History

During a Pap smear, doctors collect cells from in and on the cervix to test for abnormal cells that might be cancer or lead to it.

The Great Success And Enduring Dilemma Of Cervical Cancer Screening

1:30pm May 05, 2015

by Tara Haelle

The Pap smear has dramatically decreased rates of cervical cancer, but testing too often has a downside, too. Many women say they aren't yet ready to follow new guidelines and skip the annual tests.

Books
Arts

No Easy Answers In 'The Book Of Aron'

11:28am May 05, 2015

by Michael Schaub

Jim Shepard's new novel follows a depressed and probably doomed young boy in the Warsaw Jewish ghetto during World War II. Critic Michael Schaub calls it a "rewarding, shocking and beautiful book."

"A mathematical proof appears as a thing of beauty. It speaks of a higher truth. It speaks of a harmony to knowledge." - Terry Moore

Science

Why Do We Solve For 'X'?

11:01am May 05, 2015

by NPR/TED Staff

Polymath Terry Moore wondered why "X" is the universal unknown in algebra. He dove into the history of numbers to come up with an unexpected answer.

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The Marquis de Lafayette sailed across the Atlantic to America aboard the original Hermione in 1780 and joined the American rebels in their struggle for independence from Great Britain. This replica will retrace his voyage; it's scheduled to arrive in Yor

World News

Replica Of Lafayette's Ship Re-Creates Historic Voyage To America

2:02am May 05, 2015

by Eleanor Beardsley

The Marquis de Lafayette sailed from France to America in 1780 to help the new nation defeat the British. A $29 million replica of the Hermione tall ship is retracing that journey.

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Arts

Orson Welles, Famous In Film, Also Brought Radio To Life

2:09pm May 04, 2015

Orson Welles, born 100 years ago this week, is well-known for breaking new ground in theater and film. But, as author Colin Fleming tells NPR's Rachel Martin, he also did significant work in radio.

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The Lincoln Monument at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Ill., houses the tomb of the late president and was erected to preserve his legacy.

National

Lincoln's Tomb Site At Risk With State Budget Cuts

10:26am May 02, 2015

by Rachel Otwell

Thousands will honor Lincoln's death in Springfield, Ill. this weekend. Yet, the tomb's caretakers are facing criticism from scholars and are struggling to find funding to maintain the historic site.

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Members of the Nguyen family, including Harry, Tammy, Elizabeth, Emma, Elly and Quan, look through family photos.

How The Fall Of Saigon Turned San Diego Into A Home For Refugees

9:18pm May 01, 2015

by Megan Burks

Forty years ago, the Nguyen family was among the first refugees to be brought to San Diego after the Vietnam War. Now the community they helped form has become home to refugees from around the world.

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Actors dressed in full Ku Klux Klan regalia for scenes in 1915's The Birth of a Nation.

Arts

100 Years Later, What's The Legacy Of 'Birth Of A Nation'?

3:45pm May 01, 2015

by NPR Staff

D.W. Griffith's film premiered in Los Angeles a century ago Sunday. In many ways, the movie — three hours of racist propaganda — was the beginning of Hollywood.

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First lady Eleanor Roosevelt receives a May basket of flowers from young children in 1938.

National

A Forgotten Tradition: May Basket Day

9:42am May 01, 2015

by Linton Weeks

For at least a century or so, April flowers led to showers of May baskets on the front-door knobs of American homes.

Returning To Vietnam Years After Fleeing War, A Man Finally Feels At Home

8:19pm April 30, 2015

by Michael Sullivan

Duc Nguyen left Vietnam in 1975 as a boat person fleeing the communist advance. Now he has returned to an unlikely place — the seat of the communist government in Hanoi.

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