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In 1887, Julius Petri invented a simple pair of nesting glass dishes, ideal for keeping specimens of growing bacteria sterile--the 'Petri dish.' Science historian Howard Markel recounts the history of this ubiquitous lab supply, and the serendipitous discovery of the stuff in it, agar.

For the past 13 years, North America's medical community has had its own version of The Onion. The Canadian Medical Association Journal's "Holiday Reading" segment in its December issue brings satire and spoofing to its medical studies, with some unintended consequences. Host Audie Cornish talks with Barbara Sibbald, editor of the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

The funeral of former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il is expected to begin Tuesday night, East Coast time. NPR's Anthony Kuhn is watching events from South Korea, and speaks to host Robert Siegel from the capital, Seoul.

Bad weather moved across the South Sunday night and into Monday morning. Tornadoes were reported in Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee. In Alabama, some of the worst damage occurred in areas that had already been hit by heavy storms before.

People in Nacogdoches, Texas, have rolled out the welcome mat for hundreds of refugees from Myanmar, also known as Burma, who moved here to work at a chicken processing plant. Though the mayor admits that immigration can be a touchy issue, residents have offered support to their new neighbors.

Maybe you've never heard of Kris Kobach. But some immigration advocacy groups say an endorsement from the Kansas secretary of state is going to cost Mitt Romney the Hispanic vote and — should Romney become the Republican nominee — the general election.

All I want for Christmas is some toffee and navel oranges. Dry-aged steaks wouldn't be bad, either. NPR's science desk denizens share the mail-order foods they'd be happy to see land on the doorstep this week, from traditional to outrageous.

The Obama administration is trudging ahead with policies designed to protect the integrity of scientific research. But critics of the process say the policies that have been released so far don't do enough to prevent political manipulation of science.

China has long dominated the sport of table tennis, winning almost every Olympic medal since 1992. That's not likely to change at this year's Summer Olympics, but one young American athlete may be on her way to giving China a run for its money.

For poor families in the Philippines, electrical bills are a huge burden. But an old soda bottle, filled with water and bleach, can be turned into a 55-watt bulb with the help of the tropical sun.