Scared To Death... Literally
Earthquakes, terrorist attacks and muggings have all scared people to death. Sporting events, too, sometimes cause frenzied fans to drop dead. Neurologist Martin Samuels of Brigham and Women's Hospital explains how positive or negative excitement can lead to a heart-stopping surge of adrenaline.
Medusa's Gaze And Vampire's Bite
Next up, the science of monsters. Like most myths, there are some real-world phenomena behind the stories...consider the limitations of the vampire... His power ceases, as does that of all evil things, at the coming of the day. It is said, too, that he can only pass running water at the slack or the flood of the tide. Then there are things which so afflict him that he has no power, as the garlic that we know of, and the crucifix. Where did these legends come from, the vampire's aversion to garlic, sunlight and running water? Are they just folk tales or is there something factual, something there behind them? Believe it or not, there have been scientific papers written on the subject, as my next guest writes in his new book, "Medusa's Gaze and Vampire's Bite: The Science of Monsters."Very entertaining and informative for adults and kids. Enthusiastic guests, funny gory stories and great science - it's enough to inspire your middle- or high schoolers to take on one of these topics for a paper or project, so don't be afraid to share with kids.
See the transcripts and/or listen and or download podcasts:
http://www.npr.org/2012/10/26/163712863/scared-to-death-literally?ft=1&f=5
http://www.npr.org/2012/10/26/163712865/medusas-gaze-and-vampires-bite?ft=1&f=5
http://www.npr.org/2012/10/26/163712865/medusas-gaze-and-vampires-bite?ft=1&f=5
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