Have you taken classes to learn a new sport or musical instrument or a language? It’s hard work! Why is it that as children we effortlessly absorb new skills and we don’t as adults?
That’s what 50-something listener Gary Grief wondered about playing guitar. Do you need to play more frequently as an adult to attain the same level of expertise? Does the 10,0 ... Show More
Aug 15
How long does light last?
When listener Rob from Devon, UK, heard of a newly detected planet light years away, he was struck by the sheer scale the light must travel to reach us here on Earth. It got him wondering: How long does light last? What’s the oldest light we’ve ever observed? And does light ever ... Show More
26m 29s
Aug 8
Can we stop the rain?
CrowdScience listener Rit, from Pune in India, is staring out of his window at the falling rain. It’s been pouring for four days now, and shows no sign of stopping. The laundry is piling up, all his shoes are wet, and he’s worried about the effect it’s having on the environment, ... Show More
32m 21s
Mar 2022
What is Acquired Savant Syndrome?
For most people, learning any skill is a long, at-times challenging journey. Humans struggle to acquire expertise and, after attaining it, they must regularly use this knowledge or risk losing it. But what if you woke up one day, after an injury, to find you suddenly understood a ... Show More
57m 55s
Apr 2018
#31 Barbara Oakley: Learning How to Learn
Just when I start to think I’m using my time well and getting a lot done in my life, I meet someone like Barbara Oakley. Barbara is a true polymath. She was a captain in the U.S. Army, a Russian translator on Soviet trawlers, a radio operator in the South Pole, an engineer, unive ... Show More
1h 36m
Apr 2024
You can learn new things at any age, with Rachel Wu, PhD
Picking up a new skill as an adult can seem daunting. But research suggests that learning new things as you age may be key to keeping your cognitive skills sharp -- and that middle aged and older adults may be just as good at learning as younger people are. Rachel Wu, PhD, of the ... Show More
27m 23s
Jun 2022
Comment DEVENIR LE 0,1% dans ton domaine ? - Maîtriser l’EXCELLENCE
Tu as le désir de progresser en anglais ? Tu rêves de bien jouer du piano ? Tu aimerais devenir un champion de la lecture rapide ? Tout cela est possible, à condition d’avoir la bonne méthode d’apprentissage. Anders Ericsson, un psychologue suédois, a dédié toute sa vie à étudier ... Show More
8m 28s