Science

A deadly disease is threating honeybees, but a new vaccine could help

6:07pm January 20, 2023

by Emily Jones

A first of its kind vaccine for honeybees is close to coming to market to fight a disease that currently means burning infected hives. It's a little extra help as bees try to deal with climate change.

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Kylee Gray, a ranger with the Queensland Department of Environment and Science, holds a giant cane toad on Jan. 12 near Airlie Beach, Australia. The toad weighed 5.95 pounds.

Nearly 6-pound 'Toadzilla' found in Australia breaks the record for largest toad

11:26am January 20, 2023

by Kaitlyn Radde

Cane toads are notorious pests in Australia, colonizing habitats and poisoning other wildlife. Park rangers euthanized the 5.95-pound animal, whose body will be donated to the Queensland Museum.

Flat, light rocks like the ones pictured above are favored for skipping stones A new study has found that heavier rocks can also skim the water's surface.

Science

Study shows heavy stones may give big leaps in water — plus real-world implications

5:00am January 19, 2023

Researchers have studied the physics behind heavy stones skipping across the surface of water. They say these findings could be applied to real-world problems like de-icing airplanes.

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Jazz saxophonist Joshua Redman plays in 2019. Swing is an essential component of nearly all kinds of jazz music. Physicists think that subtle nuances in the timing of soloists are key to creating that propulsive swing feel.

What makes that song swing? At last, physicists unravel a jazz mystery

11:59am January 18, 2023

by Maria Godoy

For nearly a century, jazz musicians have debated what gives songs that propulsive, groovy feel that makes you want to move with the music. The secret may lie in subtle nuances in a soloist's timing.

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Is music an exclusively human thing? A new study says no

4:52pm January 17, 2023

Charles Darwin once speculated that all animals may share the ability to perceive melody and rhythm. Although the evidence is slim, there are a few studies that support Darwin's idea.

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An astronaut tells NPR what life is like on the ISS

4:43pm January 17, 2023

by Regina G. Barber

Short Wave's scientist in residence Regina Barber talks with NASA astronaut Josh Cassada about daily life on the International Space Station.

Older people who have few social connections and interactions are at a higher risk for developing dementia, a new study has found.

Social isolation linked to an increased risk of dementia, new study finds

2:01pm January 17, 2023

by Kaitlyn Radde

Socially isolated older adults have a 27% higher chance of developing dementia, according to researchers from Johns Hopkins. The findings suggest that simple interventions could be meaningful.

Science

Why architectural marvels from Ancient Rome are still standing

7:58am January 14, 2023

by Scott Simon

NPR's Scott Simon talks to Admir Masic, professor of civil and environmental engineering at MIT, about what made concrete used by Ancient Romans so incredibly durable.

Screening at U.S. airports expands to try to detect new COVID variants

5:55pm January 13, 2023

by Rob Stein

The CDC has expanded screening of incoming international air travelers to try to more quickly spot any new variants that might emerge from China's massive COVID outbreak.

A killer whale, measuring more than 20 feet, died after beaching itself in Palm Coast, Fla., on Wednesday, authorities said.

First orca whale to be stranded in southeast U.S. in decades showed signs of illness

2:43pm January 13, 2023

by Kaitlyn Radde

A killer whale more than 20 feet long died after beaching itself in Palm Coast, Fla. This is the third known orca to be stranded in the southeastern U.S. and the first since 1956, an official says.