Short Wave

A failed galaxy could solve the dark matter mystery

Cloud 9 is a failed galaxy. It’s a clump of dark matter, called a dark matter halo, that never formed stars. But this failure could be the key to a mystery almost as old as the universe itself: dark matter. Scientists don’t know what dark matter is, but Cloud 9 could offer new clues. Three researchers weigh in on this new discovery and why it could be a missing piece to the story on how the universe formed. Check out our episode with astrophysicist Jorge Moreno on the mysterious Great Attractor [https://www.npr.org/2024/05/01/1198909922/great-attractor-universe-laniakea-milky-way-galaxy] and our summer series on space [https://www.npr.org/series/g-s1-3299/short-wave-space-camp].  Have a scientific question you want us to answer? Email us at shortwave@npr.org [shortwave@npr.org]. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices] NPR Privacy Policy [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]

Is ‘The Pitt’ accurate? Medical experts weigh in

Medical drama The Pitt [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31938062/] is winning Golden Globes… and health care workers’ hearts. Medical experts say the show, which chronicles a fictional Pittsburgh hospital emergency department, is perhaps the most medically accurate show that’s ever been created. But what about The Pitt makes it so accurate… and does the second season hold up as well as the first? Stanford Global Health Media Fellow (and fourth-year medical school student) Michal Ruprecht [https://www.npr.org/people/g-s1-75872/michal-ruprecht] joins Short Wave to discuss. Have a question about YOUR favorite show and whether science supports it? Email us at shortwave@npr.org [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 [http://plus.npr.org/shortwave]. This episode was produced by Hannah Chinn. It was edited by Rebecca Ramirez. Tyler Jones checked the facts. The audio engineer was Maggie Luthar. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices] NPR Privacy Policy [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]

Come critter spotting with us on a cold winter's night

In today's episode, host Emily Kwong leads us on a night hike in Patuxent River State Park in Maryland. Alongside a group of naturalists led by Serenella Linares, we'll meet a variety of species with unique survival quirks and wintertime adaptations. We'll search out lichen that change color under UV light and flip over a wet log to track a salamander keeping warm under wet leaves. Emily may even meet the bioluminescent mushrooms of her dreams. Plus, we talk about community events to get outside, such as the City Nature Challenge and Great American Campout. Do you have a question about changes in your local environment? Email a recording of your question to shortwave@npr.org [shortwave@npr.org] — we may investigate it as part of an upcoming Nature Quest segment! 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 [http://plus.npr.org/shortwave]. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices] NPR Privacy Policy [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]

10 breakthrough technologies to expect in 2026

Wanna know where tech is headed this year? MIT Technology Review has answers. They compile an annual list called "10 Breakthrough Technologies [https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/01/12/1130697/10-breakthrough-technologies-2026/]". Today, host Regina G. Barber [https://www.npr.org/people/1082526815/regina-g-barber] speaks with executive editor Amy Nordrum [http://www.amynordrum.com/] about the list, and they get into everything from commercial space stations and base-edited babies to batteries that could make electric vehicles even more green. We also do a lightning round of honorable mentions you won't want to miss out on! Check out the full list from MIT Technology Review [https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/01/12/1130697/10-breakthrough-technologies-2026]. Interested in more science? Check out our episode on last year’s top 10 technologies [https://www.npr.org/2025/01/31/1228085791/ai-artificial-intelligence-mit-cows-methane] to watch and our episode on building structures in space [https://www.npr.org/2025/12/16/nx-s1-5608226/could-architecture-in-space-make-a-greener-earth]. Email us your questions at shortwave@npr.org [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 [http://plus.npr.org/shortwave]. This episode was produced by Berly McCoy. It was edited and fact-checked by Rebecca Ramirez. The audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices] NPR Privacy Policy [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]

When is your brain actually an "adult"?

There’s this idea that something happens in the human brain when we turn 25. Suddenly, we can rent a car without fees. Make rational decisions. We may even regret some of our past… indiscretions. All because we’re developed…right? Well, a recent paper in the journal Nature [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-65974-8] suggests that may not be the case. Neuroscientists found four distinct turning points in brain development across the human lifespan – and that the brain may be in its “adolescent” phase until about the age of 32.  Interested in more of the science inside your brain? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org [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 [http://plus.npr.org/shortwave]. This episode was produced by Rachel Carlson. It was edited by Rebecca Ramirez. Tyler Jones checked the facts. The audio engineer was Kwesi Lee. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices] NPR Privacy Policy [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]