Brain Candy

The fix was in for this rhesus macaque drinking juice on the Ganges River in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India. No gambling was required to get the reward.

In Lab Turned Casino, Gambling Monkeys Help Scientists Find Risk-Taking Brain Area

6:10pm September 20, 2018

by Jon Hamilton

Scientists at Johns Hopkins have identified a brain region in monkeys that influences their desire to take big risks. When this area is inactivated, the monkeys tend to hedge their bets.

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The DelFly Nimble in flight. The robot was inspired by the agile movements of the fruit fly.

Science

WATCH: Flapping Robot Sheds Light On How Fruit Flies Move

2:28pm September 13, 2018

by Merrit Kennedy

The scientists were inspired by the super-agile fruit fly. And by designing this robot, they've figured out some of the mysteries of one of the fly's fanciest maneuvers.

Caitlin Doughty: What's Wrong With The Way We Bury The Dead?

11:05am September 07, 2018

by NPR/TED Staff

Mortician Caitlin Doughty is trying to find a more natural and sustainable way to bury our loved ones. But to get there, she says: we need to rethink how we view death altogether.

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Health & Safety

Lux Narayan: What Do Obituaries Teach Us About Lives Well-Lived?

11:05am September 07, 2018

by NPR/TED Staff

Lux Narayan analyzed 2000 New York Times obituaries, of both famous and not-so-famous people, over a two-year period. One common thread among them? A fierce desire to help others.

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Okra slime changes when its pH changes. To make okra less slimy, says botanist Katherine Preston, cook it with an acid, which changes the properties of the molecules in the mucilage and renders it far less viscous. Southerners cook okra with tomatoes, whi

Science

Leave It To Botanists To Turn Cooking Into A Science Lesson

4:59pm September 05, 2018

by Jill Neimark

Why do artichokes look so strange? What makes okra so slimy – and how can science help you turn that attribute into a taste sensation? Two botanists take plant science into the kitchen.

"We put on perfumes, we cover up our holes with anything that excretes or is moist we don't want anything to do with."

'Gross Anatomy' Turns Humor On Taboos About The Female Body

5:46pm August 30, 2018

Author Mara Altman got tired of hiding her hairy, sweaty self from the world, and set out to reframe the shame in her latest book of essays — part memoir, part scientific exploration, part manifesto.

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Florence, Italy, Europe 01 July, 2011 The long nose of a liar pinocchio

Science

Can You Handle The Truth?

5:00pm August 30, 2018

This week on the Hidden Brain radio show, we explore why people often avoid telling the truth — to others, and to themselves.

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Previous research has shown that babies in the first year of life understand that certain individuals tend to win in social conflicts — such as individuals that are physically larger, or that come from larger social groups.

Toddlers Like Winners, But How They Win Matters

4:44pm August 27, 2018

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Unlike other primates, human toddlers watching a competition don't appreciate victors who shove rivals out of the way. Even little kids prefer high-status characters who aren't bullies.

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When it comes to making decisions, very different types of leaders have at least one thing in common, research suggests.

What Makes A Leader?

2:00pm August 02, 2018

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Leaders make decisions for a group in the same way they make choices for themselves, a study suggests. They don't change their decision-making behavior, even when the welfare of others is at stake.

Brick transfers heat to dough more slowly than steel, allowing both pizza crust and toppings to simultaneously reach perfection.

Science

Pizza Physics: Why Brick Ovens Bake The Perfect Italian-Style Pie

11:14am July 23, 2018

by Angus Chen

Brick transfers heat to dough more slowly than steel, allowing both crust and toppings to simultaneously reach perfection. In a home oven, that balance is elusive — but you might be able to get close.