NPR News: Would ketamine treatment help if you didn't know you got it?

Would ketamine treatment help if you didn't know you got it?
What if you could get all the potential benefits of ketamine without the "trip"? For part two of our series on psychedelics, we look at how some researchers are trying to disentangle the "trip" from the drugs' effects on the brain — and why the answer could help direct the future of psychedelic research. (Spoiler alert: People generally know if they're tripping or not.) This episode: a researcher navigating this challenge by putting his patients to sleep. Catch the rest of this series on psychedelics and related drugs this week by following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Have other questions about psychedelics and the brain? Let us know by emailing shortwave@npr.org!

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NPR News: Health secretary RFK Jr. endorses the MMR vaccine — stoking fury among his supporters

Health secretary RFK Jr. endorses the MMR vaccine — stoking fury among his supporters
Prominent anti-vaccine activists lined up on social media to denounce the move.

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Connected Learning Ecosystems: Educators Gather to Empower Learners and Themselves

Many educators would agree that despite working and communicating with dozens, even hundreds, of people each year, the role can feel isolating. Learners come and go, leaving educators to question: Was anything retained? Will they take this knowledge home? Will they share it at their after-school activities? How will it ultimately impact their lives and […]

April 07, 2025
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From FIRST Robotics to NASA Rockets: Angel Saenz’s Journey to White Sands

Long before joining NASA’s Test and Evaluation Support Team contract in October 2024, Angel Saenz was already an engineer at heart. A STEM education program at his high school helped unlock that passion, setting him on a path that would eventually lead to NASA’s White Sands Test Facility in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The program […]

April 07, 2025
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Gateway’s First Habitation Module Arrives Stateside

From the mountains of Turin to the deserts of Arizona, a core element of Gateway, humanity’s first lunar space station, is now one step closer to the Moon. As seen in this April 1, 2025, photo, HALO (Habitation and Logistics Outpost), Gateway’s first pressurized module and one of its foundational elements, recently arrived in Gilbert, […]

April 07, 2025
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NASA+ to Stream Nomination Hearing for Next Agency Administrator

Jared Isaacman is set to participate in a hearing to become the next NASA administrator at 10 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, April 9, before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. The nomination hearing will take place at Russell Senate Office Building in Washington. The agency will stream the hearing on NASA+, and […]

April 07, 2025
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Back to Earth, Forward to the Future: NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Returns

After months of groundbreaking research, exploration, and teamwork aboard the International Space Station, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 has returned to Earth.   NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, splashed down safely on March 18, 2025, as a pod of dolphins circled the Dragon spacecraft near Tallahassee, Florida.  […]

April 07, 2025
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NPR News: The (artificial intelligence) therapist can see you now

The (artificial intelligence) therapist can see you now
Many AI products claim to deliver mental health therapy, but with little quality control. But new research suggests with the right training, AI can be effective at helping people.

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NPR News: Why it's hard to study the neuroscience of psychedelics

Why it's hard to study the neuroscience of psychedelics
Researchers are studying psychedelics as a possible treatment for conditions like depression, PTSD and substance use disorders. But they don't know exactly how these drugs work. Getting the answer to this question is especially difficult when people often take psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin for the "trip." This week on Short Wave, we're talking to researchers about how they're trying to untangle the effects of this "trip" from the ways psychedelics might change the human brain ... and why the answer could help direct the future of psychedelic research. Catch the rest of this series on psychedelics and related drugs this week by following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Have other questions about psychedelics and the brain? Let us know by emailing shortwave@npr.org!

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NPR News: As honeybees die off again, some bee enthusiasts want to give mason bees a chance

As honeybees die off again, some bee enthusiasts want to give mason bees a chance
Honeybee populations are again declining, threatening crops. But the honeybee is not the only bee that can work in the fields.

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NPR News: Second child dies from measles-related causes in West Texas, where cases near 500

Second child dies from measles-related causes in West Texas, where cases near 500
A second school-aged child in West Texas has died from a measles-related illness, a hospital spokesman confirmed Sunday, as the outbreak continues to swell.

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NPR News: People are buying PPE for pets to protect dogs against volcanic ash in Alaska

People are buying PPE for pets to protect dogs against volcanic ash in Alaska
Mount Spurr in Alaska is likely to erupt soon. So people are buying goggles and masks to protect themselves from ash — and also pet versions to protect their dogs.

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NPR News: Got a dying plant? These tips could help you save it

Got a dying plant? These tips could help you save it
Here's what a few plant and gardening experts say it takes to save a dying plant.

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NPR News: The Mason bee has become the unsung hero of the honey bee population

The Mason bee has become the unsung hero of the honey bee population
Honey bee populations are again declining, threatening crops. NPR's Scott Simon talks to Dave Hunter, who raises the unsung hero of the orchard (and champion pollinator), the Mason bee.

