Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI Radio in New York

Michael J. Thompson and Gregory R. Smulewicz-Zucker’s book “Anti-Science and the Assault on Democracy: Defending Reason in a Free Society” features essays they edited on the role that science must play in democratic society—science defined not just in terms of technology but as a way of approaching problems and viewing the world. In this collection of original essays, experts in political science, the hard sciences, philosophy, history and other disciplines examine contemporary anti-science trends and make the case that respect for science is essential for a healthy democracy. Join us for a discussion of the role of science in society and why some citizens are so critical of it in this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI.

Every day on Leonard Lopate at Large, we bring in writers, artists, reporters and artists to answer our questions about their area of expertise. But there are some questions that even the experts have a hard time answering. In this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI, Leonard and Executive Producer Jesse Lent open the phones so you can help us find answers to our most burning questions.

Charlie Morrow is a composer, sound artist, performer, and innovator whose goal over the past four decades has been to bring experimental sound and music to a wider audience. He’s also the composer behind our opening and closing theme music on Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI. From his work as part of the avant-garde Fluxus movement in New York in the 1960s to “Toot ‘N Blink,” his orchestrated chorus of boat horns with blinking lights, from his work with Simon & Garfunkel to his ubiquitous ad jingle for Hefty trash bags (“Hefty, Hefty, Hefty! Wimpy, wimpy, wimpy!”) join us for a discussion of the wide-ranging work of Charlie Morrow.

The new Resonance Records box set “Hittin’ The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)” is the first large-scale collection of the pivotal early recordings of Nat King Cole’s 29-year recording career. Many tracks in the collection, which focuses on the instrumental work Cole did on piano before he became famous as a singer, are receiving their first official release. In this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI, Zev Feldman and Will Friedwald, two of the producers who put the box set together, discuss the significance of Nat’s early work.

Over the course of his prolific career, trombonist, composer, producer, educator and NEA Jazz Master Delfeayo Marsalis has been hailed as one of the “most imaginative...trombonists of his generation.” It’s a title that reflects decades of musical exploration, preparation and risk-taking, much of which began during his childhood in New Orleans, where his father, Ellis Marsalis, introduced him to jazz in the family home. Eventually, Delfeayo says, he “gravitated toward the trombone,” which felt like “an extension of my personality.” He was simultaneously developing his ear for music production after his brothers, Branford and Wynton Marsalis, piqued his interest in the process, which he continued to develop while producing their demo tapes and interning at Allen Toussaint’s Sea Saint Studio. He went on to produce more than 100 recordings for artists including his brothers, his father, Spike Lee, Harry Connick, Jr., Terence Blanchard, Preservation Hall Jazz Band and others. He has toured internationally with bands led by Art Blakey, Slide Hampton, Abdullah Ibrahim, Max Roach and Elvin Jones, as well as his own groups. Tune in for a live performance from Delfeayo and The Uptown Jazz Orchestra, hot off the release of their new album “Jazz Party,” in this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI.

Since opening in 1931, the George Washington Bridge, linking New York and New Jersey, has become the busiest bridge in the world, with over 100 million vehicles passing over it each year. Many people also consider it the most beautiful bridge in the world, yet remarkably little has been written about it. In this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI, Michael Aaron Rockland talks about his new book on this majestic structure, “The George Washington Bridge: Poetry in Steel.”

S. James Gates Jr. and Cathie Pelletier’s “Proving Einstein Right: The Daring Expeditions that Changed How We Look at the Universe” chronicles the perilous journey of the scientists who set out to prove the theory of relativity. Their results would catapult the German-born theoretical physicist Albert Einstein to international fame and forever changed our understanding of the universe. Join us for a discussion of “Proving Einstein Right” in this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI.

Dr. Sarah Hill’s new book “This Is Your Brain on Birth Control: The Surprising Science of Women, Hormones, and the Law of Unintended Consequences” shines a light on how hormonal birth control affects women in ways we are just now beginning to understand. By allowing women to control their fertility, the birth control pill has revolutionized women's lives. Women are going to college, graduating, and entering the workforce in greater numbers than ever before. There’s solid data to support that the birth control medication has a lot to do with this. But there's a lot more to the pill than meets the eye. Join us for a discussion of the personal costs women face by going on birth control with Dr. Sarah Hill in this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI.

Before being known for his groundbreaking political reporting at WNYC, Bob Hennelly was national affairs correspondent for Pacifica Network News. His written work has appeared in the New York Times, the Village Voice, the Christian Science Monitor, the Miami Herald, the Detroit Free Press along with dozens of other magazines and newspapers. His work has been featured on “60 Minutes” and C-Span's “America and the Courts.” In this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI, Bob connects his ongoing work covering local, national and labor politics with the throughline of income inequality.

From longtime Fox News contributor, guest anchor and two-time New York Times bestselling author Tobin Smith comes a new book, “Foxocracy: Inside the Network's Playbook of Tribal Warfare an insider's account of the Fox News playbook.” Tobin’s book examines the production secrets and manipulation strategies the top-rated cable news network uses to influence viewers, divide families, weaponize the daily discourse of news and public opinion, and addict a core audience on right-wing rage and fear. Join us for a look at Fox News’s successful formula in this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI.