Science

A chimpanzee hugs her newborn at Burgers' Zoo in Arnhem, Netherlands, in 2010. Over the course of his long career, primatologist Frans de Waal has become convinced that primates and other animals express emotions similar to human emotions.

Sex, Empathy, Jealousy: How Emotions And Behavior Of Other Primates Mirror Our Own

4:03pm March 19, 2019

by Terry Gross

Primatologist Frans de Waal believes that the way humans experience emotion is not unique: "That's a spectrum of behavior that we have, and the same thing is true for many other species."

Queue Listen Now

U.S. Mathematician Becomes First Woman To Win Abel Prize, 'Math's Nobel'

3:21pm March 19, 2019

by Bill Chappell

"I find that I am bored with anything I understand," Karen Uhlenbeck once said. That sentiment is part of why she won what many call the Nobel of mathematics Tuesday.

Marcelo Gleiser, 60, won the 2019 Templeton Prize for his work seeking the common ground between science and spirituality.

Science
Arts

Marcelo Gleiser Wins Templeton Prize For Quest To Confront 'Mystery Of Who We Are'

3:12pm March 19, 2019

by Colin Dwyer

The prestigious award comes with nearly $1.5 million in winnings. The physicist, who teaches at Dartmouth and has written for NPR, says he's driven by the "many questions we still have no clue about."

For people with a rare condition known as misophonia, certain sounds like slurping, chewing, tapping and clicking can elicit intense feelings of rage or panic.

Misophonia: When Life's Noises Drive You Mad

2:22pm March 18, 2019

by April Fulton

Some people experience intense rage or fear when they hear the sound of people chewing, spitting, or throat-clearing. Turns out they may have a rare condition known as misophonia.

Queue Listen Now

Marijuana plants grow in a marijuana cultivation facility on July 6, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Cannabis 101 At The University Of Connecticut

1:59pm March 16, 2019

by Patrick Skahill

With expanding markets for hemp and marijuana, some students believe that taking the class could help their careers. "I'm definitely interested in the plant and where it can go," Madison Blake said.

Queue Listen Now

Researchers Who Study Mass Shootings Say Perpetrators Often Idolize And Copy Others

7:35pm March 15, 2019

The man who claimed responsibility for the mass shooting in New Zealand posted a lengthy statement online before the attack. Researchers who study mass killings say perpetrators often idolize and copy others.

Queue Listen Now

Adam Spencer: Why Are Monster Prime Numbers Important?

10:33am March 15, 2019

by NPR/TED Staff

Adam Spencer is fascinated by prime numbers. These seemingly simple numbers can be found in monster sizes—the latest being almost 25 million digits long.

Queue Listen Now

Eddie Woo: How Can Math Help Us Understand The Complexity Of The Universe?

10:13am March 15, 2019

by NPR/TED Staff

The world is full of recurring patterns based on math. Math teacher Eddie Woo explains why human beings are naturally drawn to patterns and how we can use math to engage with our complex world.

Queue Listen Now

Envy is a useful tool for social comparison. But sometimes, it can lead us to wicked places.

Science
Arts

Counting Other People's Blessings

9:26am March 15, 2019

Envy is one of the most unpleasant of all human emotions. This week, we explore an emotion that can inspire us to become better people — or to commit unspeakable acts.

Queue Listen Now

A biomechanical model of producing an "f" sound with an overbite (left) compared with an edge-to-edge bite (right). Some linguists are arguing that the advent of softer food thousands of years ago led to changes in biting patterns and, eventually, to more

Science

Did Cooking Really Give Us The F-Word?

8:22pm March 14, 2019

by Dan Charles

Some linguists are arguing that the advent of softer food thousands of years ago led to changes in biting patterns and, eventually, to more frequent use of sounds like "f" and "v" in human languages.