Best Hooked On Harness Podcasts (2025)

1
Why Daylight Boosts Immunity 8:40

5h ago8:40

8:40

Depending on what time it is, your body responds differently to an injury or infection. During the day, you're likely to heal faster and fight infection better than at night. And historically, scientists weren't entirely sure why. That picture is starting to clear up thanks to a new study published last week in the journal Science Immunology. The r…

1
Unpacking Bipolar Disorder 13:32

2d ago13:32

13:32

Around 40 million people around the world have bipolar disorder, which involves cyclical swings between moods: from depression to mania. Kay Redfield Jamison is one of those people. She's also a professor of psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and has written extensively about the topic, from medical textbooks to personal memoirs. To…

1
Harnessing Video for Enhanced Learning (Revisited) 35:55

2d ago35:55

35:55

Is video always the best way to teach something? Video has transformed the world of workplace learning and still makes up a huge part of it today. Just about any workplace, big or small, can create training videos with minimal cost. But it doesn’t always make it the right tool for the job. In this throwback episode of The Visual Lounge, host Matt P…

1
Nature Quest: The Climate-Kid Question 13:55

3d ago13:55

13:55

Gen Z and younger millennials are the most climate literate generations the world has ever seen. They learned about climate change in school; now, it's part of how they plan for the future, including for jobs, housing ... and kids. So, what do experts say about how to navigate the kid question? In this installment of Nature Quest, Short Wave speaks…

1
The Great Space Race ... With Clocks 14:31

4d ago14:31

14:31

It's Memorial Day, Short Wavers. This holiday, we bring you a meditation on time ... and clocks. There are hundreds of atomic clocks in orbit right now, perched on satellites all over Earth. We depend on them for GPS location, Internet timing, stock trading and even space navigation. In today's encore episode, hosts Emily Kwong and Regina G. Barber…

1
Flamingos: The Water-Bending Physics Masters 12:23

7d ago12:23

12:23

Riddle us this: Which animal is pink, curved beaked and a master of the physics required to create water tornadoes? If you guessed flamingos, you're right. New research out this month in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that across a range of harsh environments, flamingos have become masters — of physics, fluid dyna…

1
New Antivenom, Thanks To 200 Intentional Snake Bites 11:01

9d ago11:01

11:01

What's it like to get bit by a venomous snake? "It's like a bee sting times a thousand," Tim Friede says. Tim would know. Over the past few decades, he's let himself be bitten over 200 times by all kinds of venomous snakes — black mambas, taipans, cobras, kraits and more. With time, he's gradually built immunity to multiple types of venom. Could sc…

1
Will Trump Unleash Energy Dominance Or Damage? 13:53

10d ago13:53

13:53

The Trump administration is rewriting policies and reducing funding for multiple agencies that handle climate change, including NOAA, EPA and FEMA. We asked NPR reporters Lauren Sommer and Alejandra Borunda what that the implications of that are — and who the changes will affect. Want to hear more ways research is being impacted by the new administ…

1
277 | The Power of Music in Growth, Healing, and Human Connection with Carla Sciaky 1:04:38

10d ago1:04:38

1:04:38

What happens when the very thing that once lit you up feels out of reach—yet still lives deep in your soul, waiting to be reclaimed? In this episode, we sit down with Carla Sciaky, a lifelong musician, who opens up about her incredible journey from early musical brilliance to facing a dark night of the soul that transformed everything. Carla shares…

1
Could Wormholes Exist? 14:18

11d ago14:18

14:18

In science fiction, wormholes are hyperspace subway tubes linking one part of a galaxy directly to another, distant point. But could they actually exist? To find out, we talk to theoretical physicist Ron Gamble, who says wormholes aren't just a matter of science fiction — and they have big implications about the shape of space itself. Want to hear …

1
Orange Cat Lovers, Rise Up! 8:45

14d ago8:45

8:45

Approximately 80% of orange cats are males, including the four orange cats owned by the Short Wave team. Scientists have long suspected that orange color was a sex-linked trait — hiding somewhere on the X chromosome. Now, scientists at Stanford University and Kyushu University in Japan have characterized the mutation responsible for orange cat colo…

1
How Baby Bats Learn To Eavesdrop On Dinner 13:49

16d ago13:49

13:49

Most bats use echolocation to navigate and hunt, but some use their ears for another trick: eavesdropping. "And then these frog-eating bats, for example, they are actually listening in on the mating calls of frogs that are much, much lower in frequency," says behavioral ecologist Rachel Page. But how the bats knew this eavesdropping trick was a mys…

1
The Evolving Future of Video: AI, Authenticity, and Connection in the Workplace (Revisited) 27:59

16d ago27:59

27:59

In just a few short years, AI usage has boomed in the content creation world. Not just that, it’s also changed a LOT, and in ways many of us never predicted. In this episode, Matt Pierce takes us back to 2023 when many of us were still experimenting with AI and had bold predictions about its future. He asked the audience on LinkedIn for predictions…

1
Learning A Second Language As An Adult 13:48

17d ago13:48

13:48

Becoming fluent in a second language is difficult. But for adults, is it impossible? Science says no. In this encore episode, Short Wave host Emily Kwong dissects the "critical period hypothesis," a theory which linguists have been debating for decades — with the help of Sarah Frances Phillips, a Ph.D. student in the linguistics department at New Y…

1
276 | Hooked by Design: How Social Media Hijacks Your Mind (And How to Take It Back) 35:52

