What It Was Like To Be Mr. Rogers’ Friend

November 22, 2019 Culture, Education, Race/Identity

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.

When A White Supremacist Attended Shabbat

November 12, 2019 Culture, Education, Politics, Race/Identity

Derek Black and Matthew Stevenson join us to talk about the time Matthew invited Derek to attend a Shabbat dinner – and how that interaction paved the way to a new understanding.

Thomas Jefferson’s Utopian Vision and the Violent Reality

October 28, 2019 Education, History, Politics

Alan Taylor, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, joins us to talk about how a school founded, in part, to end slavery ultimately preserved it.

The Education Of A University Chancellor

September 27, 2019 Economics, Education

University of Texas System Chancellor J.B. Milliken and Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp join us to talk about issues facing higher education.

Anything You Ever Wanted To Know About Death

September 24, 2019 Education, Health, Science and Technology

Mortician Caitlin Doughty joins us to tackle the interesting and icky questions posed by children about a still-taboo subject.

What Does The SAT Really Measure?

September 23, 2019 Economics, Education, Race/Identity

Journalist Paul Tough joins us to talk about the hurdles low-income students face to attend college.

The Struggles Of Low-Income College Students Go Beyond Tuition

September 19, 2019 Culture, Economics, Education, Race/Identity

Harvard education professor Anthony Jack joins us to talk about students who are book smart but don’t have the social skills or class knowledge to succeed on campus

Do Colleges Really Need Safe Spaces?

September 18, 2019 Culture, Current Events, Education, Language, Politics, Race/Identity

Michael S. Roth, president of Wesleyan University, joins us to talk about his approach to civil discourse and toning down heated rhetoric to get to the heart of important issues

Puerto Rico is Not Free

September 13, 2019 Culture, Current Events, Education, Global Issues

Ed Morales, lecturer Columbia University’s Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race, joins us to talk about the difficult past and uncertain future of Puerto Rico.

Students Aren’t Failing – Colleges Are

August 26, 2019 Culture, Education, Politics

University of California, Berkeley professor David Kirp joins us to talk about the source of the economic hardship for students attending college.

Don’t Force Your Kid to Be a Prodigy

June 4, 2019 Culture, Education

David Epstein joins us to talk about scientific research that shows we should strive to learn a little bit about a lot of things rather than dive deep into one area.

Spelling Bees As Preparation For L-I-F-E

May 13, 2019 Current Events, Education, Race/Identity

Youngsters who participate in spelling bees spend countless hours preparing for the contest. Northwestern anthropologist Shalini Shankar joins us to talk about how these competitors are proving that hard work at a young age sets them up for victory going forward.