RadioWest

By KUER

What's RadioWest about?

KUER’s award-winning interview show explores the world through deep thinkers who host Doug Fabrizio asks to think even deeper. Join writers, filmmakers, scientists and others on RadioWest: A show for the wildly curious.

4.7

570570 ratings

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RadioWest episodes:

04.23.2024
Celebrating the Natural World with Writer Rick Bass
For the acclaimed writer and environmental activist Rick Bass, there are no hard lines between life, art and the natural world.
04.18.2024
Whales of the High Desert
In 1888, the daily Salt Lake Herald-Republican reprinted a story from a Canadian paper. The headline? That a family of whales was flourishing in the Great Salt Lake.
04.17.2024
Breathing Salt Lake’s West Side Air
If you live in the Salt Lake Valley, you know a thing or two about air pollution. There are days when you can see it. But if you live on the west side it’s even worse.
04.11.2024
Mere Beauty: Utah Symposium on Science and Literature
If you got a poet, a neuroscientist and a theoretical physicist together to talk about beauty, what would they possibly have to say to each other?
04.10.2024
Through the Lens: ‘Hotshot’
Hotshots are the hardened individuals who fight wildfires. Gabriel Mann’s new film gets viewers as close to the fire line as you can be without becoming a hotshot yourself.
04.04.2024
How the Ocean Works
The oceanographer Helen Czerski wants you to think of the ocean as a vast, planet-spanning engine. And what it drives is no less than life itself.
04.03.2024
Exploring Clint Eastwood’s ‘Unforgiven’
Ahead of the Salt Lake Film Society’s screening of the 1992 Clint Eastwood classic “Unforgiven,” we sit down to talk about this great Western.
03.28.2024
The Debate Over Women's Empowerment in the LDS Church
A recent post on the LDS Church’s official Instagram page has racked up thousands of comments, many from women who see a vast gulf between how empowered the church says they are, and how empowered they actually feel.
03.27.2024
Is it Actually a Good Idea to Colonize Mars?
Life on earth is for the dogs. There’s too much regulation, too few resources and it’s burning up besides. Better to pack up and leave for Mars. Or is it?
03.21.2024
A History of Witchcraft in Thirteen Trials
The scholar Marion Gibson is an expert on witches. Her latest book tells a centuries-long history through the stories of 13 witch trials.
03.20.2024
Gardening along the (not so dry) Wasatch Front
Utah is suffering from megadroughts, a dying lake (or two) and a dwindling Colorado River. So, why, then, are we watering so much Kentucky bluegrass along the Wasatch Front?
03.18.2024
Podcast Extra: A Brief History of Polyamory in America
Polyamory is having a bit of a moment right now. We wanted to learn more about the history of having more than one romantic partner.
03.14.2024
The Serious Search for Alien Life
UFOs undoubtedly exist. After all, people have been seeing inexplicable things in the skies for centuries. So, if the truth is out there, what does the government know about it?
03.13.2024
Through the Lens: ‘Exposure’
In 2018, a group of inexperienced explorers — all women — set out on a journey that lots of people thought they couldn’t possibly finish: a trek to the North Pole.
03.07.2024
Tax Exemptions for Religious Institutions
According to one report, the LDS Church’s financial holdings are in the hundreds of billions of dollars. And that raises the question: When is a church less about spirit and more about profit?
03.06.2024
The Mastermind Behind Oil in the Uinta Basin
Transporting oil out of the Uinta Basin isn’t easy. The place is remote and the roads aren’t great. But a Texas oil man named Jim Finley is trying to change all that.
03.01.2024
The 2024 Utah Legislative Wrap-Up
There is a new format for the Utah Legislative session — start with the most controversial bills up top. However, now that we near the end of the session, important bills are still in flux.
02.27.2024
The Long Shot Bid for a Utah Lottery
Utah is one of only four states without a lottery. A longshot bill under consideration by the Utah State Legislature could potentially change that.
02.21.2024
Through the Lens - The Eternal Memory
“There is pain here,” “But there is also a lot of nobility.” From the book “The Forbidden Memory” by Augusto Góngora.
02.21.2024
Through the Lens - The Eternal Memory
“There is pain here,” “But there is also a lot of nobility.” From the book “The Forbidden Memory” by Augusto Góngora.
02.15.2024
The Alien Abduction of Betty and Barney Hill
On September 19, 1961, Betty and Barney Hill claimed they were abducted by “beings that were somehow not human.”
02.14.2024
Spirit World Encounters in Mormon Utah
Growing up in Northern Utah, the scholar Erin Stiles often heard stories from her Mormon friends about visits from spiritual beings. In a new book, she explores just how common these experiences happen to be.
02.08.2024
Spirit World Encounters in Mormon Utah
Growing up in Northern Utah, the scholar Erin Stiles often heard stories from her Mormon friends about visits from spiritual beings. In a new book, she explores just how common these experiences happen to be.
02.07.2024
The Golden Era of Hijacking Planes
If you were born in post-9/11 America, the idea of a plane getting hijacked is terrifying. But once upon a time hijackers seemed more interested in the thrill than instilling fear. And one of them even became a kind of...
