NPR Programs: Talk of the Nation
NPR Programs: Talk Of The Nation
Journalist Neal Conan leads a productive exchange of ideas and opinions on the issues that dominate the news landscape. From politics and public service to education, religion, music and healthcare, Talk of the Nation offers call-in listeners the opportunity to join enlightening discussions with ...
Commission Member Wants Detainees In Ill.
James Thompson, member of the September 11 commission, believes detention officials in Ill. are capable of handling Guantanamo Bay detainees. In a piece for the Chicago Tribune, he argues bringing the detainees to American soil will make the country ...
Book Recounts Challenges Of Eradicating Smallpox
In Smallpox: The Death of a Disease, Dr. D.A. Henderson recounts the history of the deadly virus, from the development of the first vaccine in the late 18th century to his involvement in the successful global eradication campaign in the 1960s and ...
Real-Life Physics Problems Star On TV
The stars of The Big Bang Theory are two fictional Caltech physicists, but the physics problems they study are real. Bill Prady, the program's co-creator and executive producer, talks about including real-world science in the script, from dark matter to ...
Talking Turkey About Holiday Stress
The holiday season is here and for many that can mean a surge in stress. But what is stress exactly? Science Friday hit the streets of New York City to gauge stress levels and consulted with experts on the effects of stress and strategies for how to ...
Debating Benefits, Risks Of Routine Mammograms
New guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommend women start getting routine mammograms at age 50, not 40. Ira Flatow and guests take a closer look at the guidelines and what they mean for women's health.» E-Mail ...
Personalizing Solar Power
Researchers are hoping to improve solar energy installations by coupling a solar panel to an efficient hydrolysis unit that splits water into oxygen and hydrogen. Daniel Nocera of MIT says the approach could lead to personal solar power units that could ...
Rethinking The Human Future In Space
With NASA reporting a "significant amount" of water on the lunar surface, is it time to re-examine our priorities regarding living and working in space? Mark Sykes, director of the Planetary Science Institute, talks about why and how people should ...
Brushing Up On Tropical Diseases
Dengue fever, malaria and other tropical diseases took center stage at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene conference. Nathan Seppa of Science News offers details, including a strange story of palm trees, fruit bats and human ...
New Yorkers Disagree Over Plans For Sept. 11 Trial
Attorney General Eric Holder announced that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-proclaimed mastermind behind the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, will be tried in a civilian court in New York City. Some argue it will open old wounds, while others insist it will ...
Indentured Servitude Persists In Florida's Fields
Slavery was abolished in the U.S. in 1865, but the specter of slavery persists today for the tomato and citrus pickers working in Florida's fields. Reporter Amy Bennett Williams joins Neal Conan in Fort Myers, Fla. to discuss indentured servitude, human ...
Books That Will Help You Understand Afghanistan
The conflict in Afghanistan dominates headlines, but many people seek a deeper understanding of the country and the war the U.S. is fighting there. In the first of a series of suggestions for an Afghanistan "reading list," Washington Post special ...
'Googled': From Brainchild To Behemoth
How much do you know about the company that knows so much about you? In Googled: The End of the World as We Know It, Ken Auletta chronicles the growth of Google, from the brainchild of two computer science graduate students, toiling in a California ...
USDA Study Show Hunger On The Rise In U.S.
A new report on hunger in America from the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that nearly 15 percent of all American households struggled to get enough to eat in 2008. That's the largest percentage since the agency began measuring hunger in 1995. ...
Matthew Continetti On The 'Persecution' Of Palin
It's been all Palin all the time ever since the former Alaska governor unveiled her memoir on Oprah on Monday. Matthew Continetti of the Weekly Standard comes to Palin's defense in his new book, The Persecution of Sarah Palin: How the Elite Media Tried ...
Understanding The New Mammogram Guidelines
For years, women were encouraged to get breast cancer screenings at 40. Now, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has issued new guidelines saying that the average woman can wait until 50. The guidelines also discourage the teaching of self breast ...
Doc Ford Gets To The Bottom Of Florida Mysteries
Crime writer Randy Wayne White spent 13 years as a tackle fishing guide before he began to probe the mysteries of southwest Florida. White is best known for his series of crime novels featuring Doc Ford, an NSA agent turned marine biologist living on ...
As Unemployment Rises, Where Are The Jobs?
Unemployment numbers in the U.S. are the highest they've been since 1983, but there are still some jobs out there. Businessweek's Dean Foust breaks down where the jobs are, and which industries are growing. The alternative energy business is getting a ...
Comedian George Carlin's 'Last Words'
Before his death in June 2008, comedian George Carlin spent 10 years working on a memoir, Last Words, with his longtime friend Tony Hendra. Hendra, a writer and comedian, talks with Rebecca Roberts about Carlin's life and legacy.» E-Mail ...
Is Palin's 'Going Rogue' A Good Read?
Just one day after its release, Sarah Palin's new memoir, Going Rogue, is already on its way to the bestseller lists. Pundits are combing the book for signs of the former vice presidential candidate's political ambitions — and prospects. NPR's ...