Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'function'

Gut Reaction: Overeating Can Impair Body Function

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 08:51:00 EST

Though the holidays are over, they may have some lingering effects. Indulging even for a short period may cause changes in body functions that lead to more overeating.

Caters Crave Holiday Functions

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 06:00:00 EST

Normally at this time of year, Ed Fasani's company caters dozens of holiday office parties for financial services firms on the waterfront in Jersey City, N.J. But business is down about 60 percent this year. Fasani tells Renee Montage that he's had to lay off staff, and he's even taken a night job to make ends meet.

Balancing Form, Function In Museum Architecture

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:19:00 EST

Two American museums designed by one world-famous architect have evoked two very different reactions from visitors and critics alike. Laura Sydell investigates the tensions between form and function in the latest installment of NPR's series on 21st-century museums.

iPhone Embraces Voice Recognition Technology

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST

Google has updated its search function for Apple's iPhone to now include voice recognition software. This allows for spoken search queries without having to press any buttons. John Markoff, senior technology writer for The New York Times, talks about how to use the new software.

Medical Advances Complicate Definition Of Death

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:48:00 EST

A Washington, D.C. hospital is suing to remove a 12-year-old boy from life support. Motl Brody was pronounced dead — with no brain function — after a battle with cancer. Motl's parents, who are Orthodox Jews, believe that he, and his soul, are still alive.

How To CAT-Scan (And Hot-Rod) A Stradivarius

Sun, 09 Nov 2008 13:56:00 EST

At the home workshop of Sam Zygmuntowicz, form follows function: The Brooklyn-based luthier, who has designed instruments for Joshua Bell and Yo-Yo Ma, is scientifically analyzing great violins of the past to make even better ones for today.

Free Your Guitar, Free Your Mind

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:08:00 EST

Rock music may give the electric guitar fire, but avant-garde jazz musicians often re-think the instrument beyond its basic, melody- and rhythm-based functions. Here are five musicians who eschew standard conventions and instead approach the guitar as a device of pure sound.

World's 'Greenest' Museum Opens In San Francisco

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:30:00 EDT

A building heralded as the greenest museum in the world opens Saturday in San Francisco. The California Academy of Sciences fits in with the natural world in both form and function.

President Bush Bids U.N. Farewell

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 06:00:00 EDT

President Bush addresses the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday for the last time. In his speech, he'll portray himself as a multilateralist who wants to see the U.N. function better.

The Cocktail Party Guide To John Coltrane

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 13:22:00 EDT

Sooner or later, a dinner function might come up out of nowhere and catch you sleeping on the iconic saxophonist's discography. So here's a five-song primer to one of the greatest performers of the 20th century.

Adem: Comforting 'Tears' for Yo La Tengo

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 09:30:00 EDT

Where Yo La Tengo's "Tears Are in Your Eyes" possesses the heavy-lidded feel of shared sorrow (with a reassuring hint of optimism), Adem's cover opts for a tone of comparative comfort. His version also functions as a sort of Cliffs Notes to what Adem is all about: a figurative glass of warm milk for a world of nervous stomachs.

Kelley Stoltz: A Trip Through Time and Space

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 10:08:00 EDT

The most rambunctiously infectious song on Stoltz's recent Circular Sounds, "Tintinnabulation" functions as a sort of aural funhouse, where bells and whistles and reverberations transform a first-rate pop song into a dizzying, whimsical ride.

Monkeys Control Robotic Arm with Thoughts

Thu, 29 May 2008 06:00:00 EDT

A couple of lab monkeys reaching for marshmallows could hold the key to restoring arm function in paralyzed people. The monkeys grabbed their snacks with robotic arms controlled by just their thoughts. Tiny sensors implanted in their brains direct waves into the computer that operates the arm. Researchers in the journal Nature say it's a critical refinement on earlier work — and shows that prosthetics controlled by the brain are at least possible.

Ghostly and Ethereal, Bon Iver Finds Catharsis

Wed, 28 May 2008 09:45:00 EDT

As dark as it gets, "Skinny Love," with its unforgettable steel-guitar hook, is too gorgeous to function as a true downer. Shout-along fodder for melancholy late-night drives, it announces Bon Iver as a budding powerhouse, not so much promising as fully formed.

Houston, We Have a Problem — With the Toilet

Wed, 28 May 2008 07:24:54 EDT

The international space station's lone toilet is broken. The solid waste collection system is still functioning, but for liquids, the astronauts have to make do with a backup bag. NASA will send replacement parts on the next shuttle.

Sea Piracy On the Rise Off Somalia's Coast

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Pirates off the coast of Somalia, and in other places around the world, cost the shipping industry billions of dollars each year. Renee Montagne talks with Andrew Lehr about how these groups function. Lehr is an expert on sea piracy and terrorism who lectures at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.

Iraqis on Slow Road to Building Judicial System

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:02:00 EDT

From the rubble of a dictatorship, Iraqis and Americans are working together to create a functioning judicial system in Iraq. But teaching judges to be judges and introducing basic legal concepts have proved complicated and difficult.

Bookseller Amazon Building on Review Function

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 07:51:00 EST

Amazon.com offers pages of information on the book titles it sells online, including reviews. And now the reviewers are being reviewed, as customers are invited to rate a review's "helpfulness."

A Tribute to James Brown

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 10:21:00 EST

On the first anniversary of the death of soul singer James Brown, we learn about a recent unprecedented memorial celebration called Function at Princeton Junction. This scholarly gathering of writers, musicians, and critics took a look at and a listen to the music of James Brown. Music critic Robert Christgau was part of the conference and has these thoughts on the Godfather of Soul.

Neuroscientist Uses Brain Scan to See Lies Form

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 17:08:00 EDT

Dr. Daniel Langleben says lies aren't created out of thin air; instead, your brain has to think of the truth and then make a decision to do the opposite. And that activity shows up on a functional MRI scan of the brain.

Luke Temple: Humble and Grounded Folk

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 14:09:00 EDT

Singer-songwriter Luke Temple has drawn lofty comparisons during his career: Paul Simon, Nick Drake and Jeff Buckley have all functioned as reference points at some point or other. Hear an interview and in-studio performance with the songwriter.

Great Northern and the 'Height' of Portent

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 10:34:00 EDT

Great Northern's "Low Is a Height" doesn't break a ton of lyrical ground: Instead, it's content to use vague phrases to help pile on the atmosphere. It's an effective strategy, as the song functions as the musical embodiment of a mood that's somehow both sunny and oppressive.

iPhone: A Compact Device with a Very Bulky Bill

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 16:00:00 EDT

The iPhone is widely acclaimed as a masterpiece of design -- all those digital functions packed into one device. But some iPhone users are receiving huge bills -- as in lots and lots of paper. Justine Ezarik, a Web designer and video blogger in Pittsburgh, received a 300-page bill.

A Sort of Homecoming, on the 'Day After Tomorrow'

Fri, 03 Aug 2007 10:48:00 EDT

Like so many great songs about complex issues, Linda Thompson's cover of Tom Waits' "Day After Tomorrow" views the ethics and impact of war on the smallest possible scale, functioning entirely from the perspective of a disillusioned soldier preparing to return home.

The Authentic Sounds of 'Scarlet Town'

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 17:46:00 EDT

There's something delightfully imperfect in Johnny and the Moon's "The Ballad of Scarlet Town": Maybe it's the unadorned strumming, the metallic clattering that functions as percussion, or the slightly out-of-tune and often flat-falling vocals of frontman Dante DeCaro.