Brain Candy

Research in mice shows that lowering oxygen levels could reset circadian clocks and cure jet lag.

Breathing Less Oxygen Reduces Jet Lag, At Least In Mice

3:49pm October 20, 2016

by Erin Ross

Jet lag and shift work impose painful changes on the body's circadian rhythms. Adjusting oxygen consumption might help, researchers say. But don't hold your breath; it's only been tested in mice.

Capuchin monkeys use a detached flake as an active hammerstone, possibly in order to produce quartz dust.

Science

Those Ancient Stone Tools — Did Humans Make Them, Or Was It Really Monkeys?

8:44pm October 19, 2016

by Christopher Joyce

Capuchin monkeys in Brazil have been seen making sharp stone flakes. It was previously thought that only humans and their ancestors had flaking skills.

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Our culture has long expected that women will be kind, and leaders will be authoritative. So what's a female leader to do when she confronts these conflicting stereotypes?

Too Sweet, Or Too Shrill? The Double Bind For Women

8:21pm October 18, 2016

A century after women won the vote in the U.S., we still see very few of them in leadership roles. Researchers say women are trapped in a catch-22 known as "the double bind."

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A doodle depicting some of the icons in the history of pencils.

Trace The Remarkable History Of The Humble Pencil

2:57pm October 11, 2016

The classroom writing implement has roots in exploding stars, the French Revolution, the British crown jewels and Walden Pond.

Sure, keeping a teenager's thoughts corralled may seem like lion taming. But that impulsivity may help them learn, too.

Teens' Penchant For Risk-Taking May Help Them Learn Faster

5:25pm October 06, 2016

by Erin Ross

The impulsivity and risk-taking that are common among teenagers may be a side effect of having a brain tuned to learn a lot of new stuff fast, researchers say. So it could be good in the long run.

Science
Arts

Snap, Crackle, Kale: The Science Of Why Veggies Spark In The Microwave

3:48pm October 03, 2016

by Erin Ross

Online sources suggest cooking vegetables in the microwave for a quick and easy dinner. But microwaving veggies can get a little bit explosive. Who knew kale chips could offer a lesson in physics?

Cities can be places of learning for any age.

How To Spark Learning Everywhere Kids Go — Starting With The Supermarket

3:27pm October 03, 2016

by Anya Kamenetz

A $20 intervention caused a big boost in conversations between parents and kids. Researchers say there are lots of untapped opportunities like these to help kids learn out of school.

A new study says brain games won't make you smarter.

Brain Game Claims Fail A Big Scientific Test

8:34am October 03, 2016

by Jon Hamilton

When a team of researchers evaluated the scientific literature on brain games, they found little evidence that the products improve memory or thinking in real-world tasks.

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The entrance to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault.

Can We Preserve Seed Diversity For The Future?

8:19am September 30, 2016

by NPR/TED STAFF

Biodiversity archivist Cary Fowler explains how the Svalbard Global Seed Vault will prepare humans for the climate change and its effect on our environment and our food supply.

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How Do We Embrace All Kinds Of Nature?

8:19am September 30, 2016

by NPR/TED Staff

Environmental writer Emma Marris wants us to broaden our definition of nature to one that embraces urban and wild spaces in order learn to protect and care for it.

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