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Wednesday, December 05, 2012

Monkey See

40 Years After 'Free To Be,' A New Album Says 'It's Okay To Do Stuff'

cover art for It's OK to Do Stuff

December 5, 2012 The new album It's Okay To Do Stuff pays tribute — sort of — to the 40-year-old Free To Be ... You And Me.

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Krulwich Wonders...

Strange-Looking Tombstone Tells Of Moving Ice, Ancient Climates And A Restless Mind

Louis Agassiz

December 5, 2012 It's a tombstone like no other. A rough, clumpy hunk of granite, carried across Europe on a sea of ice, dumped in a valley, shipped across the Atlantic, lugged to Massachusetts — all to honor a restless man.

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Monkey See

Jimmy Fallon And The Roots Help Restore The Charm Of Mariah Carey's Christmas Classic

A screenshot of Jimmy Fallon and Mariah Carey performing "All I Want For Christmas Is You" with The Roots.

December 5, 2012 Jimmy Fallon, The Roots, and Mariah Carey perform a stripped-down holiday standard.

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NPR Double Take

Double Take 'Toons: The Cliff: All Take, No Give?

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December 5, 2012 Now that House Republicans have responded with a counteroffer to President Obama's proposal for avoiding the "fiscal cliff," the two sides seem even further apart. Signe Wilkinson argues that the GOP offer doesn't go far enough, while Lisa Benson thinks the president wants way too much.

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PG-13: Risky Reads

Feminism Turns Fatal In A 1970s Classic

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December 5, 2012 Lois Duncan's 1979 novel, Daughters of Eve, takes revenge to a whole new level. Author Mary Stewart Atwell explains why this classic novel is still relevant. Do you have a favorite story of revenge that goes too far? Tell us in the comments.

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Sweetness And Light

Navel-Gazing: Why Golf Should Embrace Belly Putters

Carl Pettersson of Sweden putts for birdie on the eighth hole during the final round of the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island, S.C., in April. The long putter he uses is in danger of being banned.

December 5, 2012 In pro golf, oversized clubs and space-age balls have changed the game and altered venerable golf courses. But the honchos who run the sport are more concerned about the trend of golfers' resting a long putter against their belly.

Transcript

On Morning EditionPlaylist

Kitchen Window

Learning To Cook Under Pressure

Asian-Style Pork Shoulder

December 5, 2012 The pressure cookers of a generation or two ago stoked fear with their explosive reputation. But don't let those bygone notions keep you from bringing faster, more flavorful meals to the table.

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Tuesday, December 04, 2012

13.7: Cosmos And Culture

Welcoming Climate Skeptics Back To Science

A wake-up call? The Rockaways area in New York after Sandy.

December 4, 2012 There are two paths forward and only one of them embraces the reality of science, its methods and its ethics.

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Krulwich Wonders...

New Superhero, 3,200 Years Old, Turns Air Into Wood Superfast

The President tree.

December 4, 2012 "The President" is a 3,200-year-old giant sequoia that clocks in at 247 feet tall and counting. And contrary to most living things we can think of, giant sequoias grow faster later in life than earlier in life.

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NPR Double Take

Double Take 'Toons: UNsettled Status?

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December 4, 2012 After the U.N. voted to give Palestinians "observer state status," Israel announced plans to expand settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Patrick Chappatte doesn't see the U.N. recognition as helpful to the peace process, while Emad Hajjaj has the same opinion of Israel's building plans.

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Monday, December 03, 2012

The Salt

Sandwich Monday: The CBO

Cheddar*, Bacon, Onion.

December 3, 2012 For this week's Sandwich Monday, we try McDonald's new CBO sandwich. CBO stands for "Cheddar, Bacon, Onion," but they have to put an asterisk after "Cheddar," because it's not really cheese. We don't know why they don't have to put an asterisk after "food."

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The Opinion Page

Op-Ed: AP Classes Are One of America's 'Great Frauds'

The College Board's Advanced Placement program more than 30 courses and exams in language, history and science.

December 3, 2012 Hundreds of thousands of high school students enroll in Advanced Placement classes each year, with hopes to strengthen high school transcripts. In a piece for the Atlantic, former college professor and high school teacher John Tierney argues that AP courses don't deliver their promised benefits.

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On Talk of the NationPlaylist

13.7: Cosmos And Culture

Learning Facts Through Fiction: An Imagined Encounter

A Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) in Costa Rica

December 3, 2012 Commentator Tania Lombrozo takes on fiction and the question of whether it can change the world with some whimsical reflections on Barbara Kingsolver's Flight Behavior, a novel about climate change.

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You Must Read This

A Gruesome 'Sabbath': Roth's Vile, Brilliant Masterpiece

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December 3, 2012 Philip Roth recently announced that he had written his last novel. Author Matthew Specktor explains why Sabbath's Theater, released in 1995, is not only Roth's most disgusting novel but also his best. Do you have a favorite book that breaks all the rules? Tell us in the comments.

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