6 d. ago Alaska pro sports notebook: Mario Chalmers, 39, hits winning shot in BIG3 championship; Alaskan survives NFL cutdown day

Alaska pro sports notebook: Mario Chalmers, 39, hits winning shot in BIG3 championship; Alaskan survives NFL cutdown day  Anchorage Daily News

Events

1 week ago What is the legacy of Yellowstone wolves 30 years after their reintroduction?

Thirty years ago, park rangers reintroduced grey wolves into Yellowstone National Park. They wanted to restore the ecosystem and get the elk population, which had decimated the plant community, in check. And it worked – or so the popular narrative suggests. But is it really so simple? Today on the show, we explore how the Yellowstone ecosystem has changed since wolves returned and whether those changes can really be pinned solely on wolves. Plus, how the narrative of the Yellowstone wolf legacy could affect wolf reintroduction elsewhere.Curious about other science controversies? 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.

Politics

3 w. ago The tech behind genetically modified babies is getting a reboot

A Chinese scientist, He Jiankui, made a shocking announcement to the world in 2018: He had secretly engineered the birth of the first gene-edited babies. The birth of the twins was seen as reckless and unethical by the scientific community. That’s because, among other things, the CRISPR gene-editing technique Jiankui used was so new. NPR science correspondent Rob Stein has been following the controversial world of gene-editing and human reproduction, including some companies’ recent quests to push gene-editing technology forward.Read more of Rob Stein’s reporting on the topic here.Interested in more science news? Let us know 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.

Politics

3 w. ago Alaska sports notebook: Alissa Pili makes LA debut and signs another short

Alaska sports notebook: Alissa Pili makes LA debut and signs another short-term contract, Alaskans see action in Week 1 of NFL preseason  Anchorage Daily News

Politics

3 w. ago Did life start on the ocean floor — and what does that mean for alien life?

How did life start on Earth? The answer is a big scientific mystery scientists are actively investigating. After talking with many scientists, host Regina G. Barber found that an abundance of water on Earth is most likely key, in some way, to the origin of life — specifically, in either deep sea hydrothermal vents or in tide pools. It's for this reason some scientists are also exploring the potential for life in so-called "water worlds" elsewhere in the solar system, like some of the moons of Jupiter and Saturn. This episode, Regina digs into two water-related hypotheses for the origin on life on Earth — and what that might mean for possible alien life.Have another scientific mystery you want us to cover on a future episode? 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.

Politics

4 w. ago 'Zombie' cells have scientists rethinking how we age — and what to do about it

It’s no secret that stress isn’t good for you. But just how bad is it? Well, in the last few decades, scientists have linked psychological stress to changes in our DNA that look a lot like what happens on the molecular level as we age. Today on the show, host Regina G. Barber talks to freelance science journalist Diana Kwon about the latest research on stress and aging, including a new hypothesis for how your brain handles aging — and what science could do about all of it.Interested in more aging science? Let us know 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.

Science

4 w. ago Alaska sports notebook: Anchorage’s Obed Vargas helps make MLS history; Christy Marvin breaks Matanuska Peak record

Alaska sports notebook: Anchorage’s Obed Vargas helps make MLS history; Christy Marvin breaks Matanuska Peak record  Anchorage Daily News

Culture

4 w. ago Alaska sports notebook: Anchorage’s Obed Vargas helps make MLS history, Christy Marvin breaks Mat

Alaska sports notebook: Anchorage’s Obed Vargas helps make MLS history, Christy Marvin breaks Mat-Peak Challenge record  Anchorage Daily News

Culture