Humans http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1129&ft=1&f=1129 Humans en Copyright 2013 NPR - For Personal Use Only NPR API RSS Generator 0.94 Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:34:00 -0400 http://media.npr.org/images/npr_news_123x20.gif Humans http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1129&ft=1&f=1129 Perk Backlash: Do Surprise Upgrades Make Us Uneasy? When we get free perks we didn't earn, negative feelings can result, according to researchers. Part of the problem? Fellow customers. It helps if they're not around, a new study says. Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:34:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/06/18/193192931/perk-backlash-do-surprise-upgrades-make-us-uneasy?ft=1&f=1129 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/06/18/193192931/perk-backlash-do-surprise-upgrades-make-us-uneasy?ft=1&f=1129 When we get free perks we didn't earn, negative feelings can result, according to researchers. Part of the problem? Fellow customers. It helps if they're not around, a new study says.

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]]> A Photography Phone Call: On Life, Faith And Trains "You have to see the moment and get it fast. You don't get two chances," says Christopher Chadbourne. Listen to a phone conversation and hear what else he has to say about life, death and photography. Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:22:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/pictureshow/2013/06/18/193056695/a-photography-phone-call-on-life-faith-and-trains?ft=1&f=1129 http://www.npr.org/blogs/pictureshow/2013/06/18/193056695/a-photography-phone-call-on-life-faith-and-trains?ft=1&f=1129 "You have to see the moment and get it fast. You don't get two chances," says Christopher Chadbourne. Listen to a phone conversation and hear what else he has to say about life, death and photography.

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]]> How Men's Choice Of Mates May Have Led To Menopause Conventional wisdom holds that men prefer younger women as mates because they're more fertile than older women. But a mathematical analysis suggests that this preference may be the cause of menopause rather than a consequence of it. Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:37:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/06/17/192655850/how-mens-choice-of-mates-may-have-led-to-menopause?ft=1&f=1129 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/06/17/192655850/how-mens-choice-of-mates-may-have-led-to-menopause?ft=1&f=1129 Conventional wisdom holds that men prefer younger women as mates because they're more fertile than older women. But a mathematical analysis suggests that this preference may be the cause of menopause rather than a consequence of it.

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]]> The Human Voice May Not Spark Pleasure In Children With Autism Scientists and parents have long been baffled by the fact that children with autism often don't pay attention to human voices. Researchers say that may be because speech doesn't activate a reward system in the brain for those children the way it does for typical children. Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:32:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/06/17/192753499/the-human-voice-may-not-spark-pleasure-in-children-with-autism?ft=1&f=1129 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/06/17/192753499/the-human-voice-may-not-spark-pleasure-in-children-with-autism?ft=1&f=1129 Scientists and parents have long been baffled by the fact that children with autism often don't pay attention to human voices. Researchers say that may be because speech doesn't activate a reward system in the brain for those children the way it does for typical children.

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]]> Why Men Die Younger Than Women: The 'Guys Are Fragile' Thesis Death, it appears, prefers gentlemen to ladies. Women don't just outlive men, they consistently outlive men at every stage of life. More boys die in utero, in infancy, in adolescence, in middle age, at every stage. That's why nature makes more of them. But why? What's so fragile about guys? Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:39:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/06/17/192670490/why-men-die-younger-than-women-the-guys-are-fragile-thesis?ft=1&f=1129 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/06/17/192670490/why-men-die-younger-than-women-the-guys-are-fragile-thesis?ft=1&f=1129 Death, it appears, prefers gentlemen to ladies. Women don't just outlive men, they consistently outlive men at every stage of life. More boys die in utero, in infancy, in adolescence, in middle age, at every stage. That's why nature makes more of them. But why? What's so fragile about guys?

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]]> Will The Court's Gene Ruling Stifle Bio Innovation? <em>Weekend Edition Saturday</em> Host Scott Simon talks with bioethicist Arthur Caplan of New York University about Thursday's Supreme Court ruling that isolated human genes may not be patented — and the implications for that ruling. Sat, 15 Jun 2013 08:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/15/191934160/will-the-courts-gene-ruling-stifle-bio-innovatioon?ft=1&f=1129 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/15/191934160/will-the-courts-gene-ruling-stifle-bio-innovatioon?ft=1&f=1129 Weekend Edition Saturday Host Scott Simon talks with bioethicist Arthur Caplan of New York University about Thursday's Supreme Court ruling that isolated human genes may not be patented — and the implications for that ruling.

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]]> 'I'm Not The Only One': Transgender Youth Battle The Odds National polls show a growing acceptance of gay men and women, but the transgender community often feels left out of the discussion. Young transgender people face discrimination in all aspects of life, and many find themselves on the streets. Sat, 15 Jun 2013 05:27:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/15/191772111/im-not-the-only-one-transgender-youth-battle-the-odds?ft=1&f=1129 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/15/191772111/im-not-the-only-one-transgender-youth-battle-the-odds?ft=1&f=1129 National polls show a growing acceptance of gay men and women, but the transgender community often feels left out of the discussion. Young transgender people face discrimination in all aspects of life, and many find themselves on the streets.

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]]> Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn Talks Climate and Carbon Like any major city near a coast, Seattle likely won't be immune from rising sea levels and other effects of global warming. Mayor Mike McGinn discusses the city's plans for addressing climate change, including his push to divest Seattle's pension funds from fossil fuel investments, and the city council's plan to make Seattle carbon neutral by 2050. Fri, 14 Jun 2013 13:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/14/191614356/seattle-mayor-mike-mcginn-talks-climate-and-carbon?ft=1&f=1129 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/14/191614356/seattle-mayor-mike-mcginn-talks-climate-and-carbon?ft=1&f=1129 Like any major city near a coast, Seattle likely won't be immune from rising sea levels and other effects of global warming. Mayor Mike McGinn discusses the city's plans for addressing climate change, including his push to divest Seattle's pension funds from fossil fuel investments, and the city council's plan to make Seattle carbon neutral by 2050.