18d ago35:52

35:52

Why is it so hard to stop scrolling—even when we know it’s making us feel worse? In this episode, we unpack the neuroscience behind that urge and reveal how social media is intentionally designed to hijack your brain’s reward system. We explore how the constant flood of dopamine from notifications, likes, and endless content creates a cycle of burn…

1
The Indicator: American Science Brain Drain 10:42

18d ago10:42

10:42

Today, we're airing an episode of NPR's daily economics podcast, The Indicator from Planet Money. It's about a group of people we know well: scientists. President Trump's federal cuts and scrutiny of academic institutions are forcing some U.S. scientists to head for the border. On today's show, an entomologist keeping America's farms safe from pest…

1
Could AI Go Green? 15:56

21d ago15:56

15:56

Google, Microsoft and Meta have all pledged to reach at least net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. Amazon set their net-zero deadline for 2040. To understand how these four tech companies could possibly meet their climate goals amid an artificial intelligence renaissance, Short Wave co-host Emily Kwong discusses the green AI movement. Speaking with s…

1
What's The Environmental Cost Of AI? 15:17

23d ago15:17

15:17

By 2028, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory forecasts that U.S. data centers could use as much as 12% of the nation's electricity. The reason: generative AI. Since 2022, AI innovation by four leading tech companies — Google, Microsoft, Meta and Amazon — has led to annual increases in both energy and water consumption. So, in this episode, Short …

1
Practical AI Applications for Video Production 16:16

23d ago16:16

16:16

Have you ever felt a little out of your depth when making an extra complex or brand new video type? Maybe AI could help. Host Matt Pierce shares his experience as someone used to creating training content, adapting to creating content for a commercial. We hear about the script drafting process, the challenges of balancing feasibility, including bud…

1
Science Can Make You More Creative! 13:52

24d ago13:52

13:52

Do you consider yourself a creative person? If not, you may be holding yourself back. Psychologist Zorana Ivcevic Pringle says creativity isn't a trait. Creativity is a choice. After studying creativity for more than 20 years, she has some suggestions for how anyone can stick with their creative ideas. Guest host and producer Berly McCoy talks to h…

1
275 | Unlocking Higher Consciousness Through Transcendental Meditation with Dr. Tony Nader 1:02:09

25d ago1:02:09

1:02:09

What if consciousness isn’t just a byproduct of the brain—but the very foundation of reality itself? In this mind-expanding episode, Dr. Tony Nader—a neuroscientist, spiritual teacher, and global leader of the Transcendental Meditation movement—takes us on a journey into the depths of human awareness. He shares how the simple, yet profound, practic…

1
Did Scientists Find Alien Life Or Just Controversy? 11:19

25d ago11:19

11:19

Recently, a group of scientists claimed they found possible signs of life on a planet called K2-18b. The news made headlines. Researchers said they'd detected sulphur-based gases that, on Earth, are strongly associated with life. But the research caused an uproar in astronomy circles because other scientists don't think the data is strong enough to…

1
What Can Minecraft Teach Us About Learning? 8:35

28d ago8:35

8:35

Minecraft is a movie and a very popular video game with iconic block graphics that characters can "mine" for building material and gems. It's also what cognitive scientist Charley Wu and his team utilized to study how people learned as they played. Their unique study focused on both individual and social learning — and they found a clear answer to …

1
Are DOGE Cuts Making America Healthy? 13:51

1M ago13:51

13:51

In its first 100 days, the Trump administration — specifically, the Department of Government Efficiency — shuttered agencies and slashed budgets pertaining to foreign aid, scientific research, food safety and more. How will this impact people's health and well-being both in the U.S., and around the world? To answer that question, we're calling in o…

1
The Real Barriers to Effective Learning: Organization, Learner, and L&D Missteps 38:17

1M ago38:17

38:17

What’s really holding your learners back from absorbing the information they need? We’ve all been through training at some point that’s either confusing or too broad, or perhaps the kind that puts you to sleep. The truth is that training and learning design are complicated. It’s a balancing act between the learners themselves (how they learn, their…

1
Should Kids Be Taking Melatonin? 13:02

1M ago13:02

13:02

A good night's sleep makes a big difference to our mental and physical health. Without quality sleep, we're less productive. Grumpy. It can even affect our hearts. Meanwhile, more and more people are having problems falling and staying asleep, including kids. So some parents are turning to a supplement called melatonin as a potential solution. But …

1
Harnessing Spineless Sea Creatures' Superpowers 12:15

1M ago12:15

12:15

From starfish and sea slugs to jellyfish and sponges, the ocean's invertebrates are some of the most ancient and diverse critters on Earth. And so are their superpowers, as marine biologist Drew Harvell calls their unique abilities. In her new book, The Ocean's Menagerie, she chronicles the amazing abilities of some of these spineless creatures and…

1
This Telescope Could Find "Planet 9" 12:36

1M ago12:36

12:36

Some scientists are convinced that beyond Neptune, there's a planet they've yet to see. This so-called "Planet 9" is so far away, it would be a faint object. The stretch of sky researchers would have to search is huge. But a new astronomical facility on a mountaintop in Chile could help tackle the search. The NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory has b…

1
Why These Salmon Are On Anxiety Meds 10:52

1M ago10:52

10:52

A fish walks into a pharmacy ... well, not exactly. Fish aren't being prescribed anti-anxiety drugs. But they are experiencing the effects. Researchers have found more than 900 different pharmaceutical ingredients in rivers and streams around the world, though they're not yet sure how this could change the behavior of fish and other aquatic animals…

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