NPR : All Things Considered

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Why Nails On A Chalkboard Drives Us Crazy

November 9, 2011
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Robert Siegel talks to Michael Oehler, a music management professor at University of Cologne in Germany, about his study on why people get so irritated by the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard. Oehler led a team of researchers from the University of Cologne and the University of Vienna in a study designed to pinpoint the source of this and similarly irritating sounds. Scientists found that the most obnoxious elements of the noises may be amplified by the shape of the human ear.

Arts & Culture

NPR

NFL Sideline Reporter Michele Tafoya Plays Not My Job

As one of the first female reporters to be allowed inside the NFL locker room, Tafoya has been a pioneer in her field. But there are still places out there where they believe in cooties, so Tafoya will answer three questions about men's-only clubs.

Food

NPR

The Great Charcoal Debate: Briquettes Or Lumps?

Does the kind of charcoal you use really make a difference when it comes to grilling up a tasty steak or other food on the grill? Yes — but deciding which one to use depends on what you're after. Both briquettes and lump charcoal — aka "natural" hardwood charcoal — have their advantages and disadvantages.

Politics

NPR

Obama's Terrorism Fight Is Colored Gray, Not Black And White

If President Obama's newly recalibrated counterterrorism strategy demonstrates anything, it is his penchant for nuance.

Technology

NPR

Google Reportedly Faces FTC Antitrust Probe Over Display Ads

The Federal Trade Commission is in the early stages of opening an antitrust probe into how Google runs its online display advertising business, according to a report by Bloomberg News, citing sources who want to remain anonymous because the FTC has not announced the probe.

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