Engineers have a new theory on how Egypt's first pyramid was built
A new study theorizes that ancient Egyptians constructed the world's first pyramid using much more advanced technology than some Egyptologists believe.
Science
Cool off like an Olympian: Here's how athletes cope with intense heat
Over the next week, forecasts project extreme heat across much of the South, Midwest and parts of the West. So, this episode, health correspondent Pien Huang helps us take heat training cues from Olympians, many of whom spent weeks preparing for a sweltering Paris Olympics, by training in the heat to get their bodies used to hot, humid weather. But heat training is not just for competitive athletes. It's recommended for people in the military and those who work outdoors in hot weather — and it could even be useful for generally healthy members of the public. Plus, we get into some important caveats about who is best positioned to heat train — and why doing so doesn't minimize the problems of a warming climate.
Check out more of Pien's reporting on heat training.
And, if you liked this episode, consider checking out our episodes on the dew point, the power of sweat and coping with extreme heat.
Questions or ideas you want us to consider for a future episode? Email us at shortwave@npr.org. We'd love to hear from you!
Check out more of Pien's reporting on heat training.
And, if you liked this episode, consider checking out our episodes on the dew point, the power of sweat and coping with extreme heat.
Questions or ideas you want us to consider for a future episode? Email us at shortwave@npr.org. We'd love to hear from you!
The ant that's taken over Manhattan
A decade ago, a new ant showed up in NYC. Now, it's everywhere in the city and is spreading at a rate of about a mile a year. Scientists are trying to understand why this ant has been so successful.
What do you know about space? Take our Space Camp final exam to find out!
Put you knowledge of all things space to the test with these 10 questions — and then earn an official Short Wave badge with your name on it.
Mars and Jupiter pair up this week in a celestial dance unseen from Earth in years
The encounter is an out-of-this-world example of right place, right time — as Mars zips past Jupiter, Earth will be in the perfect spot to see the two planets look as if they are within arm's reach.
A study examined whether our individual morals change with the seasons
A researcher at the University of British Columbia has been looking into whether moral values can change with the seasons. Ian Hohm and his team examined five moral values including fairness and care.
What happens at the end of the universe?
Today, we're bringing you the final installment of our space summer series ... with the end ... of EVERYTHING. Will the universe end in a huge cosmic unraveling? A slow and lonely dissolution? Or a quantum-level transition that breaks the laws of physics? Theoretical astrophysicist Katie Mack breaks down three possible scenarios for how the universe as we know it will finally come to an end.
To celebrate the end of our Space Camp series, we also made a QUIZ! Check it out at npr.org/spacecamp.
Questions? Comments? Existential dread or excitement? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear from you!
To celebrate the end of our Space Camp series, we also made a QUIZ! Check it out at npr.org/spacecamp.
Questions? Comments? Existential dread or excitement? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear from you!
Earthquakes of the same magnitude can feel different. Here’s why
Distance from the epicenter, the kind of soil in your area and even the building you're in can determine how you experience an earthquake.
This scientist has a bat tat and earrings. She says there's a lot to learn from bats
Gliselle Marin joins the “Bat-a-thon,” a group of 80-some bat researchers who converge on Belize each year to study these winged mammals.
To save the grizzlies, scientists are thinking like bears
Grizzly bears in the contiguous United States have been taken off — then put back on — the endangered species list twice since they were first labeled as threatened almost 50 years ago. Now, the issue is on the table again. Today, we get into the complicated science behind grizzly recovery, how humans have sliced up their habitat and what it will take to stitch that habitat back together again.
Interested in more charismatic megafauna? Email shortwave@npr.org. We've love to consider covering your favorite on a future episode!
Interested in more charismatic megafauna? Email shortwave@npr.org. We've love to consider covering your favorite on a future episode!