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NASA Selects Finalist Teams for Student Human Lander Challenge

NASA has selected 12 student teams to develop solutions for storing and transferring the super-cold liquid propellants needed for future long-term exploration beyond Earth orbit. The agency’s 2025 Human Lander Challenge is designed to inspire and engage the next generation of engineers and scientists as NASA and its partners prepare to send astronauts to the […]

April 04, 2025
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NASA Welcomes Gateway Lunar Space Station’s HALO Module to US

From Italy to Arizona: Gateway’s first habitation module takes a major step on its path to launch.

April 04, 2025
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NPR News: Has a shelter pet changed your life? We want to hear about it

Has a shelter pet changed your life? We want to hear about it
National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day is on April 30. To celebrate, NPR wants to know how your pet has changed your life. We would also love to see photos of your purr-fect fur-ever friend.

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Hubble Studies a Nearby Galaxy’s Star Formation

This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features the picturesque spiral galaxy NGC 4941, which lies about 67 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Virgo (The Maiden). Because this galaxy is nearby, cosmically speaking, Hubble’s keen instruments are able to pick out exquisite details such as individual star clusters and filamentary clouds of gas and […]

April 04, 2025
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NPR News: Marathon runners' bodies have a surprising snack — their own brains

Marathon runners' bodies have a surprising snack — their own brains
Running an entire marathon takes a lot of energy. Neuroscientist Carlos Matute knows this: he's run 18 of them. He wondered how runners' bodies get the energy they need to make it to the finish line. His new research in the journal Nature Metabolism may be the first step in answering the question – and suggests their brains might be (temporarily) depleting a fatty substance that coats nerve cells called myelin. Have other questions about the brain? Let us know by emailing 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.

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NASA Supports Wildland Fire Technology Demonstration

Advancements in NASA’s airborne technology have made it possible to gather localized wind data and assess its impacts on smoke and fire behavior. This information could improve wildland fire decision making and enable operational agencies to better allocate firefighters and resources. A small team from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, is demonstrating […]

April 03, 2025
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NPR News: This week in science: running and the brain, fermented space food and bat navigation

This week in science: running and the brain, fermented space food and bat navigation
NPR's Short Wave brings us the stories of how running a marathon could change your brain, fermenting food in space, and the mystery of how bats in flight avoid colliding with each other.

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Sols 4498-4499: Flexing Our Arm Once Again

Written by Conor Hayes, Graduate Student at York University Earth planning date: Monday, March 31, 2025 Planning today began with two pieces of great news. First, our 50-meter drive (about 164 feet) from the weekend plan completed successfully, bringing us oh-so-close to finally driving out of the small canyon that we’ve been traversing through and […]

April 03, 2025
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NASA Astronaut Chris Williams Assigned to First Space Station Mission

NASA astronaut Chris Williams will embark on his first mission to the International Space Station, serving as a flight engineer and Expedition 74 crew member. Williams will launch aboard the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft in November, accompanied by Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev. After launching from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the trio […]

April 03, 2025
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Perseverance Rover Witnesses One Martian Dust Devil Eating Another

The six-wheeled explorer recently captured several Red Planet mini-twisters spinning on the rim of Jezero Crater. A Martian dust devil can be seen consuming a smaller one in this short video made of images taken by a navigation camera aboard NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover. These swirling, sometimes towering columns of air and dust are common […]

April 03, 2025
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La NASA aumenta su eficiencia con un piso modificado para el avión X-66

Read this story in English here. La NASA diseño unas tablas de piso temporales para el avión MD-90, que se utilizaran mientras el avión se transforma en el demostrador experimental X-66. Estas tablas de piso protegerán el piso original y agilizarán el proceso de modificación.   En apoyo al proyecto Demostrador de Vuelo Sostenible de la agencia, […]

April 03, 2025
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NASA Langley’s Legacy of Landing

Landing safely on the surface of another planetary body, like the Moon or Mars, is one of the most important milestones of any given space mission. From the very beginning, NASA’s Langley Research Center has been at the heart of the entry, descent and landing (EDL) research that enables our exploration. Today, NASA Langley’s legacy […]

April 03, 2025
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What Are the Dangers of Going to Space? We Asked a NASA Expert: Episode 55

What are the dangers of going to space? For human spaceflight, the first thing I think about is the astronauts actually strapping themselves to a rocket. And if that isn’t dangerous enough, once they launch and they’re out into space in deep exploration, we have to worry about radiation. Radiation is coming at them from […]

April 02, 2025
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NASA Sets Coverage for Crew Launch to Join Station Expedition 72/73

NASA astronaut Jonny Kim will launch aboard the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft to the International Space Station, accompanied by cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky, where they will join the Expedition 72/73 crew in advancing scientific research. Kim, Ryzhikov, and Zubritsky will lift off at 1:47 a.m. EDT Tuesday, April 8 (10:47 a.m. Baikonur time) […]

April 02, 2025
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X-ray Clues Reveal Destroyed Planet

This image of the Helix Nebula, released on March 4, 2025, shows a potentially destructive white dwarf at the nebula’s center: this star may have destroyed a planet. This has never been seen before – and could explain a mysterious X-ray signal that astronomers have detected from the nebula for over 40 years. This view combines X-rays […]

