NPR's Book of the Day - Surviving high school in ‘Huda F Are You?’

Author Huda Fahmy brings us a fictionalized look back on her teenage years in her new graphic novel. The cleverly titled Huda F Are You? is about a girl growing up in Dearborn, Michigan trying to figure out, well, who she really is. Fahmy told NPR's Scott Simon that her own journey of self discovery often left her feeling like a fraud

Everything Everywhere Daily - Saint Nicholas

On December 6 every year, countries all across Europe celebrate Saint Nicholas Day. The way they celebrate can vary dramatically from place to place, but what they all have in common is honoring a man with a long white beard who gives presents to children. If all that sounds familiar, it should. Learn more about St. Nicholas, St. Nicholas day, and how it is celebrated around the world, on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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NPR's Book of the Day - Chancellor Angela Merkel’s last dance

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is stepping down after 16 years. Author and former NPR correspondent Kati Marton has written a new biography of Merkel titled, appropriately, The Chancellor. Marton told NPR's Sarah McCammon that Merkel's upbringing in East Germany before the wall fell prepared her for a future as a politician. But it also created some blind spots in her governing; allowing the far right movement, centered in former East Germany, to gain a foothold in the German Parliament.

30 Animals That Made Us Smarter - Jellyfish and underwater robot

S2 Ep 24. The world’s most efficient swimmer is the moon jellyfish! It’s the inspiration for a soft underwater robot that is safe enough to use in fragile environments like coral reefs and aquatic archaeological sites. By contracting a ring of muscle, the jellyfish can push water out of their bell-shaped bodies, thrusting them forwards without using much energy at all. Get in touch: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals #30Animals

Everything Everywhere Daily - Pope Joan

According to the records of the Catholic Church, there have been 266 men who have been pope. However, for centuries it was thought that there was another pope not on the list that was different from all of the others. What made this pope different is that the pope was a woman. Learn more about the legend of Pope Joan, both the fact and the fiction, on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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Everything Everywhere Daily - The Internal Combustion Engine

One of the technologies which have helped make the modern world is the internal combustion engine. Without it, the world would be a very different place today. Yet it wasn’t a technology that appeared fully formed. It was developed incrementally over a century. To get it to a point where it was viable for use in vehicles took numerous innovations.

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