-eating maggot

U.S. halts cattle imports from Mexico, citing fears of flesh-eating maggot
The New World screwworm is endemic in parts of Latin America and the Caribbean — and its northward spread into Mexico has alarmed U.S. officials. It can kill a full-grown cow in one to two weeks. 

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NPR News: Chimps' rhythmic drumming and complex calls hint at origins of human language

Chimps' rhythmic drumming and complex calls hint at origins of human language
Two new studies hint at the evolutionary roots of human language. The studies found that chimps use rhythmic structures and complex call combinations to communicate.

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NPR News: Trump tightens control of independent agency overseeing nuclear safety

Trump tightens control of independent agency overseeing nuclear safety
NPR has learned that rules must now be vetted by the White House and that the administration is drafting an executive order that could loosen radiation limits.

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NPR News: Humans still haven't seen 99.999% of the deep seafloor

Humans still haven't seen 99.999% of the deep seafloor
Human eyes have only seen a tiny, tiny, tiny fraction of the areas of the world that are covered by deep water. Scientists want to change how they explore these regions.

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NPR News: Stranded Soviet spacecraft to plunge back to Earth

Stranded Soviet spacecraft to plunge back to Earth
NPR's Don Gonyea speaks with astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell about Kosmos 482, the Soviet-era spacecraft that was stranded over 50 years ago during a mission to Venus. It will soon return to Earth.

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NPR News: A telescope's powerful new tool may offer a better way to predict solar storms

A telescope's powerful new tool may offer a better way to predict solar storms
The Daniel K. Inouye telescope snapped a clear image of sunspots.

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NPR News: He let snakes bite him 200 times to create a better snakebite antivenom

He let snakes bite him 200 times to create a better snakebite antivenom
Scientists have created a broadly effective antivenom using the blood of a Wisconsin man who has spent years exposing himself to deadly snakebites from black mambas, taipans, cobras and many others.

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NPR News: Scientists reel as turmoil roils National Science Foundation

Scientists reel as turmoil roils National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation, a major government funder of basic science research, is being shaken up with over 1,000 grants already terminated and the White House looking to halve its budget

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NPR News: This week in science: Minecraft, perfecting a pasta dish and new cancer research

This week in science: Minecraft, perfecting a pasta dish and new cancer research
Scientists are using the video game Minecraft to study how humans learn, perfecting a classic Roman pasta dish with science, and a possible reason why more young people are getting colorectal cancer.

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NPR News: Bodega cats aren't just cute; some in N.Y. also consider them working animals

Bodega cats aren't just cute; some in N.Y. also consider them working animals
Kitty lovers started a petition to reclassify cats as necessary to tackle rodents at New York City bodegas.

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NPR News: DOGE employees gain accounts on classified networks holding nuclear secrets

DOGE employees gain accounts on classified networks holding nuclear secrets
Two DOGE employees have access to a network used to transmit classified nuclear weapons data and a separate network used by the Department of Defense, sources tell NPR.

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