logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2020
11m 5s

Mirror, Mirror, On The Wall: Can You Re...

NPR
About this episode
The mirror self-recognition test has been around for decades. Only a few species have what it takes to recognize themselves, while others learn to use mirrors as tools. NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce talks us through mirror self-recognition and why Maddie's dog is staring at her.

For more science reporting and stories, follow Nell on twitter @nell_sci_NPR. And, as always, email us at shortwave@npr.org.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Today
Why The Tropics Have A Weather Forecasting Problem
Weather in the tropics is decidedly different than it is in the middle latitudes. It turns out, so are the weather systems – the factors that create things like the daily temperature and humidity! Historically, most weather forecasting models have been based on data from high-inc ... Show More
14m 7s
Oct 8
Doing Science at the Edge of the Earth
Some scientific discoveries take place in a lab. Others are made deep in the rainforest, along the ocean floor or on the dark side of the moon. And still others are made squelching through mud and ice on the northernmost island on Earth… at least, if you’re NPR climate correspond ... Show More
13m 15s
Oct 7
Solved: The Potato Origin Mystery
Usually, when two different species mate, it’s a disaster. At least, that’s what scientists had generally thought about hybrids, the offspring of these unions. But some researchers are starting to change their view as they learn of more beneficial hybrid events. The Atlantic scie ... Show More
12m 27s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2021
The Invention of the Mirror, Part 4
Smoking pools of dark reflection. Propagator of uncanny doubles. Gateway to inverse kingdom. It’s time for Stuff to Blow Your Mind to venture into the world of mirrors, discussing their predecessors, their invention and way humans relate to the world on the other side. Learn more ... Show More
45m 6s
Sep 2022
From the Vault: The Invention of the Mirror, Part 3
Smoking pools of dark reflection. Propagator of uncanny doubles. Gateway to inverse kingdom. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe venture into the world of mirrors, discussing their predecessors, their invention and way humans relate to the world on ... Show More
48m 18s
Oct 2022
From the Vault: The Invention of the Mirror, Part 4
Smoking pools of dark reflection. Propagator of uncanny doubles. Gateway to inverse kingdom. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe venture into the world of mirrors, discussing their predecessors, their invention and way humans relate to the world on ... Show More
46m 57s
Sep 2022
From the Vault: The Invention of the Mirror, Part 2
Smoking pools of dark reflection. Propagator of uncanny doubles. Gateway to inverse kingdom. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe venture into the world of mirrors, discussing their predecessors, their invention and way humans relate to the world on ... Show More
51m 30s
Sep 2022
Tara Well || Mirror Meditation
Today we welcome Tara Well, who is an associate professor of psychology at Barnard College of Columbia University where she has taught Personality Psychology, Health Psychology, and Psychology of Leadership for over 20 years. Her research on motivation, perception, and cognition ... Show More
53m 45s
Sep 2022
From the Vault: The Invention of the Mirror, Part 1
Smoking pools of dark reflection. Propagator of uncanny doubles. Gateway to inverse kingdom. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe venture into the world of mirrors, discussing their predecessors, their invention and way humans relate to the world on ... Show More
43m 21s
Jun 2021
Mammals Can Breathe Through Their Butts
Learn how mammals breathe through their butts; how babies remember their birth language; and your reflection in a spoon.Mammals can breathe through their butts, and this could help humans with respiratory failure by Grant CurrinBreathing Through the Rectum Saves Oxygen-Starved Mi ... Show More
12 m
Apr 2010
Mirror Neurons: Are there people who feel others' pain?
People with a condition known as mirror-touch synesthesia literally feel the pain of others -- but why? Josh and Chuck trace the cause of this condition to one culprit: the mirror neuron. Tune in to learn more about mirror neurons and neuroscience. Learn more about your ad-choice ... Show More
35m 7s
Apr 2014
Through the Looking Glass
What are we to make of the mirror world? We surround ourselves with looking glasses, yet rarely understand exactly what we're observing. Our reflected doubles gaze back at us, affecting the way we carry ourselves and the way we experience our own bodies. Travel through the lookin ... Show More
37m 21s
Oct 2016
The 2016 Ig Nobels: Rat Pants, Mooning and the Sincerity of Rocks
Each year, a magazine called The Annals of Improbable Research awards the Ig Nobel prizes to honor the weirdest and funniest scientific projects ever undertaken by humans. In this pair of Stuff to Blow Your Mind episodes, Robert, Joe and Christian discuss this year's winners. In ... Show More
1h 14m