An Interstellar Wanderer Is Coming Our Way

FromShort Wave

Start listening View podcast show

An Interstellar Wanderer Is Coming Our Way

FromShort Wave

ratings:

Length:

11 minutes

Released:

Dec 3, 2019

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

Comet 2I/Borisov will reach its closest approach to the sun on December 8, 2019. We talk to planetary astronomer Michele Bannister about where the heck this comet came from, and what it tells us about our galaxy. Follow Maddie on Twitter — she's @maddie_sofia. And email the show at shortwave@npr.org.

Released:

Dec 3, 2019

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

New discoveries, everyday mysteries, and the science behind the headlines — all in about 10 minutes, every weekday. It's science for everyone, using a lot of creativity and a little humor. Join host Maddie Sofia for science on a different wavelength.

Skip carousel

Finally, An All-Female Spacewalk: We hear from NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir. They completed the first all-female spacewalk last week. by Short Wave
12 min listen
Introducing Short Wave: Short Wave, NPR's new daily science podcast, starts October 15th. Join host Maddie Sofia, Monday through Friday. Subscribe now. by Short Wave
2 min listen
The Squishy Science Behind ASMR: A trend for some is a sensory pleasure-trigger for others. by Short Wave
11 min listen
When A Listener Calls...: Why do some people seek out scary experiences? Turns out, some of us may be more wired to crave the thrill. by Short Wave
11 min listen
Logging 'The Lungs' of North America: The Trump administration wants to eliminate a ban on logging in the Tongass National Forest. We talk to an Alaskan worried about the future of the largest U.S. rainforest. by Short Wave
10 min listen
Meet Two MacArthur 'Genius Grant' Scientists: The MacArthur Foundation "genius grant" winners were announced this fall. Meet two who study oceans. by Short Wave
11 min listen
Adversarial AI: University and military researchers are studying how attackers could hack into AI systems by exploiting how these systems learn. It's known as "adversarial AI." by Short Wave
10 min listen
The Zombies That Walk Among Us: Ed Yong, science reporter for The Atlantic, creeps us out with real zombies of the animal kingdom. by Short Wave
10 min listen
An Eyewitness to Extinction: When Karen Lips started studying frogs in Central America as a grad student, she had no idea she'd have a front-row seat to a catastrophic animal die-off. by Short Wave
9 min listen
What We Know (And Don't) About The Dangers Of Vaping: Amid an outbreak of lung injury cases, there's a new spotlight on vaping. by Short Wave
10 min listen
Seen Any Nazi Uranium? These Researchers Want To Know: Nazi Germany tried to build a nuclear reactor. How evidence of that effort was almost lost to history. by Short Wave
13 min listen
You Asked About The Flu: How can you tell if you have the flu or a cold? Why does your arm hurt after a flu shot? Can getting the shot give you the flu? We answer your flu-related listener questions. by Short Wave
11 min listen
Crows Don't Forget: We learn some crow facts and leave it to you — do crows deserve their creepy reputation? by Short Wave
9 min listen
Kicking The Habit With 'Shrooms: How could a magic mushroom trip help people beat addiction? We talk to a patient who used a chemical in 'shrooms to help her quit smoking. by Short Wave
10 min listen
A Star In Orion Is Dimming. Is It About To Explode?: Scientists might pop champagne if they see signs of a supernova in the sky. by Short Wave
11 min listen
Life After Whale Death: What happens after a whale dies? Their carcasses, known as "whale falls," provide a sudden, concentrated source of food for organisms in the deep sea. by Short Wave
10 min listen
Most U.S. Dairy Cows Come From 2 Bulls. That's Not Good.: Why it's a problem that cows are so genetically similar, and what scientists are trying to do about it. by Short Wave
9 min listen
Randall Munroe's Absurd Science For Real-World Problems: The cartoonist behind the popular Internet comic <em>xkcd </em>has a new book called <em>How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems.</em> by Short Wave
10 min listen
Exploring The Rainforest With 'TreeTop Barbie': Pioneering ecologist Nalini Nadkarni takes us up into the canopy — the area above the forest floor — where she helped research and document this unexplored ecosystem. by Short Wave
13 min listen
Does Your Dog REALLY Love You?: Science says it's not just about food. by Short Wave
11 min listen
Uganda's Solution For Treating Extreme Pain: Uganda has come up with a low-tech solution to treat patients in a lot of pain: drinkable liquid morphine. Nurith Aizenman tell us how this model works. by Short Wave
11 min listen
Saving Water One Flush At A Time: Moving human waste more efficiently down a toilet bowl could be one solution for reducing water consumption. For World Toilet Day, we bring you an episode full of toilet science. by Short Wave
10 min listen
SpaceX's Satellite Swarm: Could It Hurt Astronomy?: Why some scientists are concerned that heavy satellite traffic could permanently alter their ability to observe the night sky. by Short Wave
12 min listen
Is CBD Safe? The FDA Can't Say: A look at CBD and a new set of warnings from the Food and Drug Administration by Short Wave
11 min listen
Bye Bye, Bei Bei: Giant Panda Heads to China: The Smithsonian's National Zoo is bidding farewell to Bei Bei. The 4-year-old giant panda will be sent to China on Tuesday, Nov. 19. by Short Wave
11 min listen
Happy Thanksgiving!: Gobble gobble. by Short Wave
2 min listen
The CDC, Its 'F-Word' (Firearms) & Suicide Prevention: How the agency's reluctance to mention guns hinders suicide prevention. by Short Wave
10 min listen
The U.S. Wants Out Of The Paris Agreement: It's official. The U.S. has notified the United Nations it wants to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, the global accord to fight climate change. by Short Wave
9 min listen
That Revolutionary Gene-Editing Experiment? So Far So Good.: Gene-edited 'supercells' appear to be making progress. by Short Wave
13 min listen
Wildfire Season Is Here To Stay: Californians face a terrible new normal as wildfire season grows longer and more intense. We explore three key factors at the heart of the state's high wildfire risk. by Short Wave
9 min listen

