Humans

A Blind Woman Gains New Freedom, Click By Click By Click

5:20pm January 26, 2015

by Lulu Miller

Blind since birth, Julee-anne Bell learned to get by better on her own with echolocation, a method explored in this week's Invisibilia. But along the way, she found that independence came with costs.

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An employee of the drug company Apotex, examines some Ciprofloxacin at the plant in Canada. Cipro is commonly given to travelers for diarrhea. More than 20 million Cipro doses are prescribed each year in the U.S.

Taking Antibiotics During Travel Fosters Drug-Resistant Germs

8:54pm January 24, 2015

by Michaeleen Doucleff

Many of us take antibiotics when we get tummy troubles in developing countries. Scientists say this opens the door for a dangerous visitor in the GI tract. These microbes can stick around for months.

As the U.S. workforce continues to become more diverse, researchers are now more than ever examining diversity and bias in the work place.

Science

Study Says Creativity Can Flow From Political Correctness

6:14pm January 24, 2015

by NPR Staff

There is a common belief that requiring the use of "politically correct" language in the workplace stifles creativity. Researchers decided to see if that notion held up to scrutiny.

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A scorpion fly perches on a leaf at the research farm where Lindgren studied the decomposition of human remains. Scorpion flies are among the first insects to visit a corpse.

Finding Crime Clues In What Insects Had For Dinner

5:41pm January 23, 2015

by Poncie Rutsch

Forensic scientists can find crime-solving evidence in the tiniest details, such as the insects that arrive at the scene to feed on the decomposing corpse.

Vapor from an e-cigarette obscures the user's face in a London coffee bar.

E-Cigarettes Can Churn Out High Levels Of Formaldehyde

4:55pm January 22, 2015

by Rob Stein

Unexpectedly high levels of the cancer-causing chemical were found in an analysis of the vapor from e-cigarettes, researchers say.

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Biologist Rob Knight, co-founder of the American Gut Project, recently moved the project to the University of California, San Diego's School of Medicine.

One Scientist's Race To Help Microbes Help You

8:26am January 20, 2015

by Katherine Harmon Courage

Moving the American Gut Project to a biotech hub like San Diego may speed the jump from basic research to real treatments. At least that's microbe tracker Rob Knight's plan.

By Making A Game Out Of Rejection, A Man Conquers Fear

7:56am January 20, 2015

by Alix Spiegel

Jason Comely's fear of rejection was so strong that he'd become completely isolated. So he set out to get himself rejected at least once a day, every day. Funny thing is, it worked.

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Books
Arts

How A Skeptic Learned To Love Meditation

8:35pm January 19, 2015

Fancy feeling happy in 2015? Dan Harris, co-anchor of ABC's Nightline, has written a book called 10% Happier. He shares with NPR's Rachel Martin the reasons that drove him to write a self-help book.

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Martin Pistorius sometime between 1990 and 1994, when he was unable to communicate.

Trapped In His Body For 12 Years, A Man Breaks Free

10:43am January 16, 2015

by Lulu Miller

Martin Pistorius spent more than a decade unable to move or communicate, fearing he would be alone, trapped, forever. NPR's new show Invisibilia tells how his mind helped him create a new life.

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Tilda the orangutan, relaxing between gabfests at the Cologne Zoo.

From The Mouths Of Apes, Babble Hints At Origins of Human Speech

8:56am January 16, 2015

by Jon Hamilton

You say banana; this orangutan says ... well, it's hard to tell what she's saying. But the rhythmic, speechlike sounds of the zoo-dwelling ape have started scientists talking.

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