On this episode of The Best of Our Knowledge:  A new museum explores the comedic history of the Borscht Belt in New York’s Catskill Mountains. A 101-year-old toy inventor will share stories about his ideas over a long career. And a recently-closed liberal arts college will welcome a new kind of class this fall.

#1715: A Prolific Toy Inventor and the Borscht Belt| The Best of Our Knowledge

Every day, faculty members at schools and universities throughout the world are making discoveries that shape our ways of thinking and redefine our understanding of today's knowledge-driven society. Since 1990, The Best of Our Knowledge has highlighted breakthroughs across disciplines and across the globe, putting you in touch with the men and women at the forefront of their fields. Each week this program examines some of the issues unique to college campuses, looks at the latest research, and invites commentary from experts and administrators from all levels of education.

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The College of Saint Rose, a private four-year institution in Albany, New York, will close at the end of the spring semester. We’ll hear from students and faculty who are facing important decisions on their education and employment.

The closing of Saint Rose

The documentary “Common Ground,” a follow-up to 2020’s “Kiss the Ground,” examines the U.S. agricultural system and the industrial threats to the nation’s farmland. On this episode of The Best of Our Knowledge, we’ll speak with film co-director Josh Tickell.



And advanced 3D imaging is letting scientists examine and share museum specimens in a new way.

Protecting soil and scanning collections

Hairy bodies. Compound eyes. Feather-like antenna. The perhaps misunderstood moth is in the limelight in the experimental documentary film, “The Night Visitors.” The movie provides a glimpse into a world many of us overlook. We’ll speak with filmmaker Michael Gitlin.

The Night Visitors

The April 8th solar eclipse will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for millions. We’ll meet students who are using balloons to study the celestial event.



And what’s better than a sturdy pair of shoes? Horseshoes, that is. We’ll learn about a program that is educating future farriers.

Atmospheric study and shoeing horses

From Mexico to Maine, the April 8th solar eclipse will carve a path of darkness across North America. We’ll learn how NASA is preparing to study the event.



And commercial interest in space is at an all-time high. We’ll learn more from the U.S. Office of Space Commerce.

#1715: A Prolific Toy Inventor and the Borscht Belt| The Best of Our Knowledge

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