April 02, 2025
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NASA Continues Support for Private Astronaut Missions to Space Station

NASA is seeking proposals for two new private astronaut missions to the International Space Station, targeted for 2026 and 2027, as the agency continues its commitment to expanding access to space. These private missions enable American commercial companies to further develop capabilities and support a continuous human presence in low Earth orbit. “We are in […]

April 02, 2025
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NASA Research Examines the Multicellular Behavior of Unique Bacteria

In a recent study, NASA-supported researchers gained new insight into the lives of bacteria that survive by grouping together as if they were a multi-cellular organism. The organisms in the study are the only bacteria known to do this in this way, and studying them could help astrobiologists explain important steps in the evolution of […]

April 02, 2025
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Rocket Test Group Visits NASA Stennis

NASA Stennis partnered with Mississippi Enterprise for Technology to host more than 100 members of the 57th Rocket Test Group on March 18-19. The group toured the south Mississippi NASA center on March 19, learning how NASA Stennis operates as NASA’s primary, and America’s largest, rocket propulsion test site to serve the nation and commercial […]

April 02, 2025
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NASA Webb Explores Effect of Strong Magnetic Fields on Star Formation

Follow-up research on a 2023 image of the Sagittarius C stellar nursery in the heart of our Milky Way galaxy, captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, has revealed ejections from still-forming protostars and insights into the impact of strong magnetic fields on interstellar gas and the life cycle of stars.   “A big question […]

April 02, 2025
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NPR News: How do 'torpedo bats' work? We asked baseball physicists to explain

How do 'torpedo bats' work? We asked baseball physicists to explain
They look like baseball bats morphing into bowling pins, their ends flaring into an aggressive bulge that suddenly tapers. So how do they work?

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NPR News: Latest Alzheimer's lab tests focus on memory loss, not brain plaques

Latest Alzheimer's lab tests focus on memory loss, not brain plaques
New tests of blood and spinal fluid can identify people experiencing memory loss from Alzheimer's disease.

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NPR News: Top scientists warn that Trump policies are causing a 'climate of fear' in research

Top scientists warn that Trump policies are causing a 'climate of fear' in research
Some 2,000 scientists, including dozens of Nobel Prize winners, have signed an open letter warning that the U.S. lead in science is being "decimated" by the Trump administration's cuts to research.

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Who Was Alan Shepard? (Grades 5-8)

This article is for students grades 5-8. Alan Shepard was the first American in space. He was one of NASA’s first seven astronauts. Later, he walked on the moon during the Apollo program. What Was Shepard’s Early Life Like? Alan Shepard was born on Nov. 18, 1923. He was born in East Derry, N.H., and […]

April 01, 2025
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What’s Up: April 2025 Skywatching Tips from NASA

April (Meteor) Showers and See a City of Stars! Enjoy observing planets in the morning and evening sky, look for Lyrid meteors, and hunt for the “faint fuzzy” wonder that is the distant and ancient city of stars known as globular cluster M3.  Skywatching Highlights All Month – Planet Visibility: Daily Highlights: April 1 & […]

April 01, 2025
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NASA’s SPHEREx Takes First Images, Preps to Study Millions of Galaxies

Processed with rainbow hues to represent a range of infrared wavelengths, the new pictures indicate the astrophysics space observatory is working as expected. NASA’s SPHEREx (short for Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer) has turned on its detectors for the first time in space. Initial images from the […]

April 01, 2025
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Studying Ice for the Future of Flight

Thomas Ozoroski, a researcher at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, takes icing accretion measurements in October 2024 as part of transonic truss-braced wing concept research. In the future, aircraft with long, thin wings supported by aerodynamic braces could help airlines save on fuel costs – but those same wings could be susceptible to ice […]

April 01, 2025
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NASA History News and Notes–Spring 2025

The NASA History Office brings you the new Spring 2025 issue of NASA History News & Notes reflecting on some of the transitional periods in NASA’s history, as well as the legacies of past programs. Topics include NASA’s 1967 class of astronauts, historic experiments in airborne astronomy, NASA’s aircraft consolidation efforts in the 1990s, lightning […]

April 01, 2025
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Ways Community College Students Can Get Involved With NASA

For many students, the path to a NASA career begins at a community college. These local, two-year institutions offer valuable flexibility and options to those aspiring to be part of the nation’s next generation STEM workforce. NASA offers several opportunities for community college students to expand their horizons, make connections with agency experts, add valuable […]

April 01, 2025
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NPR News: How did iguanas end up in Fiji? By raft

How did iguanas end up in Fiji? By raft
Most iguanas are indigenous to the Americas. So how did the Fijian species end up on the island, nearly 5000 miles away in the South Pacific? According to a new study in the journal PNAS, it was probably via raft ... that is, on clump of floating trees. And this rafting hypothesis isn't entirely unprecedented. After hurricanes Luis and Marilyn hit the Caribbean in the 1990s, researchers found that a group of iguanas had floated over 180 miles away from Guadeloupe to the territory of Anguilla. Want to hear more about iguanas? Or rafts? Or evolutionary biology? Email us at 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.

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