Giving coffee a jolt could help assess its quality

NPR | By Emily Kwong,

Rachel Carlson

Published April 30, 2026 at 5:22 PM EDT

NPR's science podcast Short Wave looks at the secrets behind scorpions' weapons, using electricity to measure the quality of a cup of coffee, and what shapes the content of dreams.

Emily Kwong

Emily Kwong (she/her) is the reporter for NPR's daily science podcast, Short Wave. The podcast explores new discoveries, everyday mysteries and the science behind the headlines — all in about 10 minutes, Monday through Friday.

See stories by Emily Kwong

Rachel Carlson

Rachel Carlson (she/her) is a production assistant at Short Wave, NPR's science podcast. She gets to do a bit of everything: researching, sourcing, writing, fact-checking and cutting episodes.

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