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NPR Story
11:00 am
Fri December 28, 2012

'Consider the Fork' Chronicles Evolution of Eating

Originally published on Fri December 28, 2012 12:03 pm

Did you know that the human overbite may have evolved after people began using forks and knives? In Consider the Fork, author Bee Wilson traces how kitchen tools--from knives to pots to gas stoves--have changed over time, and how they have influenced what, and how, we eat.

NPR Story
11:00 am
Fri December 28, 2012

Making Resolutions That Stick

Originally published on Fri December 28, 2012 12:03 pm

Vowing to stop smoking, curb spending or exercise more this January 1? Nearly half of U.S. adults will make year-end resolutions to change for the better in the coming year. Clinical psychologist John Norcross talks about how to increase the odds of success.

NPR Story
11:00 am
Fri December 28, 2012

Get The Most Bang From Your Bubbly

Originally published on Fri December 28, 2012 12:03 pm

In time for New Year's Eve, Science Friday examines the chemical reactions that transpire in fluted glassware. Ira Flatow and Richard Zare, a chemist at Stanford University, pore over the science of bubbles — from how to keep that open champagne fizzy (forget the cork) to why beer tastes better from a glass rather than a bottle.

NPR Story
11:00 am
Fri December 28, 2012

Book Challenges Kids With Science-Based Mysteries

Originally published on Fri December 28, 2012 12:03 pm

Move over, CSI and NCIS, there's a new game in town. Authors Eric and Natalie Yoder share some of their 'One Minute Mysteries' that can be solved with logic and knowledge of science — and without the aid of a magically fast DNA lab or improbable photo enhancement software.

NPR Story
11:00 am
Fri December 28, 2012

Chef Jack Bishop on 'The Science of Good Cooking'

Originally published on Fri December 28, 2012 12:03 pm

What's the secret to making a fluffy omelet or the perfect pie dough? Jack Bishop, chef and editorial director at America's Test Kitchen, stops by to debunk cooking myths and highlight some of the surprising finds from the show's new cookbook, The Science of Good Cooking.

The Salt
8:56 am
Fri December 28, 2012

An Evolutionary Whodunit: How Did Humans Develop Lactose Tolerance?

Credit iStockphoto.com
Thousands of years ago, a mutation in the human genome allowed many adults to digest lactose and drink milk.

Originally published on Fri December 28, 2012 11:41 am

Got milk? Ancient European farmers who made cheese thousands of years ago certainly had it. But at that time, they lacked a genetic mutation that would have allowed them to digest raw milk's dominant sugar, lactose, after childhood.

Today, however, 35 percent of the global population — mostly people with European ancestry — can digest lactose in adulthood without a hitch.

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All Tech Considered
2:22 am
Fri December 28, 2012

TV Broadcasters Amp Up The 'Second Screen' Experience

Credit Slobodan VasicFotostorm / iStockphoto.com
Broadcasters and other companies spent a lot of time and money this year bringing television to a second screen.

Originally published on Fri December 28, 2012 11:12 am

Once upon a time, there was one screen that TV broadcasters needed to fill. These days, it's all about the two-screen experience.

People have been watching television with their laptops, smartphones and tablets in hand for a while now. But this year, big business tried harder than ever to bring television to a second screen.

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Research News
3:20 pm
Thu December 27, 2012

Birds Hang Around Mistletoe For More Than A Kiss

Credit BSIP / UIG via Getty Images
Researchers in Australia found that when they removed mistletoe from large sections of forests, vast numbers of birds left.

Originally published on Thu December 27, 2012 8:40 pm

For the Druids, mistletoe was sacred. For us, it's a cute ornament and maybe an excuse to steal a kiss. And of course it's a Christmas tradition.

But for a forest, mistletoe might be much more important. It's a parasite, shows up on tree branches and looks like an out-of-place evergreen bush hanging in the air.

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U.S.
2:31 pm
Thu December 27, 2012

An Abundance Of Extreme Weather Has Many On Edge

Originally published on Thu December 27, 2012 8:40 pm

Opinion polls show 2012's extreme weather — producing wildfires, floods and drought — has more people making a connection with climate change. For Marti Andrews in southern New Jersey, a turning point was the summer's hurricane-like derecho.

"I don't want to say I freaked out about it, but holy crap, it scared me," she says. It packed winds up to 90 miles per hour and nonstop lightning, which Andrews says looked like some wild disco display in the sky.

"I've never seen anything like that," she says. "I sat there on the couch thinking, 'Oh my God, we're all gonna die!' "

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The Picture Show
1:48 pm
Thu December 27, 2012

The Mars Rover Takes A Selfie

Credit NASA/JPL/Caltech
Curiosity's self-portrait, captured on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.

Originally published on Thu December 27, 2012 3:45 pm

Who hasn't turned a camera around at arm's length to snap a picture to send to friends or family? It always seems like it takes a few tries to frame the shot just right to capture both you and that awesome mountain summit behind you.

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