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NPR
The Salt

Peep Show: Watch Us Calculate The Speed Of Light With Stale Easter Treats

Apr 17, 2017
NPR's Adam Cole demonstrates a science experiment that offers a new use for old Peeps. All you need is a ruler and a microwave.
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NPR
Shots - Health News
The laces on the left are tied in a strong knot that lies horizontally. The laces on the right are tied in a knot that makes the bow lie vertically and which, according to new research, can come untied more easily.

Untangling The Mystery Of Why Shoelaces Come Untied

Apr 17, 2017
Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley have figured out why shoelaces seem to come untied at the worst moments, like when you're running.
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NPR
Shots - Health News

The Poetic Intimacy Of Administering Anesthesia

Apr 16, 2017
An anesthesiologist and poet says her medical work is well-suited to poetry, as patients move in and out of consciousness under the doctor's watch.
NPR
The Salt
A visitor to the Robert Mondavi Winery in Napa Valley, Calif., attends a wine tasting class. Unlike food — which gives us sensory cues like crunchy and hot, as well as tasting, say, salty — with wine, it's all about tiny differences in taste and smel

Oaky, With Notes Of BS: Why Wine Tasting Struggles To Get It On The Nose

Apr 10, 2017
Unlike food — which gives us sensory cues like crunchy and hot, as well as tasting, say, salty — with wine, it's all about tiny differences in taste and smell. The danger is in getting too poetic.
NPR
The Salt
Molecules in wine stimulate thousands of taste and odor receptors, sending a flavor signal to the brain that triggers massive cognitive computation involving pattern recognition, memory, value judgment, emotion and, of course, pleasure.

The Taste Of Wine Isn't All In Your Head, But Your Brain Sure Helps

Apr 03, 2017
Savoring the flavor of wine activates more gray matter than solving a complex math problem, according to neuroscientist Gordon Shepherd. His new book, Neurenology, explores your brain on wine.
NPR
TED Radio Hour

Kevin Breel: What Can Depression Teach Us About Comedy?

Mar 24, 2017
The image of the "sad clown" can seem like a cliche. But for Kevin Breel, it's very real. He describes how he struggled with depression while performing as a stand-up comedian.
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NPR
NPR Ed

You Probably Believe Some Learning Myths: Take Our Quiz To Find Out

Mar 22, 2017
A new survey shows widespread misconceptions and unfounded confidence about learning.
NPR
Shots - Health News
Rob Shumaker, who directs the Indianapolis Zoo, works with Rocky in a project testing the orangutan's ability to recognize and respond to symbols that appear on a touch screen.

Orangutan's Vocal Feats Hint At Deeper Roots of Human Speech

Mar 14, 2017
Rocky wowed scientists when he showed he could control his vocal cords much the way people do. His abilities suggest that early humans might have spoken words 10 million years ago.
NPR
The Salt
Getting kids to eat veggies through subterfuge — say, by sneaking spinach into smoothies <strong>-- </strong>sets the bar too low, researchers say. Your child must actually learn to like veggies, weird textures and all.

Save Hide And Seek For The Playground: Why Kids Should See Their Veggies

Mar 12, 2017
Getting kids to eat veggies through subterfuge — say, spinach smoothies -- sets the bar too low, researchers say. Your child must actually learn to like veggies, weird textures and all. Here's how.
NPR
TED Radio Hour
Ruth Chang on the TED Stage

Ruth Chang: How Can Making Hard Choices Empower Us?

Mar 10, 2017
One choice isn't always better than the other. Philosopher Ruth Chang says, once we realize that, it's easier to embrace the hard work of decision-making.
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NPR
TED Radio Hour
Dan Ariely on the TED Stage

Dan Ariely: When Are Our Decisions Made For Us?

Mar 10, 2017
We often think that our decisions are our own. But Behavioral Economist Dan Ariely explains how our environment — even something as simple as how a question is framed — can affect what we choose.
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NPR
The Salt
Kathy Fields, owner of Flint Hill Farm, demonstrates how to form a mozzarella ball.

Mozzarella Magic: How My Father And I Learned To Separate Curds And Whey

Mar 09, 2017
To feed their cheese habit, the author and her father took a crash course in mozzarella on a Pennsylvania farm. The experience offered valuable insight into the science and history of cheese-making.
NPR
The Salt
An artist's illustration shows how a remote-controlled drone might one day be used to pollinate flowers.

Rise Of The Robot Bees: Tiny Drones Turned Into Artificial Pollinators

Mar 03, 2017
Honeybees are a critical part of agriculture, pollinating many of our favorite crops. But bee deaths are on the rise. In Japan, scientists are testing whether insect-sized drones can help do the job.
NPR
TED Radio Hour

Naomi Oreskes: Why Should We Believe In Science?

