Modern Notion

On todays show, were talking with Sandy Tolan, author of Children of the Stone: The Power of Music in a Hard Land (Bloomsbury, April 2015). Tolan chronicles the life of Ramzi Aburedwan, a Palestinian boy who grew up to become a musician and start music schools in the West Bank. Were also talking to contributing editor Erin Blakemore about Laura Bridgman, the deaf and blind woman who was an inspiration to Helen Keller.

Music this hour:

“Soldiertype (militarised)” by Ketsa, from the album What’s Without’s Within

Elle va au Japon” by Nic Bommarito, from the album A Quiet Age

Private Hurricane (Instrumental Version) by Josh Woodward, from the album Breadcrumbs

On todays episode of Modern Notion Daily, our guest is Dr. Eugenia Cheng, author of How to Bake Pi: An Edible Exploration of the Mathematics of Mathematics (Basic Books, May 2015). Chengs research is about category theory—which she calls the mathematics of mathematics. When teaching category theory, she found it was so abstract that analogies were a good way to help students grasp important concepts. She plucks analogies from all sorts of themes, but the most commonly used analogies have to do with food. Hence, the book, which is filled with not only math but also recipes.

We also talk to contributing editor Erin Blakemore about the woman in Germany who posed as Anastasia, daughter of the ousted Russian Tsar Nicholas II. (Weird fact: The impostor didnt even speak Russian.)

Music this hour:

“Soldiertype (militarised)” by Ketsa, from the album What’s Without’s Within

“Elle va au Japon” by Nic Bommarito, from the album A Quiet Age

“get out” by Jahzzar, from the album Sketches

Louie Louie by The Kingsmen

This hour were talking with two guests: David Shields, author of Southern Provisions: The Creation and Revival of a Cuisine (University of Chicago Press, March 2015), and Jennifer Jordan, author of Edible Memory: The Lure of Heirloom Tomatoes and Other Forgotten Foods (University of Chicago Press, April 2015). Shields is on a mission to bring back Lowcountry cuisine—both by growing ingredients that are no longer widely available and by reviving long-lost recipes. Meanwhile, Jordan is exploring how memory and food are intertwined through a sociologists lens.

Music this hour:

“Soldiertype (militarised)” by Ketsa, from the album What’s Without’s Within

“Take Me Higher” by Jahzzar, from the album Tumbling Dishes Like Old-Man’s Wishes

On todays episode of Modern Notion Daily, were talking about plankton! Christian Sardet wrote the upcoming book, Plankton: Wonders of the Drifting World (University of Chicago Press, June 2015), which took him around the globe to scour the seas for the many species of plankton. Later in the show, staff writer Josh Hrala joins us to talk about sea monsters, megamouth sharks, and mermaids . . . or are they manatees?

Music this hour:

“Soldiertype (militarised)” by Ketsa, from the album What’s Without’s Within

“Elle va au Japon” by Nic Bommarito, from the album A Quiet Age

Drifting by Pearl Jam

Il Pleut des Informations (ou Mass Media en Masse à Partir de Notre Cumulonimus Fiable) by Monroeville Music Center, from the album Le Progrés

On this hour of Modern Notion Daily, we have two guests: Arnold Thackray and David Brock. Thackray, Brock, and Rachel Jones co-wrote Moores Law: The Life of Gordon Moore, Silicon Valleys Quiet Revolutionary (Basic Books, May 2015). Gordon Moore worked at Fairchild Semiconductor in the 1960s, where he came up with Moores Law. He went on to co-found Intel and was its CEO for 50 years. In that time, he changed the way electronics were built and changed Silicon Valley as a result. Staff writer Jes Greene explains what Moores Law is, and later in the show, contributing editor Mark Hay talks about the myth of the illuminati.

Music this hour:

Theme E by Steve Combs andamp; Delta Is, from the album Themes (Vol. 1)

Soldiertype (militarised) by Ketsa, from the album Whats Withouts Within

Theme S by Steve Combs andamp; Delta Is, from the album Themes (Vol. 1)

On this hour of Modern Notion Daily, were talking to documentary filmmaker Marah Strauch. Strauchs newest film is Sunshine Superman (Magnolia Pictures), which tells the story of the inventor of BASE jumping, Carl Boenish. Boenish was not just a thrill seeker; he was also obsessed with filmmaking, and the possibility of filming humans jumping off cliffs and buildings led him to create the sport hes remembered for. Contributing editor Mark Hay also joins us in the studio to discuss what happened to explorer Percy Fawcett, who famously disappeared in 1925.

Music this hour:

“Elle va au Japon” by Nic Bommarito, from the album A Quiet Age

Soldiertype (militarised) by Ketsa, from the album Whats Withouts Within

Step On by Jahzzar, from the album Tumbling Dishes Like Old-Mans Wishes

On todays Modern Notion Daily, our guest is Mark Adams, author of Meet Me in Atlantis: My Obsessive Quest to Find the Sunken City (Dutton, March 2015). Adams spent three years exploring the veracity of Platos classic tale of Atlantis. While he encountered some idiosyncratic character and wild theories, the people he found to be the most obstinate throughout his journey were the academics who dismissed his quest outright. We also talk with contributing editor Mark Hay about another obsessive quest: to lighten ones skin.

Music this hour:

“Elle va au Japon” by Nic Bommarito, from the album A Quiet Age

Soldiertype (militarised) by Ketsa, from the album Whats Withouts Within

Oceanica by Avaren, from the album For Others Use

On this hour of Modern Notion Daily, we talk to the two sides of the Brains vs. Artificial Intelligence poker tournament. First, we talk to Tuomas Sandholm, professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University. Sandholm designed the poker-playing computer program, known as Claudico. Then we talk to Jason Les, one of the four poker pros who competed against Claudico. Les and Sandholm disagree about whether or not the humans earned a clear victory. We also talk to contributing editor Mark Hay about the pseudo-science practiced by Sylvester Stallones mother: rumpology.

Music this hour:

Poker Face by Glee Cast

Baby Got Back by Sir Mix-A-Lot

Quasi Motion by Kevin MacLeod, from the album Global Sampler

On this hour of Modern Notion Daily, were talking to Bekah Sosland, an aerospace engineer at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory. At 25, Sosland has worked with Opportunity, the 11-year-old Mars rover, as a flight director. Staff writer Josh Hrala joins us later in the hour to talk about the Fermi paradox: if the universe is so big, why havent we encountered other life yet?

Music this hour:

“Elle va au Japon” by Nic Bommarito, from the album A Quiet Age

Take Me Higher by Jahzzar, from the album Tumbling Dishes Like Old-Mans Wishes

This hour, were talking to Jeffery Walk, director of science at the Illinois chapter of The Nature Conservancy. Seven months ago, Walk and his team reintroduced bison to the prairie in Illinois, and they animals have thrived in their new home. We also talk to contributing editor Mark Hay about his reasons for thinking Americans should eat horse meat.

Music this hour:

“Elle va au Japon” by Nic Bommarito, from the album A Quiet Age

get out by Jahzzar, from the album Sketches

Home on the Range composed by Dr. Brewster Highly (lyrics) and Daniel E. Kelly (music), recorded by Tex Ritter for Studio Telescriptions, 1952