The Man Who Saved Western Classics

Guest: G. Scott Clemons, author, "Aldus Manutius: A Legacy More Lasting than Bronze," and former president, the Grolier Club

In the early days of the printing press, publishing was expensive, but an enterprising printer recognized the chance to save Western classics from oblivion with this new technology. Our modern libraries would never be the same without Aldus Manutius.

Is the Amazon Really the Earth’s Lungs?

Guest: Scott Denning, Professor, Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University

Fires in the Amazon are catastrophic, but the role of the Amazon forests in producing the world's oxygen has lately been mischaracterized. 

Robotic LUKE Hand Let Amputee Feel Fingers Again

Guest: Gregory A. Clark, Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering, and Director, Center for Neural Interfaces, University of Utah

The LUKE robotic hand, inspired by Luke Skywalker’s fully functional robotic hand, allows the participant to regain the feeling of touch.

Saving Jemima: Life and Love with a Hard-Luck Jay

Guest:  Julie Zickefoose, artist, naturalist, and author, “Saving Jemima: Life and Love with a Hard-Luck Jay”

Julie Zickefoose has interacted with hundreds of birds over the years as an artist, author, and even parent. After all those birds, none touched her as deeply as the abandoned blue jay Jemima. Find out why Jemima claims the top spot, and why Julie refers to Jemima as her savior.

The History of the Filibuster

Guest: Gregory Wawro, Professor and Chair, Political Science, Columbia University, and co-author, "Filibuster: Obstruction and Lawmaking in the U.S. Senate"

The filibuster has proved to be a useful strategy or a maddening tool of political obstruction, depending on which side of an issue you find yourself on. Why it's so difficult to get rid of. 

Using DNA in Genealogy Research

Guest: James Baker, professional genealogist

It's cool to spit in a tube, send it off, and find out where your distant ancestors came from. DNA tests from genealogy companies will break down your heritage into a handy pie chart. But that's not the most useful thing about these tests. Look at that pie chart once, and then put it away, says James Baker. Tune in to find out what's really useful about these DNA tests.