Rob Dunn, professor of applied ecology at North Carolina State University joins us to talk about why we prefer cooked food, the various ways we taste, and how our pursuit of a good meal might’ve led to starting the first fire.
Read moreA 50-Year Look At American Immigration
Sarah R. Coleman, assistant professor of history at Texas State University, joins us to work through near-term policy options and to talk about ideas for improving the conditions in the countries migrants are fleeing.
Read moreThe Brilliant Women Walt Disney Drew From
Nathalia Holt joins us to talk about Disney’s Golden Age and the women who fought gender discrimination behind the scenes.
Read moreBulk And Beauty: The Evolution Of Women Bodybuilders
Petra Browne joins us to talk about her own journey into the world of competitive bodybuilding, why exceptional power must come with weight loss, and how traditional female roles still reign supreme in a boundary-breaking sport.
Read moreWhy Scientists Experiment With Demons (Yes, Really)
Jimena Canales of the University of Illinois joins us to talk about the scientific thought process of some of the world’s most brilliant minds, a wild journey into imagination, fear, and theory to make the impossible, possible.
Read moreHistory’s Real-Life Fashion Police
Stanford Law professor Richard Thompson Ford joins us to talk about a long and fascinating list of rules about who could dress in which ways and why, and how they were often used as a cudgel to keep people from rising above their station.
Read moreUnfriendly Skies: The Lives Of Flight Attendants
Journalist Darryl Campbell joins us to talk about the modern airline industry and how angry passengers and harsh working conditions are undermining efforts to protect the health and safety of both customers and staff.
Read moreWhat The World Demands Of Deaf People
Jaipreet Virdi, assistant history professor at the University of Delaware, joins us to talk about her research into medicine’s long legacy of promised hearing cures and why science has yet to achieve a universal solution.
Read moreThe Female Abolitionists Of San Francisco’s Chinatown
Julia Flynn Siler joins guest host John McCaa to tell the story of a group of female abolitionists who dedicated their lives to rescuing slaves in San Francisco.
Read moreWhat It Was Like To Be Mr. Rogers’ Friend
Tom Junod joins us to talk about an interview that turned into an unlikely, lifelong friendship with a quiet man who possessed a special power to deeply empathize with children and adults alike.
Read moreInventing The Wheel (The First Time)
Science writer Cody Cassidy joins us to tell the stories of people who changed how we live in ways big and small.
Read moreModern Man Vs Cave Man: Why We Might Be Losing That Battle
Christopher Ryan joins us to talk about how our ancestors might not have enjoyed some of the perks of the 21st Century, but they also didn’t have some of the worries that we do today.
Read more