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Our greatest actors transport us through the magic of fiction, one short story at a time. Sometimes funny. Always moving. Selected Shorts connects you to the world with a rich diversity of voices from literature, film, theater, and comedy. Hosted by Meg Wolitzer.

Selected Shorts

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Every week listeners hear stories about race and identity that expand their minds, and learn practical ways to make their lives better. It's lifelong learning that ranges from the big picture to tiny details and everything in between.
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Codeswitch / Life Kit

Every week listeners hear stories about race and identity that expand their minds, and learn practical ways to make their lives better. It's lifelong learning that ranges from the big picture to tiny details and everything in between.

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Biology

Amos Lee performs at Railbird Music Festival on Sunday, June 4, 2023, at The Infield at Red Mile in Lexington. He is holding a guitar in his hands and sings into a microphone.
Studio 2

Singer-Songwriter Amos Lee, Rick Steves on Travel, Sharks at the Shore

This episode holds the best of the summer. Rick Steves joins us to talk about how to travel, a biologist tells us why we need to love sharks and Amos Lee plays live music.

Air Date: August 23, 2023 12:00 pm

Listen 50:02
Harvard Medical School
Courts & Law

Former Harvard morgue manager stole brains, skin and other body parts to sell them, indictment says

They say 55-year-old Cedric Lodge stole dissected portions of cadavers that were donated to the Harvard Medical School from 2018 to early 2023.

3 years ago

Roger Payne attends the Raw for the Oceans Spring/Summer 2015 collection show presented by G-Star RAW and Bionic during Fashion Week on Friday, Sept. 5, 2014 in New York
Science

Roger Payne, scientist who discovered whales can sing, dies at 88

Payne saw the discovery of whale song as a chance to spur interest in saving the giant animals, who were disappearing from the planet.

3 years ago

A sign announces a polling place in Spanish
Studio 2

Election Analysis, Red Knots, Ilyon Woo’s “Master Slave Husband Wife”

One day after the primaries, what do we know about the outcome of the election, voter turnout and the issues at stake? Plus, red knits return to the Delaware Bay beaches.

Air Date: May 16, 2023 12:00 pm

Listen 50:39
Shadow of a hand reaching for an iced coffee
NPR
Science

An overlooked brain system helps you grab a coffee – and plan your next cup

The act of "reaching for a cup of coffee" has scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis finding previously overlooked active areas of the brain.

3 years ago

Hispanic mother holding infant's hand
NPR
Health

COVID during pregnancy may alter brain development in boys

3 years ago

A close-up of white cherry blossoms on a cherry blossom tree.
Science

Philly’s cherry blossoms are blooming just a bit late despite a warm winter

The blooming trees are a sign it's time to evaluate how well your trees survived the winter, says one local arborist.

3 years ago

An up-close view of a cherry blossom bud on a branch.
Weather
Billy Penn

Flowers and trees are blooming super early in Philly after a warmer-than-usual winter

The region’s warmer-than-usual winter, with an abundance of “growing degree” days, has led to plantlife being three weeks ahead of schedule.

3 years ago

A student looks at a screen as two professors look on behind her.
Education

Stockton professor goes ‘Once Upon Deep Time’ to create music album

Stockton professor and paleontologist Matthew Bonnan used the extra time he had during pandemic lockdown to create an album on the evolution of hearing.

3 years ago

Listen 3:54
Bobi, a dog, sits next to his Guiness World Record plaque.
NPR
Community

A Portuguese pooch that was almost killed at birth has become the world’s oldest dog

At 30 years and 266 days and counting, Bobi, a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo, has broken the century-old world record for oldest dog ever, according to Guinness World Records.

3 years ago

A dead whale on a beach
Science

Researchers are looking for answers amid spike in beached whales at the Jersey Shore

Several whales have been found washed ashore on the East Coast. Researchers think vessels are to blame.

3 years ago

Listen 2:01
A Washington, D.C., resident has an operation growing psilocybin mushrooms. Brain researchers are increasingly studying psychedelic compounds like psilocybin and LSD as potential treatments for anxiety, depression and other disorders. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images
NPR
Health

Psychedelic drugs may launch a new era in psychiatric treatment, brain scientists say

One of the hottest tickets at this year's Society for Neuroscience meeting in San Diego was a session on psychedelic drugs.

3 years ago

Kissing Bug and Chagas Disease
The Pulse
Health

Scientists have their eyes on Chagas disease and the 'kissing bugs' that help spread it

Chagas disease can lead to heart failure and damage to the esophagus and gastrointestinal tract. Roughly 20-30% of those who contract Chagas may be at risk of dying from it.

3 years ago

Listen 9:55
Leaves crunch underfoot at the Morris Arboretum.
PlanPhilly
Science

Don’t bother bagging your fallen leaves. Your yard (and insects) will thank you

Fallen leaves make great natural fertilizer and offer a place for insects to spend the winter.

4 years ago

A close-up of a red fake apple with blue sky visible in the background.
Science
StateImpact Pennsylvania

Climate change prompts Pa. farmers to adapt crops and businesses

As the climate changes and brings more risks to the traditional farming schedule, farmers are looking for ways to make sure their crops survive.

4 years ago

Page 5 of 36« First«...34567...»Last »
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