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This week in science: Swearing, bird bills and the pandemic, and whale breath samples

By Emily Kwong,
Berly McCoy
Published December 25, 2025 at 5:09 PM EST

Emily Kwong and Berly McCoy of NPR's Short Wave talk about why swearing might improve physical performance, how birds' bills changed during the pandemic and why scientists are sampling whale breath.

Copyright 2025 NPR
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Science & Environment Morning EditionAll Things ConsideredEnergy/EnvironmentNational and International Environment Coverage
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
Berly McCoy
Kimberly (Berly) McCoy (she/her) is an assistant producer for NPR's science podcast, Short Wave. The podcast tells stories about science and scientists, in all the forms they take.