Humans

The link between science and superheroes is evident in Marvel Studios' Black Panther. Science is why T'Challa's nation, Wakanda, is globally preeminent.

Science

'Black Panther': Science, Heroes — And How Comics Changed The World

3:15pm February 16, 2018

by Adam Frank

Hidden in the narratives of 1970s comics like the Black Panther was an idea that grew like a seed in the imagination of kids like me: Science and heroism were indelibly linked, says Adam Frank.

Simone Groper got her flu shot in January at a Walgreens pharmacy in San Francisco. Flu season will likely last a few more weeks, health officials say, and immunization can still minimize your chances of getting seriously sick.

Young Kids Are Getting The Best Protection From Current Flu Vaccine

2:34pm February 15, 2018

by Richard Harris

Overall, this season's vaccine is about 36 percent effective in blunting or preventing flu, health officials say. That's better than earlier predictions, and good enough to prevent flu in thousands.

Many classrooms today explore the idea that children learn best through firsthand exploration — choosing their own assignments and working at their own pace.

The Key To Raising A Happy Child

4:47pm February 14, 2018

by Cory Turner

A new book warns parents: Stop micromanaging your kids. Think of yourself less as their boss, and more like a consultant.

Barbara J. King asks: How can we think about distant cultures without reducing people to exotic "others"?

'How To Think Like An Anthropologist' — And Why You Should Want To

2:36pm February 13, 2018

by Barbara J. King

In step with Matthew Engelke's book published Tuesday, Barbara J. King says thinking anthropologically has never been more critical than in today's world, where assumptions are made and shared widely.

A promotional still from Skunk Bear's newest episode "A Neuroscience Love Song."

Your Besotted Brain: A Neuroscience Love Song

12:47pm February 13, 2018

A Valentine's music video from Skunk Bear explores the ways your brain and body change when you fall in love — and change again as love deepens and matures.

Arts

When Did Marriage Become So Hard?

9:00pm February 12, 2018

Marriage is hard — and there are signs it's become even harder in recent decades. We examine how long-term relationships have changed, and whether we might improve marriage by asking less of it.

Queue Listen Now

The Gap Between The Science On Kids And Reading, And How It Is Taught

3:57pm February 12, 2018

by Claudio Sanchez

Two-thirds of the nation's schoolchildren struggle with reading. Neuroscientist Mark Seidenberg says teachers need a better understanding of what science knows about how kids learn to read.

For many people, checking their smartphone can be addicting.

Smartphone Detox: How To Power Down In A Wired World

2:36pm February 12, 2018

In an era when many kids get a first smartphone at age 10, psychologists say the devices have turned us into Pavlov's dogs — drooling for the next notification, buzz or text. Ready to dial back?

Queue Listen Now

Starting from the assumption that you are wrong may help push scientific research forward, says Tania Lombrozo.

Science

A New Goal: Aim To Be Less Wrong

8:41am February 12, 2018

by Tania Lombrozo

When beginning from the assumption that you are wrong, a criticism may be easier to construe as a helpful pointer, says psychologist Tania Lombrozo.

Teens And Gender

8:02am February 11, 2018

NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks with Nic Rider, post-doctoral fellow at the University of Minnesota whose research shows more teens in the U.S. are identifying as transgender or gender nonconforming.