Compiling lists of our top ten songs, favorite ball players or films is always a fun endeavor. Who makes the list? Who did we anguish over having to leave out? We turned to our learned panel of film scholars and critics. Sitting in, Pete Sobczynski of RogerEbert.com and EFilmCritic.com, filmmaker and scholar Spencer Parsons of Northwestern and one of our favorites, John Kupetz. of the Medill School.

What? Why? How? The basic questions are sought after by scientists, men of religion, and some of our favorite people: philosophers. From Socrates to Descartes, to Wittgenstein to Locke to Lao Tzu, these were learned and wise men who sought answers to those questions. Two fantastic philosophers from contemporary times are Rick Lee of DePaul and Ray Waymack of Loyola University Chicago. They joined Milt for a marvelous discussion on Philosophy, and we are eager to share it with you.

Jefferson, Reagan, Goldwater. Those are the names youd expect to see on a list of influential conservatives. But interestingly, Mr. Tucker has compiled a fascinating list of others whom he deems worthy of study. It may surprise you. Well researched, and oozing with passion for this nation and what it stands for, Conservative Heroes: 14 Leaders Who Shaped America is a great study in this line of political ideology.

A question often bandied about is how Americans feel about our involvement overseas. Maybe a better one is how our leaders feel about it, and whether or not their feelings are in line with the citizens. Thats just one of the many that are posed in this informative entry into the series, as Milt is joined by Craig Kafura of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and Rich Sobel, esteemed professor political science and public opinion. Regardless of your belief of Americas role in foreign entanglements, the fact is that we are very much involved globally. This is a fine study into the opinion of the governed on such matters.

Much has been written about our 40th president. Many are hagiographies, many are hit pieces. But few are as even handed as this latest biography by the great H.W. Brands of the University of Texas at Austin. Milt and professor brands speak in depth on Reagans boyhood life, particularly the psychological wounds Reagan took from having an alcoholic father, to the revelation that, despite the warm exterior, Reagan could be rather cold and withdrawn. And, of course, no talk on Reagan would be complete without studying his great oratory skills and humor. Brands latest is Reagan: The Life.

Imagine that everything you knew about living life was lost. You couldnt do your job. You couldnt even walk. You couldnt recognize people by name, even your children. For Dr. Clark Elliot, a professor of Artificial Intelligence at DePaul University, this nightmare was his reality. To top it off, he was told he had a mild brain injury and that hed have to live with his new normal. He rediscovered how to live his life with a evolutionary treatment of utilizing neurodevelopmental techniques with the help of an optometrist and a cognitive restructuring specialist. What they explored in the concept of brain plasticity. Listen to this fascinating talk with Dr. Elliot, Dr. Donalee Markus and Dr. Deborah Zelinsky. For those of you suffering from mTBI (mild traumatic brain injury), you will want to check Dr. Elliots website, which is constantly updated with new, groundbreaking research for anyone who has suffered a concussion and had it dramatically affect your life. His book is The Ghost in My Brain.

Sometimes we have to decompress a bit and step back from the interviews. When thats the case, we go to music class with Dr. Rosenberg. Such was the occasion on this program, another installment of Milts music.

One of our great guests over the years is the Tribunes Architecture Critic Blair Kamin. With several exciting renovation projects underway and the new 606 Trail once again proving the visionary leadership of Chicago in regard to green space, we thought it was time to take stock of this citys rich architectural history and standing. We also enlisted the expertise of architect and professor Mark Pearson and Karen Kice, Neville Bryan Assistant Curator, Department of Architecture and Design at the Art Institute of Chicago.

We love dispelling myths on this show. One longstanding myth is that we only use a small percentage of our brain. Whats the truth? We enlisted David Uttal, the Director of Cognitive Psychology, and Paul Reber, the Director of Brain, Behavior and Cognition, both at Northwestern University, to tell us. Youll have to listen to find that answer and many, many others.

On the panel today: Charles Lipson, Joseph Morris, and Dick Ciccone. Also joining is the American Enterprise Institutes Fred Kagan, the architect of the Troop Surge in Iraq. Is it time to concentrate forces to destroy ISIS? Or will we wait and let them retake the whole of Iraq and Syria? This is the most informative and insightful discussion on American politics and foreign affairs that you will find in all of media this week.