The Best of NPR
20+ most popular NPR articles, as voted by our community.
NPR is an independent news organization committed to informing the public about the world around us. You can find us every other place you read the news.
Trending
These are currently making the rounds on Refind.
How scientists lasered in on a 'monumental' Maya city — with actual lasers
Light-mapping technology is expediting the pace of archaeological discovery in the dense jungles of central Mexico. The latest find could offer clues about how humans advanced agriculturally.
Petting other people's dogs, even briefly, can boost your health
You don't even have to own one. Research shows just 5 to 20 minutes interacting with other people's pooches can reduce stress hormones and increase well-being.
What happens when thousands of hackers try to break AI chatbots
In a Jeopardy-style game at the annual Def Con hacking convention in Las Vegas, hackers tried to get chatbots from OpenAI, Google and Meta to create misinformation and share harmful content.
Why a stranger's hello can do more than just brighten your day
Researchers are exploring the impact of interactions with strangers and casual acquaintances. Their findings shed light on how seemingly fleeting conversations affect your happiness and well-being.
NPR on Anger
How To Control (And Even Use) Your Anger — With Meditation
Anger can be a powerful teacher — if we know how to use it. In this episode, Lama Rod Owens, a teacher of Tibetan Buddhism, explains how he learned to love his anger, and gives listeners a six-step…
«Anger is a complicated emotion that many of us try to suppress rather than examine — a desire often reinforced by societal narratives that dictate who is allowed to hold and process the sentiment.»
Got Anger? Try Naming It To Tame It
While many people believe that how we feel and express anger is hard-wired, some scientists suggest our experience and culture help shape it. One way to get a handle on it may be to personalize it.
NPR on Cannabis
California Says Its Cannabis Revenue Has Fallen Short Of Estimates, Despite Gains
The tepid results have prompted Gov. Gavin Newsom to revise his office's estimates of how much money the state will net from its cannabis industry.
You Can Get A Master's In Medical Cannabis In Maryland
The University of Maryland, Baltimore, now has a master's program dedicated to the science and therapeutics of medical weed because of a growing number of students looking for expertise in the field.
NPR on Conspiracy Theories
She was a popular yoga guru. Then she embraced QAnon conspiracy theories
Themes like everything is connected, nothing happens without a purpose, and nothing is what it seems are central to both yoga philosophy and conspiratorial thinking.
NPR on Economy
The mystery of rising prices. Are greedy corporations to blame for inflation?
Inflation has been pushing prices up all year, but economists and politicians don't agree on where it's coming from.
How life got pricier (and, yes, cheaper!) this year — in 7 charts
Boy, have we talked a lot about inflation. It affected every part of our lives (and the economy) in 2022. Here are some of its highest highs and lowest lows. (It wasn't all bad news!)
NPR on Facebook
People are talking about Web3. Is it the Internet of the future or just a buzzword?
In the Web3 vision of the internet's future, tech giants like Facebook and Google aren't as critical. The internet instead is a peer-to-peer experience built on what's known as the blockchain.
«"It's a promised future internet that fixes all the things people don't like about the current internet, even when it's contradictory."»
Are Conspiracy Theories Good For Facebook?
Viral conspiracy theories are dangerous, and maybe profitable.
NPR on Health
Just Move: Scientist Author Debunks Myths About Exercise And Sleep
Paleoanthropologist Daniel Lieberman says the concept of "getting exercise" is relatively new. His new book, Exercised, examines why we run, lift and walk for a workout, when our ancestors didn't.
Sitting too much drags down your mental health. Here's how to get moving
A lot of us have been sitting too much, and it's hard on us mentally as well as physically. Research shows breaking up that couch or desk time with short stints of movement can help lift your mood.
«Don't blame yourself if you're struggling to get started.»
NPR on Parenting
Yes, I'm a Disney Adult. Let me explain
Backlash against Disney Adults reveals a lot about the ever-morphing hierarchies of fandom within the cultural zeitgeist, and what's considered cool to obsess over and what's not.
How Inuit Parents Teach Kids To Control Their Anger
At the top of the world, the Inuit culture has developed a sophisticated way to sculpt kids' behavior without yelling or scolding. Could discipline actually be playful?
NPR on Parkinsons
Art and music therapy seem to help with brain disorders. Scientists want to know why
Arts therapies appear to ease brain disorders from Parkinson's to PTSD. Now, artists and scientists have launched an effort to understand how these treatments change the brain.
A brain circuit tied to emotion may lead to better treatments for Parkinson's disease
The symptoms of Parkinson's disease can vanish briefly in the face of stress or a strong emotion. Now scientists are searching for a treatment based on this phenomenon, a form of the placebo effect.
«To Stauffer, this behavior is one more piece of evidence that people with Parkinson's still do have an intact movement circuit in the brain, a pathway that is only switched on in certain situations. "If you can somehow isolate the pathway that enables that and turn it on," Stauffer says, it might offer a new approach to treating Parkinson's.»
NPR on Recycling
How Big Oil Misled The Public Into Believing Plastic Would Be Recycled
An NPR and PBS Frontline investigation reveals how the oil and gas industry used the promise of recycling to sell more plastic, even when they knew it would never work on a large scale.
Recycling plastic is practically impossible
A new report from Greenpeace found that people may be putting plastic into recycling bins — but almost none of it is actually being recycled. Meanwhile, plastic production is ramping up.
«Greenpeace found that no plastic – not even soda bottles, one of the most prolific items thrown into recycling bins – meets the threshold to be called "recyclable"»
Popular
These are some all-time favorites with Refind users.
Daily 'breath training' can work as well as medicine to reduce high blood pressure
Research finds five to 10 minutes daily of a type of strength training for muscles used in breathing can help anyone reduce or prevent high blood pressure. The training can also help elite athletes.
Here's why you should make a habit of having more fun
Happiness can sometimes feel just out of reach. But having more fun? You've got this — and those giggles and playful moments can make a big difference to your health and well-being.
Gen Z is driving sales of romance books to the top of bestseller lists
For months, Colleen Hoover and Emily Henry have occupied multiple spots on the New York Times paperback trade fiction bestsellers list. The success of these romance writers has been aided by Gen Z.
What is 'quiet quitting,' and how it may be a misnomer for setting boundaries at work
Quiet quitting is taking over TikTok as a new workplace trend popular with Gen Z. However, it may be a misnomer for setting healthy boundaries in the workplace.
«The term 'quiet quitting' is so offensive, because it suggests that people that do their work have somehow quit their job, framing workers as some sort of villain in an equation where they're doing exactly what they were told,»
The cheating scandal roiling the chess world has a new wrinkle
World champion Magnus Carlsen abruptly resigned after making a single move in his highly anticipated rematch with Hans Niemann. Calls have increased for an investigation.
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