Daniel M. Davis is professor of immunology at the University of Manchester, and he joins us to talk about cutting-edge research that will help doctors fine-tune our health care.
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When you’re bipolar, chaos is always lurking
Naomi Jackson joins us to talk about the series of events that led to her diagnosis of bipolar disorder and the things she almost lost as she battled her way back to health.
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Want to help the planet? Stop buying so much
J. B. MacKinnon joins us to talk about the push-pull between the supposed economic harm of less shopping with the environmental impacts of buying too much.
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The limitless human imagination
Science writer Philip Ball joins us to discuss new research about imagination, and why the ability to understand the world in multi-dimensional ways is more surprising than even our ability to dream.
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How bad ideas spread
We’ll be joined by a journalist who writes about the changing media landscape, a linguist who explains how cults use very specific language to recruit new members, and a researcher who says bad ideas are parasites that infect our brains.
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The Patricia Highsmith we never knew
Anna von Planta was Highsmith’s primary editor for the later part of her life, and she joins us to discuss Highsmith’s literary legacy, as well as her private life, which was often marked by controversy.
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Why we can’t stop eating
Mark Schatzker of the Canadian Broadcast Corporation joins us to discuss his journey into food production and eating habits around the world to discover secrets of health and happiness.
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Are tech companies more powerful than nations?
Political scientist Ian Bremmer joins us to talk about how the well-oiled machines of big technology – with their influence and reach into every part of daily life – are challenging national governments in shaping society.
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When disaster strikes, his phone always rings
Robert A. Jensen of Kenyon International Emergency Services joins us to discuss the delicate art of balancing practical management of large-scale disasters while honoring the humanity of families affected.
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A judge’s ideas on fixing the justice system
Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell joins us to discuss how racism finds its way into courtrooms – and about her efforts to be fair in an imperfect system.
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The words we need that don’t exist
John Koenig joins us to discuss his work coining new words and phrases that he hopes will perfectly capture the nuance and beauty of specific moments in our lives when the words we have at our disposal fail.
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Soon, robots won’t need our help
Washington Post reporter David Montgomery joins us to discuss the Pentagon’s simulated search-and-rescue competition that is stretching the limits of how robots process information and, ultimately, help the humans around them.
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