Brian D. Earp joins us to argue that drugs that can help strengthen – and sever – relationships are out there now, and it’s time to understand the ethics and morals behind their use.
Read more
History’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 more
A Mom, A Daughter And The Ocean In-Between
Author Elizabeth Miki Brina joins host us to talk about her efforts to reframe her life’s experiences through her mother’s eyes, and her attempts to understand the pain and loneliness of what it was like for her to leave her homeland behind.
Read more
Unfriendly 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 more
Ida B. Wells Is As Relevant As Ever
Michelle Duster is a great-granddaughter of Wells, and she joins us to talk about the Civil Rights icon’s strategies for giving a voice to the voiceless and how they might be used in present-day America.
Read more
Why The Nice People You Barely Know Are Important
Amanda Mull joins us to talk about how we’ve traditionally undervalued these acquaintances and how the loss of these occasional interactions has caused our lives to shrink.
Read more
Extra! Extra! Read All About It! (On Nextdoor)
Will Oremus joins us to talk about how as local newspapers die out, the social media site Nextdoor is filling that need.
Read more
How Ancient Cities Created The Modern World
Author Ben Wilson joins us to talk about the innovations of ancient cities, which connect the Sumerian city of Uruk to the world’s urban mega-centers of today.
Read more
From Black Pain, Black Heroism
Jerald Walker, professor of creative writing at Emerson College, joins us to talk about his book of bracing – and often funny – essays.
Read more
Inside NASA’s Mission To Diversify Its Ranks
Jay Bennett, science editor at National Geographic, joins us to talk about how NASA is pinning its future on a diverse collection of scientists and future astronauts.
Read more
How Pocahontas Kept The Peace
Karen Ordahl Kupperman, Silver Professor of History Emerita at New York University, joins us to talk about how Pocahontas collaborated with a trio of English boys to keep communication flowing between the colonists and their Indian neighbors.
Read more
How A Murderer Got Out To Kill Again
Robert Riggs joins us to talk about the flaws in the parole system that allowed a murderer to walk free several times over.
Read more