To the Best of our Knowledge
-
The Internet
we explore how the Internet is changing our lives. Jaron Lanier on "Who Owns the Future?"; Douglas Rushkoff on "Present Shock: When Everything Happens Now"; Gabriella Coleman on "Coding Freedom: The Ethics and Aesthetics of Hacking"; James Lasdun on "Give Me Everything You Have: On Being Stalked".
-
Re-Thinking Education
The debate about how to fix America’s schools rages on, while millions of parents simply opt out of the system. We’re re-thinking education, from college programs for the incarcerated to a call for the end of standardized tests. Alfie Kohn on Progressive Education; Astra Taylor and Dana Goldstein on the Schooling Debate; Jody Lewen on the Prison University Project; Sean Pica on Earning His Degree in Prison.
-
Owning Your Body
We explore what it means to own your body The Scar Project; The Barbershop; Aubrey Ralph - a look at being transgender; Jim Fleming on The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock; Sally Gross on movement and dance; David Stockman on The Great Deformation.
-
Henry David Thoreau
Why is Henry David Thoreau still an American icon 150 years after he died? Yes, he was a brilliant writer, but above all, he asked us to "front only the essential facts of life." Tom Fate on "Cabin Fever"; "Walden" Reading; Jeffrey Cramer on Historical Thoreau; Davyd Betchkal on Denali soundscapes; Terry Tempest Williams on Thoreau; Terry Tempest Williams on "When Women Were Birds".
-
Quiet, Please
Hear that? It's the soothing sound of silence. We'll have much more, including "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking"; one man's quest for absolute silence; and John Cage's 4'33." Susan Cain on "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking"; George Michelsen Foy on "Zero Decibels: The Quest for Absolute Silence"; Kyle Gann on "No Such Thing as Silence: John Cage's 4'33"; Garret Keizer on "The Unwanted Sound of Everything We Want: A Book About...
-
Physics & The Big Questions
How can something come out of nothing? Believe it or not, some scientists say they can explain how the Big Bang popped out of empty space. We’ll explore the cutting edge of physics and consider what it means for religion and the meaning of life. Lawrence Krauss & Marcelo Gleiser on Something from Nothing; Dava Sobel on Copernicus; Lisa Randall on Dark Matter & Dark Energy; Margaret Wertheim on Fringe Physics.
-
Poems Old & New - Rebroadcast
There are lots of classic poems out there.But poetry’s no anachronism. It’s pulsing and swelling and beating new rhythms. From online verse to the new US Poet Laureate, from poetry criticism to the form-forging work of Anne Carson, we’re packed to the rafters with poets. Come on in! Poetry Past & Present - Christian Wiman; Poems in Our Pockets; Natasha Trethewey - U.S. Poet Laureate; Poesis with Anne Carson.
-
Poems Old and New
There are lots of classic poems out there.But poetry’s no anachronism. It’s pulsing and swelling and beating new rhythms. From online verse to the new US Poet Laureate, from poetry criticism to the form-forging work of Anne Carson, we’re packed to the rafters with poets. Come on in! Poetry: Past, Present and...; Poems in Our Pockets; Poems, History and Memory with Natasha Trethewey; Poesis with Anne Carson.
-
Scientific Revolution
What makes a scientific revolution? Rupert Sheldrake on "Science Set Free"; Thomas Kuhn's "Structure of Scientific Revolutions"; Margalit Fox on "The Riddle of the Labyrinth"; Stephen Greenblatt on "The Swerve"; Daphne Sheldrick on "Love, Life and Elephants".
-
Food and Politics
Imagine a farm five stories tall, powered by the sun, watered by the rain. Cabbage and carrots, tomatoes and eggplant grow on living walls. Tens of thousands of fish swim in aquaponic tanks. In this hour, the urban farm of the future gets real. Dickson Despommier on Vertical Farming; Will Allen on Urban Farming; Karen Le Billon on French Kids Eat Everything; Jennet Conant on Julia Child and the O.S.S.; Aaron Bobrow-Strain on White Bread.
-
Innovative Fiction
We're keepin it surreal this hour with a hallucinatory vortex chock full of innovative fiction. Like Salvador Dali said -- "Surrealism is destructive, but it destroys only what it considers to be shackles limiting our vision." Join us as we expand your vision and melt your mind. Etgar Keret on "Suddenly, a Knock on the Door"; Helen DeWitt on "Lightning Rods" ; Mark Leyner on "The Sugar Frosted Nutsack"; Gerald Nicosia and Al Hinkle on "On the Road"; Ryan Boudinot on "Blueprints of the...
-
Into the Woods
Lace up the hiking boots and grab the bug spray! Spring is here and we'reheading Into The Woods. Learn how to read a forest. Unlock the meanings hidden in leaf and bole, twig and soil. And celebrate the woods in fairytale, myth, story and song. David George Haskell on the Forest Unseen; Stephen Long on How to Read a Forest; Terry Tempest Williams on Walking in the Woods; Marina Warner on Enchanted Forests; Stephen Sondheim on "Into the Woods".
-
Copies
When a twin dies, what happens to the survivor? Bianca Bosker on "Original Copies: Architectural Mimicry in Contemporary China"; Marcus Boon on "In Praise of Copying"; Barry Vacker on "The End of the World -- Again: Why the Apocalypse Meme Replicates in Media, Science, and Culture"; Emily Anthes on "Frankenstein's Cat: Cuddling Up to Biotech's Brave New Beasts"; Christa Parravani on "Her".
-
Brainstorm
We explore the frontiers of brain science, from the neurobiology of emotions to recent discoveries about autism. Also, the story of one marriage saved by a diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome. Martha Herbert on "The Autism Revolution"; David and Kristen Finch on Asperger diagnosis; Richard Davidson on the Emotional Brain; Frank Browning on the Dancing Brain; V.S. Ramachandran on Phantom Limb Syndrome.
-
Behind the Scenes
A look back at some of TTBOOKs most powerful interviews. TTBOOK'S first interview with Sherman Alexie; TTBOOK looks back at Amy-Wallace Havens on her brother David Foster Wallace; TTBOOK reflects on David Foster Wallace's Commencent Speech; TTBOOK's first interview with biologist E.O. Wilson; TTBOOK looks back at jazz singer Kurt Elling.
-
Sympathy for the Devil
What do we do with the devil among us? Not, you know, a metaphorical Satan or Lucifer. . . I mean REAL people, who’ve committed REAL atrocities. Terrorists. Serial killers. People we’d all agree are. . . well… But what if they repent? Ask for forgiveness? Seek atonement? Jack Abramoff on Lobbying; Marshall Curry on The Earth Liberation Front; The Redemption of General Butt Naked; Jim Fleming essay on a grey world.
-
10 Years in Iraq
Americas war in Iraq from the view of the boots on the ground. 10 Years in Iraq - Donovan Campbell; 10 Years in Iraq - Kayla Williams; 10 Years in Iraq - Kevin Powers; 10 Years in Iraq - Colby Buzzell; 10 Years in Iraq - Brian Turner.
-
Minding Mortality
Are you deadline driven? Are you most productive, most focused as “zero hour” approaches? Well, what about the ultimate end, the true end of the time frame. Deadline, indeed. How does knowing that you’re going to die affect your life? In this hour, we’re minding mortality. At the Hour of Our Death; William Irvine, Stoic for Life; Death, Experienced; How Dying Changes Us; Life in Death, Death in Life; Writing Life and Death.
-
The Short Story
George Saunders on the art of the short story George Saunders on "Tenth of December"; Tom Perrotta on "Best American Short Stories 2012"; Karen Russell on "Vampires in the Lemon Grove".
