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Regina G. Barber Regina G. Barber is a co-host of Short Wave.
Regina Barber, photographed for NPR, 6 June 2022, in Washington DC. Photo by Farrah Skeiky for NPR.
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Regina G. Barber

Monday

How shooting lasers into the sky could help deflect lightning
Valery Hache/AFP via Getty Images

Short Wave

How shooting lasers into the sky could help deflect lightning

Every year, lightning is estimated to cause up to 24,000 deaths globally. It starts forest fires, burns buildings and crops, and causes disruptive power outages. The best, most practical technology available to deflect lightning is the simple lightning rod, created by Benjamin Franklin more than 250 years ago. But lightning rods protect only a very limited area proportional to their height. In today's encore episode, we explore why a group of European researchers are hoping the 21 century upgrade is a high-powered laser. Plus: Regina makes incremental progress on conquering her irrational fear of lightning.

How shooting lasers into the sky could help deflect lightning

Listen · 12:21
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Friday

When tiny, invasive ants go marching in ... and alter an ecosystem

An invasion of big-headed ants has changed the landscape at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Laikipia, Kenya. Elephants wander a landscape that has fewer trees and more open grasslands. Brandon Hays hide caption

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Brandon Hays

Short Wave

When tiny, invasive ants go marching in ... and alter an ecosystem

At the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, a wildlife preserve in central Kenya, lions and cheetahs mingle with zebras and elephants across many miles of savannah – grasslands with "whistling thorn" acacia trees dotting the landscape here and there. Twenty years ago, the savanna was littered with them. Then came invasive big-headed ants that killed native ants — and left the acacia trees vulnerable. Over time, elephants have knocked down many of the trees. That has altered the landscape — and the diets of other animals in the local food web.

When tiny, invasive ants go marching in ... and alter an ecosystem

Listen · 9:15
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Thursday

Science

This week in science: Invasive ants, ancient chewing gum, and return of the cicadas

NPR's Juana Summers talks with Regina Barber and Pien Huang of Short Wave about a double emergence of cicadas this spring, invasive ants in Kenya, and the secrets in an ancient wad of chewing gum.

This week in science: Invasive ants, ancient chewing gum, and return of the cicadas

Listen · 8:15
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Monday

This wild African bird comes when it's called—and then leads you to honey

A male Greater Honeyguide in Mozambique's Niassa Special Reserve. Claire Spottiswoode hide caption

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Claire Spottiswoode

Short Wave

This wild African bird comes when it's called—and then leads you to honey

Honeyguides are wild birds that team up with humans and then lead them to honey. Researchers recently found that the calls these birds respond to are unique and tied to their location. NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce talks about this relationship and shares how researchers followed honeyguides to learn about their call behaviors.

This wild African bird comes when it's called—and then leads you to honey

Listen · 13:03
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Friday

After domestic abuse ends, the effects of brain injuries can persist
Willie B. Thomas/Getty Images

Short Wave

After domestic abuse ends, the effects of brain injuries can persist

At least one in four women — and a much smaller proportion of men — experiences intimate partner violence in their lifetime. For people in violent relationships, brain injuries are unfortunately common. But little is known about what exactly happens inside the brains of people dealing with domestic violence — and how these kinds of traumatic brain injuries may be different from those that come out of contact sports like football. Host Regina G. Barber talks with NPR brain correspondent Jon Hamilton about new research on the connection between domestic violence and traumatic brain injuries – and what makes these injuries unique.

After domestic abuse ends, the effects of brain injuries can persist

Listen · 11:27
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Wednesday

It's respiratory virus season. Here's what to know about the winter 'tripledemic'
Damien Meyer/AFP via Getty Images

Short Wave

It's respiratory virus season. Here's what to know about the winter 'tripledemic'

Winter is upon us – and with the holiday travel and time spent indoors comes a triple threat of respiratory diseases: RSV, flu and COVID-19. Most of the country has been experiencing high or very high respiratory virus levels, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It's respiratory virus season. Here's what to know about the winter 'tripledemic'

Listen · 10:59
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Monday

Our lives are ruled by the illusion of time

Far from the Earth, time gets extremely weird. Black holes can cause it to stretch and even break down entirely. NASA/JPL-Caltech hide caption

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NASA/JPL-Caltech

Short Wave

Our lives are ruled by the illusion of time

Time is a concept so central to our daily lives. Yet, the closer scientists look at it, the more it seems to fall apart. Time ticks by differently at sea level than it does on a mountaintop. The universe's expansion slows time's passage. "And some scientists think time might not even be 'real' — or at least not fundamental," says NPR science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel. In this encore episode, Geoff joins Short Wave Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber to bend our brains with his learnings about the true nature of time. Along the way, we visit the atomic clocks at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, consider distant exploding stars and parse the remains of subatomic collisions.