More Episodes from Short Wave

Skip carousel

What are sperm whales saying? Researchers find a complex 'alphabet' by Short Wave
14 min listen
Scientists Reveal Mysterious Origin of Baobab Trees, Rafiki's Home in 'The Lion King' by Short Wave
9 min listen
Climate Change Is Coming For Your Chocolate by Short Wave
13 min listen
How AI Is Cracking The Biology Code by Short Wave
14 min listen
NEWS: NOAA Issues First Severe Geomagnetic Storm Watch Since 2005 by Short Wave
13 min listen
How Autism Can Look Very Different, Even in Identical Twins by Short Wave
11 min listen
The Wonderous World Of Nudibranchs by Short Wave
12 min listen
'Stealing The Past': A Spat Between Twins Leads To A Theory Of Disputed Memories by Short Wave
13 min listen
Deer Are Expanding North. That Could Hurt Some Species Like Boreal Caribou by Short Wave
9 min listen
The Mysterious "Great Attractor" Pulling Our Galaxy Off Course by Short Wave
13 min listen
How The New Catan Board Game Can Spark Conversations On Climate Change by Short Wave
12 min listen
10 Years After Flint, The Fight To Replace Lead Pipes Continues by Short Wave
13 min listen
Beavers Can Help With Climate Change. So How Do We Get Along? by Short Wave
14 min listen
Sustainable Seafood Is All Around You — If You Know Where To Look by Short Wave
14 min listen
An 11-Year-old Unearthed Fossils Of The Largest Known Marine Reptile by Short Wave
9 min listen
The Nightmarish Worm That Lived 25 Million Years Longer Than Researchers Thought by Short Wave
13 min listen
How The Brain Experiences Pleasure — Even The Kind That Makes Us Feel Guilty by Short Wave
14 min listen
What To Know About The New EPA Rule Limiting 'Forever Chemicals' In Tap Water by Short Wave
13 min listen
The Order Your Siblings Were Born in May Play a Role in Identity and Sexuality by Short Wave
12 min listen
How Climate Change And Physics Affect Baseball by Short Wave
12 min listen
The "Barcodes" Powering These Tiny Songbirds' Memories May Also Help Human Memory by Short Wave
9 min listen
How To Make The Most Of Next Week's Solar Eclipse by Short Wave
13 min listen
The Two Sides Of Guyana: A Green Champion And An Oil Producer by Short Wave
16 min listen
The Shy Rodents Lost To Science by Short Wave
13 min listen
Shots Are Scary. But They Don't Have To Be. by Short Wave
13 min listen
What's It Like To Live In Space? One Astronaut Says It Changes Her Dreams by Short Wave
12 min listen
The Evolutionary Mystery Of Menopause ... In Whales by Short Wave
10 min listen
Syphilis Cases Are Rising In Babies. Illinois Has A Potential Solution by Short Wave
13 min listen
A Tale Of Two Bengali Physicists by Short Wave
13 min listen
Are We On The Brink Of A Nuclear Fusion Breakthrough? by Short Wave
13 min listen

