Opinion

Barbara J. King points to some of her favorite science commentaries she has written for NPR.

A Thank You To NPR's Science Commentary Readers

1:29pm April 12, 2018

by Barbara J. King

For 6 1/2 years, Barbara J. King has written commentaries for NPR on everything from animals and anthropology to gender and higher education. Here, she offers up some of her favorite pieces.

With the new tariff in effect, most American wines will incur duties of 29 percent.

Should California Winemakers Be Worried About China's Tariffs?

1:19pm April 12, 2018

California produces about 85 percent of American wine, which is worth about $1.5 billion in exports. As of now, China imports little U.S. wine, but it's one of the world's fastest-growing markets.

The Milky Way as seen from Mono Lake, on the eastern flank of the High Sierra Mountains, on June 28, 2017, near Lee Vining, California.

Science
Arts

From The Big Bang To This Commentary

11:58am April 11, 2018

by Marcelo Gleiser

In 13.7, we aimed to present the passion, the drama, the social and intellectual relevance of science as one of the deepest expressions of engagement with the unknown, says physicist Marcelo Gleiser.

ACP at Cancun Restaurant in Crossville, Tenn. This cheese-covered Southern interpretation of arroz con pollo is not the saffron-colored rice and golden chicken that many Latinos who grew up eating the dish would recognize. But ACP nonetheless helped build

What Did The South Do To 'Arroz Con Pollo'? It's A Cheese-Covered Mystery

5:08pm April 09, 2018

by Gustavo Arellano

Arroz con pollo, or rice with chicken, is a dish beloved in much of Latin America. But in the South, it's morphed into ACP, a cheese-smothered phenomenon that built Mexican-restaurant empires.

Barbara J. King takes a look at a new book exploring burgers and gender.

What Do Hamburgers Have To Do With Gender?

3:09pm April 05, 2018

by Barbara J. King

Meat and veggie burgers evolved together in the 20th century, but when it comes to associations with gender, their histories diverge. Anthropologist Barbara J. King explores a new book on the topic.

Sports

The 'Off-Field Issues' Of Josh Rosen

6:02am April 04, 2018

by Mike Pesca

Sports commentator Mike Pesca opines on millennials and personality conflicts in the NFL.

Queue Listen Now

Modest temperature reversals have not taken us back in time at all, says guest commentator Jimena Canales.

Science

Time Travel With Your Fridge?

12:55pm April 03, 2018

by Jimena Canales

If the history of thermodynamics can teach us anything, it is that modest entropy reversals have not taken us back in time at all. But it is more fun to think otherwise, says guest Jimena Canales.

Artist's rendering of the first planet outside of our solar system to be imaged orbiting a brown dwarf star, called the 2M1207 system.

Science

Is Humanity Unusual In The Cosmos?

12:28pm April 02, 2018

by Adam Frank

Commentator Adam Frank talks with Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb about exo-civilizations, techno-signatures, and the search for alien life — living or long-gone.

Decorating Easter buns with a variety of symbols is an inclusive way to share holiday food.

Hot Agnostic Buns: A Proposal For A Pagan-Christian-Secular Easter Treat

11:45am March 29, 2018

by Kim Vukovich

Hot cross buns have been an Easter treat for centuries. But before that, pagans exchanged them as part of a spring ritual celebrating the four seasons or the phases of the moon. Can they morph again?

The classroom is the best place to start discussions between scientists and humanists about many issues facing our world, says professor Marcelo Gleiser.

Teaching And Learning At The Boundaries Of 2 Cultures

9:41am March 28, 2018

by Marcelo Gleiser

We all stand to lose from the gulf between the sciences and the humanities, and the classroom is the ideal place for conversations between these two cultures to unfold, says professor Marcelo Gleiser.