Humans

(From left to right) Mackenzie Stamper, Adrian Rodriguez and Luke Ryan attend weekly Suzuki violin lessons with instructor Sara Johnson, part of a training program called MILEStone, or Music Impacting Language Expertise.

Using Music And Rhythm To Help Kids With Grammar And Language

5:14pm June 01, 2017

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center are studying how music and rhythm activities could help children who struggle with grammar and language development.

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Eight different real faces were shown to a monkey. The images were then reconstructed using analyzing electrical activity from 205 neurons recorded while the monkey was viewing the faces.

Cracking The Code That Lets The Brain ID Any Face, Fast

5:14pm June 01, 2017

by Jon Hamilton

People and other primates have an amazing ability to instantly recognize faces. Scientists at Caltech found that we do that by having 205 specialized brain cells divvy up the task.

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A psychologist argues people experience emotions differently. For instance, fear might make some people cry while for others, it could elicit laughter.

The Making Of Emotions, From Pleasurable Fear To Bittersweet Relief

7:40am June 01, 2017

by Rebecca Hersher

Since ancient times, philosophers and scientists have viewed emotions as innate. In the latest Invisibilia, a psychologist argues that emotions spring from the sum of our experiences, not just wiring.

In 1982, one man worked around the clock to program the video game version of Steven Spielberg's E.T. in just five weeks.

Total Failure: The World's Worst Video Game

4:41pm May 31, 2017

by Geoff Brumfiel

In the late summer of 1982, one man worked around the clock to program the video game version of Steven Spielberg's E.T. in just five weeks. The result wasn't pretty.

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Most of the people in a choir at Ryerson University in Toronto have joined a study testing how practicing music might help people with hearing loss handle noisy environments better.

'Like Brain Boot Camp': Using Music To Ease Hearing Loss

3:44pm May 31, 2017

Researchers in Toronto are studying whether singing in a choir and practicing pitch can help hearing-impaired people function better in noisy environments.

A 4-year-old regulation in New York state requires doctors and hospitals to treat sepsis using a protocol that some researchers now question.

Are State Rules For Treating Sepsis Really Saving Lives?

5:14pm May 30, 2017

by Richard Harris

Some states dictate how doctors must treat this life-threatening reaction to infection, and early intervention is helping. But scientific evidence may be changing too rapidly for the rules to keep up.

One hospital in California has created designated no-handshake zones in an effort to curtail the spread of germs.

Handshake-Free Zones Target Spread Of Germs In The Hospital

8:38am May 29, 2017

by Anna Gorman

Hospital-acquired infections can be life-threatening, and unwashed hands are often to blame. One hospital in California thinks banishing handshakes could help reduce infections.

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Sometime between grade school and grad school, the brain's information highways get remapped in a way that dramatically boosts self-control.

As Brains Mature, More Robust Information Networks Boost Self-Control

7:10pm May 26, 2017

by Jon Hamilton

Sometime between grade school and grad school, the brain's information highways get remapped in a way that dramatically reins in impulsive behavior.

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Abigail Marsh speaks at TEDSummit2016, June 26 - 30, 2016, Banff, Canada. Photo: Marla Aufmuth / TED

Abigail Marsh: Are We Wired To Be Altruistic?

9:11am May 26, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

When Abigail Marsh was 19, a complete stranger risked his life to save her from a car accident. Today, she studies what motivates us to help others — and why some of us are "extraordinary" altruists.

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Cheryl Steed: Can Altruism Be Learned?

9:11am May 26, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

At the prison where Cheryl Steed works, certain inmates are chosen to be caregivers for elderly inmates. The program has made her wonder — can altruism be learned?

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