Short Wave Podcast Summary: "Meet the Third Ever (!!) Interstellar Comet"

Release Date: July 11, 2025

NPR's "Short Wave," hosted by Emily Kwong and Regina Barber, delves into the latest scientific discoveries with creativity and humor. In the July 11, 2025 episode titled "Meet the Third Ever (!!) Interstellar Comet," the hosts explore three captivating topics: the discovery of an interstellar comet, innovative plastic-eating worms, and the evolutionary adaptations of high-altitude animals.

1. A Rare Visitor: The Third Ever Confirmed Interstellar Comet

The episode kicks off with exciting news about a newly discovered interstellar comet named 3i Atlas. This celestial visitor is only the third confirmed interstellar object to pass through our solar system, making it a significant astronomical event.

Key Points:

• High-Speed Entry: 3i Atlas is traveling at an astonishing speed of 137,000 miles per hour as it enters our solar system. This speed underscores its interstellar origin, distinguishing it from typical comets bound by our sun’s gravity.

• Detection: Astronomers identified 3i Atlas on July 1st using NASA’s Asteroid Terrestrial Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS). The telescope in Chile was pivotal in spotting this rare comet.

• Trajectory and Safety: Experts assure that there's no cause for alarm. The comet is expected to maintain a safe distance from Earth, orbiting roughly 150 million miles away—about one and a half times the distance from Earth to the Sun. Its closest approach will be near Mars.

Notable Quotes:

• Regina Barber emphasizes safety, stating, “So, no dinosaur fate for us” ([03:23]).

• Teddy Coretta, a planetary astronomer, explains the significance of extended observation periods: “We'll have a couple of months to study it for real and then it's gone forever” ([04:08]).

Implications: Studying 3i Atlas offers astronomers a rare opportunity to understand more about other solar systems and the formation of celestial bodies beyond our own. This can shed light on whether our solar system is unique or part of a broader cosmic pattern.

2. Plastic-Eating Worms: A Worming Solution to Recycling

Transitioning from space to Earthly innovations, the podcast highlights a groundbreaking discovery involving wax worms—the larvae of wax moths—that exhibit the ability to consume plastic.

Key Points:

• Accidental Discovery: A beekeeper in Europe, while cleaning her beehives, observed that wax worms had gnawed through a plastic bag, sparking scientific interest.

• Research by Brian Cassoni: At Canada's Brandon University, scientist Brian Cassoni delves into understanding how these worms digest plastic. His experiments revealed that approximately 2,000 wax worms can consume a plastic bag in about 24 hours.

• Metabolic Process: The worms break down polyethylene (the most common form of plastic) into fatty acids, which they metabolize for energy. The leftover materials are stored as fat within the worms.

• Challenges and Solutions: A major hurdle is that wax worms cannot survive on a diet exclusively of plastic; they typically die within days. However, Cassoni’s team discovered that supplementing their diet with carbohydrates and proteins extends their lifespan, making this a more viable method for plastic remediation.

Notable Quotes:

• When discussing the potential of this discovery, Ari Shapiro quips, “Remediation, meaning don't let the plastic sit in a landfill for 200 years. Like, are these worms the solution?” ([05:03]).

• Brian Cassoni elaborates on the transformative possibilities: “Scientists are working on a way to isolate these worms, saliva and gut bacteria. So they can just use the enzymes produced by these worms to directly break down plastics. Wouldn't that be cool?” ([07:13]).

Future Prospects: The next steps involve isolating the specific enzymes responsible for plastic degradation. If successful, these enzymes could be employed directly in recycling processes, offering a sustainable and efficient method to tackle plastic pollution.

3. Smarter Senses: Evolutionary Adaptations of High-Altitude Animals

The final segment explores how animals adapted to high-altitude environments exhibit a reduced sense of smell, a fascinating example of evolutionary biology.

Key Points:

• Environmental Challenges: Animals living 1,000 meters above sea level or higher face thinner, drier air with fewer oxygen molecules, necessitating various physiological and genetic adaptations.

• Research by Ali Graham: A biologist at the University of Kansas, Ali Graham investigated how these environmental factors influence animal evolution. By analyzing the genomes of 27 high-altitude species and comparing them to their low-altitude counterparts, Graham identified significant genetic patterns.

• Genetic Findings: Approximately a quarter of smell receptor genes in these high-altitude species are deactivated. This reduction suggests a possible evolutionary trade-off, where resources are shifted from olfactory capabilities to other senses like taste or vision.

Notable Quotes:

• Regina Barber summarizes the findings: “She saw like a big reduction in genes related to smell. Like, nearly a quarter of these species' smell receptor genes were turned off” ([08:35]).

• Ali Graham reflects on human implications: “But at the same time, I like, half joke, like, well, we'll check back in a couple million years and see whether or not that that signal has popped up in human populations. Right.” ([09:26]).

Human Comparison: Interestingly, when comparing humans, specifically Tibetans living at high altitudes with Han Chinese populations at lower elevations, no similar genetic reductions in smell receptors were observed. Graham posits this may be due to the relatively recent adaptation timelines in humans, not allowing enough time for such genetic changes to manifest.

Future Research: Biologist Zach Chevron suggests a practical approach for further study: fieldwork to directly assess the olfactory capabilities of these high-altitude animals, which would provide more concrete evidence of the evolutionary impacts identified in the genetic data.

Conclusion

This episode of "Short Wave" masterfully interweaves diverse scientific topics, from the mysteries of interstellar visitors to innovative solutions for environmental challenges and the intricate dance of evolution in high-altitude habitats. Through engaging discussions and expert insights, Emily Kwong and Regina Barber illuminate the wonders of science, making complex topics accessible and fascinating for all listeners.

Produced by Hannah Chin and Jason Fuller. Edited by Christopher Intagliotta. Special thanks to NPR's team for fact-checking and audio engineering.