Talk of the Nation

Many people buy and eat organic food because they believe it's more nutritious. A new study suggests that may not be the case. But with a vast number of influences and variables, from the ripeness of produce to the length of the studies, researchers note that more research is needed.

Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi has already made his mark on the country with controversial decisions regarding domestic policy and international diplomacy. NPR foreign correspondent Leila Fadel and Steven Cook of the Council on Foreign Relations talk about the first months of Morsi's presidency.

Massachusetts is the latest in a string of states considering legislation that extends so-called "rights of publicity" after death. The laws grant heirs property rights over things like the speech patterns, likenesses and signature styles of their deceased loved ones.

More and more schools are installing security cameras in halls, classrooms and buses. Administrators say it helps protect students and staff, but some argue the practice is invasive. Guests discuss the use of surveillance cameras in schools and where to draw the line between safety and privacy.

In her Wall Street Journal column, Sue Shellenbarger examined the research that explains why some people are more likely to intervene in life-threatening situations. She explains the traits and circumstances that tend to create heroes. And if you've ever chosen not to act heroically, tell us why.

NPR's Neal Conan reads from listener comments about high unemployment rates for returning veterans, how Mormons are dealing with the heightened attention created by Mitt Romney's presidential run, and the perils of flying with a musical instrument.

Freshmen "common reads" are becoming increasingly popular at American colleges and universities. One of the more popular common read assignments is Jared Diamond's Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. Originally broadcast on Sept. 8, 2011.

Union shops in the private sector have dwindled in recent decades. Now, public union leaders worry that they're losing political clout, bargaining power and members. That raises questions about whether unions fallen victim to their own success. Originally broadcast on June 7, 2012.

Joshua Bell, the violin prodigy who grew into what some call a classical-music rock star, is directing the orchestra of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. Bell is the orchestra's first music director since Sir Neville Marriner, who created the group. Originally broadcast on June 7, 2012.

Guitar legend Buddy Guy has been called the bridge between the blues and rock 'n' roll. In his new memoir, When I Left Home, Guy describes what he calls his second birthday: the day he left his home of Louisiana for Chicago, the blues capital of the world. Originally broadcast on June 5, 2012.

Reporting in Science, researchers write of sequencing the genome of a young Denisovan girl--an archaic human distantly related to Neanderthals and modern humans. Geneticist David Reich discusses the tale the genome tells about the Denisovan people and their interactions with modern humans.

Five years after the deadly collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, experts say nearly 8000 of America's bridges are still in dire need of repair--including landmark structures like the Brooklyn Bridge. But how much will it cost? And is there the political will to do it?

How a cucumber creates its curling tendril has stumped scientists for centuries, including Charles Darwin and Asa Gray. With the help of time-lapse photography and prosthetic tendril fabricated in the lab, physicist Sharon Gerbode, biologist Joshua Puzey and colleagues figured out why tendrils twist, according to a new study in Science.

Last week, a jury in San Francisco ruled in favor of Apple in a patent battle with Samsung, fining Samsung over a billion dollars for copying parts of Apple's iPhone design and function. Christina Bonnington, who covered the courtroom saga for Wired, describes what the ruling might mean for other phone manufacturers and for consumers.

Forensic anthropologist and novelist Kathy Reichs writes what she knows: bones and crime. Reichs discusses her new novel Bones are Forever," and her work for the TV series "Bones" both of which star her fictional alter-ego, the scientist crime-solver Temperance Brennan.