Our lives are ruled by the illusion of time

Listen · 13:45
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Saturday

Body Electric: The Body Across The Ages
Daniel Hertzberg

Short Wave

Body Electric: The Body Across The Ages

If you work at home or in an office, you might spend a lot of your day sitting down and staring at a computer screen. That can have lots of negative effects – but it's hard to carve out significant time in the day to counteract that.

Body Electric: The Body Across The Ages

Listen · 12:05
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Friday

Odd radio circles are glowing around some galaxies. Now we know why

Researchers have recently uncovered what caused at least one very large "odd radio circle" in space. CSIRO / Jayanne English using data from MeerKAT and the Dark Energy Survey, 2022 hide caption

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CSIRO / Jayanne English using data from MeerKAT and the Dark Energy Survey, 2022

Short Wave

Odd radio circles are glowing around some galaxies. Now we know why

Since they were discovered in 2019, strange, glowing circles of light in space have mystified researchers. Now called odd radio circles, or ORCs, these rings of light sit in the radio portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. They pulse out of the centers of some galaxies – and until now, no one knew why.

Odd radio circles are glowing around some galaxies. Now we know why

Listen · 9:20
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Thursday

Science

This week in science: A moon mission, galaxy radio waves and tracking fishing boats

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Regina Barber and Geoff Brumfiel of Short Wave about a new moon mission, a global map of fishing ships, and mysterious rings of radio waves.

This week in science: A moon mission, galaxy radio waves and tracking fishing boats

Listen · 8:15
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Wednesday

Preserving our humanity in the age of robots

Deployable care robots from the company BeckerRobotics are called JAIme (l), Yanny (m) and Pepper. The robots usually still need a human at their side. dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images hide caption

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dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images

Short Wave

Preserving our humanity in the age of robots

Human beings are hardwired for social connection – so much so that we think of even the most basic objects as having feelings or experiences. (Yup, we're talking to you, Roomba owners!) Social robots add a layer to this. They're designed to make us feel like they're our friends. They can do things like care for children, the elderly or act as partners. But there's a darker side to them, too. They may encourage us to opt out of authentic, real-life connections, making us feel more isolated.

Preserving our humanity in the age of robots

Listen · 14:21
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Monday

Winter storm brings snow to the East Coast. But what's in a snowflake?

The largest snow crystal ever photographed, according to scientist Kenneth Libbrecht. It measures 10 mm from tip to tip. Kenneth Libbrecht hide caption

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Kenneth Libbrecht

Short Wave

Winter storm brings snow to the East Coast. But what's in a snowflake?

A winter storm brought heavy rain and snow to parts of the East Coast this weekend, which got us thinking about snowflakes. Those intricate, whimsical crystals are a staple of magical wintry scenes, but how big can they really get? Well, according to the Guinness World Record keepers, the "largest snowflake" ever recorded was a whopping 15 inches in diameter. It was spotted near Missoula, Montana in 1887. But Kenneth Libbrecht, a physicist at Caltech, has long been skeptical of that record. So he set out to find what makes a snowflake a snowflake and whether that 1887 record is scientifically possible. You can read more about what he discovered here.

Winter storm brings snow to the East Coast. But what's in a snowflake?

Listen · 11:00
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Wednesday

Why big numbers break our brains

Human brains aren't built to comprehend large numbers, like the national debt or how much to save for retirement. But with a few tools — analogies, metaphors and visualizations — we can get better at it. erhui1979/Getty Images hide caption

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erhui1979/Getty Images

Short Wave

Why big numbers break our brains

In celebration of our 1000th episode, we're wrapping our heads around big numbers. Educational neuroscientist Elizabeth Toomarian talks about why humans' evolutionarily-old brains are so bad at comprehending large quantities–like the national debt and the size of the universe–and how to better equip ourselves to understand important issues like our finances and the impacts of climate change.

Why big numbers break our brains

Listen · 11:34
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Monday

Drinking turns some red with Asian Glow—and may fight diseases like tuberculosis
Oscar Wong/Getty Images

Short Wave

Drinking turns some red with Asian Glow—and may fight diseases like tuberculosis

Ever gotten a scarlet, hot face after drinking? Or know someone who has? Many people felt it as they ring in the New Year with champagne toasts. That's because this condition, commonly called "Asian flush" or "Asian glow," affects an estimated half a BILLION people, who can't break down aldehyde toxins that build up in their bodies. But what if there's a benefit to having Asian glow?

Drinking turns some red with Asian Glow—and may fight diseases like tuberculosis

Listen · 13:40
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Sunday

Checking your 2024 horoscope? Astronomy explains why your sign might have changed

Some of the constellations that are visible from the Northern Hemisphere at different times of the year. NASA/JPL-Caltech hide caption

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NASA/JPL-Caltech

Space

Checking your 2024 horoscope? Astronomy explains why your sign might have changed

Our view of the constellations has changed since they were first mapped thousands of years ago. That new perspective could also mess with your astrological horoscope in the new year.

Checking your 2024 horoscope? Astronomy explains why your sign might have changed

Listen · 3:36
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