-
Airports
"I suspect that the airport will be the true city of the next century." -- J.G. Ballard Alain de Botton on "A Week at the Airport"; Greg Lindsay on "Aerotropolis: The Way We'll Live Next"; David Sheppard on Brian Eno's "Music for Airports"; Christopher Schaberg on "The Textual Life of Airports".
-
We Are All Connected
Forget six degrees of separation, its becoming fewer all the time. Lada Adamic on data science at Facebook; Alexander Stille on Revolutionary Poetry in Somalia; Olga Nunes on voice mail; Miguel Paz on Poderopedia; Jason Rohrer on Chain World.
-
Writing Fiction vs Non-Fiction
When you read a piece of nonfiction, you naturally expect that you’re reading the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Right? So how would you feel if you found out that the author of an essay you’re reading was taking certain liberties with the facts to make the piece more captivating? William Gibson on "Distrust That Particular Flavor"; John D'Agata and Jim Fingal on "The Lifespan of a Fact"; Jonathan Lethem on "The Ecstasy of Influence: Nonfictions, etc."; Joan Didion on...
-
After the Romance
a defense of marriage, a commitment to the single life, a guide to keeping the heat in long-term relationships and just a few angry break-up songs. 28 Firsts - Whitney Jones; Passionate Marriage?; Open Up?; Husband & Husband; Smiling Singles?; Break-Up Songs.
-
Crossroads
What we talk about when we talk about immigration. Jose Antonio Vargas on Being Undocumented; Eddie Huang on Fresh Off the Boat; Ron Corn, Jr. on Saving the Menominee Language; The Story of the Arabian Nights; Yotam Ottolenghi on Jerusalem.
-
American Invention
What’s your billion dollar idea? You know, the one that’s going to change the world? America’s the land of invention, right? And it’s that can-do spirit that makes this country great. But America’s no longer the global innovation giant it once was. Where have you gone, Thomas Edison? Nathan Myhrvold on Modernist Cuisine; Darin Gibby on Why America has stopped inventing; Marcus Wohlsen on Biopunks; Anna Dietrich on the flying car; Robert Glasper on his album "Black Radio".
-
Film and Philosophy
Exploring philosophy through the lens of film. "To The Best of Our Knowledge: The Movie" ; Geoff Dyer on "Zona"; J.J. Murphy on Andy Warhol's Films; Kim Evans on "Charlie Kaufman, Screenwriter"; Barry Vacker on "Fight Club".
-
Atheists, Believers & The Secular
Some atheists are denouncing religion, while others still crave a sense of the sacred even though they don’t believe in God. Do atheists have something to learn from religion? Alain de Botton on "Religion for Atheists"; Adam Frank on spiritual atheism; Anne Rice on leaving Catholicism; Diana Butler Bass on "Christianity after Religion"; Charles Taylor on the Secular.
-
Back to the Land, Again
The Back to the Land spirit of the 60s lives on today, in the proliferation of farmer's markets, increased interest in sustainability and growing our own food. This hour, what the Back to the Land spirit looks like today. Melissa Coleman on a Childhood Spent Back to the Land; Jeremy Seifert on Food Waste in America; William Powers on the Art of Living Small; Cheryl Strayed on Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail.
-
Love Lust Longing
in the name of the newly in-love, the long coupled, and the broken hearted, we’re taking a little look at love. Digital Matchmaking - Dan Slater; A Kiss from Outer Space; Something At First Sight; Sex & Search Engines - Ogi Ogas; Redefining Romance - David Jay on Asexuality; Seduce Me - Betsy Prioleau; An Affair to Remember; Love 2.0 - Barbara Frederickson.
-
Precious Ink
When was the last time you wrote or received a real letter? Listeners on their Saved Handwriting; Adam Mansbach on Graffiti Writing; Scott Topper on the Dangers of Writing and Reading; Kitty Burns Florey on the Rise and Fall of Handwriting; Listeners on their Saved Handwriting II; Samara O'Shea on Letter Writing; DT Max on the Letters of David Foster Wallace.
-
The Super Bowl
From chess to war to the fight for Sundays, TTBOOKs all about Football. Just in time for Super Bowl XLVII. SUPER BOWL XLVII - The Billion Dollar Game; SUPER BOWL XLVII - Shaun Alexander; SUPER BOWL XLVII - Football and War; SUPER BOWL XLVII - History of Sunday; SUPER BOWL XLVII - The spirituality of football; SUPER BOWL XLVII - High School Football in Ohio.
-
Stories of You
Who are you? A man? A woman? Are you a success? A parent? An athlete? A wallflower? A Christian? A baker?If we are only a collection of stories about ourselves... whats the truth of who we are? Narrative Identity 101; Forget Your Self; You & Your Brain; Contemplating Our Selves; Stories of Us.
-
A**holes
You know the word, but can you say it? The A-Word. Geoffrey Nunberg on "Ascent of the A-Word"; Terry Gross Gene Simmons Mashup; Aaron James on "Assholes: A Theory"; Doug Gordon on A**holes and Mental Health; Robert Sutton on "The No Asshole Rule".
-
Amazonia
Deep in the Amazon rainforest lives a mysterious tribe known as the Arrow People. Well travel with an explorer whos trying to protect these indigenous people, and meet an anthropologist whose life was transformed by Amazonian shamans and the hallucinogen ayahuasca. Scott Wallace on "The Unconquered"; Jeremy Narby on "The Cosmic Serpent"; Ann Patchett on "State of Wonder"; James Moore on Alfred Russel Wallace.
-
The Making of a President
In his hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, a close up look at Obama as he launches his second term. Michael Lewis on Obama; Lincoln interviews; David Maraniss on Barack Obama; Rebecca Traister - A Female President?; Robert Caro on LBJ.
-
Philip K. Dick
Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesnt go away.-- Philip K. Dick Umberto Rossi on "The Twisted Worlds of Philip K. Dick"; Anne Dick on "The Search for Philip K. Dick"; Jonathan Lethem on Philp K. Dick's Novels; David Gill on Film Versions of Philip K. Dick's Work; Jonathan Lethem on Philip K. Dick's "The Exegesis".
-
Seekers
We’re all seeking something. What are you looking for? Dao Chang - Searching for My Mother; Laura King - Covering Afghanistan; Kevin Sheppard - Basketball in Iran; Winifred Gallagher on "New"; Christopher Stewart on "Jungleland".
-
TMI?
Your smartphones buzzing, your radios blaring, your emails binging, the televisions glaring. Welcome to the digital age.Theres information everywhere but do we know any more than we did twenty years ago?And for all that info... wheres knowledge? David Weinberger on "Too Big to Know"; Steve Paulson on Knowledge; David Siegel on Personal Data Lockers; Aleph Molinari on the Knowledge Divide; David Kobia on Ushahidi; David McCandless on Beautiful Information.
-
Cracking Up
Psychopaths are not always violent. Sometimes we can learn from them. Kevin Dutton on "The Wisdom of Psychopaths"; Susannah Cahalan on "Brain on Fire"; Daniel Smith on "Monkey Mind"; Oliver Sacks on "Hallucinations".
-
The Great American Scoundrel
Are you a knave? Scalawag? A varlet? A rapscallion who put the bon in bon vivant? Are you a scoundrel? Erin McKean on the definition of scoundrel; James Hessler on "Sickles at Gettysburg"; Alan Huffman on Opposition Research; Elizabeth Mahon on Women Scoundrels; Rev. Ivan Stang on The Church of the SubGenius.
-
Begin Again
For the new year, a show about beginning again. Time to Mourn - Ilana Harlow; Putting the Pieces Together - Jonathan Cott; Humour & Healing - Marc Maron; Moving On - Michelle Kennedy; Remix, Renew; Writing Into Life - Christian Wiman.
-
Apocalypse, Now
Apocalyptic fiction and doomsday scenarios from celebrated writers. Justin Taylor on "The Apocalypse Reader"; Kevin Brockmeier on "The Brief History of the Dead"; Brenda Peterson on Rapture Here; Margaret Atwood on "The Year of the Flood"; Jim Crace on "The Pesthouse".