Feb 24, 2017
In school, we're taught we should trust science because the scientific method leads to measurable results and hard facts. But Naomi Oreskes says the process of inquiry doesn't end there.
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NPR
TED Radio Hour

Kevin Jones: Can Embracing Uncertainty Lead To Better Medicine?

Feb 24, 2017
Sometimes, doctors just don't have the answers. Surgeon Kevin Jones says having the humility to acknowledge this leads to better medicine.
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NPR
TED Radio Hour
Liz Coleman on the TED stage in Long Beach, CA.

Liz Coleman: How Do We Teach College Students To Ask Big Questions?

Feb 24, 2017
Former Bennington College President Liz Coleman believes higher education is overly-specialized & complacent. She says we need to encourage students to ask bigger questions and take more risks.
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NPR
The Salt
An illustration from 1875 depicts the survivors of the frigate <em>Cospatrick</em>, which caught fire off South Africa's Cape of Good Hope in November 1874. Of more than 470 people on board, just three ultimately survived, and they <a href="http://www.nz

Cannibalism: It's 'Perfectly Natural,' A New Scientific History Argues

Feb 22, 2017
It's gruesome, but from a scientific standpoint, there's a predictable calculus for when humans and animals go cannibal, a new book says. And who knew European aristocrats ate body parts as medicine?
NPR
Shots - Health News
Scientists have genetically engineered mice (but not this cute one) to be resistant to the addictive effects of cocaine.

A Brain Tweak Lets Mice Abstain From Cocaine

Feb 13, 2017
Scientists have created addiction-resistant mice by altering the reward system in their brains. The findings shed light on the biochemistry of addiction.
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NPR
The Salt
Lagottos have a strong search drive, keen sense of smell and compact, curly coat. All those traits help explain why, in Italy, they have long been the breed of choice for unearthing truffles.

When Man's Best Friend Is The Worst At Truffle Hunting

Feb 09, 2017
Truffles are a culinary delicacy that sell for big bucks — and some dogs have long been bred specifically to sniff them out. But could any old dog be trained to pick up this lucrative new trick?
NPR
Media

Motivated Reasoning: A Philosopher On Confirmation Bias

Jan 28, 2017
Jonathan Ellis, a professor of philosophy at the University of California, Santa Cruz, talks about confirmation bias and its impact on our daily lives.
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NPR
Shots - Health News
In this drawing, Cajal summarizes all the important classes of cells and structural layers in the retina.

Art Exhibition Celebrates Drawings By The Founder Of Modern Neuroscience

Jan 26, 2017
Santiago Ramón y Cajal's drawings of nerve cells changed scientists' understanding of the brain. Now, 80 of those drawings are going on display at an art museum in Minnesota.
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NPR
Hidden Brain
Kim Kardashian and Donald Trump exemplify our contradictory feelings about the rich and famous. As Hidden Brain explores this week, we idolize the powerful, but also relish their downfall.

Coronations, Coups, And Keeping Up With The Kardashians

Jan 16, 2017
It's in our nature to idolize the rich and famous. But this week on Hidden Brain, we explore the other side of our nature: the part of us that wants to see the rich and powerful fall from grace.
NPR
Hidden Brain
Young people have always used language in new and different ways, and it has pretty much always driven older people crazy.

Why It's Literally Not Wrong To Say "Literally"

Jan 09, 2017
Young people have always used language in new ways, and it has always driven older people crazy. But the linguist John McWhorter says all the LOLs are part of an inevitable evolution of language.
NPR
Shots - Health News
One of the study participants undergoes an MRI scan, to help researchers figure out which parts of the brain's facial recognition system change with age.

Brain Area That Recognizes Faces Gets Busier And Better In Young Adults

Jan 05, 2017
From birth through age 30 or so, our ability to recognize faces keeps improving, research shows. At first, kids discern adult faces better than other kids' mugs. Not so after adolescence.
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NPR
Shots - Health News
Researchers from the Max Planck Institute excavate the East Gallery of Denisova Cave in Siberia in August 2010. With ancient bone fragments so hard to come by, being able to successfully filter dirt for the DNA of extinct human ancestors can open new doo

Dust To Dust: Scientists Find DNA Of Human Ancestors In Cave Floor Dirt

Jan 04, 2017
Anthropologists in Germany say they may not need old bones to recover ancient DNA. They just analyze dust from the floor of caves where Neanderthals and other now-extinct human relatives once resided.
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