Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda

What makes a good joke? Why do some fall flat while others are met with a LOL, even an ROTFL? Is a joke ever out of bounds? In this episode, we examine the art of communicating with humor. Alan Alda talks with writers Frank Santopadre and Alan Zweibel, who have spent their lives finding the funny in the meaningful and the meaningful in the funny. Join them as they explore the heart of "ha."

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Despite many positive changes, women in science report continuing problems. When a colleague ignores your contribution, belittles your work, or even harasses you, what do you do? Women have been leading a revolution in science for many years, and their voices are now being heard like never before. In this special episode of Clear+Vivid, Alan Alda and his producers speak with pioneers in the revolution, their mentees, and some of today’s most outspoken advocates for professional women in the STEM fields. They have a lot to teach us about how to bring about equity for women in science— and how to keep it. Joining us in the studio and on location in their labs, we hear from Melinda Gates, Jo Handelsman, Nancy Hopkins, Hope Jahren, Pardis Sabeti, Leslie Vosshall, and many more. This special episode dives deep into the most troubling issues facing career women in science and offers real insight about what works, what doesn’t, and what we can all do to secure a more equal and fair future.

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As Clear+Vivid listeners know, we love improvisation because of how important it can be to communication. In this episode Alan Alda had the opportunity to speak with someone who is at the forefront of combining improv and music. Alan's guest this week is legendary jazz guitarist Pat Metheny. As it happens, Pat lives close to Alan's apartment in Manhattan, so we asked him to drop by. Pat and Alan plunged into a conversation about improvisation even before the producers remembered to press the record button!

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What can animals teach us about our own decision-making process? Every summer for 25 years, Dr. Robert Sapolsky has been studying baboons on the plains of Africa, where he's learned a surprising amount about why we behave the way we do. In this episode Alan Alda speaks with Dr. Sapolsky about his experiences with animals (both human and baboon) and learns about the fascinating similarities in our behavior, our decision-making process, and how we communicate with each other about things we understand and things we don't.

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How can scientist’s better bring their complex and deep understanding of nature up to the surface? How can they help us see the marvels they see and revel in the hidden beauty of nature? Brian Greene is not only a brilliant theoretical physicist, but he's also someone who's completely dedicated to bringing the wonder of science to the rest of us. Alan Alda has always been curious about how the world's top scientific minds can commute their knowledge and understanding, so the rest of us can share in their passion and discoveries. In this episode Alan and Brian dive right into science communication and discover a whole world dedicated to this shared mission.

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Can music be a story? And, can that story, and the emotions it stirs in us, be something that can unite us? In this conversation, Alan Alda explores this idea with his friend Yo-Yo Ma. Alan has just heard Yo-Yo play all six of the Bach Cello Suites in a concert. An amazingly moving performance – and just one of the performances of the cello suites that he'll be doing in 36 different locations around the world. Yo-Yo calls it the Bach Project, in which the beauty of the music is only the beginning. Each concert is tied to "A Day of Action," conversations and collaborations, unique to each location, that grapple with the concerns of the people who live there. The audience listens to Yo-Yo and Yo-Yo listens to them. Listening may be what unites us.

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Laura Brown is the Editor in Chief of InStyle Magazine. Recently, she had the graceful chutzpa to feature Alan Alda in her magazine as a badass. Alan had no idea what that meant, so he couldn’t let it go unexplored. It turns out, being called a badass can be a really good compliment, and this led Alan and Laura to an interesting discussion of what style is, what it communicates, and how it spreads. Laura is a lively person, so Alan invited her to join him before a live audience at Guild Hall in East Hampton, New York. This podcast was recorded live at Guild Hall on August 20, 2019.

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When someone wants to make the world a better place – and actually has the means to do it – you wonder: How do they go about it? What are their guiding principles? What works and what doesn’t? In this candid and inspiring interview, Alan Alda asks Melinda Gates about her work as a philanthropist and her lifelong dedication to social change. They discuss her book, "The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World," and what happens when the data suggests one course of action, but the reality on the ground suggests another? Can a little more listening, especially to women, be the way to help change the world?

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Season 5 of Clear+Vivid® with Alan Alda starts on Tuesday, August 27th! Listen to the exclusive producer's cut of the official trailer to meet some of Alan’s next guests — including Melinda Gates, Yo-Yo Ma, Robert Sapolsky, and many more! New episodes are available every Tuesday. Subscribe and listen for free on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you like to enjoy podcasts. For more details and to subscribe to Alan’s newsletter, please visit AlanAlda.com. These episodes are made possible thanks to the generous support of our presenting sponsor, Discovery. All the profits from this podcast go to the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University to further support research in science communication and research. Visit AldaCenter.org for details.

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How do you engage a national audience and bring attention to a cause? Katie Couric’s decision to allow her colonoscopy to be broadcast live on television was but one highlight in an extraordinary career in television. As co-host of NBC’s Today show and later the first female anchor of a national nightly news program on CBS, her work has been distinguished by her ability to relate to her audience. In this episode, Katie and Alan Alda talk openly about her life as a well-known communicator and what it takes to make people care about an issue.

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.