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]]> Decoding 'the Most Complex Object in the Universe' The human brain contains some 100 billion neurons, which together form a network of Internet-like complexity. Christof Koch, chief scientific officer of the Allen Institute for Brain Science, calls the brain "the most complex object in the known universe," and he's mapping its connections in hopes of discovering the origins of consciousness. Fri, 14 Jun 2013 13:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/14/191614360/decoding-the-most-complex-object-in-the-universe?ft=1&f=1129 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/14/191614360/decoding-the-most-complex-object-in-the-universe?ft=1&f=1129 The human brain contains some 100 billion neurons, which together form a network of Internet-like complexity. Christof Koch, chief scientific officer of the Allen Institute for Brain Science, calls the brain "the most complex object in the known universe," and he's mapping its connections in hopes of discovering the origins of consciousness.

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]]> Looking Back, and Up, at a Seattle Icon Seattle's Space Needle opened in 1962 as part of the World's Fair. Knute Berger, author of <em>Space Needle: The Spirit of Seattle</em>, discusses the history and engineering behind the tower, and explains why a symbol of "the future" from days gone by still has relevance today. Fri, 14 Jun 2013 13:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/14/191614365/looking-back-and-up-at-a-seattle-icon?ft=1&f=1129 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/14/191614365/looking-back-and-up-at-a-seattle-icon?ft=1&f=1129 Seattle's Space Needle opened in 1962 as part of the World's Fair. Knute Berger, author of Space Needle: The Spirit of Seattle, discusses the history and engineering behind the tower, and explains why a symbol of "the future" from days gone by still has relevance today.

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]]> Human Genes Not Patentable, Supreme Court Says The U.S. Supreme Court ruled this week that the mere act of isolating a DNA sequence does not make human genes patentable. Mary-Claire King, who helped discover the breast cancer gene at the center of the court dispute, discusses the ruling and its implications for genetics. Fri, 14 Jun 2013 13:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/14/191614367/human-genes-not-patentable-supreme-court-says?ft=1&f=1129 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/14/191614367/human-genes-not-patentable-supreme-court-says?ft=1&f=1129 The U.S. Supreme Court ruled this week that the mere act of isolating a DNA sequence does not make human genes patentable. Mary-Claire King, who helped discover the breast cancer gene at the center of the court dispute, discusses the ruling and its implications for genetics.

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]]> Denis Hayes on Being Green Since his days as head of the Solar Energy Research Institute under President Jimmy Carter, Denis Hayes has been pushing to add more renewable energy sources to the country's energy portfolio. Hayes discusses the current U.S. market for renewables such as solar and wind, and gives his take on where he sees America's energy future headed. Fri, 14 Jun 2013 13:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/14/191614372/denis-hayes-on-being-green?ft=1&f=1129 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/14/191614372/denis-hayes-on-being-green?ft=1&f=1129 Since his days as head of the Solar Energy Research Institute under President Jimmy Carter, Denis Hayes has been pushing to add more renewable energy sources to the country's energy portfolio. Hayes discusses the current U.S. market for renewables such as solar and wind, and gives his take on where he sees America's energy future headed.

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]]> Rolling Out Bamboo Bicycles Valid Cycles specializes in handcrafted bamboo bicycle frames. To be bike-ready, the bamboo must be cooked in an oven, stripped, and sealed. But after that, the founders of Valid Cycles say the bikes last as long as a metal one. We stopped by their shop — a barn in Woodinville, Washington — for a look at how the bikes are put together. Fri, 14 Jun 2013 13:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/14/191614379/rolling-out-bamboo-bicycles?ft=1&f=1129 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/14/191614379/rolling-out-bamboo-bicycles?ft=1&f=1129 Valid Cycles specializes in handcrafted bamboo bicycle frames. To be bike-ready, the bamboo must be cooked in an oven, stripped, and sealed. But after that, the founders of Valid Cycles say the bikes last as long as a metal one. We stopped by their shop — a barn in Woodinville, Washington — for a look at how the bikes are put together.

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]]> Why Partisans Can't Kick The Hypocrisy Habit On issues such as foreign policy, the economy and NSA snooping, people tend to back policies based on where their party stands, rather than holding fast to deep-seated beliefs. When party control switches, so do their positions. Fri, 14 Jun 2013 12:33:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/06/14/191601623/why-partisans-cant-kick-the-hypocrisy-habit?ft=1&f=1129 http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/06/14/191601623/why-partisans-cant-kick-the-hypocrisy-habit?ft=1&f=1129 On issues such as foreign policy, the economy and NSA snooping, people tend to back policies based on where their party stands, rather than holding fast to deep-seated beliefs. When party control switches, so do their positions.

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]]> Are We Hard-Wired For Beauty? Psychologist Nancy Etcoff explains why beauty inspires and motivates us. Etcoff says our response to beauty is visceral. Tue, 16 Apr 2013 15:07:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/14/177490162/are-we-hard-wired-for-beauty?ft=1&f=1129 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/14/177490162/are-we-hard-wired-for-beauty?ft=1&f=1129 Psychologist Nancy Etcoff explains why beauty inspires and motivates us. Etcoff says our response to beauty is visceral.

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