Getting the Point

"According to an article published last week in Current Biology, African elephants in captivity "can use human pointing clues to find hidden food." Elephants aren't great at this. But they are as good as human two-year olds. And that's pretty good."

"The bottom line: you can show an elephant where you hid the food by pointing."

"Scientists have wondered whether our ancestors domesticated dogs (and other animals) because of their natural ability to read our gestures, eye movements and body language. Or whether they have developed sensitivity to us as a result of the long history of their domestication, whether we have bred this into them."

"The authors of the elephant study, Anna F. Smet and Richard W. Byrne, were interested in this question when they turned to study elephants. On the basis of their finding, they conclude, 'the elephant's native ability in interpreting social cues may have contributed to its long history of effective use by man.'"

Why US Taxpayers Pay 7 Billion A Year To Help Fast Food Workers

"If you hit the drive-through, chances are that the cashier who rings you up or the cook who prepared your food relies on public assistance to make ends meet."

"A new analysis finds that 52 percent of fast-food workers are enrolled in, or have their families enrolled in, one or more public assistance programs such as SNAP (food stamps) Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)."

"That's right: With a median wage of $8.69 per hour for front-line fast-food jobs — cooks, cashiers and crew — workers are taking home a paycheck, but it's not enough to cover the basics, according to the authors of "Fast Food, Poverty Wages."

What Makes Paul McCartney Nervous

"It's hard to picture Paul McCartney — one of history's most celebrated songwriters, a figure of incalculable importance to modern music and pop culture — fretting over anything, least of all filling arena seats. But as NPR's Robert Siegel discovered, a few circumstances can still make the ex-Beatle sweat."

"McCartney's latest solo album, New, is out Tuesday. He recently spoke with Siegel about historical revisionists, dividing his new songs among four superstar producers, and why a little insecurity can be a successful artist's best friend. Hear the radio version at the audio link, and read more of their conversation below."

"I want to ask you about a particular song on New called "Early Days."Tell me about this one."

Trapped In A Fossil Remnants Of A 46 Million Year Old Meal

"Scientists who study why species vanish are increasingly looking for ancient DNA. They find it easily enough in the movies; remember the mosquito blood in Jurassic Park that contained dinosaur DNA from the bug's last bite? But in real life, scientists haven't turned up multi-million-year-old DNA in any useable form."

"Fortunately, a team at the Smithsonian Institution has now found something unique in a 46-million-year-old, fossilized mosquito — not DNA, but the chemical remains of the insect's last bloody meal."

"They started with a fossilized mosquito. If you think it's incredibly rare for a dinosaur to die and get fossilized for millions of years, imagine what it's like for a bug. Dale Greenwalt has. 'Everything has to go exactly right to become fossilized,' the retired biochemist explains."

Exercise May Help Knees More Than Glucosamine and Chondroitin

"If you're among the estimated 27 million Americans who suffer from osteoarthritis of the knee or hip, then perhaps you've tried the nutritional supplements glucosamine and chondroitin. They've been marketed for joint health for about 20 years, and sales are still brisk. But do they help?"

"Some horses might say yes. The supplements were first tried in horses, and there's some evidence that the supplements might improve joint function for them."

"Glucosamine and chondroitin are also marketed to dog owners. But what about us humans? Unfortunately, researchers say that for us the results just don't match the glowing testimonials."

"It would seem to make sense that glucosamine and chondroitin could help. They're both natural substances found in cartilage, that hard connective tissue that pads joints."

Drinking With Your Eyes: How Wine Labels Trick Us Into Buying

"We're all guilty of it. Even if we don't want to admit it, we've all been suckered into grabbing a bottle of wine off the grocery store shelf just because of what's on the label. Seriously, who can resist the "see no evil" monkeys on a bottle of Pinot Evil?"

"But the tricks that get us to buy a $9 bottle of chardonnay — or splurge on a $40 pinot noir — are way more sophisticated than putting a clever monkey on the front."

"A carefully crafted label can make us think the bottle is way more expensive than it is, and it can boost our enjoyment of the wine itself, says David Schuemann of CF Napa Brand Design, who has been designing wine packaging for more than a decade."

"In his new book 99 Bottles of Wine, Schuemann spills the industry's secrets about how wine labels tickle our subconscious and coerce us into grabbing a bottle off the shelf. The book is also a feast for the eyes, with about 100 photographs of the sleekest, most eye-catching wine labels in the business."

In Arizona A Solar Plant That Powers 70,000 Homes--Day or Night

"Outside Phoenix, Ariz., on Wednesday, a power company turned on one of the largest solar power plants of its kind in the world. But unlike other solar farms, this plant continues giving power to 70,000 Arizona households long after the sunset."

