Short Wave Folgen

Fire has always been part of California's landscape. But long before the vast blazes of recent years, Native American tribes held controlled burns that cleared out underbrush, encouraged new plant growth, and helped manage wildfires. It's a tradition that disappeared with the arrival of Western settlers. NPR climate correspondent Lauren Sommer explains how tribal leaders are trying to restore the practice by partnering up with state officials who are starting to see cultural burns as a way to help bring extreme wildfires under control. Email the show at shortwave@npr.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

About 30% of people in science and engineering jobs in the U.S. were born outside the country. So when the Trump Administration suspended certain work visas in June, including one held by a lot of international scientists, research labs across the nation felt the effects. On the show, we talk to a physicist affected by the order, and The Chronicle of Higher Education's Karin Fischer about what policies like this mean for science research in the U.S.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

*Astrophysically speaking. That's the subject of Katie Mack's new book: the possible ends to our entire universe. Specifically, she breaks down some following potential outcomes: heat death, the big crunch and vacuum decay. (Spoiler alert: the names of the other scenarios we don't get to in this episode are just as cool.)Email the show your existential questions at shortwave@npr.org. But please, no existential dread at this time — we're full up on that.P.S. We're off Monday for Labor Day. So, catch you Tuesday!Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy