Arts & Life

Author Barry Estabrook says pigs can be taught to play computer games and recognize themselves in a mirror.

Books
Arts

'Tales' Of Pig Intelligence, Factory Farming And Humane Bacon

5:59pm May 05, 2015

Journalist Barry Estabrook wanted to know more about the animal and its journey from the farm to his plate. In a new book, he explores the dichotomies of the industry that's raising our pork chops.

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Jeopardy Know-it-All Ken Jennings reveals how losing to a supercomputer crushed his pride.

Arts

What Does Losing To A Computer Tell Us About Pride?

4:22pm May 05, 2015

by NPR/TED Staff

Ken Jennings has made a career of being the know-it-all. But then he challenged a supercomputer, Watson — and lost. Jennings explains how it felt to have a computer beat him and crush his pride.

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Parul Sehgal, an editor at The New York Times Book Review, says literature would hardly exist without the "grim thrill" of envy.

Books
Arts

How Does Envy Help Us Better Understand Ourselves?

4:22pm May 05, 2015

by NPR/TED Staff

Parul Sehgal, an editor at The New York Times Book Review, says as dangerous as envy can be, it can teach us a lot about who we are and what we really want.

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Nick Hanauer says increasing the minimum wage would be good for the poor and the super rich.

Arts
Economy

How Should We Distribute Our Wealth?

4:21pm May 05, 2015

by NPR/TED Staff

Nick Hanauer is a rich guy with several houses, but is he greedy? He argues that an increase in minimum wage would be good for everyone.

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Activist Dave Meslin says even though we're apathetic about local politics, we're hardly sloths.

What's The Antidote To Political Apathy?

4:21pm May 05, 2015

by NPR/TED Staff

Activist Dave Meslin says even though we're apathetic about local politics, we're hardly sloths.

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Dr. Gary Slutkin says we should think of violence as a contagious disease.

Why Should We Treat Violence Like A Contagious Disease?

4:21pm May 05, 2015

by NPR/TED Staff

While looking at the problem of gun violence, Dr. Gary Slutkin wondered — what if it could be treated like a communicable disease? His program, Cure Violence, aims to do just that, with real results.

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Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett explains how his city went from one of the fattest to one of the fittest.

How Did An Obese City Lose A Million Pounds?

4:20pm May 05, 2015

by NPR/TED Staff

Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett explains how his city sidestepped gluttony and collectively dropped one million pounds.

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"You can choose to be a vegetarian, but don't think that just because you've made that decision, bacon suddenly stops smelling good." - Christopher Ryan

Science
Arts

What Did Cavemen Think About Lust?

4:20pm May 05, 2015

by NPR/TED Staff

Christopher Ryan says that human beings are sexual omnivores and hopes that a better understanding of sexual fidelity may end discrimination, shame and unrealistic expectations.

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Books
Arts

'Vorrh' Takes A Dizzying Trek Into The Dark Heart of Fantasy

1:36pm May 05, 2015

by Jason Heller

British artist Brian Catling's fiction debut, about a mysterious forest in an alternate-universe Africa, is finally in the U.S. Reviewer Jason Heller calls it an "eye-gouging, mind-bending spectacle."

Books
Arts

No Easy Answers In 'The Book Of Aron'

11:28am May 05, 2015

by Michael Schaub

Jim Shepard's new novel follows a depressed and probably doomed young boy in the Warsaw Jewish ghetto during World War II. Critic Michael Schaub calls it a "rewarding, shocking and beautiful book."