"The Solana plant uses 3,200 mirrors that are tilted so they focus the sun's rays to heat a specially-designed oil. That boils water, which drives turbines and generates electricity. Or, the oil can heat giant tanks of salt, which soak up the energy. When the sun goes down, or when households need more power, the hot salt tanks heat up the oil, which again boils water to drive the turbines."

"Whereas conventional solar panels only give power when the sun is up, these giant salt batteries give renewable energy on demand. They can store six hours-worth of energy, which can meet the demands of Arizona customers, according to months of test data."

What a USA Default Would Mean For Pensions, China, and Social Security

"What would happen if Congress doesn't raise the debt ceiling and the U.S. defaults on its debt later this month? The broad economic implications are unpredictable, but a default could cause huge trouble for the global economy."

"But whatever happens to a the global economy, one thing is clear: People all over the world who have loaned the U.S. government money won't get paid on time."

"And lots and lots of people have loaned the government money. Those people are commonly referred to as owners of Treasury bonds. When you buy a bond, you are lending the government money, on the assumption that you will get your money back, plus interest, on time."

Three Share Nobel Chemistry Prize For Complex Computer Modeling

"Martin Karplus, Michael Levitt and Arieh Warshel have won the Nobel Prize in chemistry for their development of powerful computer models used to simulate how chemical reactions work, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced."

"The technology they pioneered is now used to develop drugs and to perform other vital tasks in the laboratory."

"'Chemists used to create models of molecules using plastic balls and sticks. Today, the modelling is carried out in computers,' the academy said. 'In the 1970s, Martin Karplus, Michael Levitt and Arieh Warshel laid the foundation for the powerful programs that are used to understand and predict chemical processes. Computer models mirroring real life have become crucial for most advances made in chemistry today.'"

Peter Higgs of Boson Fame Shares Nobel Prize in Physics

"Peter Higgs and Francois Englert have been jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their theory of how particles acquire mass, the Swedish committee announced Tuesday."

"The prize was given 'for the theoretical discovery of a mechanism that contributes to our understanding of the origin of mass of subatomic particles, and which recently was confirmed through the discovery of the predicted fundamental particle, by the ATLAS and CMS experiments at CERN's Large Hadron Collider.'"

"In 1964, Higgs of Britain and Englert of Belgium (along with a now-deceased colleague), independently proposed a particle as part of a mechanism to explain how the universe works at its most basic level. The existence of that particle, known today as the Higgs boson, or Higgs particle (and sometimes the 'God particle'), was confirmed after a series of high-energy collisions at the LHC."

Nobel Winners Decoded How Neurons and Cells Talk To Each Other

"The three scientists who shared this year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine all made discoveries that illuminate how the body's cells communicate."

"The research has sweeping implications for our understanding of how nerves in the brain transmit signals, how the immune system attacks pathogens and how hormones, like insulin, get into the bloodstream."

"Bioengineers have already harnessed the discoveries to manufacture new vaccines and improve the quality of insulin for diabetics."

"The winners include two Americans — James Rothman of Yale University and Randy Schekman of the University of California, Berkeley — and the German-born Thomas Suedhof of Stanford University."

Spies and Novelists Both Accomplished Liars Says New Bond Author

"William Boyd is one of the great living British novelists — and now he's tackling one of the great British heroes."

"'I am now a James Bond pedant,' Boyd tells NPR's Scott Simon. 'I can bore for England on the subject of James Bond. But I knew I couldn't do it frivolously, I had to take it very seriously, however much fun I was having. And I had to make myself, you know, absolutely steeped in Bond and in Fleming and that world.'"

"Steeped in Bond, not shaken, of course."

"Boyd, whose previous books have won (or been shortlisted for) most of Britain's major literary awards, once wrote a novel in which Ian Fleming briefly appears. So when the Fleming family tapped him to write the next Bond novel, Boyd jumped at the chance, penning a story that includes exotic locations, a peculiar villain and compelling women. And then he sends 007 for his first trip to Africa."

Your Digital Trail Data Fuels Political and Legal Agendas

"This is the fourth story in our four-part series examining your digital trail and who potentially has access to it. It was co-reported by G.W. Schulzfrom the Center for Investigative Reporting. Yesterday, we examined your Fourth Amendment rights and how some believe the digital age has weakened them. Today we see how government officials and private attorneys can use your online data in politics and courtrooms."

"Here's a question for the digital age: If you are one of those people who say, 'I've done nothing wrong; I've got nothing to hide,' do you have any reason to worry that someone might try to use your digital records against you?"

"We posed that question to John Dean, a man who has become immortalized in U.S. history books as President Richard Nixon's White House lawyer. His answer: 'Think about the Nixon Enemies List.'"

Studying the Science Behind Child Prodigies

"Matt Haimovitz is 42 and a world-renowned cellist. He rushed into the classical music scene at age 10 after Itzhak Perlman, the famed violinist, heard him play."