-
Religious Belief, Secular Values
Would true separation of church and state help or hurt religion? Jacques Berlinerblau on "How To Be Secular"; Hanna Pylvainen on "We Sinners"; Robert Bellah on "Religion in Human Evolution"; Yann Martel on "Life of Pi"; Robert Richardson on William James.
-
The Other Money
Have you ever thought about money? Now, of course you have. Talking about money permeates our existence. But what if there wasnt any money? What would you do? David Wolman on "The End of Money"; Madison East Side Babysitting Coop; Paul Glover on Ithaca Hours; David Graeber on "Debt: The First 5,000 Years"; Mark Boyle on “The Money-less Man: A Year of Freeconomic Living.” .
-
Telling the Story
American journalism is in trouble, but theres brilliant storytelling going on. Katherine Boo on "Behind the Beautiful Forevers"; Brendan Bannon on Pictures of Africa; Pir Zubair Shah on Reporting from Pakistan; Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich on Radiolab; Tom Wolfe on "Back to Blood"; Listener Reading List: Best Reporting from 2012.
-
Kicking Off the Coasts
Do you ever get the feeling that everyones reading all the same books and listening to all the same music, and seeing all the same films? Maybe everybodys reading the same reviews from New York and LA. This hour, artists and critics speak out about creating in the fly-over zone. Charles McNair on Literary Criticism; Lesley Kagen Comes Home to Milwaukee; Stephen Thompson on "The Onion" and Regionalism; Michael Perry on Being a Wisconsin Writer; Marilynne Robinson on Being a Writer from the...
-
Higher Consciousness
Suppose neuroscientists map the billions of neural circuits in the human brain....are we any closer to cracking the great existential mysteries - like meaning, purpose or happiness? Scientists and spiritual thinkers are now working together to create a new science of mindfulness. Richard Davidson, The Emotional Life of Your Brain; Monk Matthieu Ricard on Happiness; Justin Barrett on Born Believers; Karen Armstrong on The Spiral Staircase; Christof Koch on Consciousness; Susan Blackmore on...
-
More Wonder!
What is wonder? Can we define it? Foster it? Create it? Space and Wonder - Neil deGrasse Tyson; What's Wonder? - Jonathan Haidt; Cabinets of Wonder - Heather McDougal; Where's Wonder?; Creating Wonder - Janet Cardiff; Your Wonder.
-
Extraordinary Minds
Certain brain disorders can lead to remarkable insights....even genius. Well peer into the world of autistic savants and dyslexics, and contemplate our cyborg future, when our brains merge with tiny, embedded computers. Daniel Tammet, Savant Life; Darold Treffert on Extraordinary Brains; Aubrey Ralph on Schizophrenia; Stanislav Grof on Non-Ordinary Consciousness; Maryanne Wolf on The Reading Brain; Ray Kurzweil on Our Cyborg Future.
-
Networked
Do you believe in social progress and the power of networks to solve problems? Steven Johnson does. And hes coined a new term for himself and others like him -- the peer progressive movement. Well learn all about it as we explore how digital networks are changing our lives.
-
The Creative Brain
Creativity is a little like obscenity: You know it when you see it, but you cant exactly define it....unless youre a neuroscientist. In labs around the country, a new generation of scientists tackles the mystery of human creativity.
-
The 51%
Theres been a spotlight on women this past year. From allegations of a war on women, to the debate about reproductive rights,its hard to tell how far women have come and just where theyre going. So, what does feminism look like today? And do we still need feminism when, according to one journalist, were witnessing the decline of men and the ascendance of women?
-
Wiring the Brain
Scientists are trying to develop a detailed map of the human brain. For some scientists, the goal isnt just to map the brain; its to crack the mystery of consciousness.
-
Surrounded by Sound
In this hour, we find ourselves surrounded by sound. The sounds of nature, cosmic horror, capitalism, and experimental electronics.
-
Medicine and Compassion
Modern medicine can treat disease at a molecularor even atomic level. And todays surgeons can fix things the naked eye cant even see. But theres one thing every patient wants that no technology in the world can provide: compassion. In this hour, doctors talk about the feeling side of their profession.
-
Mind and Brain
Neuroscientists have made remarkable discoveries about the brain, but were not close to cracking the mystery of consciousness. How does a tangle of neurons inside your skull produce...you?
-
Memory and Forgetting
We explore the new science of memory and forgetting, how to build a memory palace, and how to erase a thought.
-
Horror
Our world is increasingly unthinkable. Its a world of tectonic shifts, strange weather and oil-drenched seascapes. So maybe it makes sense to look to the horror genre to help us think about our unthinkable world. Well explore the philosophy of horror. Also, the celebrated film director, John Landis, on movie monsters.
-
Ghost Stories
Happy Halloween! Heres a spooky hour full of ghost stories and tales of the paranormal. Be careful, something here may haunt you.
-
Giving It Away
Its the season of the gift. Join us as we take a look at global gift cultures, gift economies, major philanthropy and community giving.Also, is it easier to give or to receive?
-
City Living
Oh, city living. The crush of people, the crowd of buildings, the empty lots, the garbage-strewn slums.More than half of us will be living urban by 2050. How will we manage?
-
Under Your Skin
Do you have a tattoo? One in five American adults do. It seems there are tattoo parlors everywhere. Whats most popular? Quotes from great works of literature. So it goes.
-
Thinking About Thinking
Daniel Kahneman is a Nobel laureate psychologist. So hes the perfect person to give us a new way of thinking about thinking, which is exactly what he does in his new book, Thinking, Fast and Slow. In this hour, Kahneman tells us about the two systems that drive the way we think.
-
Deep Blue Sea
Even now, the oceans of the world are terra incognita. Weve explored only 5-10 percent of them on a planet mostly comprised of water. We ignore the oceans at our own peril.
-
Writing War Fiction
Sometimes the truth about war isnt a headline in the newspaper or an in-depth report on the radio. Sometimes, it takes fiction to tell the truth. In this hour, this years best new novels about war.
-
What We Believe
We explore one of the worlds most controversial and secretive religions -- Scientology. Also, the Mormon moment has arrived. But how much do we really know about the Mormon faith?
-
How to Fail
Failure is a four letter word in America. Most of us do everything we can to avoid it. But what if weve got the wrong idea about failure - and its all a matter of learning the right way to do it?
-
The New Alone
If theres one sweeping societal change that weve failed to put our finger on, it may be this: more people than ever before in America are living alone. And loving it. And, far from being dysfunctional neurotics - people who live alone are happy, socially involved and solvent. In this hour, the new alone.
-
Making Magic
We explore magic, on and off stage, inside the covers of books, in faraway places and even in science. We learn a magic trick, travel to Indias last magicians colony, and talk with two best selling writers of magical fiction.
-
Writing Nature
Nature writing conjures up images of remote mountains, exotic birds, and the solitary hiker in pristine wilderness. But maybe its time to rethink our notions of what it means to write about nature.
-
Rerun Culture
Tribute albums, reunion tours and mash-ups. If pop cultures all about the new, why is there so much wallowing in our immediate past? Simon Reynolds joins us to talk about his book, Retromania. Is this retromania a death knell for our own originality?
-
Privacy
What kinds of personal information have you posted online recently? Your credit card number? Your mother's maiden name? A photo of yourself drinking a beer? Whatever it is, these details could ruin your career, your marriage, or even your entire future. We'll explore social networks and the death of privacy.
-
The Language of Science Fiction
China Mieville's new novel, "Embassytown," features sentient beings famous for their unique language and a woman who's a living simile. We'll meet China Mieville, as we explore the language of science fiction.
-
But Is It Science?
