2023 was filled with scientific innovation, exploration and new discoveries. A few of the biggest threads we saw unraveling this year came from the James Webb Space Telescope, the changing climate and artificial intelligence. Today, host Regina G. Barber wraps up these three areas of science news with the help of correspondent Geoff Brumfiel and All Things Considered host Ari Shapiro. Got more science news? Email us at shortwave@npr.org. Listen to Short Wave on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.

Every year world leaders gather at the Conference of the Parties, or COP, to devise solutions to what amounts to a growing existential crisis for humankind: our rapidly heating planet. The United Arab Emirates is hosting COP28 this year. The goal of the conference is to decrease emissions and protect the planet. But leading the climate talks is the head of one of the biggest oil companies in the world, in a nation that derives much of its wealth from oil. Are the goals of this meeting truly in sync with the goals of the hosts?NPR's Miles Parks speaks with NPR international correspondent Aya Batrawy from COP28. Email us at considerthis@npr.org

Pope Francis says he will attend the COP28 climate conference in Dubai next month, which would make him the first pontiff to attend the annual UN gathering. The pope has made addressing the climate crisis an important focus since 2015, when he published an encyclical on climate change and the environment. Last month, he doubled down on his stance with a new document – Laudate Deum. It's a scathing rebuke of the inaction by world leaders over the last eight years. As Francis takes on an even bigger role in climate activism. What does he hope to achieve? And how does this all fit into his broader legacy as leader of the world's 1.3 billion Roman Catholics. NPR's Scott Detrow spoke with Fordham professor Christiana Zenner, and Associated Press Vatican correspondent Nicole Winfield, about Pope Francis and his role in advocating for action on climate change. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

Saturday, the entire coastal town of Grindavik, Iceland was evacuated. That's because over the weekend, the country experienced nearly 2,000 earthquakes within 48 hours. And they've kept coming since then – in swarms. Scientists think the quakes are indicative of magma moving closer to the surface in the country's southwestern peninsula and that a local volcano could erupt at any moment. Today on the show, host Regina G. Barber talks to volcanologist Diana Roman about the science behind these earthquakes. Got science to share? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

If you've ever looked up at the clouds and wondered where they came from, you're not alone. Atmospheric researcher Lubna Dada is fascinated by the mystery of how clouds form and what role they play in our climate. Today, host Aaron Scott talks to Dada about a recent study on the role of trees in cloud formation, and how this data will improve our current climate models. Want more stories on the environment or climate change? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

The average American generates five pounds of trash per day, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Reduce your household trash by listing your output and taking these simple actions.

Some people keep dogs in their backyards. In the Florida Keys, some residents have deer the size of a golden retriever in their yards. As sea levels rise and salt water climbs higher on the islands, it's shrinking habitat for this deer — which already has an estimated population of at most 1,000. Today, host Regina G. Barber hears from reporters Nate Rott and Ryan Kellman about the Key deer, and how rising sea levels are forcing wildlife managers to ask big questions about the future of the subspecies.

From our friends at Code Switch, we present a story about one group of student activists in Baltimore and how their efforts to make their neighborhood healthier has them facing big coal — and actually making gains.

Coral reefs in Florida have lost an estimated 90 percent of their corals in the last 40 years. And this summer, a record hot marine heat wave hit Florida's coral reefs, exacerbating that problem. Scientists are still assessing the damage as water temperatures cool. And one researcher is taking coral survival a step further: Buffing up corals in a "gym" in his lab. Reporter Kate Furby went down to South Florida to see the coral reefs up close and talk to the innovative scientists working to save them. Questions about the science happening around you? Email shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear about it!

Here on Short Wave, we're getting into the Halloween spirit a little early with a look at the world's oldest mummies. They're found in modern-day northern Chile. The mummies are well-preserved, so over the past 7,000 years, some have been exhumed for scientific study. But recently, something startling happened: Some of the mummies started to decompose. Today on the show, Regina G. Barber talks to archeologist Marcela Sepulveda about the civilization that made these mummies: the Chinchorro people. We dig into the science behind their mummification techniques and how the changing planet is affecting archeologists' ability to study the past. Fascinated by a science mystery? Send us your tales — we're at shortwave@npr.org.

South Baltimore has some of the most polluted air in the country. Local teenagers are fighting polluters back, and slowly building toward climate justice.

Politicians in red states sometimes resist green policies. NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Ben Jealous, executive director of the Sierra Club, about how they're trying to bring red and green together.

The Biden administration is trying to dramatically change how and where oil and gas drilling occurs on federal land, which is getting mixed reviews in longtime drilling boom-towns.

More than 1,500 adult Caspian Terns made Rat Island, near Port Townsend, their home. Now 80% of them are dead.

Environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb says cars are killing animals, while highways cut off them off from their food sources and migration paths. His new book is Crossings.

As the U.S. plans new mines for copper, lithium and other metals to use in green technologies, mining projects in the West could threaten scarce water supplies.

The bipartisan infrastructure law granted federal firefighters a big pay bump. Amid a looming government shutdown, that wage increase will expire, leaving first responders unsure about their income.

The horseshoe crab bleeding industry is in transition. One biomedical company agreed to more oversight, and a regulatory group is paving the way for drug companies to use animal-free alternatives.

Idaho has more backcountry airstrips and wilderness pilots than any state other than Alaska. Many airstrips were incorporated into protected wilderness but now conservationists are challenging them.

Today on the show, All Things Considered co-host Mary Louise Kelly joins Regina G. Barber and Maria Godoy for our bi-weekly science roundup. They talk through some of the latest eye-catching science news, including the percussion-intensive mating life of cockatoos, what pink diamonds today tell us about the breakup of the ancient supercontinent Nuna and the latest on the Nipah outbreak in India.

