Robert Krulwich http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5194672&ft=1&f=5194672 Robert Krulwich works on radio, podcasts, video, the blogosphere. He has been called "the most inventive network reporter in television" by <em>TV Guide</em>. en Copyright 2013 NPR - For Personal Use Only NPR API RSS Generator 0.94 Mon, 20 May 2013 14:03:00 -0400 http://media.npr.org/images/podcasts/thumbnail/npr_generic_image_75.jpg Robert Krulwich http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5194672&ft=1&f=5194672 yes The Little Metronome That Wouldn't Take a metronome. Then take another. Then another. Set them ticking at different times. Look. Lift. (That's the key part.) Watch. Then Laugh. Because you will be dumbfounded. Mon, 20 May 2013 14:03:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/05/17/184815141/the-little-metronome-that-wouldnt?ft=1&f=5194672 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/05/17/184815141/the-little-metronome-that-wouldnt?ft=1&f=5194672 Take a metronome. Then take another. Then another. Set them ticking at different times. Look. Lift. (That's the key part.) Watch. Then Laugh. Because you will be dumbfounded. no Take a metronome. Then take another. Then another. Set them ticking at different times. Look. Lift. (That's the key part.) Watch. Then Laugh. Because you will be dumbfounded.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

]]> David Foster Wallace Tells Us About Freedom What do you get when you get a college diploma? To hear David Foster Wallace tell it, you get a muscle that will help you forever after — in shopping lines, overcrowded parking lots, in traffic jams. This muscle, he says, frees you when the world gets painfully dull. Sat, 18 May 2013 05:47:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/05/17/184785020/david-foster-wallace-tells-us-about-freedom?ft=1&f=5194672 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/05/17/184785020/david-foster-wallace-tells-us-about-freedom?ft=1&f=5194672 What do you get when you get a college diploma? To hear David Foster Wallace tell it, you get a muscle that will help you forever after — in shopping lines, overcrowded parking lots, in traffic jams. This muscle, he says, frees you when the world gets painfully dull. no What do you get when you get a college diploma? To hear David Foster Wallace tell it, you get a muscle that will help you forever after — in shopping lines, overcrowded parking lots, in traffic jams. This muscle, he says, frees you when the world gets painfully dull.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

]]> What Did I Do Last Summer? Oh, I Discovered How To Make Babies Without Sex. And You? Sex is nice, but can animals make babies without it? One summer, two little boys, their tutor and the tutor's two friends did an experiment to explore this question. What they discovered, back in 1740, shocked the world. Fri, 17 May 2013 09:54:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/05/16/184593276/what-did-i-do-last-summer-oh-i-discovered-how-to-make-babies-without-sex-and-you?ft=1&f=5194672 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/05/16/184593276/what-did-i-do-last-summer-oh-i-discovered-how-to-make-babies-without-sex-and-you?ft=1&f=5194672 Sex is nice, but can animals make babies without it? One summer, two little boys, their tutor and the tutor's two friends did an experiment to explore this question. What they discovered, back in 1740, shocked the world. no Sex is nice, but can animals make babies without it? One summer, two little boys, their tutor and the tutor's two friends did an experiment to explore this question. What they discovered, back in 1740, shocked the world.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

]]> What Is It About Bees And Hexagons? Bees could build flat honeycombs from just three shapes: squares, triangles or hexagons. But for some reason, bees choose hexagons. <em>Always</em> "perfect" hexagons. Why? Tue, 14 May 2013 09:50:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/05/13/183704091/what-is-it-about-bees-and-hexagons?ft=1&f=5194672 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/05/13/183704091/what-is-it-about-bees-and-hexagons?ft=1&f=5194672 Bees could build flat honeycombs from just three shapes: squares, triangles or hexagons. But for some reason, bees choose hexagons. <em>Always</em> "perfect" hexagons. Why? no Bees could build flat honeycombs from just three shapes: squares, triangles or hexagons. But for some reason, bees choose hexagons. Always "perfect" hexagons. Why?

