Opinion : NPR

Letters: Life After Survival, Signing Up For SNAP, MOOCs

April 30, 2013 • NPR's Neal Conan reads from listener comments on previous segments including the aftermath of sudden, tragic events, the decision to sign up for food stamps and the pros and cons of massive open online courses.

Letters: Life After Survival, Signing Up For SNAP, MOOCs

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The NBA Has An Openly Gay Player: What Changes?

April 30, 2013 • NBA center Jason Collins announced that he is gay in Sports Illustrated and made history as the first active male pro athlete to come out. Kobe Bryant and even the president chimed in with support. NPR's Neal Conan reads from a variety of opinions on the significance of this moment.

The NBA Has An Openly Gay Player: What Changes?

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Is Time Real?

April 30, 2013 • Time is special. How we see it helps determine how we see the rest of the Universe. Physicist Lee Smolin has a new book out that says we've been looking at time the wrong way. Adam Frank digs in and offers his own perspective on Smolin's argument.

Is Time Real?

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The Boomerang Rocket Ship: Shoot It Up, Back It Comes

April 30, 2013 • 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.

A Banana With Dreadlocks: A Study In Misery

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A Banana With Dreadlocks: A Study In Misery

April 30, 2013 • It's hard to believe this video is real, but it was on the local news and everything.

Double Take 'Toons: Fixed Wings?

April 30, 2013 • When air traffic delays became a tangible effect of sequester cuts, Congress was swift to act. Nick Anderson is concerned about those left behind, while Lisa Benson thinks President Obama has been ineffective in dealing with the issue.

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Elegance Trumps Ethics In A Scientific Scandal

April 29, 2013 • People crave explanations that are simple, broad, elegant. But the prettiest, most satisfying explanations aren't always the best explanations, as the dark story of Dutch social psychologist Diederik Stapel makes clear.

Sandwich Monday: The Pop-Tart Ice Cream Sandwich

April 29, 2013 • Is your bikini a few sizes too big? Try this. We re-create the latest dessert sandwich from Carl's Jr. using items procured from our office vending machine.

Can Online Shows Be Habit-Forming? Soaps May Provide Some Clues

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Can Online Shows Be Habit-Forming? Soaps May Provide Some Clues

April 29, 2013 • An experiment to bring back canceled soaps online may give some clues to whether viewers are ready to form habits around online streaming the way they once did around TV sets.

Op-Ed: Did Boston Law Enforcement Drop The Ball?

April 29, 2013 • The Boston Police Department and cooperating law enforcement entities were praised for working together to track down suspects in the marathon bombings. Boston Globe columnist Joan Vennochi asks whether police could have done more in the months, weeks, and even hours before the explosions.

Op-Ed: Did Boston Law Enforcement Drop The Ball?

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Everywhere But Here, 'Iron Man 3' Is Already Huge

The world premiere of Iron Man 3 happened in Los Angeles last week, but it's making its money overseas at the moment. Eric Charbonneau/Invision/AP hide caption

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Everywhere But Here, 'Iron Man 3' Is Already Huge

April 29, 2013 • It hasn't opened in the U.S. yet, but Iron Man 3 has already had a huge weekend.

Double Take 'Toons: Moving Forward?

April 29, 2013 • Immigration reform is still under way. Lisa Benson thinks greater attention will have to be paid to securing our borders, while Daryl Cagle sees the position some Republicans have taken as hypocritical.

Nina Totenberg's signature style of legal affairs reporting has been described as the "creme de la creme" of NPR. In 1991, her groundbreaking report about law professor Anita Hill's allegations of sexual harassment by Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas led the Senate Judiciary Committee to reopen Thomas' confirmation hearings to consider Hill's charges. Courtesy of Nina Totenberg hide caption

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Courtesy of Nina Totenberg