Voices from the March on Washington 2020 (0:34)

Guests: March on Washington 2020 participants Courtney Wiley, Sue Brown, Rachael Theis, Carl Crawford, Lisa Smitley, Julie Reed

2020 has been marked by protests against racism in cities across the country. Two months ago was the March on Washington. Conversations about race in America are really hard, so listen to some march participants as they share their perspectives on thinking more deeply about what it means to stand against racism.

 

Photographer’s Intimate Portraits of 10,000 Species and Counting (23:35)

Guest: Joel Sartore, Creator of The Photo Ark, National Geographic Photographer

Many of the most threatened creatures on the planet–those on a path to extinction–are found only in the care of humans. They’re in zoos and wildlife sanctuaries and number about 15,000 species in all. National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore is on a mission to photograph every single one of them portrait-style. He’s just hit 10,000. That’s a lot of photoshoots with wild animals and insects.

 

The Science Behind Tuvan Throat Singing (39:39)

Guest: Brad Story, Professor of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Arizona

The throat singers of Tuva and Mongolia have long puzzled scientists. When these throat singers sing, there’s a low grumble with a whistling melody on top. Where is that whistling sound coming from? It’s a real puzzle. But some clever scientists solved the puzzle by putting a Tuvan throat singer into an MRI and recording a video of what’s going on inside his mouth and throat as he sings.

 

Why Is “The Office” Still So Popular? (52:53)

Guest: Brian Baumgartner, Actor, "The Office", Podcaster, "An Oral History of The Office"

Fifteen years ago, The Office premiered on American TV and it was not a hit. But it somehow got picked up for a second season and became a huge phenomenon, changing television comedy, making its unknown stars famous. Today, The Office is arguably even more successful than during its nine seasons on the air. It’s a runaway hit on Netflix. Teens and tweens are crazy for it. What is going on?

 

A Day in the Life of Hand Model (1:15:42)

Guest: RayMartell Moore, Hand Model

Hand modeling. Can’t be so hard, right? After all, George Costanza from the TV show Seinfeld got offered a hand modeling job. What does make someone’s hands commercial-worthy?

 

What’s the Purpose of Nightmares? (1:33:19)

Guest: William Kelly, Associate Professor of Psychology, California State University, Bakersfield

Our nightmares are often a response to daytime stress. But suppose nightmares aren’t just a reflection of daytime anxiety. What if nightmares are the mind’s way of teaching itself new skills like a sort of twisted exercise routine?