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Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Deceptive Cadence

Do Orchestras Really Need Conductors?

Does This Guy Matter? Conductor Leonard Bernstein during rehearsal with the Cincinnati Symphony at Carnegie Hall in 1977.

November 27, 2012 A computer science study shows that when an orchestra's musicians closely follow the lead of the conductor, rather than one another, they produce better music.

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Saturday, November 24, 2012
Friday, November 23, 2012

Science

Experiments That Keep Going And Going And Going

William Beal, standing at center, started a long-term study on seed germination in 1879. He buried 20 bottles with seeds in them for later researchers to unearth and plant.

November 23, 2012 Some scientific research can't be completed in days or months — projects can take years, or even decades or centuries. This poses a challenge for scientists who must make plans for experiments that often outlive the experimenter.

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Shots - Health News

Scientists Get A New Look At Einstein's Brain

Pathologist Thomas Harvey took dozens of photos of Einstein's brain. This one shows that Einstein's prefrontal cortex (associated with higher cognition and memory) is unusually convoluted. On the right side of the brain there are four large ridges, where most people have only three.

November 23, 2012 What made Einstein a genius? Maybe his weirdly curvy brain had something to do with it. Scientists have recently analyzed photos from the 1950s to try to figure out what made the genius tick.

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Environment

An Arbor Embolism? Why Trees Die In Drought

A forest near Trieste, Italy, is largely dead owing to drought stress during the summer of 2012.

November 23, 2012 Scientists who study forests say they've discovered something disturbing about the way prolonged drought affects trees. When drought dries out the soil, a tree has to suck harder to draw in water. But that increases the risk of drawing in dangerous and deadly air bubbles.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

Thursday, November 22, 2012
Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Shots - Health News

When Fetuses Yawn In The Womb

Could that be a yawn? An ultrasound scan catches an opened-mouth fetus.

November 21, 2012 Ultrasound often catches fetuses opening their mouths, but whether they're really yawning or not has been up for debate. Now, with some fancy ultrasound techniques, scientists have show that babies do indeed yawn in the womb.

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Friday, November 16, 2012

Shots - Health News

Mental Disorders And Evolution: What Would Darwin Say About Schizophrenia?

Charles Darwin

November 16, 2012 Given the pressure of evolution, why have genes behind schizophrenia, autism and others disorders persisted? A study that looks at the likelihood someone is to have kids tries to figure it out.

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Thursday, November 15, 2012

Shots - Health News

A Peek Inside Rappers' Brains Shows Roots Of Improvisation

The warmer orange colors show parts of the brain most active during improvisational rap. The blue regions are most active when rappers performed a memorized piece.

November 15, 2012 Scientists have found rappers and jazz musicians use their brains in similar ways when it comes to improvisation. Brain scans show distinct differences in which parts of the brain are most active during rap performances of memorized pieces compared with those that are done freestyle.

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