When batteries get a facelift, so does renewable energy

More from Short Wave

1. 

   E1556 · 22 Sep 2026 · 13 min

   The science of self-worth (and how to boost yours)

   Your self-worth today can be affected by your memories. But you have power over those memories – when you re-experience them. By doing that, you can reshape your self-esteem for the better and change your perspective. That idea and the broader science of self-worth are at the heart of Marisa Franco’s new book Worth. It’s so intriguing to us, we couldn’t pass up the chance to share it with you. That’s why today’s episode is a peek at a conversation Marisa had about self-worth on NPR’s self-help podcast Life Kit . Interested in more psychology episodes? Email us your question at…

2. 

   19 Sep 2026 · 11 min

   Why we should all be 'bookmaxxing'

   Remember your mom, dad and teachers telling you to read because it’s good for you? Well, a compilation of the latest research shows they were right. “Reading is one of the simplest and most accessible activities for actually supporting cognitive performance, brain health, mental health, but also overall wellbeing throughout our lives,” said Christelle Langley, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Cambridge and co-author of review, published in the journal Psychological Medicine. The review looked specifically at recreational reading — reading for fun — and found broad benefits for…

3. 

   E1554 · 18 Sep 2026 · 15 min

   The latest on AI panic — and whether it's justified

   AI is in the news again – for its potential to end civilization. A researcher at Anthropic resigned very publicly last week, citing concerns about the accelerating capabilities of AI and what he called “irresponsible” behavior from major AI companies Anthropic and OpenAI. Following his resignation, the leaders of both companies called for an internationally cooperative, industry-wide slowdown on advanced AI development. And Wednesday, OpenAI disclosed six more incidents of “unexpected or concerning model behavior” and debuted a new framework for reporting misalignments. So, given all these…

4. 

   15 Sep 2026 · 13 min

   Why you'll probably be misdiagnosed in your lifetime

   Nearly every person will experience at least one diagnostic error in their lifetime. That means either a delayed diagnosis, a wrong diagnosis – or no diagnosis at all. That’s according to a report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine from 2015 on diagnostic error. Today on the show we talk to a physician who was personally affected by the crisis, and New York Times editor and author of the book The Elusive Body: Patients, Doctors and the Diagnosis Crisis . If you liked this episode, check out these other episodes: - How science is taking tripping mainstream - What…

5. 

   14 Sep 2026 · 14 min

   Should race affect BMI guidelines? Doctors are split

   BMI is a quick, cheap way for doctors to estimate body fat and screen for conditions like heart disease and diabetes. But medicine has long known that BMI is problematic and unnuanced. By using it, groups of people have fallen through the cracks and conditions have been caught late. So, some doctors want to add nuance – to consider race when using BMI. But using race in medicine comes with its own problems. So what’s the way forward? To find out, we talk to Katie Wu, a science writer at The Atlantic. Read more of Katie’s reporting on BMI and race . Interested in more science health stories?…

6. 

   E1550 · 11 Sep 2026 · 13 min

   How scientists discovered that animals are doctors, too

   When people are sick, we seek out medications and treatments to help heal. For a long time, scientists thought that was a uniquely human ability. But it turns out, many other animals do a version of it too! And since the late 1980s, western researchers have been trying to get a peek behind the curtain. And aside from just cataloguing all the cool examples just to know, there’s a real hope that studying animals’ medical cabinets may be the most promising way to expand our own. We get into the weeds with freelance science journalist Mandy Nguyen . Interested in more animal stories? Email us…

7. 

   9 Oct 2026 · 12 minNew

   One of the toughest parts of ADHD is left out of the diagnosis

   ADHD diagnoses are on the rise in the United States, but what if professionals are missing a key part of the disorder? In the 1970s, some clinicians recognized a lot of their ADHD patients had trouble with emotional regulation. But because it was easier to measure behavior rather than emotions, the criteria eventually fell off the radar. Today in the U.S., emotional dysregulation is not a part of the ADHD diagnostic criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Dr. Sasha Hamdani thinks that needs to change. In today’s episode, she talks about her book Too…

8. 

   E1565 · 7 Oct 2026 · 15 min

   What's missing from the lethal injection conversation

   You might have seen the news that Christa Pike, a convicted murderer in Tennessee, did not die from the injections given to her as part of her death penalty sentence last week. After her failed execution, she was hospitalized, where she continues to receive critical medical care, according to her attorneys. Her survival is singular, but her mishandled execution is not. A review of executions carried out between 1890 and 2010 indicated that three out of every hundred executions were botched – and that lethal injection executions, which began in 1982, have a more frequent incidence of…

9. 

   6 Oct 2026 · 13 min

   Science-backed guidance for healthy screen time

   We’re all aware – and wary – of doomscrolling. Lots of screen time can be bad for us. But what if that’s not always the case? We spoke with the author of a study that found a positive relationship between screen time and brain development in young people. This episode, we sort through what to actually worry about when it comes to screen time – and what guidelines already exist that can empower you and the kids in your life. Interested in learning more about how screen time affects your brain? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org . Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for…

10. 

    E1563 · 5 Oct 2026 · 14 min

    The genetic secret helping bats survive a deadly epidemic

    We’re easing you into Halloween season with an episode about bats . There’s a silent serial killer decimating little brown bats as they hibernate. White nose syndrome has driven populations across the U.S. to almost the brink of extinction over the last decade. But recently, conservation biologist Giorgia Auteri and her team noticed several genetic mutations in the survivors. These mutations could explain how natural selection has shifted the existing population – and inform conservation efforts in the future. Interested in more animal science? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org .…

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