02.01.2024
The Plan to Save Great Salt Lake
A new plan to protect Great Salt Lake was recently released. This one has the endorsement of Utah’s most powerful political leaders. But does it have what it will take to save the lake?
02.01.2024
How the Road Crossed the Land
Roads are such a common feature of the landscape that you can forget that they aren’t natural at all — that is, unless you’re an animal trying to cross one.
01.25.2024
The Future of D.E.I.
Lawmakers are rushing an anti-D.E.I. bill through the 2024 Utah Legislature.
01.24.2024
Sundance Film Festival 2024: ‘Sugarcane’
In 2021, unmarked graves were discovered at several residential boarding schools in Canada. Then, investigations began.
01.18.2024
A New History of Mormonism
Upstate New York, 1830: self-proclaimed prophets are creating new faiths. Joseph Smith was one such man, and it was his new religion that would endure.
01.17.2024
Budget, Housing and DEI — It’s the 2024 Legislative Session
The controversial bills — including Diversity, Equity and Inclusion — will kick off the 2024 Utah Legislative Session.
01.11.2024
The Offensive Magic of Swearing
A good swear is like a bomb, shocking and offensive to all in the blast-radius. Except for those times when swears don’t quite go off. So, what’s the difference?
01.10.2024
Mary Beard On The Emperors of Rome
Mary Beard is an expert on the Roman Empire, and her latest book is about the rulers who presided over it — 30 emperors in nearly three centuries.
01.04.2024
How the Female Body Drove Human Evolution
In biological and medical research, the majority of studies that use mice are only using males. Why? Because female mammals’ estrous, or sexual, cycle means that their bodies are more “messy” than their male counterparts.
01.03.2024
The Films of 2023
You’ll find plenty of lists of the best films of 2023 out there. But only ours includes the tenth installment of a notoriously grisly horror franchise.
12.28.2023
Habits — Good and Bad
For the new year, we’re sharing our conversation with psychologist Wendy Wood, who told us that changing habits and keeping goals isn’t about willpower — it’s about tapping into our unconscious selves.
12.27.2023
Exploring the Sonic World with ‘Sounds Wild and Broken’
Our planet is filled with sound — birdsong, music, speech. Even the earth itself makes noise. That sonic diversity is in danger.
12.20.2023
Nigella Lawson on What Makes a Good Meal
If you’re into food writing or follow celebrity chefs, the chances are good that you've run across British food star Nigella Lawson. But how much do you actually know about her work?
12.20.2023
The LDS Church's Playbook for Hiding Child Sexual Abuse
A recent report from the Associated Press tells the story of Chelsea Goodrich, who alleges that her father, a former Mormon bishop, sexually abused her as a child. He’s since been excommunicated from the LDS Church, which sought to keep...
12.20.2023
RadioWest’s 2023 Holiday Book Show
It’s our favorite time of year – when we indulge in gathering piles of books and gifting them to our family and friends.
12.13.2023
Through the Lens: ‘Subject’
Being featured in a documentary changes your life — and not just during the filming. Being a participant can often also mean public scrutiny, maybe trauma, for years and years.
12.07.2023
The End of Craving
In recent years, many Americans have cut carbs and sugar, reduced fat and tried every diet. Yet millions of us still have high blood pressure, are pre-diabetic and obese. Why?
12.05.2023
The Real Life of Napoleon Bonaparte
With Ridley Scott’s film “Napoleon” in theaters, we’re talking today about the real "Petit Caporal," a normal man who lived a life that was anything but small.
11.29.2023
The Perfect Fence
In 1874, a farmer named Joseph Glidden patented what became known as “the perfect fence:” two wires lined with sharp, metal barbs.
11.29.2023
The (Previously) Untold Story of the Women Who Mapped the Botany of the Grand Canyon
When you think of the Grand Canyon, you probably think of rocks and, of course, the Colorado River. But in the summer of 1938, two women risked their lives to study another feature of the canyon: its plants.
11.21.2023
The Secret of Cooking
For many of us, cooking is an annoying, boring chore. But the food writer Bee Wilson says there’s a simple secret to an easier life in the kitchen, and it begins with the person who cooks.
11.16.2023
RadioWest Films: ‘A Sister Must Sacrifice’
Miranda couldn’t wait to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She just didn’t know her weight would be a problem.
11.15.2023
A People’s History of the Nuclear West
In 1951, the U.S. government began test detonations of nuclear bombs in the Nevada desert. It wasn’t long before people started getting cancer.
11.09.2023
The 2023 Salt Lake City Mayoral Election
The race for Salt Lake City mayor comes down chiefly to two people, and both are, in a way, seeking re-election.
11.07.2023
Through The Lens: ‘Body Parts’
During the silent film era, women directed, wrote scripts and had a lot of say over how they were portrayed on screen. Fast forward a hundred years to the #metoo movement, and that dynamic has entirely changed.
11.01.2023
How the Ocean Works
The oceanographer Helen Czerski wants you to think of the ocean as a vast, planet-spanning engine. And what it drives is no less than life itself.