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

]]> Astronomy's Little Secret: The Hidden Art Of 'Moonsweeping' If you live in North America, this week we had a crescent moon — a skinny sliver of light shaped like a toenail in the sky. Why that shape? Astronomers say it's a "phase." Most of the moon is in shadow. Pixar knows better. Meet the Moon Sweepers. A Grandpa, a dad and a boy. Sat, 11 May 2013 06:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/05/11/182553116/astronomys-little-secret-the-hidden-art-of-moonsweeping?ft=1&f=5194672 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/05/11/182553116/astronomys-little-secret-the-hidden-art-of-moonsweeping?ft=1&f=5194672 If you live in North America, this week we had a crescent moon — a skinny sliver of light shaped like a toenail in the sky. Why that shape? Astronomers say it's a "phase." Most of the moon is in shadow. Pixar knows better. Meet the Moon Sweepers. A Grandpa, a dad and a boy. no If you live in North America, this week we had a crescent moon — a skinny sliver of light shaped like a toenail in the sky. Why that shape? Astronomers say it's a "phase." Most of the moon is in shadow. Pixar knows better. Meet the Moon Sweepers. A Grandpa, a dad and a boy.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

]]> Music, Inside Out What would it be like to be a string that made music? Not anything simple, like a guitar string or a cello string, but a magical string, a sine curve that's taut then loose, that doubles then doubles again, that sheds then dissolves into showers of notes. Fri, 10 May 2013 08:03:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/05/10/182672946/music-inside-out?ft=1&f=5194672 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/05/10/182672946/music-inside-out?ft=1&f=5194672 What would it be like to be a string that made music? Not anything simple, like a guitar string or a cello string, but a magical string, a sine curve that's taut then loose, that doubles then doubles again, that sheds then dissolves into showers of notes. no What would it be like to be a string that made music? Not anything simple, like a guitar string or a cello string, but a magical string, a sine curve that's taut then loose, that doubles then doubles again, that sheds then dissolves into showers of notes.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

]]> Moths That Drive Cars (Really) Welcome to the New World in which, no kidding, insects run robots. In this case, 14 moths take 14 drives in a wheeled vehicle and steer right to the target. Seeing is believing. Thu, 09 May 2013 09:20:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/05/08/182312510/moths-that-drive-cars-really?ft=1&f=5194672 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/05/08/182312510/moths-that-drive-cars-really?ft=1&f=5194672 Welcome to the New World in which, no kidding, insects run robots. In this case, 14 moths take 14 drives in a wheeled vehicle and steer right to the target. Seeing is believing. no Welcome to the New World in which, no kidding, insects run robots. In this case, 14 moths take 14 drives in a wheeled vehicle and steer right to the target. Seeing is believing.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

]]> Wildlife That Isn't Wild And Isn't Alive They're out of the lab now, flying through the air, crawling in the grass, buzzing near you, swimming in the ocean. They're robots. They're among us. We don't notice yet. But we will. Wed, 08 May 2013 10:48:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/05/08/182229047/wildlife-that-isn-t-wild-and-isn-t-alive?ft=1&f=5194672 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/05/08/182229047/wildlife-that-isn-t-wild-and-isn-t-alive?ft=1&f=5194672 They're out of the lab now, flying through the air, crawling in the grass, buzzing near you, swimming in the ocean. They're robots. They're among us. We don't notice yet. But we will. no They're out of the lab now, flying through the air, crawling in the grass, buzzing near you, swimming in the ocean. They're robots. They're among us. We don't notice yet. But we will.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

]]> Our Very Normal Solar System Isn't Normal Anymore Turns out our solar system — with its medium sized sun, its four small rocky planets, its four big gassy ones farther out — isn't like the others. We are unusual. Very unusual. Says one prominent astronomer, we are "a bit of a freak." Tue, 07 May 2013 08:53:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/05/06/181613582/our-very-normal-solar-system-isn-t-normal-anymore?ft=1&f=5194672 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/05/06/181613582/our-very-normal-solar-system-isn-t-normal-anymore?ft=1&f=5194672 Turns out our solar system — with its medium sized sun, its four small rocky planets, its four big gassy ones farther out — isn't like the others. We are unusual. Very unusual. Says one prominent astronomer, we are "a bit of a freak." no Turns out our solar system — with its medium sized sun, its four small rocky planets, its four big gassy ones farther out — isn't like the others. We are unusual. Very unusual. Says one prominent astronomer, we are "a bit of a freak."

