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  • Body Electric: How AI Is Changing Our Relationships

    Body Electric: How AI Is Changing Our Relationships
    2024/09/07
    Hey, Short Wavers! Today, we have a special present for all of you: An episode from our good friends at NPR's Body Electric podcast all a bout artificial intimacy! Thanks to advances in AI, chatbots can act as personalized therapists, companions and romantic partners. The apps offering these services have been downloaded millions of times. If these relationships relieve stress and make us feel better, does it matter that they're not "real"? On this episode of Body Electric, host Manoush Zomorodi talks to MIT sociologist and psychologist Sherry Turkle about her new research into what she calls "artificial intimacy" and its impact on our mental and physical health.

    Binge the whole Body Electric series here. Plus, sign up for the Body Electric Challenge and our newsletter here.

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    27 分
  • Dogs Go Viral For 'Talking' To Humans — But Can They?

    Dogs Go Viral For 'Talking' To Humans — But Can They?
    2024/09/06
    Last year, a dog named Bunny went viral on TikTok for pressing buttons with words on them to "communicate" with her owner. But can dogs even understand those words on a soundboard in the first place? A new study in the journal PLOS One seeks answers. Host Regina G. Barber and producer Rachel Carlson break down that story and more of the week's news with the help of All Things Considered's Ari Shapiro.

    Have other viral headlines that you want us to put to the test for its scientific truth? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we might cover it on a future episode!

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    9 分
  • Feeling Itchy? Air Pollution Might Be Making It Worse

    Feeling Itchy? Air Pollution Might Be Making It Worse
    2024/09/04
    Short Wave producer Hannah Chinn has adult-onset eczema. They're not the only one. Up to ten percent of people in the United States have it, according to the National Eczema Association — and its prevalence is increasing. Despite its ubiquity, a lot about this skin condition remains a mystery.
    So today, Hannah's getting answers. They sat down with Raj Fadadu, a dermatologist at UC San Diego, to ask: What is eczema? What triggers it in the first place? And might climate change make it worse sometimes?

    If you liked this episode, check out our episode on the science of itchiness. Also, follow us! That way you never miss another Short Wave episode.

    Interested in hearing more about climate change and human health? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear your feedback!

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    13 分
  • Are You Overestimating The Algorithm?

    Are You Overestimating The Algorithm?
    2024/09/03
    Humans hallucinate. Algorithms lie.

    At least, that's one difference that Joy Buolamwini and Kyle Chayka want to make clear. When ChatGPT tells you that a book exists when it doesn't – or professes its undying love – that's often called a "hallucination." Buolamwini, a computer scientist, prefers to call it "spicy autocomplete." But not all algorithmic errors are as innocuous. So today's show, we get into: How do algorithms work? What are their impacts? And how can we speak up about changing them?

    This is a shortened version of Joy and Kyle's live interview, moderated by Regina G. Barber, at this year's Library of Congress National Book Festival.

    If you liked this episode, check out our other episodes on facial recognition in Gaza, why AI is not a silver bullet and tech companies limiting police use of facial recognition.

    Interested in hearing more technology stories? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to consider your idea for a future episode!

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    14 分
  • Batteries: The Lemonade Of Life

    Batteries: The Lemonade Of Life
    2024/09/02
    Just in time for the return of the school year, we're going "Back To School" by revisiting a classic at-home experiment that turns lemons into batteries — powerful enough to turn on a clock or a small lightbulb. But how does the science driving that process show up in household batteries we use daily? Host Emily Kwong and former host Maddie Sofia talk battery 101 with environmental engineer Jenelle Fortunato.

    Want us to cover more science basics? Email us your ideas at shortwave@npr.org — we might feature them on a future episode!

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    10 分
  • Detecting Pests By Eavesdropping On Insects

    Detecting Pests By Eavesdropping On Insects
    2024/08/30
    From Indonesia to Wisconsin, farmers all over the world struggle with a huge problem: pests. On top of that, it's tough for farmers to identify where exactly they have the pests and when. Reporter Lina Tran from NPR member station WUWM in Milwaukee joins host Emily Kwong to tell the story of how researchers in the Midwest are inventing new forms of pest detection that involve eavesdropping on the world of insects. Plus, hear what aphid slurping sounds like.

    If you liked this episode, check out behind-the-scenes photos of Insect Eavesdropper experiments in Lina's digital story!

    Interested in hearing more insect news? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

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    14 分
  • What's Missing From The Invasive Species Narrative?

    What's Missing From The Invasive Species Narrative?
    2024/08/28
    At first glance, the whole narrative of aquatic invasive species may seem straightforward: A bad non-native species comes into a new ecosystem and overruns good native species. But the truth? It's a little more complicated. To tear down everything we thought we knew about invasive species and construct a more nuanced picture, host Emily Kwong talks to experts Ian Pfingsten, who works on the United States Geological Survey's Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, and Nicholas Reo, a Canada Excellence Research Chair in Coastal Relationalities and Regeneration.

    Check out episode where we get into the annual python challenge we referenced in this episode.

    Have a favorite invasive species or one you really can't stand? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear your take!

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    13 分
  • Preserving Your Humanity In The Age Of Robots

    Preserving Your Humanity In The Age Of Robots
    2024/08/27
    Human beings are hardwired for social connection – so much so that we think of even the most basic objects as having feelings or experiences. (Yup, we're talking to you, Roomba owners!) Social robots add a layer to this. They're designed to make us feel like they're our friends. They can do things like care for children, the elderly or act as partners. But there's a darker side to them, too. They may encourage us to opt out of authentic, real-life connections, making us feel more isolated. Today on the show, host Regina G. Barber explores the duality of social robots with Eve Herold, author of the book Robots and the People Who Love Them.

    Curious about other innovations in technology? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

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    14 分