"'By the time I was 12, 13 years old I was on the road playing with Israel Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic and some of the great orchestras. So it was pretty meteoric,' Haimovitz says. 'I grew up with a lot of classical music in the household. My mother is a pianist and took me to many concerts.'"

"But nothing in his family history explains where Haimovitz got his extraordinary talent. And that's typical, Ellen Winner, a psychology professor at Boston College who has studied prodigies, tells NPR's David Greene."

National Geographic Celebrates 125 Years of Photography

"This month, National Geographic magazine celebrates its 125th anniversary in a special issue devoted to the power of photography. "The Photo Issue" features images spanning the organization's storied career."

"Here, The Picture Show features a selection of images from the anniversary issue, as well as a few highlights from the magazine's photographic history.

• 1888: The National Geographic Society is founded in January, and the first issue of National Geographic magazine is published in October.
• 1889: The first photograph in National Geographic magazine, depicting a relief map of North America, appears in the third issue . . ."

Don't Call This 12-Year Old Concert Pianist A Prodigy

"Musician Emily Bear has composed more than 350 pieces for the piano. She's recorded six albums, performed at the White House and Carnegie Hall, and worked closely with her mentor, music legend Quincy Jones. And get this: She's 12."

"Bear is what some call a prodigy: a child who shows extraordinary ability at an early age. This week, Morning Edition is talking about kids like Emily — finding out what it's like to raise a child who's so gifted and exploring some of the science that may or may not explain these talents."

"As NPR's David Greene discovered, Emily Bear will happily write a song about anything you suggest — but she'd rather you not refer to her as a prodigy. Greene recently spoke with the musician and her mother, Andrea Bear; you can hear their conversation, as well as some of Emily Bear's playing, at the audio link."

An Insiders View of 19th Century Paris: Even the Urinals

"A city under construction — and destruction — is currently on view at the National Gallery of Art in Washington. 'Charles Marville: Photographer of Paris' is a collection of 19th-century photographs of one of the world's most beloved cities as it transitioned from medieval architectural hodgepodge to what became the City of Light."

"The images were taken by photographer Charles Marville, who, according to a 1854 self-portrait, was short — a bit under 5 feet 2 inches — with a flowing moustache, blue eyes and a little bit of a potbelly."

"With his large-format 8-by-10 camera, glass plates and natural light, Marville captured a sepia-toned Paris."

I Spy Valerie Plame Makes Her Fiction Debut In CIA Thriller

"Vanessa Pierson, the heroine of Valerie Plame's first novel, is — ahem — "blonde, lithe, and nicely sexy." She is also a CIA agent, determined to lasso a nuclear arms dealer named Bhoot before he arrives at an underground nuclear facility in Iran."

"But just as her informant is about to tell her where Bhoot will be, he's shot by a sniper who misses Vanessa — or does he simply overlook her? How will Vanessa Pierson halt the terrorists, protect the world and, by the way, also keep the secret of her forbidden romance with David, a fellow CIA ops officer with green-flecked hazel eyes?"

"Blowback moves through assorted picturesque world capitals, including Vienna, Paris, London and Prague, with occasional glimpses of the comparatively mundane suburbs around Washington D.C. The authors are Sarah Lovett, a career suspense novelist, and Valerie Plame, who may be the most famous former CIA covert operations officer who was ever portrayed by Naomi Watts in a major motion picture."

Its Clear Humans Are Changing World's Climate, Panel Says

"Declaring that 'human influence on the climate system is clear,' a U.N.-assembled panel of scientists reported Friday that 'it is extremely likely that human influence has been the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century.'"

"The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which brings together hundreds of researchers from around the world, adds that 'warming in the climate system is unequivocal and since 1950 many changes have been observed throughout the climate system that are unprecedented over decades to millennia.'"

"Looking ahead, panel co-chair Thomas Stocker warns that 'continued emissions of greenhouse gases will cause further warming and changes in all components of the climate system. ... Heat waves are very likely to occur more frequently and last longer. As the Earth warms, we expect to see currently wet regions receiving more rainfall, and dry regions receiving less, although there will be exceptions.'"

Latest MacArthur Geniuses Include Sound Savior

"This year's 24 recipients of MacArthur Foundation 'genius grants' include a physicist whose work was inspired in part by a NPR report he heard a decade ago."

"As Carl Haber of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory explains in a video posted by the foundation with Wednesday's awards announcements:"

'About 10 years ago I happened to hear a report on NPR about the Library of Congress and their large collections of historic sound recordings, which described them in some cases as being delicate, damaged, deteriorating and so forth.'

"What he did then was apply some of the same optical equipment his lab uses to obtain images of subatomic particle tracks to extract "high-quality sound from degrading or even broken analog recordings" without actually touching those recordings. That allows the sound to be saved without causing further damage to the original recordings."