Wildfires are becoming more frequent and serious due to human-caused climate change. This is prompting a new industry focused on residential wildfire preparedness. Today, we consider the new technology addressing wildfire risk and the cost of protecting yourself.Related Episodes:Gambling, literally, on climate change (Apple Podcasts / Spotify) For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

The Woolsey wildfire devastated most of Paramount Ranch's Hollywood heritage in 2018. Human-driven climate change is demanding difficult decisions about what to preserve in the rebuilding process.

The last several decades have taken a toll on the oceans: Some fish populations are collapsing, plastic is an increasing problem and climate change is leading to coral bleaching — as well as a host of other problems. But marine biologist and World Economic Forum programme lead Alfredo Giron says there's room to hope for the seas. He works to create systems that governments and the fishing industry can use to make sure fishing is legal and sustainable so oceans thrive for years to come. In this encore episode, he talks to host Aaron Scott about his work and how managing the ocean is a lot about managing people.We spoke to Alfredo Giron about his research and thoughts, the episode is not meant to reflect the World Economic Forum's positions.Have questions about the world around you? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

The Oak Fire last year threatened the Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation's way of life. Now the tribe is restoring ancient heritage sites and cultural practices in collaboration with local agencies.

Environmental groups have filed a lawsuit because they want the federal government to list a rare orchid, found mainly in Florida, as an endangered species.

The company proposing a new railroad beside the Colorado River for Utah oil says it will persist, after a federal judge ruled their environmental analysis inadequate. Climate activists watch closely.

NPR's Juana Summers talks with Richard Wiles, president of the Center for Climate Integrity, about California's lawsuit against fossil fuel companies for worsening climate change.

A laundromat owner in Aurora, Colo., installed washing machines that conserve water. His customers abandoned him, but he was able to win them back after learning why they might be skeptical.

U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón has announced her signature project titled " You Are Here," which hopes to engage people with poetry and nature.

Climate change is a major issue for young voters, but so far, it has not been a major mobilizing force in U.S. elections. Some environmental action groups see that changing.

Environmental groups have filed a lawsuit because they want the federal government to list a rare orchid, found mainly in Florida, as an endangered species.

Rising temperatures and carbon dioxide levels give the toxic vine the oomph it needs to grow earlier, bigger and itchier, scientists say.

California accuses oil companies of misleading the public on the dangers of fossil fuels for decades. The state demands they help fund recovery efforts after climate change-fueled disasters.

Climate change, technological leaps, panicked insurers, the shifting sense of responsibility: All are powering the still-nascent, but fast-growing industry of preparing homes for wildfires.

Global Witness says 177 environmental activists were killed in 2022, and the majority were murdered in Latin America.

After summer storms flooded many Vermont communities, homeowners are deciding whether to repair their buildings or accept a buyout.

A drought is causing a slowdown in shipping traffic at the Panama Canal. It's introducing new problems for the global supply chain.

Occidental Petroleum is investing in billion-dollar projects to suck carbon dioxide out of the sky. The effort is raising hopes — and eyebrows.

Wildfires are a worsening danger — and a big business opportunity. From high-tech alarms to home retrofits, the industry around preparedness is nascent, fairly small, barely regulated, growing fast.

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Short Wave hosts Regina Barber and Aaron Scott about antibiotic resistance spreading through air, how farms can support biodiversity, and the eating habits of black holes.

After flames destroyed 1.3 million Joshua trees in Mojave National Preserve, biologists began replanting seedlings. But many have died, and now another fire has torched more of the iconic succulents.

A U.S. oil company is investing heavily in what could become a game-changing technology: Sucking carbon from the sky. Two business models are vying for primacy over how this technology will be used.

Environmental groups have filed suit against the state of Utah arguing leaders aren't doing enough to prevent the state's namesake Great Salt Lake from drying up.

A group of seniors in Mobile, Ala., wants coal ash from a power plant moved to a lined landfill. They worry the toxic ash could leak into Mobile Bay. (Story aired on ATC on Sept. 4, 2023.)

A heat wave along the East Coast and in the Midwest leads to closings, shorter school days.

We pay a late summer visit to some of the tallest white pines in North America in The Adirondack Park in northern New York, one of the few places you can still find the old white pines.

A group of seniors in Mobile, Ala., wants coal ash from a power plant moved to a lined landfill. They worry the toxic ash could leak into Mobile Bay.

Residents of Pakistan's Himalayan region turn to science and folklore, with backing from the U.N. They're erecting ice towers, harvesting avalanches and performing an ancient glacier ritual.

We pay a late summer visit to some of the tallest white pines in North America in The Adirondack Park in northern New York, one of the few places you can still find the old white pines.

Critics say the $2.6 billion floodwall project overlooks current climate risks and exposes flaws in how the federal government approaches major flood infrastructure.

When Hurricane Idalia slammed into the Florida coast, it decimated several small beach towns and fishing villages. Now, those communities are beginning the task of rebuilding.

The EPA dialed back pollution protections for inland waterways including streams and wetlands in alignment with a Supreme Court decision. NPR's Michel Martin talks to Ariel Wittenberg of E and E News.

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Marla Stelk, executive director of the National Association of Wetland Managers, about the EPA's new rules that comply with a ruling limiting the Clean Water Act's scope.

The White House wants to direct more funding communities dealing with high levels of pollution and health problems. But how agencies determine who qualifies for the money has some researchers worried.

Your whole idea of the Triassic period is about to be disrupted. Paleontologists are shifting their focus from dinosaurs to fossils so small they have to be reassembled under microscopes.