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

]]> The Boomerang Rocket Ship: Shoot It Up, Back It Comes SpaceX calls it the "Grasshopper" — it's a rocket that doesn't fall back to Earth haphazardly after launch. It carefully returns itself to the launchpad standing up, right where it started. Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:44:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/04/30/180057507/the-boomerang-rocket-ship-shoot-it-up-back-it-comes?ft=1&f=5194672 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/04/30/180057507/the-boomerang-rocket-ship-shoot-it-up-back-it-comes?ft=1&f=5194672 SpaceX calls it the "Grasshopper" — it's a rocket that doesn't fall back to Earth haphazardly after launch. It carefully returns itself to the launchpad standing up, right where it started. no SpaceX calls it the "Grasshopper" — it's a rocket that doesn't fall back to Earth haphazardly after launch. It carefully returns itself to the launchpad standing up, right where it started.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

]]> Nobody Throws Balls Like Yu Ever want to look back in time? With "time merge media," you can watch athletes dribble, swing and dance, and even throw five pitches at once. Sat, 27 Apr 2013 08:02:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/04/27/179300528/nobody-throws-balls-like-yu?ft=1&f=5194672 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/04/27/179300528/nobody-throws-balls-like-yu?ft=1&f=5194672 Ever want to look back in time? With "time merge media," you can watch athletes dribble, swing and dance, and even throw five pitches at once. no Ever want to look back in time? With "time merge media," you can watch athletes dribble, swing and dance, and even throw five pitches at once.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

]]> Mysterious Silly Putty Devours Innocent Magnets If you liked the movie <em>The Blob</em>, then feast your eyes on this: It's tricked-out Silly Putty in the form of a gelatinous monster that eats magnets for lunch. Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:22:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/04/23/178615004/oh-the-horror-famished-silly-putty-devours-innocent-magnets?ft=1&f=5194672 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/04/23/178615004/oh-the-horror-famished-silly-putty-devours-innocent-magnets?ft=1&f=5194672 If you liked the movie <em>The Blob</em>, then feast your eyes on this: It's tricked-out Silly Putty in the form of a gelatinous monster that eats magnets for lunch. no If you liked the movie The Blob, then feast your eyes on this: It's tricked-out Silly Putty in the form of a gelatinous monster that eats magnets for lunch.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

]]> A Wet Towel In Space Is Not Like A Wet Towel On Earth On Earth, a really wet wash cloth, squeezed tight, will drip. Watch what happens in space. Sun, 21 Apr 2013 08:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/04/21/177949605/a-wet-towel-in-space-is-not-like-a-wet-towel-on-earth?ft=1&f=5194672 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/04/21/177949605/a-wet-towel-in-space-is-not-like-a-wet-towel-on-earth?ft=1&f=5194672 On Earth, a really wet wash cloth, squeezed tight, will drip. Watch what happens in space. no On Earth, a really wet wash cloth, squeezed tight, will drip. Watch what happens in space.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

]]> Monkeys, Mai Tais And Us All animals are wired for pleasures that will lead them to reproduce, hunt for food and protect their young. The problem is, in some animals, like in some humans, the natural urge for good times gets untamed. Sat, 20 Apr 2013 08:17:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/04/20/177943357/monkeys-mai-tais-and-us?ft=1&f=5194672 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/04/20/177943357/monkeys-mai-tais-and-us?ft=1&f=5194672 All animals are wired for pleasures that will lead them to reproduce, hunt for food and protect their young. The problem is, in some animals, like in some humans, the natural urge for good times gets untamed. no All animals are wired for pleasures that will lead them to reproduce, hunt for food and protect their young. The problem is, in some animals, like in some humans, the natural urge for good times gets untamed.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

]]> Trees On Top Of Skyscrapers? Yes! Yes, Say I. No! No, Says Tim Two residential towers, dense with trees, will have their official opening later this year in downtown Milan. Blogger and critic Tim De Chant thinks it's high-time we stop planting trees on skyscrapers. Krulwich disagrees. Fri, 19 Apr 2013 09:25:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/04/18/177765076/trees-on-top-of-skyscrapers-yes-yes-say-i-no-no-says-tim?ft=1&f=5194672 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/04/18/177765076/trees-on-top-of-skyscrapers-yes-yes-say-i-no-no-says-tim?ft=1&f=5194672 Two residential towers, dense with trees, will have their official opening later this year in downtown Milan. Blogger and critic Tim De Chant thinks it's high-time we stop planting trees on skyscrapers. Krulwich disagrees. no Two residential towers, dense with trees, will have their official opening later this year in downtown Milan. Blogger and critic Tim De Chant thinks it's high-time we stop planting trees on skyscrapers. Krulwich disagrees.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

]]>