13.7: Cosmos And Culture : NPR

Clinics Aim For Fear-Free Vet Visits For Nervous Pets

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Culture

Clinics Aim For Fear-Free Vet Visits For Nervous Pets

July 13, 2017 • Reducing dogs' and cats' stress levels at the vet is getting a big push in a new movement within veterinary medicine, says anthropologist Barbara J. King.

This image of the Orion Nebula star-formation region was obtained by multiple exposures using the HAWK-I infrared camera on ESO's Very Large Telescope in Chile. H. Drass et al./ESO hide caption

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H. Drass et al./ESO

13.7: Cosmos And Culture

Is The Universe Conscious?

by Marcelo Gleiser

July 12, 2017 • The idea of a conscious universe seems to fly in the face of our deep-seated materialist worldview, whereby all existence is due to material particles and their interactions, says Marcelo Gleiser.

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Culture

Seeing John Coltrane's 'Giant Steps'

by Adam Frank

July 11, 2017 • John Coltrane's Giant Steps is a great piece of American music, says blogger Adam Frank. In this video, musician and artist Michal Levy uses spatial metaphors to represent the song's symmetries.

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Philosophy

You Can Learn From Declaring A Mystery

by Tania Lombrozo

July 10, 2017 • A new paper suggests that to declare something a mystery isn't just a confession of ignorance: Some of the time, you can learn something important from it, says psychologist Tania Lombrozo.

Why Are American Runners Getting Slower?

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Culture

Why Are American Runners Getting Slower?

by Marcelo Gleiser

July 9, 2017 • A new mega-study has found that American runners, except for the elites, are getting slower. Blogger and avid runner Marcelo Gleiser discusses with the authors some theories on why this is the case.

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Culture

Aesthetic Evolution In The Animal World

by Alva Noë

July 7, 2017 • Blogger Alva Noë reflects on Richard O. Prum's new book, Darwin's "other" idea, and the connection between the natural world and art.

Why You Should Think Twice About Those DNA-By-Mail Results

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Science

Why You Should Think Twice About Those DNA-By-Mail Results

by Barbara J. King

July 6, 2017 • Can anthropology help us think skeptically about DNA ancestry testing? Barbara J. King interviews anthropologist and author Jonathan Marks about racism in science.

We May See Color So We Can Understand Each Other

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Science

We May See Color So We Can Understand Each Other

by Alva Noë

June 30, 2017 • Blogger Alva Noë explores a study on vision finding that the narrow separation of bandwidth sensitivities of long- and medium-wave cones may be the best way for us to discriminate facial hues.

A Powerful Intersection: Pairing Memoir And Science Writing

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Culture

A Powerful Intersection: Pairing Memoir And Science Writing

by Barbara J. King

June 29, 2017 • New memoirs by Roxane Gay, Nina Riggs, and Hida Viloria bring layers of meaning to scientific facts about our bodies, our health and our genders, says anthropologist Barbara J. King.

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Culture

Is A No-Meat World Really Better?

by Marcelo Gleiser

June 28, 2017 • Less meat is good morally and environmentally, but no meat may not be as good as some may think, says blogger Marcelo Gleiser.

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Culture

Could You Help Rewire Income Disparity?

by Adam Frank

June 27, 2017 • New research using network science shows that shifting individual behavior in small ways could influence economic equality, says blogger Adam Frank.

Transgender Prejudice And The Belief In A Biological Basis For Gender

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Culture

Transgender Prejudice And The Belief In A Biological Basis For Gender

by Tania Lombrozo

June 26, 2017 • New findings suggest that if people appreciate the non-dichotomous nature of gender identity, they're less likely to maintain negative views towards people who are transgender, says Tania Lombrozo.

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Culture

Video: What Is This Wild Condor Doing?

by Barbara J. King

June 25, 2017 • Could the condor in this video that went viral be expressing affection or, even, gratitude? Anthropologist Barbara J. King explores what's really happening.

The Man Who Ran Up Mount Everest — Twice!

Spanish athlete Kilian Jornet competes on March 10 in the Beaufort region of France during the ski mountaineering competition Pierra Menta. Jeff Pachoud/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Culture

The Man Who Ran Up Mount Everest — Twice!

by Marcelo Gleiser

June 21, 2017 • Kílian Jornet says failure is an opportunity to try again; it motivates him to try harder. This is a lesson we can all take home, whatever mountains you choose to climb in life, says Marcelo Gleiser.

A cosplayer dressed as Aloy (left) and Spanish actress Dafne Fernandez present the Horizon: Zero Dawn video game on Feb. 15 in Madrid. Pablo Cuadra/Getty Images hide caption

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