We explore the edges of science, and hear about the hippie scientists who saved physics, or at least made it fun again, and even got the CIA to pay for their research on ESP. Also, the troubled history of blood transfusions and the birth of forensic medicine.
-
Questioning Democracy
"Whose democracy is it?" Fair question? Or, an unpatriotic one? This hour, we'll wrestle with democracy by questioning it.
-
Living Democracy
Ward Cunningham invented the wiki. But he didnt patent it. Why? Because he believed the internet needed to be more democratic. How do you live your democratic ideals?
-
Cross Talk
There's no English translation for the Dutch word "Gezellig.Are there things that can never be understood, expressed or experienced outside their home culture?We're wandering the unmarked maps of cultural translation!
-
Writing Democracy
Some people put their bodies on the line for democracy. Some pick up weapons. And some put pen to paper.
-
Alan Turing
The driving force behind modern computers, Alan Turing was born a hundred years ago. In this hour, we celebrate his centennial with conversations about his brilliant mind and tragic life. Turing committed suicide at age 41, after being persecuted by British authorities for the crime of homosexuality. But hes with us every time we turn on a computer.
-
Demanding Democracy
Wikileaks' controversial founder Julian Assange. The first Tea Party activist. Cornel West and Tavis Smiley. What do they all have in common? They're Demanding Democracy.
-
Competition for Sport
The thrill of victory the agony of defeat. And the human drama of athletic competition. We love sports. And every 4 years we get the pleasure to watch amateur athletes, at the top of their game, compete in the Olympics. And that got us thinking about competition. Because that's what it's about, right?
-
Information
We live in "the information age," but what does this mean? Well give you a short history of information from talking drums onward. But do we now have too much information? We'll hear how information overload is actually re-wiring our brains.
-
Born to Run
With the emergence of barefoot running, the sport suddenly is red hot again. But barefoot or not, are human bodies really born to run? Well check in on the science or runners high this hour, and try to unlock the secrets of the Kenyans - the fastest people on earth. Also, Olympic runner John Carlos remembers the 68 Olympics and the moment on the podium that sent shockwaves through the world.
-
Memes
What do the opening notes of Beethoven's "Symphony Number Five" and a rabbit named Oolong balancing a pancake on his head have in common? They're both examples of memes units of culture that are imitated and, as a result, copied from one brain to another. Are memes the driving force behind cultural evolution?
-
Marshall McLuhan at 100
"The medium is the message." "We shape our tools and thereafter our tools shape us." McLuhan is one of the most influential media thinkers of all time, yet he's also one of the most misunderstood.
-
Waiting for the Apocalypse
Apocalyptic thinking is everywhere, from predictions about Christian "end times" to the 2012 Mayan prophecy about the end of the world. So what's going on?
-
The Bee Show
Without bees, we could find ourselves facing food shortages and a collapse of the green and flowered world. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, a peek inside the world of bees, from the once-in-a-lifetime mating flight of the queen bee to the California almond agri-business, where most of the bees in North America go to work.
-
My Neighbor
*"Good fences make good neighbors. Robert Frost writes in Mending Wall. Is he right? Maybe homemade chocolate chip cookies or lending a lawnmower are more neighborly. I guess it depends on who your neighbors are.
-
The Voice
The vocoder started out as a security device designed to scramble voices during phone conversations so the enemy couldnt overhear. But it evolved into the robot voice of popular music.
-
Novel Novels
Is Jennifer Egans book, A Visit from the Goon Squad, a novel or is it a series of entangled stories? In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, Egan talks about her Pulitzer Prize-winning book, as we explore novel novels.
-
The Creative Mind
What goes on inside the mind of a painter, or a musician, or a poet? What sparks creativity? In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, new neuroscience takes us inside the creative mind.
-
Theme Parks
Thirteen-year-old Ava Bigtree is having a difficult time. Her mother has just died and business is down at her family's gator-wrestling theme park, Swamplandia! So begins Karen Russell's critically-acclaimed debut novel, "Swamplandia!" We'll meet Russell, as we explore theme parks. Also, getting high at Disney World.
-
Living the Language
If you think the influence of Shakespeare is confined to the page and the stage, think again.
-
The Examined Life
Socrates famously said "the unexamined life is not worth living." But does rigorous self examination actually lead to a happy or fulfilled life?
-
Remembering the Civil War
The Civil War still has a living -- and highly contested -- history... even today.
-
Made in Russia
Siberia is the name for a place we tend to think of as a metaphor as much as a destination on the map. Writer Ian Frazier indulged what he calls his dread Russia love with travels through Siberia...
-
Brainpower
The Turing Test is an annual event in which the most advanced computer programs try to fool a panel of judges into mistaking them for real people. And real people compete to try to win the coveted Most Human Human Award.
-
Other Worlds
Past, present, future, and the imaginary - other worlds are everywhere.
-
Mother Issues
It seems everyone has something to say about motherhood. A lot of people have advice. Others just have... issues.
-
Creative Pairs
The idea of creative collaboration is a relatively new one. But two is the magic number.
-
Pushing the Limits in Film
Some films have transgressed the boundaries of good taste. In this hour of TTBOOK, we discuss pushing the limits in film.
-
Imagination
We're all familiar with "Creative Writing" classes. But have you ever heard of an "Uncreative Writing" course? Students are penalized for showing any kind of originality. Instead, they're rewarded for plagiarism, plundering and stealing. In this hour of TO THE BEST OFOUR KNOWLEDGE, we'll meet the man behind "Uncreative Writing" poet Kenneth Goldsmith. Also, Jonah Lehrer on how creativity works.
-
Gaming
A lot of people love video games, but what can they teach us? Imagine a world in which whatever you want to know you can learn from a game.
-
New Music
Why do people embrace the experimental visual art of Mark Rothko but avoid the experimental music of Karlheinz Stockhausen?
-
Animals and Us
The way we think about animals often defies logic.
-
Philip K. Dick
Nobody blurred the line between life and literature more than legendary science-fiction author, Philip K. Dick. Thirty years after his death, we examine the life and work of the man who's been described as "one of the most valiant psychological explorers of the twentieth century."
-
Re-Thinking Native Culture
Its time to hit the reset button and re-think everything we know about Native American culture.
-
Seeing and Perceiving
Oliver Sacks has an unusual problem. He cant recognize other peoples faces. In this hour of To the Best of Our knowledge, the many ways of seeing the world.
-
Graphic Art Grows Up
It used to be that comics were just for kids. Today, we call them graphic novels, and theyre one of the fastest growing forms of American literature.
-
How to Disappear Completely
Have you ever thought about disappearing... wiping out your old identity and starting fresh with a new name, a new life, a new self?
-
Astrobiology
Imagine the headline that could change the lives of everyone on earth. Bold print, banner type, four words: We Are Not Alone. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, why astronomers believe that one day soon within a decade you'll wake up to that headline. To the news of life, on another planet.
-
ProcrastiNation
The Stoic philosopher Epictetus said that Anything worth putting off is worth abandoning altogether. And, unfortunately, a lot of us have taken his advice to heart.
-
Are Humans Innately Good?
Are humans innately good? Do we have a generosity gene? Is there an inherent desire to help our fellow human beings?
-
In Pain
Imagine living in constant, excruciating pain and choosing prayer over pain medication. In In Pain, one man prays the pain away while others self-inflict pain in a bid to find God. We also hear from a researcher who's been hurt by every stinging insect he could find, all in the name of science, and get a chance to laugh when someone else gets hurt.
-
Singing the Revolution
We sang it during the civil rights movement, on marches, on buses, and in the face of violence. We sang it for workers rights, and to protest the war in Vietnam, on the mall in Washington...
-
The Responsibility of Intellectuals
Back in 1967, Noam Chomsky was furious about what he called the deceit and distortion surrounding the American invasion of Vietnam. And he urged intellectuals to speak the truth and expose lies. So what is the responsibility of intellectuals?