Related podcast episodes

Skip carousel

The Zombies That Walk Among Us: Ed Yong, science reporter for The Atlantic, creeps us out with real zombies of the animal kingdom. by Short Wave
10 min listen
And The Winner Is...Science!: Over the summer, Camille Schrier competed in Miss Virginia and won with a "talent" that caught our attention. It put her love of science center stage. by Short Wave
10 min listen
Sci-Fi Movies Of The Decade (Sort Of): Talking sci-fi films with astrophysicist (and movie fan) Adam Frank. by Short Wave
12 min listen
Where The 2020 Democrats Stand On Climate Change: A Short Wave guide (with some help from our friends at NPR Politics) to where the top-tier Democratic candidates stand on climate change and the environment. by Short Wave
11 min listen
A Polar Expedition To The Top Of The World: Part 2: Reporter Ravenna Koenig was along for the journey. by Short Wave
12 min listen
A Polar Expedition To The Top Of The World: Part 1: Physicists, chemists and biologists are all working to understand more about why Arctic ice is diminishing, and what it means for the planet. by Short Wave
11 min listen
Mighty Mice Return From Space: How the mighty mice got their muscles and what it could mean for helping humans. by Short Wave
11 min listen
The Decade In Science: It's a long time for a short podcast, but we tried! by Short Wave
11 min listen
Sepsis Is A Global Killer. Can Vitamin C Be The Cure?: Sepsis can be fatal. There is no cure for the condition. Then in 2017, a doctor proposed a novel treatment that included Vitamin C. It's divided scientists from around the world. by Short Wave
11 min listen
An Eyewitness to Extinction: When Karen Lips started studying frogs in Central America as a grad student, she had no idea she'd have a front-row seat to a catastrophic animal die-off. by Short Wave
9 min listen
Short Wave Presents: Life Kit's Tips To Prepare For The Coronavirus: Here's what you need to know to prepare for and prevent the spread of the coronavirus — from our friends over at NPR's Life Kit. by Short Wave
16 min listen
From Stream To Sky, Two Key Rollbacks Under The Trump Administration: The thrilling crossroads where science and government intersect: regulations. We promise, it's going to be good. by Short Wave
13 min listen
Getting Closer To The Sun Than Ever Before: A look at some potential answers to one of the biggest mysteries surrounding the sun. by Short Wave
10 min listen
Australia's Next Danger: Mudslides: Predicting landslides used to be impossible. New tools are making it easier — giving scientists ways to analyze the factors that could trigger them, from soil type to rainfall. by Short Wave
10 min listen
Invasive Species: We Asked, You Answered: So many critters and plants in places they should not be. by Short Wave
12 min listen
A Short Wave Guide To Good — And Bad — TV Forensics: Forensic chemist Raychelle Burks shares the crime shows she loves to watch, and how to know whether or not they're getting the science right. by Short Wave
12 min listen
When The Tides Keep Getting Higher: Rising sea levels are creating higher tides, and coastal communities are asking tough questions about whether or not they can keep up. by Short Wave
10 min listen
In Mozambique, Meteorologists Can't Keep Up With Climate Change: Countries with less money, like Mozambique, have to rely on weather data from weather countries. This can be a matter of life or death as weather becomes more variable and extreme. by Short Wave
12 min listen
The First African American Face Transplant: Robert Chelsea is the first African American to receive a full face transplant. We talk to him and Time staff writer Jamie Ducharme, who followed his journey. by Short Wave
12 min listen
A Coronavirus Listener Q&A Episode: How does the coronavirus spread? Does wearing a face mask help? Why is the virus getting so much media coverage? We answer your coronavirus-related questions. by Short Wave
12 min listen
As Coronavirus Spreads, Racism And Xenophobia Are Too: NPR's Gene Demby says the harassment of Asians and Asian Americans as the coronavirus spreads is part of a longer history of xenophobia and racism in the name of public health. by Short Wave
13 min listen
Discovering 'Stormquakes': The accidental discovery that certain storms can cause earthquakes. by Short Wave
12 min listen
Vaccines, Misinformation, And The Internet (Part 1): Pediatrician Nicole Baldwin posted a video promoting vaccines on TikTok. When it went viral, a group of anti-vaccine activists targeted and harassed her. by Short Wave
13 min listen
Animal Slander! - "Blind As A Bat" And "Memory Of A Goldfish": Host Maddie Sofia and reporter Emily Kwong evaluate what truth there is to the popular phrases "blind as a bat" and "memory of a goldfish." by Short Wave
10 min listen
The Science Behind Whakaari/White Island's Eruption: Volcanologist Alison Graettinger explains the science behind a hydrothermal eruption and why they can be especially difficult to predict. by Short Wave
11 min listen
A Decade of Dzud: Lessons From Mongolia's Deadly Winters: Mongolia has a many-thousand year history of herding livestock. But an increasingly frequent natural disaster called "dzud" has been impacting livestock. by Short Wave
9 min listen
What's Behind Australia's Historic Fires: It's a story about climate change, ecology, and politics. by Short Wave
11 min listen
A Star In Orion Is Dimming. Is It About To Explode?: Scientists might pop champagne if they see signs of a supernova in the sky. by Short Wave
11 min listen
Archaeology...From Space: A view from above helps solve one of the biggest challenges in archaeology: where to start digging. by Short Wave
11 min listen
Freshwater Mussels Are Dying And No One Knows Why: The unsolved mystery surrounding a freshwater mussel die-off, the team racing to figure it out, and what it means for the health of our streams and rivers. by Short Wave
11 min listen

Discover this podcast and so much more

An Interstellar Wanderer Is Coming Our Way

An Interstellar Wanderer Is Coming Our Way

Description

Titles in the series (100)

More Episodes from Short Wave

Related podcast episodes