Humans

Ron Nielsen, a retired airline pilot, tells his class of fearful fliers in Southern California that crying can be a useful emotional release. If that's what they need to do, he tells them, "let 'er rip!"

Hollywood Jet Gives Fearful Fliers The Courage To Soar

1:18pm May 17, 2016

by Danny Hajek

A small group boards a 727 jet parked on a studio sound stage in Southern California. The airplane cabin is normally used for filming movies — but these "passengers" have real-world fears.

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Keith Chen is head of economic research at Uber, and he says the way we interact with the app reveals a lot about human behavior.

Economy

This Is Your Brain On Uber

9:25am May 17, 2016

by NPR Staff

This week we feature Keith Chen, a behavioral economist at UCLA and the head of economic research at Uber. Keith explains why surge pricing makes us nuts and discusses our weird economic choices.

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The Power Of Genes, And The Line Between Biology And Destiny

9:09am May 17, 2016

Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee says genetics play a significant role in identity, temperament, sexual orientation and disease risk — but that environment also matters. His new book is The Gene.

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Illustration of a young boy making a face at peas that are arranged like an unhappy face on his plate.

Science

Breaking Down The Science Of Picky Eating

2:01pm May 16, 2016

by NPR Staff

What makes us dislike certain foods? And why is everyone so concerned about what you're eating, anyway? Jane Kauer, an anthropologist who has studied the topic, helps answer our questions.

Sherpas First To Climb Mount Everest After 2 Years Of Avalanches

11:39am May 14, 2016

by Danielle Preiss

This week nine Sherpas became the first to climb Mt. Everest since a deadly avalanche in 2014 and an earthquake last year. The guides hope more climbers return to the slopes.

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Reviving Memory With An Electrical Current

9:33am May 14, 2016

by Bret Stetka

While still experimental, deep brain stimulation with implanted electrodes is being tested as a way to ease dementia in patients with Alzheimer's and other neurological conditions. Could it work?

World News

A 'Brexit' Could Threaten The English Language

8:00am May 14, 2016

NPR's Scott Simon wonders what will happen to English as a lingua franca if Britain leaves the European Union.

Native Americans' Relocation From Louisiana Home: 'First Climate Change Refugees'

8:00am May 14, 2016

by Tegan Wendland

Members of a Native American community in south Louisiana are retreating from their coastal home and trying to preserve their culture in the process.

Pfizer's corporate headquarters in midtown Manhattan.

Pfizer To Stop Selling Drugs For Use In Lethal Injections

10:25pm May 13, 2016

by Laura Wagner

The drugmaker was the "last remaining open-market source of drugs used in executions," The New York Times reported. Other U.S. and European firms had already blocked drugs from use in executions.

"I'm afraid there's a growing sense that the path to health is through testing," says Dr. H. Gilbert Welch, a Dartmouth Institute internist who has written books on the pitfalls of overdiagnosis. Encouraging the worried well to order their own blood tests

DIY Blood Tests? There's A Downside To Ordering Your Own

9:16pm May 12, 2016

by Jon Brooks

It's legal to order diagnostic blood tests without consulting a doctor in many states. But critics say healthy patients can go down a rabbit hole of invasive assays and unnecessary treatments.