Category: ScienceNews

Microalgae are tiny organisms that convert energy from sunlight into fuel. The arctic ecosystem depends on them. In springtime, the algae bloom brilliant shades of green and draw tiny crustaceans, fish, birds and more to arctic waters. But what happens in wintertime, when the sun goes down and darkness reins for months? In the depths of the polar night, biogeochemist Clara Hoppe has found evidence that some microalgae are still ready to photosynthesize. Today on the show: how tiny microalgae limbo for their lives and come out more powerful than scientists ever imagined.

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Baseball season is nigh! From Yankee stadium in New York to Dodger stadium in Los Angeles, teams around the country will face off Thursday to mark the start of the 2025 MLB season. And when we here at Short Wave think of baseball, we naturally think of physics. To get the inside scoop on the physics of baseball, like how to hit a home run, we talk to Frederic Bertley, CEO and President of the Center of Science and Industry, a science museum in Columbus, Ohio. In this encore episode, he also talks to host Regina G. Barber about how climate change is affecting the game.

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Early in the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists predicted the SARS-CoV-2 virus would mutate slowly. They were wrong. Hundreds of thousands of viral mutations and multiple seasonal waves later, we now know why. The answer changes researchers' understanding of viral evolution — and it could help predict the evolution of other viruses in the future. Emily talks about it all with Sarah Zhang, a health writer for The Atlantic.

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The National Institutes of Health has terminated dozens of grants for scientific research projects related to vaccine use and hesitancy, informing researchers that their studies no longer aligned with the Trump administration’s priorities. Ali Rogin speaks with Sophia Newcomer, one of the researchers whose grant was cancelled, whose work focuses on health care access in rural communities. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Are food allergies higher in the West than the East? UK-based listener Jude wants to know the answer. Her daughter-in-law Min didn’t know anyone with food allergies when she was growing up in South Korea and thinks that they’re not so common there.

Host Alex Lathbridge investigates. Along the way, he finds out what makes us sensitive to food allergies and how much that depends on our environment. He volunteers to have an allergy test, learns what triggers food allergies and tries to discover what lies behind their increase around the world.

Alex talks to some of the leading experts on food allergies in search for an answer to our listener’s question: Paul Turner breaks down what happens in our bodies when we have an allergic reaction; Jennifer Koplin explains why Australia tops the league table for food allergies and Michael Levin reveals what he found out in his ground-breaking research in South Africa comparing urban and rural populations. We also hear from Hana Ayoob, who grew up in Singapore and the UK, who describes what it’s like to suffer from multiple food allergies and describes the difference in cultural attitudes. Finally, we turn to Sooyoung Lee in South Korea to see if our listeners are right about the difference in rates for food allergies between East and West.

Presenter: Alex Lathbridge Producer: Jo Glanville Editor: Cathy Edwards Production Co-ordinator: Ishmael Soriano Studio Manager: Duncan Hannant

(Image: Young Asian father with cute little daughter grocery shopping for dairy products in supermarket Credit: d3sign via Getty Images)

Five years ago, people around the world were enduring COVID lockdowns as we attempted to prevent the spread of the virus. Today, many of those who caught COVID-19 are still suffering from lingering symptoms, including a loss of their sense of smell. And that got the Unexpected Elements team thinking about all things olfactory.

First up, hold your noses as we investigate the two chemicals that make up the scent of death.

Next, are you prone to telling lies? Well, research suggests that your nose might give you away!

We then turn our attention to the cinema to find out more about the chemicals you release during a scary film.

We’re also joined by chemist Professor Matija Strlic, who reveals how he can detect aromas in ancient Egyptian mummies and – crucially – tells us why he wants to do this.

That, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenters: Marnie Chesterton, with Kai Kupferschmidt and Affelia Wibisono Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with William Hornbrook, Debbie Kilbride, Imaan Moin and Noa Dowling

Ever diagnosed yourself with a mental health disorder based on a TikTok video? If so, you're not alone. "I personally don't think that there's anything more human than wanting to understand yourself and wanting to understand your own experiences," says Vasileia Karasavva. Vasileia is the lead author of a paper published Wednesday in the journal PLOS One that gets into why this kind of self-diagnosis can be such a double-edged sword.

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There is continued upheaval in US scientific institutions under the new Trump administration. This week $400 million dollars-worth of grants have been frozen at Columbia University in response to “illegal” protests on the campus. President Trump also recently accused the Biden Administration of spending $8 million dollars on "transgender mice" experiments. We talk to two scientists, Kelton Minor and Patricia Silveyra, who have been affected in different ways.

Also, as the first data from the European Space Agency's Euclid mission is released, Euclid project leader Valeria Pettorino tells us how this impressive space telescope hopes to unlock the secrets of the dark universe.

And, around this time last year we heard about the H5N1 strain of bird flu finally jumping to the Antarctica Peninsula. Today, an expedition led by virologist Antonio Alcami confirms that the virus has spread to every animal species at each site they visited.

Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Ella Hubber Production co-ordinator: Jana Holesworth and Josie Hardy

(Photo: University of Minnesota researchers, scientists and other supporters protest against President Donald Trump's proposed scientific research funding cuts. Credit: Michael Siluk/Getty Images)

Ever scan the ingredient list of your favorite personal care products like shampoos or lotions and think, what are these complicated chemicals? And are any of them bad for me? We definitely have. And our colleagues at NPR's Life Kit did one step better: They parlayed their anxiety spiral into a helpful guide on the safety of personal care products. So today, Gina talks to Life Kit's Marielle Segarra about some of the top chemicals of concern, including parabens and phthalates.

Click here to hear the full Life Kit guide — including how to audit your go-to products.

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Measles is one of the most contagious infectious diseases known to science – more contagious than Ebola, smallpox or COVID-19. Declining vaccination rates over the past few years, plus a recent outbreak in West Texas, have public health experts concerned. Here's what to know about the science of this virus — plus how to protect against it. For the latest, host Regina G. Barber talks to NPR health correspondent Maria Godoy.

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