The world's largest iceberg is stuck twirling in an ocean vortex
Iceberg A23a — equivalent to the size of Rhode Island — has been near the South Orkney Islands since January, completing one full rotation every 24 days or so.
Science
Endangered red wolf population on the rebound with captive breeding program
Efforts to bring back the critically endangered red wolves are showing optimistic signs of some success.
What is an unfair advantage in sports?
We at Short Wave have been following all things Olympics, from the medals and new records to the ugly accusations that two women boxers aren't really women. Last year, the boxers failed gender tests, according to the International Boxing Association. The IBA claims the women have a "hormonal imbalance" that gives them women an unfair advantage. The International Olympic Committee has condemned these claims and defended the boxers' right to compete in the women's category. But this Olympics is far from the first time the gender of athletes has been questioned.
NPR's Embedded podcast has a new series called Tested that gets into this history of sex testing in elite sports – in particular, track and field. In this excerpt, host Rose Eveleth digs deep on a big question: What constitutes an "unfair" advantage on the track?
Listen to the full Tested series now.
NPR's Embedded podcast has a new series called Tested that gets into this history of sex testing in elite sports – in particular, track and field. In this excerpt, host Rose Eveleth digs deep on a big question: What constitutes an "unfair" advantage on the track?
Listen to the full Tested series now.
At the Olympics, reusable plastic cups are a gambit to reduce waste. Are they working?
At the Olympic Games, concession stands serve drinks in reusable plastic "eco-cups." It's a sustainability measure, Olympic organizers say, but environmentalists say they increase waste.
Like Paris, Baltimore knows the struggle of cleaning up water for swimming
Paris spent billions to clean up the River Seine for Olympic swimming, with mixed results. Baltimore knows how difficult it can be.
Scientists attach video cameras to sea lions to map the ocean floor
How do you study unmapped areas of the ocean and identify critical habitat for an endangered species? You include the study animal in the scientific process! Researchers from the University of Adelaide fitted endangered Australian sea lions with cameras and tracking devices to better understand where they spent their time. The information could help scientists protect critical sea lion habitat and could give researchers a new tool for mapping the ocean.
Interested in more underwater science? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.
Interested in more underwater science? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.
Who's "woman" enough: The long history of sex testing in sports
Why are some female athletes asked to prove her womanhood? To understand how we got here, we're bringing you episode one of Tested, a new podcast series by our play cousins over at Embedded, made in partnership with CBC in Canada.
This week in science: the moon's atmosphere, sea lion cartographers and the Perseids
NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Regina Barber and Berly McCoy of Short Wave about the formation of the moon's wispy atmosphere, sea lion cameras and the Perseid meteor shower.
After two months, astronauts stranded at the ISS may have a way back home
For two astronauts, an eight day mission to the International Space Station has stretched into two months due to vehicle issues. Now, NASA says it's considering bringing them back in a SpaceX capsule.
The panda-drought ends in California as San Diego Zoo's new arrivals welcome visitors
The special public unveiling of “Panda Ridge” was scheduled for noon on Thursday. They’re the first pandas to come to the United States in 21 years.