-
Selling Out
Did you trade the ideals of your youth for the comforts of middle-age?Are you a sell out?
-
What's Hot and Why Not?
There are a lot of future predictions at this time of year, but just how good are we at figuring out what the next big thing might be? From music to markets to Twitter we're peering into our cacophonous culture, trying to see what's coming.
-
Sequels and Spin-offs
At the end of Mary Shelleys classic novel, Frankenstein. Victor Frankenstein dies but his creation lives on. What happens to Frankensteins monster is left to the readers imagination. At least it was until Susan Heyboer OKeefe wrote her novel, Frankensteins Monster.
-
Einstein, God, and the Universe
Albert Einstein died more than half a century ago, but theres still a raging debate over what he thought about religion.
-
Family Life Decisions
Everyone knows you can choose your friends, but not your family. Well, maybe that used to be true, but today's families are a lot more flexible about defining themselves.
-
Going Ape
Imagine a relative who organizes orgies with the neighbors, doesnt mind if their partner sleeps around and firmly believes females should be in charge of everything. Actually, those ARE your relatives. Theyre bonobo apes and they share almost 99 percent of your DNA. Makes Aunt Mildred seem... almost normal.
-
Decline of the Middle Class
The American middle class used to be living proof that the American dream was alive and well, providing homes and modest savings to anyone willing to work. It's another story today. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, the decline of the middle class. How rising levels of income inequality shattered middle class dreams. And, how to get them back.
-
Paranormal Pop Culture
In 1974, the legendary science-fiction author, Philip K. Dick, had a series of religious and visionary experiences. In this hour well explore how he spent the rest of his life trying to come to terms with them.
-
After the Violence
Child rape at Penn State. A murderous rampage in Norway. A new civil war in Sudan. Ruthless drug cartels. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Hate Crimes. Murder. Genocide. What is wrong with us? Are we really that bad?
-
Kids Lit
What happens when a Little League game turns into an epic battle to save the world from an evil, shape-shifting Coyote, and the fate of the Universe hangs on an 11-year-old boy? In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, kids books for adults.
-
The Uses of Enchantment
Just because weve all grown up and arent supposed to believe in fairy tales and magic doesnt mean we dont still need them.
-
Why Do We Love Sad Songs?
Are you a sucker for a sad song? "Greensleeves." "Yesterday" by the Beatles. For some reason, we love a melancholy tune. But why?
-
Writing Nature
Nature writing conjures up images of remote mountains, exotic birds, and the solitary hiker in pristine wilderness. But maybe it's time to rethink our notions of what it means to write about nature.
-
Red Tooth, Red Claw
Nature, red in tooth and claw. That line from Tennysons poem still strikes a chord when we contemplate the natural world.
-
Transforming Traditions
Old religions in a new East. Across South Asia, ancient religious traditions are transforming in response to the region's growing economic power, shifting political landscape, and globalized culture.
-
You Are What You Read
Concerned that your family never spends time together as a family? Sure, everyone is connected by technology. But are you connected to each other?
-
TTBOOK: The Universe
Leonard Mlodinow says that you can explain the existence of everything without requiring God. Charles Yu is the author of a critically acclaimed new novel, "How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe. " James Kakalios explains that without quantum physics, we wouldn't have iPods or CD players or laptops. John Polkinghorne is a physicist, priest and the author of many books on the subject of bridging the gap between science and religion. Michio Kaku explores levels of impossibility...
-
TTBOOK: Upcycling
Annie Leonard explains what happens to most of the plastic bottles consumers carefully wash out and recycle. Tom Szaky is the founder and CEO of a company that turns candy wrappers and juice bottles into pencil cases and backpacks. Mark Frauenfelder describes some of his DIY projects - from vegetables to cigar box guitars. David Sterritt introduced the work of beatnik filmmaker Bruce Conner, the father of the music video and creator of a style of video montage
-
TTBOOK: But is it Science?
Deborah Blum introduces us to two New Yorkers who invented the science of forensic medicine in the 1920's. David Kaiser relates the story of a few maverick physicists who revived quantum physics by connecting it to Eastern mysticism. Holly Tucker says that in the 17th Century, the first blood transfusions led to outrage among the leading doctors in France. Steve Volk wondered why most scientists don't want to talk about the paranormal.
-
TTBOOK: Rerun Culture
Simon Pegg is an unabashed Star Wars junkie and credits the movie with firing up his imagination and his career. Ernest Cline can't get the 80s out of his head, so he's written a novel built around the time. Susan J. Matt says that homesickness has been around for centuries. Simon Reynolds argues that we've reached a tipping point for artistic nostalgia.
-
TTBOOK: Cultural Commons
Lewis Hyde is skeptical of the entertainment industry's insistence that intellectual property is just like physical property. Aram Sinnreich explains what he means by configurable culture. Steven Johnson uses the coral reef as a metaphor for a creative environment. Ricardo Pitts-Wiley focuses on the contemporary re-staging of Melville's classic novel "Moby Dick."
-
TTBOOK: The Language of Science Fiction
China Mieville says that he came up with the original idea for the novel "Embassytown" when he was 11-years old. Samuel R. Delany has been described as "American science fiction's most consistently brilliant and inventive writer." Seo-Young Chu considers science fiction to be a kind of "high-intensity realism." Amiri Baraka wrote the foreword to the book, "This Planet Is Doomed: The Science Fiction Poetry of Sun Ra," about the composer known for his eclectic music and crazy costumes.
-
TTBOOK: Mysteries of Childhood
Anthony Horowitz has written dozens of books for children, including the teen superspy series featuring Alex Rider. Ellen Handler Spitz is the author of many books on psychology and aesthetics, including "The Brightening Glance: Imagination and Childhood." Michael Chabon tackles his own childhood and explains how his past still influences his writing. Julia Mickenberg discovered that some of the best known children's book writers were longtime political radicals.
-
TTBOOK: Integration Stories
Michele Norris is the co-host of NPR's All Things Considered and the author of a memoir. Isabel Wilkerson chronicles the epic struggle for freedom of the six million people who migrated North from the southern states. Toni Morrison says racial integration had the unintended effect of magnifying class differences among African Americans. The Bid Whist Ladies have been meeting once a week to play cards for over 25 years. Thomas Chatterton Williams grew up listening to hip hop, but when he went...
-
TTBOOK: My Musical Life
Rosanne Cash talks about her literary effort, a memoir called "Composed." Diederick Van Eck created a CD called "Van Gogh by Van Eck: A Musical Journey in the Heart and Soul of Vincent Van Gogh." Gerald Casale is back with the return of Devo. Rob Sheffield had a fascination with Duran Duran
-
TTBOOK: Inside the Mind of a Human Bomb
Russell Razzaque was in medical school when he was recruited by an extremist Islamic group. James Jones found that a jihadist suicide bomber might have a lot in common with a Christian fundamentalist. Charles Kurzman thinks that the important thing about Muslim terrorism is that there's so little of it. Scott Atran asks if someone wants to kill you, perhaps the first thing you want to do is find out why. Feriha Peracha leads an experimental school aimed at reclaiming boys in Pakistan from...
-
TTBOOK: Telling the Difficult Story
Jessica Stern is one of the world's foremost experts on terrorism. Rahna Riko Rizzuto was unclear how to elicit the stories of Hiroshima survivors. Ingrid Betancourt was abducted by Marxist rebels and struggled to keep her soul alive. David Isay is the founder and president of StoryCorps which records first person narratives by Americans from all backgrounds.
-
TTBOOK: Information
James Gleick has found that at various times in history, information has changed the nature of human consciousness. Nicholas Carr believes the glut of information is rewiring our brains. Ann Blair says complaints about an information glut have been a constant for two thousand years. Paul Davies explains theories that claim that the universe works like a cosmic computer, and that information is the basic building block of it all.
