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A new study looks at an unexpected force that played a critical role in shaping the lives of ancient humans.

Some experts fear the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, could meltdown in a way similar to what happened in Fukushima, Japan, over a decade ago. What would that look like in a war zone?

Veteran broadcaster Robert Trout recalls when the tide of the Battle of Britain turned. The aerial bombardment of London by Germany during World War Two -- known as the Blitz -- was thought to be a prelude to Nazi invasion. After the war, it was learned that on this date Adolf Hitler decided to abandon plans to take over England. Trout narrates a story about anchoring CBS Radio Network News during this period. We hear his colleague in London, Edward R. Murrow reporting on the air raids, Trout's own broadcasts, and the voice of Winston Churchill after the war. Trout tells how the addition of an evening newscast in radio prime time angered advertisers.

Separately, Petra, Rachel and Tanya Haden have worked on vastly different musical projects. But when they come together to cover classic country music, the result is a treat and a trip in time.

Music critic Sarah Bardeen rounds up a three-part review of the best new music of 2005 with her favorite CDs of the past year — a sonic stew of hip-hop, smooth Latin stylings and raw Brazilian soul.

Featuring stylized '60s chamber-pop instrumentation, The Brunettes' glossy production and entangled vocal harmonies make "Her Hairagami Set" sound rich and fully developed.

After decades off the scene, the old-school virtuoso pianist and singer is re-establishing himself in New York. Every week, he welcomes guest performers to one of the city's smallest rooms.

NPR's Morning Edition is asking kids and students to write a poem with the prompt, "Love is." Teachers, please share this prompt with your class and submit their responses.

Today we heard a conversation about many conversations between women invited to participate in our Strong Women segment. These are the ideas we began with:

The number one song in Britain is sung by a cartoon character, his name is Bob the Builder and his show appears on the BBC. The song shot to the top of the charts in Britain during the holiday, surpassing Scottish boy-band Westlife and Eminem's "Stan". The cartoon series -- and the song -- will be coming to the States next month. Linda talks with David Sinclair, pop music critic for the Times of London, about the sensation created by the Bob the Builder. (3:30) Bob the Builder is written by Paul Joyce, voiced by actor Neil Morrissey. The Audio CD is "Bob the Builder," from BBC Worldwide Music; ASIN: B00005244T Catalogue Number: WMSS60372.

Countless trends have come and gone, but the popularity of The Indigo Girls has barely waned since the late '80s. It helps that the duo's folk music is just as heavily influenced by rock and world music as it is by the likes of Joni Mitchell, but consistency has also played a significant role in The Indigo Girls' longevity.

Ola Podrida's lazily majestic "Jordanna" builds slowly, as bandleader David Wingo carefully engineers the placement of each individual element. People and scenes float in and out of focus, lending the song the feel of a scrapbook.

Porcupine Tree mixes the virtuoso musicianship of progressive rock with modern electronic and guitar effects. The title of its song "Sentimental" takes a sly jab, given its bleak surroundings on Fear of a Blank Planet, the band's saga of numbed-out teens of the future.

Maybe it's an indication that the initial weirdness of listening to it has worn off, but pianist Jason Moran's scrupulous practice of using pre-recorded dialogue as a guide for etching melodic statements has never sounded as moving as it does on "Artists Ought to Be Writing."

Hiatt's newest album, Master of Disaster, features an edgy, funky sound, thanks largely to the assistance of The North Mississippi Allstars. Together, they assemble a collection of gritty country, blues, rock and jazz.

The stories in Neko Case's Fox Confessor Brings the Flood are the opposite of tidy narratives: They're fragmentary bits that isolate and freeze moments in time. One such episode pops up in the second verse of "Hold On, Hold On," a transfixingly slithering rocker Case recorded with The Sadies.

Sometimes the musicians who visit Alt.Latino prefer to express themselves in Spanish. Founders of the genre-busting Cuban band Sintesís share their love of Freddie Mercury and santería.

Sarah Assbring sings with a melancholy and longing that suggests she's never been a part of anything. Under the pseudonym El Perro Del Mar, the Swedish sin--r recently released her self-titled debut full-length--which features songs of loneliness, heartbreak and dogs.

Hear an in-studio performance by Alice Smith, a New York-based soul singer whose latest album is titled For Lovers, Dreamers, and Me. Smith also discusses her attempts to cross the boundaries of race in the music industry.

In "Elusive," Matthews strips down to the essentials of his songwriting: a dusky croon, gently strummed guitar strings, a hypnotic melody. Opening with a beleaguered sigh and getting only incrementally more cheerful from there, "Elusive" is a study in dreamy beauty.