What's RadioWest about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

RadioWest episodes:

Celebrating the Natural World with Writer Rick Bass

Whales of the High Desert

Breathing Salt Lake’s West Side Air

Mere Beauty: Utah Symposium on Science and Literature

Through the Lens: ‘Hotshot’

How the Ocean Works

Exploring Clint Eastwood’s ‘Unforgiven’

The Debate Over Women's Empowerment in the LDS Church

Is it Actually a Good Idea to Colonize Mars?

A History of Witchcraft in Thirteen Trials

Gardening along the (not so dry) Wasatch Front

Podcast Extra: A Brief History of Polyamory in America

The Serious Search for Alien Life

Through the Lens: ‘Exposure’

Tax Exemptions for Religious Institutions

The Mastermind Behind Oil in the Uinta Basin

The 2024 Utah Legislative Wrap-Up

The Long Shot Bid for a Utah Lottery

Through the Lens - The Eternal Memory

Through the Lens - The Eternal Memory

The Alien Abduction of Betty and Barney Hill

Spirit World Encounters in Mormon Utah

Spirit World Encounters in Mormon Utah

The Golden Era of Hijacking Planes

The Plan to Save Great Salt Lake

How the Road Crossed the Land

The Future of D.E.I.

Sundance Film Festival 2024: ‘Sugarcane’

A New History of Mormonism

Budget, Housing and DEI — It’s the 2024 Legislative Session

The Offensive Magic of Swearing

Mary Beard On The Emperors of Rome

How the Female Body Drove Human Evolution

The Films of 2023

Habits — Good and Bad

Exploring the Sonic World with ‘Sounds Wild and Broken’

Nigella Lawson on What Makes a Good Meal

The LDS Church's Playbook for Hiding Child Sexual Abuse

RadioWest’s 2023 Holiday Book Show

Through the Lens: ‘Subject’

The End of Craving

The Real Life of Napoleon Bonaparte

The Perfect Fence

The (Previously) Untold Story of the Women Who Mapped the Botany of the Grand Canyon

The Secret of Cooking

RadioWest Films: ‘A Sister Must Sacrifice’

A People’s History of the Nuclear West

The 2023 Salt Lake City Mayoral Election

Through The Lens: ‘Body Parts’

How the Ocean Works

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