-
Can Science Be Sacred?
Diana Beresford-Kroeger believes that the lives of trees and human beings are inter-related all the way down to the molecular level. Arthur Zajonc says that Einstein's idea of god is common to many top scientists. We also hear from orangutan researcher Birute Galdikas. David Abram talks about his beliefs and recounts a remarkable story about a shaman who could turn himself into a raven.
-
TTBOOK: The Bee Show
Jon Betz and Taggert Siegel have produced a documentary about the crisis called colony collapse disorder. Erin Clune talks to urban beekeeper Bob Falk. Catherine Jagoe reads her poem about bees. Pattiann Rogers gathered up a handful of her favorite poems dedicated to bees. Hugh Raffles discusses the language of bees. Justin Schmidt is the creator of the Schmidt Pain Index, used to measure the pain of an insect sting.
-
Can Islam and Science Coexist?
Taner Edis says the state of science is dismal in the Muslim world today. Ziauddin Sardar thinks what's needed now is "an Islamic science" and explains what that is. Nidhal Guessoum agrees that contemporary science in the Arab word is abysmal, but he looks back with great pride at the Golden Age of Islam. Anousheh Ansari became the first Muslim woman to venture into space when she traveled aboard the International Space Station. Harun Yahya is Islam's leading creationist, who runs a...
-
Theme Parks
Scott Lukas explores the evolution of the theme park, starting with its early roots in the pleasure gardens of the 19th century. John Jeremiah Sullivan recounts his experiences on vacation at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Karen Russell sat down to talks about her novel Swamplandia! Nicholson Baker thinks if Hugh Hefner had been more like Walt Disney, maybe he would have created The House of Holes, a sexual theme park.
-
Does The Soul Still Matter?
Keith Ward, a prominent theologian and philosopher at Oxford University and the University of London, talks about the soul. Michael Graziano says that our ideas about spirits and the soul can be entirely explained by new insights from brain science. Stephen Asma, a Columbia College philosopher tells what his colleagues make of the soul these days. Elna Baker tells a story about the soul. Parker Palmer tells why the soul still matters in an age of science. Nancey Murphy thinks Christians...
-
The Creative Mind
Charles Limb is a surgeon and a musician who researches the way musical creativity works in the brain. Harvard psychologist Shelley Carson's research suggests that everyone come with the same capacity to create. Poet Molly Peacock tells how Mary Delaney picked up a pair of scissors and began her life's work: 985 botanically-correct floral collages. Brian Swimme and Mary Evelyn Tucker think the universe itself is creative.
-
What Does Evolution Want?
Simon Conway Morris says that humans, or something like them, were the inevitable outcome of the appearance of life on earth. Robert Richards believes that Charles Darwin himself believed evolution marches inevitably toward greater complexity. Ruth Padel is an acclaimed British poet and a direct descendent of Charles Darwin. John Haught talks about his theology of evolution. John Hawks says human beings have evolved since their cave man days, and how the process is continuing.
-
Waiting for the Apocalypse
Elaine Pages talks about the book of Revelation. Shannon O'Malley has begun preparing for the apocalypse by baking. David Stuart says that Maya were great astronomers and devisers of calendars, which most decidedly do not end in 2012. Brian Greene has plenty to say on the end of time. Ron Rosenbaum says the biggest worry is the one we don't want to even think about the likelihood of nuclear war. Slavoy Zizek has been called "the world's hippest philosopher."
-
What is life?
James Watson and Harold Varmus comment on the writings of Nobel Prize winning physicist Edwin Schrodinger. Ken Miller is co-author of the most widely used biology textbook in American high schools. Craig Venter has come as close as anyone has to creating life in a test tube. Nita Sahai talks about how life might have begun on Earth. James Lovelock tells where the Gaia theory came from and how it's evolved. Kevin Kelly says the sum total of our technology - what he calls "the technicum" - is...
-
Trickster
Lewis Hyde talks about the meaning of the word "trickster." Eileen Kane revisits her experience as a young, newly married, trainee anthropologist studying the Paiute Indians of Nevada. Robert Marshall says Carlos Castaneda was a literary trickster who invented most of the teachings of Don Juan which made him famous in the sixties. Erica Rowell discusses the films of Joel and Ethan Coen.
-
The Soundtrack to War and Peace
A young man named Black Nature of the Sierra Leone Refugee All-Stars tells how the group formed while fleeing from the brutality and bloodshed of their country's civil war. Dwight Reynolds tells about the history of religious tolerance in Al-Andalus and how it was reflected in the music of Moorish Spain. Angelique Kidjo is "Africa's Diva" and its- most celebrated female musician. Beverly Lapp explains what "The Star Spangled Banner" means to her as a Mennonite.
-
"Marshall McLuhan at 100"
Paul Levinson met McLuhan when, as a PhD student at NYU in the 1970s, he wrote a preface for McLuhan's article "The Laws of the Media." Robert Logan taught a course called "The Poetry of Physics" at the University of Toronto and through it met McLuhan. Douglas Coupland, famous for giving the name of his novel "Generation X" to a part of history, has other parallels with Marshall McLuhan.
-
TTBOOK "Superheroes"
James Kakalios says that often fantasy writers strive to be scientific if you grant them one impossible feat. Jim Lee describes the reasons for his drawings updating Wonder Woman. Aimee Mullins has prosthetic legs and tells why she sees herself as having superpowers, rather than being "disabled." Naif Al-Mutawa says that his Islamic superheroes are a response to President Obama's Cairo speech, and that they may soon engage with the traditional Western superheroes.
-
TTBOOK "On Running"
Christopher McDougall talks about the Tarahumara tribe of Mexico; a people who grow up running barefoot and live very long lives happily running into advanced old age. Gretchen Reynolds discusses the theories concerning running and the body which modern exercise physiology is exposing as purely myths. Jason Robillard describes the technique of barefoot running and why he's a fan. Haruki Murakami is a critically acclaimed author and dedicated runner.
-
TTBOOK "Writers on Writing"
Joan Wylie Hall talks about the Library of America's new volume of Shirley Jackson material and "Newsweek" critic Malcolm Jones' negative reaction to it. Blake Bailey discusses Richard Yates and his work. Chris Bachelder uses, in his novel, as its central character early 20th century novelist Upton Sinclair. Jonathan Lethem calls Phillip K. dick "science fictions Lenny Bruce".
-
TTBOOK "Here There Be Monsters"
Lynda Barry reminisces about her favorite monsters. Justin Cronin gives us an engrossingly horrific account of a post-apocalyptic America. Stephen Asma talks about our worst fears. Joshua Blu Buhs tells us he doesn't really think big foot exists. Richard Holmes believes Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" came directly out of the scientific climate of the time.
-
TTBOOK "Three Presidents and a Queen"
Stacy Schiff says the real Cleopatra was a brilliant woman who spoke nine languages and controlled an empire that made Rome look like a backwater. Ron Chernow maintains that the George Washington handed down through the ages is a wooden icon, washed clean of his passions and insecurities. Edmund Morris believes that Theodore Roosevelt was a mass of contradictions. Pulitzer Prize winning author Joseph Ellis suggests that women have shaped the job of President and the men in that office from...
-
TTBOOK "Living the Language"
Stephen Marche says Shakespeare changed everything. Arthur Phillips has dared to write ? a play by Shakespeare. David Orr believes modern poetry should be read by everyone. Oscar Hijuelos was the first Latino to win a Pulitzer Prize for fiction
-
TTBOOK "It's A Wonderful Afterlife"
Neuroscientist David Eagleman tells about some of the different things he has imagined might happen to us after we die. Journalist Lisa Miller tells about the common denominators the three Abrahamic religions have about the concept of heaven. Literary scholar John Casey is also a philosopher with an interest in heaven. Carlos Eire tells how he started to worry about death as a child, growing up in Cuba during an era of public executions.
