Rebecca Ramirez

Transcript REGINA BARBER: Hey, Short Wavers, Regina Barber here. And today is my birthday. And I have just one wish-- for you to follow us on the NPR app or on your go-to podcast app.

When’s the last time you looked at your poop? Dr. Trisha Pasricha says you should look every time because it could save your life. A change in bowel habits is the number one indicator someone might have colon cancer, a disease on the rise in people under 50 in the United States. Host Regina Barber gets into what’s driving this trend with Trisha; plus, some shapes and colors you should keep an eye out for (did you know silver poop is a thing sometimes?). If you liked this episode, check out our first episode with Dr. Trisha: Are you pooping all wrong?Interested in more science health news? Email us your question at [email protected] public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

Transcript REGINA BARBER: Are you following Short Wave yet? It's the best way to get new episodes as soon as they drop.

Scientists can make mirror molecules in the lab, but are still at least a decade away from creating a mirror cell Mark Garlick/Science Photo Library/Getty Images hide caption

A total solar eclipse is a surreal experience. We get into what it feels like to view one, how to do it safely and what makes tomorrow's eclipse so special.

Transcript ANNOUNCER: You're listening to Short Wave from NPR. HANNAH CHINN: Hey, guys.

Think you can tell the difference between a human-written short story and an AI-generated one? Think again. karetoria/Getty Images hide caption

Transcript EMILY KWONG: You're listening to Short Wave from NPR. REGINA BARBER: Hey, Short Wavers, Regina Barber here with producer Berly McCoy.

Right now the best shooting star show of the year is happening: the peak of the Perseid meteor shower. People have been viewing this annual event pretty much as long as we’ve been recording history. But what are we really looking at when we gaze up to see these faint streaks of light shoot across the sky? And what can you do to get the best view of them? We dive into those questions on this edition of Spacing Out, which also gets into the latest news about the Sun and the tea behind the SpaceX rocket crashing into the moon.Interested in more space news? Let us know! Email us your question at [email protected] public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

Transcript EMILY KWONG: You're listening to Short Wave from NPR. REGINA BARBER: Hey, Short Wavers, Regina Barber here.