Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'discovering'

Never Too Late To Learn Instrument

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 08:00:00 EST

Taking up an instrument for the first time can be daunting for adults, both because of hectic schedules and perhaps the wiring of the brain. But those who do try to learn the piano, the trumpet or violin later in life discover that the biggest obstacles have nothing to do with innate ability or IQ.

Getting To The Root Of The Great Cilantro Divide

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 14:04:00 EST

For some people, the taste and smell of cilantro are so odious that they believe the herb should be wiped off the planet. Is it because cilantro haters are cursed with extrasensory supertaster tongues? Not quite, a cilantro extremist discovers.

WWII Veteran Remembers War, Discovers Truth

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 12:00:00 EST

As a young African American man, Leon Bass resented fighting for the US in a war when he didn't have equal rights back home. But after helping to liberate the Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany, Bass reevaluated how he weighed good and bad in the world. The World War II veteran reflects on his experience.

In 'The Visitor,' Richard Jenkins Takes A Lead Turn

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 10:47:00 EST

After appearing in supporting roles in more than 50 films, actor Richard Jenkins takes the lead in The Visitor, Tom McCarthy's film about a solitary economics professor whose world opens up when he discovers an apartment he rented in New York is already occupied.

A Salute To James' Dense, Intense 'Ambassadors'

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:09:00 EST

Ann Patchett first read The Ambassadors — that notoriously opaque Henry James novel — at the suggestion of a good friend. Little did she know she was about to discover "the literary equivalent of a religious text."

Zookeepers Discover Polar Bears Aren't A Match

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 06:00:00 EST

Japanese zookeepers brought a male polar bear to spend time with a female polar bear. They often played together. But they didn't get along in the way that the zoo was hoping. Only later did the breeders notice a problem. Polar bears of both sexes have relatively long hair. Which is why it took the zoo several months to realize that the male polar bear is actually a female.

Astronomers Discover New Exoplanets

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 10:00:00 EST

Two independent research teams have detected exoplanets through unconventional methods — by taking snapshots using visible and infrared light. Astronomer James Graham discusses the findings — including what the exoplanets might tell us about the formation of planets and solar systems.

Scientist Discovers Fungus That Could Fuel A Car

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST

Research at Montana State University has found a plant fungus that produces Diesel fuel. Dr. Gary Strobel calls the discovery Mycodiesel. Alex Chadwick talks to Strobel, who is a plant scientist at Montana State University, about how long it will take until Mycodiesel is available at your gas station.

Moran On Monk: Finding Rhythm And Space

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 10:31:00 EDT

Jazz pianist Jason Moran has been praised for his eclectic and distinctive sound. But sometimes, Moran says, he's in danger of becoming inhabited by the brilliant jazz innovator of another time, Thelonious Monk. Here, Moran talks about discovering one of his biggest musical influences.

Dow Discovers New Territory On Columbus Day

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 05:29:00 EDT

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 936 points Monday, the biggest single-day stock rally since the Great Depression. Investors wonder if the dramatic run-up can be sustained. David Wessel, economics editor of The Wall Street Journal, and Renee Montagne discuss whether the financial markets are recovering.

1,000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:07:00 EDT

So much to hear. So little time. You can spend your entire life devouring music, both new and old, and barely scratch the surface of all there is to discover. NPR reviewer and author Tom Moon is trying to make it a little easier for music fans with his new book: 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener's Life List. On this edition of All Songs Considered, we talk with Tom about his new book and listen to some of the incredible music he select, as well as some of the ones we think he missed.

Wilma Mankiller Reflects on Columbus Day

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:02:00 EDT

Columbus Day is traditionally marked by going to parades that honor the man credited with "discovering" America. But for Native Americans, whose ancestors were displaced and marginalized by the European journey to this continent, it's a day of somber reflection or even mourning.

In Frugal Germany, Shock At Bank Fragility

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Germans have a tradition of being careful with their money. Germany went through two financial meltdowns in the last century and the memory of these events explains why many Germans were shocked to discover the fragility of some of their commercial banks.

Nobel Panel Decides Against U.S. HIV Discovery

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:57:00 EDT

The 2008 Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine went in part to two French researchers for discovering the virus that causes AIDS. The award was not shared by American Robert Gallo, who has also claimed a role in the discovery of HIV. Additionally, a German scientist got the prize for establishing the cause of most cervical cancers.

Basia Bulat: Making The Autoharp Cool

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 05:17:00 EDT

For many, the autoharp is remembered as the slightly geeky, easy-to-play instrument from grade-school music class, or as simple accompaniment for folk and country singers. But Basia Bulat, who sings and plays the autoharp on Oh, My Darling, hopes the time has come for people to discover the beauty and potential in the instrument.

For Wang's 'Good Prayers,' A Merely Modest Result

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:00:00 EDT

Wayne Wang's low-key father-daughter story succeeds less with the peaks and valleys of its family drama than with the gently amusing immigrants-discovering-America vignettes it offers.

Ryan Shaw On Mountain Stage

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:41:00 EDT

The remarkable young soul singer grew up in a strict Pentecostal family before discovering a fondness for the classic records of the '60s and '70s. He brings his timeless delivery to a live performance on Mountain Stage.

The Legacy Of A Nation's 'Native Son'

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:20:00 EDT

A century after Richard Wright's birth, his books still resonate — both with his daughter, Julia, and with a new generation of fans, some of whom are just discovering the author.

An Intensely Imagined Future In 'Inverted World'

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 10:12:00 EDT

Recently reissued, Christopher Priest's 1974 sci-fi classic, Inverted World, tells the story of a city built on rails and in perpetual motion. Jessa Crispin adds up the pieces of Priest's "tightly structured puzzle" and discovers a novel that stands up to the test of time.

American Rapper Eli Sweet Reflects On China

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:38:00 EDT

Atlanta native Eli Sweet moved to Chengdu, China, nearly two years ago to improve his Chinese and discover a new way of life. The energetic American raps in underground clubs with Chinese hip-hop artists, and says he runs across "an endless stream of adventure."

Scientist Discovers World's Smallest Snake

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 16:00:00 EDT

A scientist says he's found the tiniest species of snake in the world. It averages less than four inches long and is as thin as a spaghetti noodle. Before this, biologist Blair Hedges already had discovered the world's smallest frog and the world's smallest lizard.

Virginia Woolf, At Intersection Of Science And Art

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 13:22:00 EDT

Virginia Woolf wanted to think about what it's like to think about nothing special, about ordinary things. Novelists, she said, should study life as it happens. That view suggests that while scientists probe and analyze questions, artists discover what questions to ask.

Wynton And Willie: Two Men Playing The Blues

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 10:27:00 EDT

Country music legend Willie Nelson and jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis discover common ground and a mutual love of jazz standards and the blues on their album Two Men With The Blues. Here, the artists discuss their first-ever collaboration.

How Do Chinese Citizens Feel About Censorship...

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EDT

Thousands of westerners are about to converge on China for the 2008 Olympics. When they log on to the Internet there, they may discover that connections — especially to certain foreign news sites — won't work. They'll be bumping up against what protesters have called the "Great Firewall of China."

What Wildlife Lurks In Central Park By Night...

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 11:41:00 EDT

Bats and owls and moths, oh my! A new book by journalist Marie Winn explores New York's Central Park when the sun goes down. She discovers the animals that play in the shadows and the mysteries that make the park come alive in the twilight.