Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'flies'

Why Is It So Hard To Swat A Fly...

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 10:00:00 EDT

Bioengineering researcher Michael Dickinson used superslow-motion video cameras to study how flies are so effective at avoiding swatters. He found that flies perform an elegant ballet with their legs — responding to threats in less than 1/10 of a second.

Flies In Danger Escape With Safety Dance

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:05:00 EDT

High-speed cameras reveal that flies perform an elegant little ballet with their legs. In less than a 10th of a second, flies perceive the direction of the threat and use their legs to angle their bodies for the quickest escape route.

Loan Officer Flies To The Rescue Of Baby Ducks

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 14:38:00 EDT

A story is making the rounds through e-mail about a man who saved a nestful of baby ducklings from jumping off a second-story awning by catching them just before they hit the sidewalk. "Duck Hero" Joel Armstrong talks about the rescue.

Are You Ready For The Summer... Camp, That Is

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 14:20:00 EDT

A new book titled Camp Camp: Where Fantasy Island Meets Lord of the Flies is an ode to the time of year when kids swarm to camps with appropriated Native American names and sweaty cabins filled with bunk beds and the spoils of independence.

Lexus Flies McCartney's Hybrid to England

Thu, 15 May 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Paul McCartney got a new hybrid car, but the environmental value was canceled out before he could even start it. Lexus gave him the vehicle, worth $158,000, but instead of sending it by ship, the company had it flown from Japan to England.

Study: Smart Fruit Flies Are Finished First

Sat, 10 May 2008 18:28:00 EDT

The New York Times ran an article this week about a study that found intelligent fruit flies don't live as long as unintelligent ones. The scientist who performed the study, Tadeusz Kawecki, talks about what this means for the smart-guys of bugs and humans alike.

Stealth Fighter Flies to Final Resting Place

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 16:00:00 EDT

The fighter jet commonly known as the Night Hawk was the first stealth fighter that used technology to make it virtually undetectable to radar. Colonel John Forsythe flew the lead plane in the fleet's final mission — to a secret hanger in the Nevada desert. Forsythe talks with Andrea Seabrook.

American Couple Flies High at French Circus Event

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 08:11:00 EST

At a four-day festival in Paris, the world's up-and-coming circus acts are on display. None of those selected for the elite festival are older than 25. This year, two trapeze artists from Seattle were among the competitors.

New York Restaurant Attracts More than Attention

Sat, 17 Nov 2007 17:49:00 EST

Manhattan restaurant Serendipity 3 was first notable for the staggering $25,000 dessert it offers diners. But it was forced to close its doors temporarily last week after health inspectors found mice, flies, and cockroaches on the premises.

Fujimori, Peru's Former Leader, to Face Charges

Sat, 22 Sep 2007 16:00:00 EDT

Peru's former president, Alberto Fujimori, flies home in the custody of police, a day after the Chilean Supreme Court approved his extradition to face charges of corruption and human-rights violations related to "death squad" killings of 25 people.

Sarkozy Upsets French With U.S. Vacation

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 06:00:00 EDT

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been vacationing in the United States, rattling the French by snubbing the Riviera or the Alps for New Hampshire. Sarkozy flies back to France to attend the funeral of Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger. But he will return to the United States in time to have lunch with President Bush Saturday.

Monkey Flies from Peru to New York Unnoticed

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 06:00:00 EDT

A man in a hat gets on a plane in Lima, Peru, passes through customs in Florida, and travels to New York. Only during that flight do passengers finally inquire: Do you know you have a monkey on your head. But airport police had a few questions of their own when the man landed.

Environmental Issues Resonate With All Kinds

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 06:00:00 EDT

Ray Hopewood, a fake presidential candidate whose campaign exists solely on the web, has only one appeal: he's a zillionaire. He boasts green credentials that include a personal fighter jet that he flies between campaign stops. Its called "The Wings of Hope."

