Short Wave Folgen

In December, NASA is scheduled to launch the huge $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope, which is sometimes billed as the successor to the aging Hubble Space Telescope. NPR correspondents Rhitu Chatterjee and Nell Greenfieldboyce talk about this powerful new instrument and why building it took two decades. For more of Nell's reporting on the telescope, check out "NASA Is Launching A New Telescope That Could Offer Some Cosmic Eye Candy." (https://www.npr.org/2021/09/16/1036600340/nasa-is-launching-a-new-telescope-that-could-offer-some-cosmic-eye-candy)You can follow Rhitu on Twitter @RhituC and Nell @Nell_Sci_NPR. Email Short Wave at ShortWave@NPR.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Some of the world's best artificial waves are happening hundreds of miles from the ocean—in Waco, Texas. They're so good, they're attracting top professionals, casual riders and a science correspondent named Jon Hamilton. Jon's been following the wave technology for years and says the progress is huge. These days, pro surfers are coming from all over to try out Waco's "Freak Peak."Read more of Jon's reporting on artificial waves: https://n.pr/3zAX95kWondering what insights science has to offer for other sports? Drop us a line at shortwave@npr.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In the early 1900s, the Whitney South Sea expedition gathered 40,000 bird specimens for the American Museum of Natural History. The collection is an irreplaceable snapshot of avian diversity in the South Pacific, but is missing key geographic data. To solve this mystery, student researchers dug into field journals to determine where birds from one island came from.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy