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Fri, May 25
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Breaking Out Of A Web Of Fear
Reporting in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers write that a brief therapy session with people who had a lifelong phobia of spiders resulted in lasting changes to brain areas that process fear. A panel of experts discuss the results, debilitating fear and ways to overcome it.
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Fri, May 25
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Tick Talk: Lyme Disease Under The Microscope
Banking giant JPMorgan's multibillion-dollar trading loss is blamed on an executive's absence due to Lyme disease. And a mild winter has some scientists predicting a busy tick season ahead. A panel of experts discuss how the infection is contracted, why it's often misdiagnosed and the most effective treatment options.
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Fri, May 25
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What's The Secret To Great Tomato Flavor?
Horticulturalist Harry Klee is on a mission to bring great taste back to the supermarket tomato. To do so, he asks taste-testers to rate the most flavorful fruits, and analyzes each winning variety's chemical profile. Then he uses his 'chemical recipe' to breed high-yield, better-tasting hybrid tomatoes.
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Fri, May 25
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Humans, The World's 'Superomnivores'
In his book The Omnivorous Mind: Our Evolving Relationship with Food, neuroanthropologist John S. Allen discusses the history of human eating, from foraged foods on the savannah to four-star meals cooked by celebrity chefs, and discusses why crunchy foods like tempura and fried chicken have universal appeal.
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Fri, May 25
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Monster Turtle Fossil Discovered In Colombian Mine
Reporting in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, researchers write of discovering a car-sized turtle they named Carbonemys cofrinii. Edwin Cadena, who found the fossil, describes the giant reptile's lifestyle 60 million years ago, and what it may have dined on--like baby alligators.
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Thu, May 24
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Gjelten: How Things Have Changed At The CIA
The CIA has faced intense criticism for reporting, incorrectly, that Saddam Hussein's Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. NPR correspondent Tom Gjelten got direct access to CIA analysts to discuss the lessons learned from Iraq, and how they're applying them to a new intelligence target: Iran.
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Thu, May 24
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Explaining Economic Inequality Between Nations
In his Pulitzer Prize-winning book Guns, Germs and Steel, Jared Diamond looked back over thousands of years of human history to examine fundamental questions behind why some societies built empires while others withered. Diamond now has some new ideas for why vast economic inequalities persist.
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Thu, May 24
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Etan Patz News Resurrects Parents' Nightmares
New York Police have reported a possible break in the case of Etan Patz, the 6-year-old boy who vanished 33 years ago on his way to school. No one was ever charged in his case, and the episode was a deep personal tragedy for the Patz family.
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Thu, May 24
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Changing Hospitals To Treat Patients Better
A recent poll found only half of people who have spent time in a hospital in the past year were very satisfied with their care. The rest complained about mistakes, poor communication and unresponsive nurses. But to better serve patients, some hospitals are changing the way they do business.
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Wed, May 23
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Mike Nichols Warns 'Death' May Be His Last Job
Mike Nichols has won every major entertainment award over a decades-long career that included theater, comedy, television and film. He returned to Broadway with a revival of Death of a Salesman, which picked up seven Tony nominations. Nichols warns the production may be his last.
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Wed, May 23
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Son Discovers Father's Secret Past On A Surfboard
Don Waters' father abandoned him and his mother when Don was three years old. Years later, before he died, Don's father sent him a copy of a short autobiography he hoped would help his son understand who his father was. In the stories, Don discovered his father and a shared passion for surfing.
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Wed, May 23
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Couch-Surfing: Global Travel On The Cheap
Nearly 4 million people are members of CouchSurfing.org, and can find a host in every country — including Antarctica and North Korea — free of charge. New Yorker staff writer Patricia Marx became a member recently, and stayed in the homes of seven friendly strangers.
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Wed, May 23
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VP Contenders: Pawlenty And Martinez
The Republican National Convention is still three months away, and the guessing continues about whom Mitt Romney, the presumptive nominee, might pick as his running mate. Former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty and current New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez both make some short lists.
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Tue, May 22
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Young Voters, Once Buoyed By Obama, Turn Away
In 2004, then-candidate Barack Obama campaigned on a message of hope and gained overwhelming support from young voters. In an op-ed in the Los Angles Times, Neal Gabler writes that many of those young voters are disappointed with his tenure, and they've turned to "DIY politics" instead.
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Tue, May 22
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The Ethics Of Compensating Organ Donors
Faced with growing shortages of organs, a majority of Americans in an NPR-Thomson Reuters poll say they favor compensating donors in specific circumstances. Federal law currently bans any form of payment and many doctors worry about issues of fairness, exploitation and access.
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Tue, May 22
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Letters: Cancer In Your 20s And 'Ex-Gay' Therapy
NPR's Neal Conan reads from listener comments about previous show topics including the challenges of facing cancer in your 20s, and the controversial treatment known as reparative therapy that some argue can reverse homosexuality.
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Tue, May 22
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Rebuilding Joplin, One Year After Tornadoes
At a day of remembrance, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon honored emergency workers, victims and survivors of tornadoes that killed 161 people, and praised the ongoing efforts to rebuild Joplin. Reporter Matt Pearce, who was in Joplin the morning after the tornado, talks about the aftermath of the disaster.
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Tue, May 22
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The Definition Of Success For Talks With Iran
Negotiators from Iran return to talks Wednesday that President Obama calls a last chance for diplomacy in the standoff over Tehran's nuclear ambitions. Representatives from the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany, will meet with Iranian negotiators in Baghdad.
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Mon, May 21
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Spitzer's Apology Changes 'Ex-Gay' Debate
Dr. Robert Spitzer's research was widely cited by those who conduct conversion therapy as proof that it worked. Dr. Spitzer says his findings were misinterpreted, and apologized. The American Psychological Association has said there is no evidence that it's possible to change sexual orientation.
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Mon, May 21
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Networks Must Adapt To Decline In TV Viewers
Ratings fell precipitously in 2012, especially among the most important audience for television advertisers: younger adults aged 18 to 49. Online viewing continues to grow, but remains a small fraction of total viewership. Bill Carter of the New York Times talks about the changing TV landscape.
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Mon, May 21
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Students Find It's Tough To Graduate In Four Years
Just over half of students graduate with their bachelor's degrees within six years of enrolling in college, according to recent studies. Educators say many students are reducing semester credit hours to save money, taking time off or dropping out of school all together.
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Mon, May 21
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Op-Ed: Send Message Of U.S.-NATO Solidarity
In recent years, critics have questioned the need for a U.S.-European alliance, originally formed to confront the Soviet Union. Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright argues the president and NATO leaders must reaffirm the importance of their union to U.S. security.
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Fri, May 18
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Stroke Victims Think, Robotic Arm Acts
Reporting in Nature, researchers write that two individuals, both paralyzed by stroke, made reach-and-grasp movements using a thought-controlled robotic arm. One participant was even able to a sip a drink by herself. Neuroengineer Dr. Leigh Hochberg discusses the paper and the ongoing trial.
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Fri, May 18
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Planning For A Solar Sky Show
On May 20th, skywatchers in the western third of the United States will be treated to an annular solar eclipse, a sight not seen here in 18 years. Dean Regas of the Cincinnati Observatory shares tips for viewing the eclipse, and tells how solar observers can safely get a peek at the elusive 'ring of fire.'
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Fri, May 18
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The Itching Question That's More Than Skin Deep
Studies show that the power of suggestion can induce itchiness — but scientists don't know what this irritation is, what causes it, or why it feels so good to cure. Marc Abrahams, editor of the Annals of Improbable Research, talks about how talking about the science of itches might have you scratching right now.
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Fri, May 18
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From Rooftops And Abandoned Lots, An Urban Harvest
From rooftop apiaries in Paris to a vegetable-and-chicken farm in Philadelphia, agriculture has come to the city. Urban farmer Mary Seton Corboy and food writer Jennifer Cockrall-King talk about the future of food in the city. Plus, Tama Matsuoka Wong gives tasty tips for eating garden weeds.
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Fri, May 18
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On Eve Of Launch, SpaceX Head Talks About Mission
SpaceX is set to launch its Dragon spacecraft to rendezvous with the International Space Station this weekend. If successful, it will be the first commercially developed, launched and operated craft to meet the ISS. SpaceX head Elon Musk talks about the launch, and his other project, Tesla Motors.
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Fri, May 18
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Rerouting Working Nerves To Restore Hand Function
A paralyzed man with a spinal cord injury to the C7 vertebrae is able to move his fingers again. Surgeons at Washington University School of Medicine rerouted working nerves in the patient's upper arms to restore some hand function. Dr. Ida Fox discusses the procedure described in the Journal of Neurosurgery.
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Thu, May 17
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If Greece Starts Dominoes Falling, What's Next?
If the Greek economy collapses, economists fear it could lead to a chain reaction that engulfs Spain, Portugal, Italy and other EU countries with fragile economies. While some experts argue doomsday scenarios are overblown, others believe the consequences would be chaotic and far-reaching.
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Thu, May 17
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One 'Last Dance' With Disco Queen Donna Summer
Donna Summer, who sang some of the most memorable anthems of the disco era from "Love to Love You Baby" to "Bad Girls," has died after a long battle with cancer. She had a top 40 hit every year from 1976 to 1984, including the song she once told NPR she'd perform till the very end, "Last Dance."
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