Humans

Peter Singer speaks at TED2013 - The Young, The Wise, The Undiscovered, Session 12 - A Ripple Effect, February 25 - March 1, 2013, Long Beach, California, Photo: James Duncan Davidson/TED

Arts
Economy

Peter Singer: How Can We Be More Effective Altruists?

9:11am May 26, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

Philosopher Peter Singer's work focuses on "effective altruism" — how to do the most good to make the world a better place. He argues effective giving involves balancing empathy with reason.

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Larissa MacFarquhar: How Far Would You Go To Help Others?

9:11am May 26, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

Larissa MacFarquhar writes about extreme altruists, people who make great sacrifices to help others. She says most of us aren't prepared or willing to do that — which is why we don't give more.

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Secondhand exposure to vaping poses health risks, according to the Surgeon General.

Many Adults Don't Think Exposure To Vaping Is Bad For Kids

2:11pm May 25, 2017

by Courtney Columbus

Nicotine, heavy metals and tiny particles that can harm the lungs float around in the aerosol from e-cigarettes. But a survey finds many adults don't think secondhand vape is dangerous for children.

Science

How Elections Influence Judges

10:40am May 25, 2017

by Shankar Vedantam

Social science research looks at the relationship between how judges rule and how they are influenced by election campaigns.

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Modern psychology shows that we all have a little bit of Narcissus in us. Most of us like people who remind us of ourselves — whether that is someone else with the same name or the same birthday.

Science

Me, Myself, and IKEA: What Our Love For Swedish Furniture Says About Narcissism

9:01pm May 22, 2017

In general, people show a subtle bias toward the self. This is why we love the IKEA furniture we've built, and gravitate toward others with the same name. But there are much larger implications, too.

We Have Always Been Bored — 'Yawn' Wonders Why

7:00am May 20, 2017

by Genevieve Valentine

Mary Mann's new book digs into a phenomenon as old as humanity: boredom. Why do we get bored? Is there a cure? Yawn is a thoughtful read, but its mix of autobiography and scholarship doesn't jell.

What started out as web surfing for one teen descended into online obsession and isolation.

Is 'Internet Addiction' Real?

10:31am May 18, 2017

by Lesley McClurg

What started out as web surfing by a healthy teen descended into online obsession and isolation. Was it depression, internet addiction or both? Whatever you call it, rehab is now part of the answer.

Wayne Hale was an up-and-coming manager at NASA at the time of the 2003 Columbia shuttle disaster.

Total Failure: When The Space Shuttle Didn't Come Home

4:37pm May 17, 2017

by Geoff Brumfiel

In Part 1 of the series Total Failure, a former NASA official recalls the disastrous mission of the space shuttle Columbia in 2003 and how the accident changed his life forever.

An orangutan mother and her 11-month old infant in Borneo. Orangutans breast-feed offspring off and on for up to eight years.

Orangutan Moms Are The Primate Champs Of Breast-Feeding

3:40pm May 17, 2017

by Jon Hamilton

Orangutans breast-feed up to nine years, longer than any other primate. That may help offspring survive food shortages. But humans may have gained a survival advantage from weaning earlier.

Science

Advice For Your Dinner Party Stories: Keep It Familiar

7:38am May 17, 2017

by Shankar Vedantam

There's a difference between the stories we tell and the stories we like to hear. New social science research finds most of us like to listen to stories about familiar things.

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