Science

Iris, whose webcam has 20,000+ followers, has hatched chicks for the first time in five years. She's one of the worlds oldest known osprey, age 28, despite feeding from a giant superfund site.

The brain appears to rely on synchronized waves to wash out waste products, including toxins associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Cicadas are the song of the summer, but this year’s large broods may be especially irritating for people on the autism spectrum who have hearing sensitivity.

Meet the dogs who just finished the ATF's canine training program. ATF dogs have supported major events like the Super Bowl and are also used in the bread-and-butter of ATF's work: solving gun crimes.

Humans are hardwired to see faces — even in inanimate objects. We have a lima bean-shaped part of our brains dedicated to facial recognition. But this process isn't always straightforward. Science journalist Sadie Dingfelder is one of 10 million Americans who are face blind, or struggle to recognize the faces of people they know. In her new book, Do I Know You? she dives into this, as well as the science of memory and imagination.

Want more episodes on the wonder of the human brain? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

This summer, scientists have their eyes and telescopes trained on the small constellation system T Coronae Borealis. They think it will explode as part of a periodic nova — a once-in-a-lifetime event according to NASA scientists. And so, with the help of astrophysicist Sarafina El-Badry Nance, we continue our journey farther and deeper into spacetime with a look at the stars: How they're born and how they die. Sarafina has always been drawn to one particular star: Betelgeuse, a red supergiant in the shoulder of the constellation Orion that is nearing the end of its life. What stages of life did Betelgeuse — or any star — go through before it reached this moment?

This episode is part of our series Space Camp — all abut the weird, wonderful phenomena in our universe. Check it out here: https://npr.org/spacecamp

Curious about the night sky? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear from you!