-
TTBOOK "Poetry Out Loud"
Amber Rose Johnson is the 16-year-old winner of the national Poetry Out Loud competition sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts. Singer Natalie Merchant rediscovered poetry in the company of her young daughter. For Rae Armantrout there is one thing that all poetry should be - read out loud. Bobby McFerrin has devoted himself to a project called "Vocabularies," which is now out as an album.
-
TTBOOK "Finding Home"
Glenn Albrecht coined the term "solastalgia," his way of describing the combination of grief and longing people feel when a place they love has been damaged. Scott Russell Sanders says best way to fight the homogenization of America is to reclaim its particularity. Novella Carpenter talks about urban farming in Oakland California. Adam Nicolson grew up in Sissinghurst Castle, one of the most beautiful places in England.
-
TTBOOK "Anxiety"
Patricia Pearson tells why she thinks Americans are so anxious. Ethan Watters argues that American versions of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and eating disorders are spreading around the world. Tufts Medical School psychiatrist Daniel Carlat believes psychiatry is in crisis. Brian Kane teaches Music Theory at Yale, and is fascinated by the role that sound plays in Franz Kafka's fiction.
-
TTBOOK "Anxiety"
Patricia Pearson tells why she thinks Americans are so anxious. Ethan Watters argues that American versions of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and eating disorders are spreading around the world. Tufts Medical School psychiatrist Daniel Carlat believes psychiatry is in crisis. Brian Kane teaches Music Theory at Yale, and is fascinated by the role that sound plays in Franz Kafka's fiction.
-
TTBOOK "Finding Home"
Glenn Albrecht coined the term "solastalgia," his way of describing the combination of grief and longing people feel when a place they love has been damaged. Scott Russell Sanders says best way to fight the homogenization of America is to reclaim its particularity. Novella Carpenter talks about urban farming in Oakland California. Adam Nicolson grew up in Sissinghurst Castle, one of the most beautiful places in England.
-
TTBOOK 110612B "Losing Religion"
Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a Somali-born woman who later settled in the Netherlands and was elected to the Dutch Parliament. Philip Pullman is one of England's most famous atheists. Phil Zuckerman spent a year in Scandinavia and found that most Danes and Swedes he spoke with are happy to get along without religion. Rhoda Janzen talks about returning to the Mennonite culture. Tony Dushane remembers his childhood as a Jehovah's Witness.
-
TTBOOK 110612A "Novel Novels"
Jennifer Egan tells all about her polyphonic narrative. Steven Moore says there is a rich history of experimental fiction. Christopher Miller talks about his novel, which takes the form of liner notes for a box set by a fictional musician. Jeff Bursey presents his novel in the form of the "Hansard," (sort of the Canadian equivalent of the Congressional Record.)
-
TTBOOK "Dancing about Architecture: Arts Criticism"
Anthony DeCurtis and Augusta Palmer talk about music critic and musician Robert Palmer's work. Geeta Dayal muses about Brian Eno's 1975 album "Another Green World." John Mendelssohn was a member of the band Christopher Milk and he has a new album called "Sorry We're Open".
-
TTBOOK "Psychedelics"
Roland Griffiths discusses his research on psilocybin, a classic hallucinogen commonly known as magic mushrooms. Stefanie Syman explores how to achieve a mystical experience without drugs. Terrence McKenna, a philosopher and ethnobotanist set out with his brother Dennis to travel the Amazon in search of drug-induced visionary experiences. Charles Grob talks about an experimental study designed to see if taking psilocybin could help with the fear and panic about dying.
-
TTBOOK Scandinavian Death Trip
New York Times writer Charles McGrath recently went to Stockholm to track down the back story of author Stieg Larsson. Author Henning Mankell discusses the recurring character Kurt Wallander from his popular detective novels. Karin Fossum has earned the sobriquet "The Queen of Norwegian Crime" with a series of internationally best-selling stories of psychological suspense feature detective Konrad Sejer. Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn's talks about his film, called "Valhalla Rising",...
-
TTBOOK "The Examined Life"
James Miller discusses whether the wisdom of Philosophers helped in their own lives. Micah Toub examines his life growing up living with a mother and father who were Jungian therapists. Commentator Aubrey Ralph is bipolar, and says he has been living in a storm for most of his life. David Eagleman believes that most of the real action in the brain is happening below the level of the conscious mind. Sarah Bakewell French talks about philosopher and essayist Montaigne and how revolutionary a...
-
TTBOOK "The Examined Life"
James Miller discusses whether the wisdom of Philosophers helped in their own lives. Micah Toub examines his life growing up living with a mother and father who were Jungian therapists. Commentator Aubrey Ralph is bipolar, and says he has been living in a storm for most of his life. David Eagleman believes that most of the real action in the brain is happening below the level of the conscious mind. Sarah Bakewell French talks about philosopher and essayist Montaigne and how revolutionary a...
-
TTBOOK "Saying the World "
Blogger Ben Schott's job for the New York Times is to troll the internet for new and noteworthy words. Richard Fairmont recently produced a set of CDs for the BBC that include rare recordings of the prominent writers. Robert McCrum tells how English became Globish. Jack Bowen points out that restricting yourself to the eight or nine words of a bumper sticker can be far more complex than you would expect.
-
TTBOOK "Right Turn"
Keli Carender is a Seattle area blogger considered by many to be the very first Tea Party activist. Jill Lepore does a reality check on Tea Party claims to the founding fathers. Julian Zelizer tells us why Ronald Reagan is still relevant today. David Sirota says war of ideas between red and blue America was won in the 1980's.
-
TTBOOK Sacred Nature
Bill McKibben lays out a model of how to survive on our changed planet. Kurt Hoelting discusses spending a year living within 60 miles of his home. Gordon Hempton talks about how silence is disappearing in our world. Brenda Peterson's memoir reveals her life growing up in a wilderness cabin. Bron Taylor says we're witnessing the birth of a new "dark green religion."
-
TTBOOK The Voice
Music journalist Dave Tompkins has written about the long and colorful history of the vocoder. Susan Philipsz talks about her audio art. Singer/songwriter Ben Folds describes his fascination with the human voice. Dick Cavett reviews his career as an interviewer.
-
TTBOOK: Remembering the Civil War
Drew Gilpin Faust explores one of the most sobering aspects of the Civil War ? its colossal death toll. David Blight says both sides played a role in whitewashing the history of the Civil War. Steve Paulson asked many historians and writers about John Brown's role in Civil War history. Victoria Bynum relates the story of three communities in the South that waged what she calls "inner civil wars.
-
TTBOOK: Protest 2.0
Clay Shirky considers how social media can allow someone in say, Tunis to overthrow their government. Gregg Housch acts as spokesperson for the Anonymous movement, the hackers who brought down the sites of Master Card, Paypal and Visa after they shut off donations to Wikileaks. Christie Taylor, one of the sleep-in activists at the WI State Capitol kept a diary of her experiences. Ivan Sigal describes Global Voices, a group that came into being in response to the so-called Arab Spring. Romesh...
-
TTBOOK: Extreme Healing
Paul Ewald has been trying to convince people that cancer is caused by germs, not genes. Rupert Isaacson made a trip to Mongolia with his family to seek out shamans in horse-centered cultures to treat his autistic son. Cheeni Rao had a vision of the Hindu monkey god, Hanuman and it saved him from addiction. Rebecca Skloot has tracked down the story of the HeLa cells.
-
TTBOOK: Other Worlds
Patrick Rothfuss talks about the creation of the world his characters inhabit in his best-selling fantasy novels. In Connie Willis' world historians can actually go to the past to study. Jeff Greenfield considers how little it would have taken to make our world an entirely different place. Brian Greene makes the case that our world is one among many.
