In recent years, NPR has explored how small interactions with strangers can do more than just brighten our days — they can improve our well‑being. Our original story from 2023 traced psychologist Gillian Sandstrom’s research back to her experience as a lonely graduate student in Toronto who exchanged a wave and hello daily with a
Hosne Ara teaches a group of fourth graders, seated on benches inside the floating school’s classroom. Ali Asif Shawon for NPR hide caption toggle caption Ali Asif Shawon for NPR In September 2018, we posted a story from flood-prone Bangladesh, ‘Floating Schools’ Make Sure Kids Get To Class When The Water Rises. Did the floating
Advocates and child marriage survivors in Boston gather to call for an end to child marriage. Currently more than two dozen U.S. states allow for marriage under the age of 18 under certain circumstances. A new bill up for debate in Congress calls for a national ban. Joseph Prezioso/AFP/via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption
Parents of children who tested positive for HIV after receiving care at Kulsum Bai Valika Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan, held a protest there on July 23. These families received care at Valika Hospital through an aid program run by the labor ministry. Many of the parents of children infected with HIV are low-income factory workers.
Sisters Rooney and Kate Mara learned to speak in unison for Werner Herzog’s drama “Bucking Fastard,” something that came “surprisingly” easily for them. The film follows two sisters who are so close they “speak in unison, love the same man, and have the same dreams,” according to the synopsis. Herzog, the influential German filmmaker of
A child is screened for malnutrition at a health clinic in Baidoa, Somalia, where drought and other conditions have sparked concerns about famine. Sally Hayden/SOPA Images/LightRocket/via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Sally Hayden/SOPA Images/LightRocket/via Getty Images In February 2025, we reported that “A respected U.S. famine warning system is ‘currently unavailable.’ ” That system