Salmon-fly Hatch Draws Fish and Anglers to Oregon

Sat, 09 Jun 2007 11:33:00 EDT

The start of the salmon-fly hatch on the Deschutes River in spring brings droves of fly fishers to Central Oregon in search of the river's bounty of steelhead and trout, which feast greedily on the hatching flies. David Welch presents this audio postcard.

West Nile Did Severe Damage to Bird Species

Wed, 16 May 2007 16:00:00 EDT

Many Americans think of dead birds when they think of the West Nile virus. That's because birds like crows and jays seemed to drop like flies as the virus swept across the country. A new study names the birds that were the hardest hit and finds that some species may never be the same.

U.S. Braces for (Indian) Mango Madness

Mon, 07 May 2007 16:57:00 EDT

Imports of Indian mangoes, which already account for about half the world's mango output, are expected to hit U.S. stores over the next month. A new trade agreement lifts a ban on Indian varieties of the fruit that was implemented in the mid-1980s over concerns about fruit flies.

Waging a One-Woman War Against Black Flies

Mon, 07 May 2007 16:00:00 EDT

Each spring, nature deals parts of the rural North a cruel fate: the arrival of black flies. But Andrea Malik, a resident of northern New York, bushwhacks into the deepest woods to fight back with a pesticide that kills only black flies and mosquitoes.

Rhetoric Flies as House Tackles Iraq Debate

Wed, 14 Feb 2007 08:47:00 EST

The House debates a Democratic-led resolution opposing President Bush's plan to send 20,000 more troops to Iraq. Approval of the resolution is expected Friday. Meanwhile, every member of the House gets a say.

Overcoming Dyslexia, and Turning a Corner in Life

Fri, 03 Nov 2006 06:30:00 EST

"A parrot flies along, the parrot lands on a car, the car explodes, and the smoke and feathers rise in a figure 8." To many people, that may sound like a cartoon panel. To Sean Plasse, it was a tool for recalling the word "polycarbonate." Plasse was crippled by dyslexia -- until he found new ways to cope.

Bush Hits the Campaign Trail in Big Sky Country

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 16:00:00 EST

President Bush flies to Montana and Nevada, campaigning for embattled Republican nominees in both states. The next few days will take the president to a half-dozen other states he carried in 2004, including Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska. Robert Siegel talks live with NPR's Don Gonyea, who is traveling with the president, from Elko, Nev.

Pizzeria Fills Alaska's Skies with Pies to Go

Sat, 14 Oct 2006 08:00:00 EDT

Airport Pizza in Nome, Alaska, runs quite a delivery operation. Owner Matt Tomter flies his pies hundreds of miles for delivery to remote areas. The most popular pizza is made with reindeer meat, feta cheese and red peppers. Tomter tells Scott Simon how the business works.

Misery Continues One Year After Pakistan Quake

Sun, 08 Oct 2006 19:32:00 EDT

It's been a year since an earthquake caused such devastation in the mountains of Pakistan. But the nightmare continues for Ira Riaz. Her husband was among the 73,000 people killed in the earthquake. Since then, she lost her son in a landslide caused by an aftershock. She now spends her days swatting the flies gathering on the wounded limbs of her nine-year-old daughter, Samia, who lost both her legs in the landslide that killed her brother.

Winding Down After an Adventure Aloft

Tue, 05 Sep 2006 16:00:00 EDT

Robin Taviner of Macon, Ga., flies small planes. He loves to listen to the aircraft gyros wind down after a flight. The reassuring sound reminds him of what a great time he just had in the air.

Flying to Georgia for a Burger and Fries

Fri, 28 Jul 2006 08:27:00 EDT

You don't necessarily need to hit the road to spend $100 in gas -- and if you take to the air, you'd be surprised just how far you can go. We hitch a ride with a college professor who flies from Nashville to a regional airport in Georgia to grab a burger.

Tim O'Reagan: A Jayhawk Flies Solo

Sun, 09 Jul 2006 18:15:00 EDT

The Jayhawks may have called it quits after two decades of pioneering alt-country music. But even as drummer and multi-dimensional musician Tim O'Reagan trots out a self-titled CD, he's joined by several Jayhawks alumni.