-
TTBOOK: Stay Positive
Suzan Colon remembers her grandparents struggle to keep their bodies going when times were tough and money was tight. Wendy Burden wrote a memoir of her childhood among wealthy but highly dysfunctional remnants of the Vanderbilt fortune. Michael Gates Gill suggests listening to other people's stories, letting go of fear and being grateful for the gifts your parents gave you. Barbara Ehrenreich thinks our focus on Positivity turns into a kind of victim blaming. Salman Ahmad is a Pakistani...
-
TTBOOK: Portrait of the Artist
David Shields makes a case for spontaneity and artistic risk. Ian McEwan wrote a comic tale about a Nobel Prize winning egotist physicist and climate change. Harriet Reisen says Louisa May Alcott loved to anonymously write racy thrillers and organize women's political activity. Patti Smith reminisces about her early days in New York, her success as a rock star and a poet, and her relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.
-
TTBOOK: Writers on Writing
Nicholson Baker wrote a novel about a writer who longs to be a poet. Daniyal Mueenuddin divides his time between the United States and Pakistan, and was a finalist for the 2009 National Book Award. Rocker and writer Nick Cave disputes the conventional wisdom that performers can't get any new, creative work done while they're on the road. Keith Miller reads from an essay about the library he knew as a child in Africa. Jane Hamilton's inspiration for her satire came when she was teaching a...
-
TTBOOK: Made in Russia
Peter Pomerantsev moved to Moscow to develop a Russian version of the west's popular reality shows. Jennifer Homans describes what's so great about Russia's contribution to the art of Ballet. Siberia is enormous, but Ian Frazier has crossed it all. Jim Hoberman is the senior film critic for the Village Voice and writes about cold war films.
-
TTBOOK: Polar Stories
Charles Emmerson talks about the future prospects for the Arctic. Richard Ellis describes how the melting of the Polar Ice cap in the Arctic is destroying the habitat for polar bears and the seals they eat. Douglas Quin has recorded an album of underwater field recordings from the Polar regions of the earth. Lucy Jane Bledsoe has made three trips to Antarctica as part of the National Science Foundation's Artists and Writers in Antarctica Program. Bill Streever is someone who loves the cold.
-
TTBOOK: Brainpower
Brian Christian relates his experiences in one of the most famous philosophical experiments ? the Turing Test. Sherry Turkle is fascinated by our interactions with machines, and talks about what she calls the mashup of online and offline lives. Michael Chorost thinks his cochlear implants make him a living example of man/machine integration. Neuroscientist Miguel Nikolelis talks about the possibility of upgrading our brains with computer chips.
-
TTBOOK: When We Meet
Moustafa Bayoumi speaks about how 9/11 caused him to feel like an outsider in his own country. Dilshad Ali talks about reading the Christian-influenced Narnia tales to her children. Alaa Al Aswany is one of the top-selling novelists in the Arab world, but his work as a dentist keeps him in touch with his people. Michael Muhammed Knight explains how an Irish Catholic kid became an observant Muslim at age 16 and invented a Muslim punk movement. Kurt Westergaard is the Danish cartoonist who...
-
TTBOOK: Memory, Mind and The Self
Joshua Foer explains that the trick to remembering things is to tell yourself an unforgettable story. Jill Price can remember every day of her life since the age of fourteen. Antonio Damasio has written several popular books about the science of memory and self. Vijay Iyer is trying to create a new kind of music, a synthesis of Western jazz and Indian music that melds science with art. Lone Frank says many people are hoping neuro-marketing will lead to huge profits. David Brooks found that...
-
TTBOOK: Memory, Mind and The Self
Joshua Foer explains that the trick to remembering things is to tell yourself an unforgettable story. Jill Price can remember every day of her life since the age of fourteen. Antonio Damasio has written several popular books about the science of memory and self. Vijay Iyer is trying to create a new kind of music, a synthesis of Western jazz and Indian music that melds science with art. Lone Frank says many people are hoping neuro-marketing will lead to huge profits. David Brooks found that...
-
TTBOOK: Memory, Mind and The Self
Joshua Foer explains that the trick to remembering things is to tell yourself an unforgettable story. Jill Price can remember every day of her life since the age of fourteen. Antonio Damasio has written several popular books about the science of memory and self. Vijay Iyer is trying to create a new kind of music, a synthesis of Western jazz and Indian music that melds science with art. Lone Frank says many people are hoping neuro-marketing will lead to huge profits. David Brooks found that...
-
TTBOOK: Memory, Mind and The Self
Joshua Foer explains that the trick to remembering things is to tell yourself an unforgettable story. Jill Price can remember every day of her life since the age of fourteen. Antonio Damasio has written several popular books about the science of memory and self. Vijay Iyer is trying to create a new kind of music, a synthesis of Western jazz and Indian music that melds science with art. Lone Frank says many people are hoping neuro-marketing will lead to huge profits. David Brooks found that...
-
TTBOOK: Memory, Mind and The Self
Joshua Foer explains that the trick to remembering things is to tell yourself an unforgettable story. Jill Price can remember every day of her life since the age of fourteen. Antonio Damasio has written several popular books about the science of memory and self. Vijay Iyer is trying to create a new kind of music, a synthesis of Western jazz and Indian music that melds science with art. Lone Frank says many people are hoping neuro-marketing will lead to huge profits. David Brooks found that...
-
TTBOOK: Creative Pairs
Joshua Wolf Shenk has written a detailed analysis of the working relationship between the prolific and influential songwriting duo, John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Lan Samantha Chang's novel follows the lives of students and one particular professor in a creative writing program in the Midwest. Joelle Biele describes what happened to Elizabeth Bishop's poems when they were submitted to "The New Yorker." Ben Folds joined forces with Nick Hornby and collaborated on an album called "Lonely...
-
TTBOOK: Mother Issues
Jeannette Walls recounts her lifelong struggle to overcome her dysfunctional and highly unusual childhood. Linda Gray Sexton's struggle was to avoid repeating her mother's tragic mistakes. Margaret Jacobs looks at early 20th century policies in both the U.S. and Australia that removed indigenous children from their homes. Erin Clune says that for regular moms like her, it's a struggle just to stay on top of the latest self-help trend. Ayelet Waldman describes "the perils and joys of trying...
-
TTBOOK: Pushing the Limits in Film
John Waters has been pushing limits for years; his new project is not a film at all, but a book about his "Role Models." Dan Davies wrote the film and plays the title role in "Ed Gein: The Musical." Ben Steinbauer tracked down his hero, Jack Rebney, YouTube sensation "The Winnebago Man." Tasha Robinson says 2010 was the year of the documentary that wasn't. Michael Keorbel and Anna Elizabeth James shot "Goldilocks" entirely on an iPhone 4 and distributed via an app.
-
TTBOOK: Question Austerity
Mark Blyth says austerity budgets are all the rage, but austerity's appeal is superficial. Steven Malanga asks why both parties are balancing their state budgets by making public sector employees pay more. Louis Hyman thinks that income inequality is the driving force behind the change in America's economic structure. Diane Ravitch feels there's a political agenda behind all the recent school cuts. David Brooks argues the old styles of education need to change.
-
TTBOOK: Inside Information
Shane Harris explains that our government is collecting masses of data on ordinary people in its efforts to catch terrorists. Cory Doctorow tells us why kids should know how to take their hardware apart to re-purpose it. Marilyn Johnson says librarians are emerging as heroes of the digital age. Robert Laughlin thinks the internet is full of information, but it may not be anything you want.
Recommended Shows
PROGRAM INFORMATION
- Madison, WI
- Interviews, Magazine, Interviews, Public Radio
- Wisconsin Public Radio, PRI
- English
-
Visit the station website
Email the show
Update show info
