Humans

Assortment of Early and Middle Stone Age tools found in the Olorgesailie Basin, Kenya. The tool at left is a hand axe.

Scientists Are Amazed By Stone Age Tools They Dug Up In Kenya

5:41pm March 15, 2018

by Rhitu Chatterjee

The discovery suggests an earlier start to the Middle Stone Age in Africa than previously documented. It also offers clues to early social networks and symbolic art by human ancestors.

Barbara J. King considers risk on playgrounds from an evolutionary perspective.

Is It Time To Bring Risk Back Into Our Kids' Playgrounds?

3:26pm March 15, 2018

by Barbara J. King

Are playgrounds in the U.S. too sterile and risk-averse to help our kids thrive? Anthropologist Barbara J. King considers play and child development in evolutionary perspective.

Science

The Universe According To Albert Einstein: Relativity

3:28pm March 14, 2018

by Marcelo Gleiser

When Einstein, born 139 years ago on Wednesday, came onto the science scene, physics was in crisis. New ideas were badly needed — it was the perfect moment for a trailblazer, says Marcelo Gleiser.

Pushbuttons are one of many technology that have flown under the radar, in many ways, says guest commentator Jimena Canales.

Science

An Ode To Insignificance: Buttons, Touchscreens, And Other Dangerous Technologies

11:53am March 13, 2018

by Jimena Canales

The most successful technologies are so seductive, user-friendly, and so apparently innocuous that we hardly notice them entering our lives, says Jimena Canales. One such technology? The pushbutton.

As early as your mid-40s, especially if you're sedentary, your heart muscle can show signs of aging, losing its youthful elasticity and power. But moderately strenuous exercise can change that.

Hearts Get 'Younger,' Even At Middle Age, With Exercise

4:06pm March 12, 2018

by Patti Neighmond

As early as your mid-40s, especially if you're sedentary, your heart muscle can show signs of aging, losing its youthful elasticity and power. But moderately strenuous exercise can change that.

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Rethinking How Students With Dyslexia Are Taught To Read

6:00am March 11, 2018

by Emily Hanford

Dyslexia is the most common learning disability in this country. But it is widely misunderstood, and schools often do a poor job of helping students learn to read.

When it comes to chronic pain, how do patients and doctors find the right treatment?

Questions And Answers About Opioids And Chronic Pain

8:09pm March 09, 2018

Are opioids the best way to manage long-term pain? NPR's Ari Shapiro talked with Dr. Ajay Wasan, a pain specialist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, to find out.

Astrophysicist Adam Frank says that when it comes to climate change and civilization, we've been asking the wrong question.

Getting Climate Change Right: In Light Of The Stars

11:59am March 09, 2018

by Adam Frank

When it comes to facing global warming, dealing with climate change and making informed choices for our cherished "project of civilization," we've been asking the wrong question, says Adam Frank.

Science
Arts

Lisa Feldman Barrett: Can We Really Tell How Other People Are Feeling?

9:09am March 09, 2018

by NPR/TED Staff

Identifying basic emotions in others — like fear, sadness or anger — seems instinctive, but psychologist Lisa Feldman Barrett says we're doing more guesswork than we think.

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The first episode of this season's Invisibilia podcast explores how people cope when something happens that fundamentally shifts how they view themselves. The author's mother decided to try skydiving.

Invisibilia: When Death Rocks Your World, Maybe You Jump Out Of A Plane

8:00am March 09, 2018

by Hanna Rosin

The first episode of this season's Invisibilia podcast explores how people cope when something happens that fundamentally shifts how they view themselves. The author's mother decided to try skydiving.

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