For decades, the public has been anticipating the total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017. Millions of people are expected to travel to the Path of Totality -- a 70 mile wide swath across the U.S. -- hoping to witness it. We ask NASA Research Space Scientist Noah Petro , James Webb telescope engineer Nikita Gokhale and local street astronomy #p opscope group organizer Ariel Hicks why it's such a big deal -- and how an event so brief can inspire such awe. Here are some links to view safely and to watch it live above the clouds on the day of the eclipse, as well as how to participate in collecting an d sharing data!

Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472

Baltimore’s tangled history, firmly in the shadow of Annapolis, has given it an inferiority complex. So says Johns Hopkins professor emeritus of political science Matthew Crenson , whose new book is: Baltimore: A Political History . We ask him why early town fathers didn’t have the power to keep pigs from wandering the streets, how investing in the first interstate railroad left the city too debt-burdened to pay for police and schools, and why he thinks Baltimore has tried to deal with race

We talk with award-winning journalist Mary Otto about her new book ?Teeth: The Story of Beauty, Inequality, and the Struggle for Oral Health in America.? It chronicles the rise of cosmetic dentistry and the marketing of the coveted ?Hollywood Smile,? contrasted with decades of deficient access to oral healthcare for many Americans--a gap that still pervades and challenges the system. Otto?s book was spurred by the tragedy of Deamonte Driver in Prince George?s County, who died at age 12 from infection from an abscessed tooth. Otto will be speaking about her book and signing copies for sale at the Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry, an event co-sponsored with the Public Justice Center and Health Care for the Homeless. You can find out more about the event here, and you can purchase the book here . This is a rebroadcast of the original program from May 22, 2017.

Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472

A wedding ceremony may be the union of two souls, but the day represents so much more--encompassing families, cultures and communities. Tracie Guy-Decker , Jewish Museum of Maryland associate director talks about what we can read into dresses, documents, chuppas and cake-toppers -- some of what's featured in the new JMM exhibit, " Just Married! Wedding Stories from Jewish Maryland. " This is a rebroadcast of the original program, which aired on June 22, 2017.

Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472

From the shape of the nests birds build to the color of their feathers, technology is turning theories dating back to Darwin on their head. Biologist Jordan Price , of St Mary?s College of Maryland, has mapped the genes of both ancient and more recently derived bird species. He tells us why domed bird nests evolved into the widespread bowl shape, why the color of feathers might be more about camouflage than attraction, and what scientists got wrong when studying the differences between female and male birds. Original air date: May 17, 2017.

Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472

From the shape of the nests birds build to the color of their feathers, technology is turning theori

During decades of Jim Crow, African-American travelers couldn?t be sure what they?d face at a strange restaurant, a hotel, even a gas station. Would the door be slammed in their face, or worse? The Green Book , an annual listing of establishments welcoming black customers, started in the late ?30s. We speak with Anne Bruder , a State Highway Administration historian who is researching Green Book businesses in Maryland. We also talk with Traci Wright of the Park School, who discusses the Green Book with students from several high schools on an annual Civil Rights trip and also with civil-rights icon Dr. Helena Hicks , who recalls using the guide when she traveled for her work. Anne Bruder will speak about her research Aug. 5 at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum. You can find more information on her talk here .

Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472

From the shape of the nests birds build to the color of their feathers, technology is turning theories dating back to Darwin on their head. Biologist Jordan Price , of St Mary?s College of Maryland, has mapped the genes of both ancient and more recently derived bird species. He tells us why domed bird nests evolved into the widespread bowl shape, why the color of feathers might be more about camouflage than attraction, and what scientists got wrong when studying the differences between female and male birds. Original air date: May 17, 2017.

Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472

From the shape of the nests birds build to the color of their feathers, technology is turning theori

From the shape of the nests birds build to the color of their feathers, technology is turning theories dating back to Darwin on their head. Biologist Jordan Price , of St Mary’s College of Maryland, has mapped the genes of both ancient and more recently derived bird species. He tells us why domed bird nests evolved into the widespread bowl shape, why the color of feathers might be more about camouflage than attraction, and what scientists got wrong when studying the differences between female