Driveway Moments : NPR

Knee Replacements, Designed for Women

August 30, 2007 • Aging baby boomers are getting their knees surgically replaced. This year, about 300,000 women will undergo the surgery. Subtle differences in female anatomy have led to the development of gender-specific implants.

Knee Replacements, Designed for Women

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Size Matters: The Hidden Mathematics of Life

August 18, 2007 • Can animal lifespan be calculated with a mathematical formula? Professor Geoffrey West and his colleagues at the Santa Fe Institute have found out not only why larger mammals live longer, but also how long they have to live.

Size Matters: The Hidden Mathematics of Life

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Stuck and Suicidal in a Post-Katrina Trailer Park

August 8, 2007 • Since Hurricane Katrina hit nearly two years ago, 100 families have been living in near isolation at Scenic Trails, a FEMA trailer park deep in the woods of Mississippi. The community is plagued by crime, drugs, and depression – and residents see no way out.

Stuck and Suicidal in a Post-Katrina Trailer Park

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Teachers Prepare to See Morgan Go into Space

August 8, 2007 • Sixty teachers are in Florida awaiting the launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour, with one of their own, Barbara Morgan, aboard. Two decades ago, the teachers competed for a seat on a shuttle mission. In the end, NASA picked Christa McAuliffe, who died in the Challenger accident of 1986.

Hear NPR's Nell Greenfieldboyce

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Sara Tavares Mixes Portuguese, African Rhythms

July 6, 2007 • Tavares' travels from Portugal to her parents' homeland in Cape Verde put her in touch with her cultural roots. The journeys also brought a unique mix of sounds to the singer/songwriter's music.

Sara Tavares Mixes Portuguese, African Rhythms

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The Birth of 'New Deal'

July 2, 2007 • Independent producer John McDonough talks about a phrase born in Chicago 75 years ago, when Franklin Roosevelt accepted the Democratic nomination for president of the United States and promised America a "new deal."

The Birth of 'New Deal'

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Scientist Studies Brain Process of Songbirds

June 29, 2007 • Sarah Woolley, a professor of behavior neuroscience in the psychology department of Columbia University, studies different species of finches to figure out how the brain recognizes and processes sounds and vocalizations.

Scientist Studies Brain Process of Songbirds

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Opinion

Couple Finds Good Will in Taste Tests

June 29, 2007 • A food-loving couple from San Diego has launched a quirky social experiment: They go to restaurants and ask if they can taste other people's food. Surprisingly, most people happily comply — even offering their own forks!

Couple Finds Good Will in Taste Tests

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Not All Sunscreens Are Created Equal

June 21, 2007 • The SPF numbers on sunscreen bottles only refer to the level of protection against a type of radiation called UVB. But dermatologists say it's important to use a lotion that shields skin from UVA rays, too.

Not All Sunscreens Are Created Equal

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Are Computer Keyboards Dishwasher Safe?

June 14, 2007 • We put pots, dishes and silverware in the dishwasher. But a computer keyboard? Although manufacturers warn against it, NPR's Nell Boyce puts her keyboard in the dishwasher, and it lives to type the story.

Are Computer Keyboards Dishwasher Safe?

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Fiji's Mangroves, Coral Under Assault

June 14, 2007 • Coastal mangrove forests help protect villages from storm surges, and coral reefs harbor the fish that villagers live off of. But a climate witness program in Fiji shows these natural systems are threatened; villagers and scientists are trying to uncover why.

Fiji's Mangroves, Coral Under Assault

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Don Herbert, TV's 'Mr. Wizard,' Dies

June 13, 2007 • Actor Don Herbert, who explained the world of science to young viewers in the 1950s and '60s, has died at the age of 89. His show, "Watch Mr. Wizard," ran for 14 years. Science Friday host Ira Flatow talks about Herbert's legacy with Robert Siegel.

Don Herbert, TV's 'Mr. Wizard,' Dies

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Opinion

A Year's Montage of SoundClips

June 5, 2007 • On the first anniversary of our series, SoundClips, we present — for those who may have missed any of them or all of them — a compilation of all of the sounds from the series in alphabetical order.

A Year's Montage of SoundClips

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Survival at a Price in an Iranian Prison

May 5, 2007 • At age 16, Marina Nemat was imprisoned for speaking out against Iran's brutal regime. Just minutes from execution, her life was spared by a man who forced her to marry him and convert to Islam. She tells her story in a new memoir.

Survival at a Price in an Iranian Prison

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Space Tethers: Slinging Objects in Orbit?

April 16, 2007 • What do you get when you combine a high school library, a ballistic missile, and a machine that makes sexy underwear? A woven string more than a half a mile long called a "space tether." Some say tethers could help move things around in outer space without needing rockets.

Space Tethers: Slinging Objects in Orbit?

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