Friday, we’re talking to historian Richard Francis about Samuel Sewell. He was one of the judges during the Salem Witch Hunt in 1692. There were actually 9 judges who sent 20 people to their deaths, but only Sewell came forward to say he was sorry.

Serious researchers long shied away from so-called anthropomorphism. But biologist John Shivik says animal personalities and emotion are key to understanding how species evolved. So why are some animals shy and others ornery? Shivik joins us Thursday.

Wednesday, we’re asking this question: Is it true that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger? Investigative journalist and anthropologist Scott Carney went looking for answers. He joins us to talk about pushing past perceived limitations.

Filmmaker Doug Nichol’s new documentary is a tribute to typewriters. In an age of high-tech, do-it-all gadgetry, the typewriter may be on the edge of extinction, but it still offers artists of all stripes unique access to the creative spirit.

Monday, we're talking about our massive food waste problem. A full forty percent of food in America ends up in the trash. Activist Tristram Stuart joins us to talk about why we waste so much food and what we can and should do about it.

15 years ago Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped by religious fanatic Brian David Mitchell, and a new film tells the story of her months in captivity. Friday, we’re rebroadcasting our conversation with Smart about the ordeal and faith, family, and survival. (Rebroadcast)

You’ve probably got that one family member who just drives you crazy. Maybe it’s their politics or their constant talk about their cat’s eating habits, but you put up with it because their family, right? Well, experimental journalist A.J. Jacobs wants you to think more broadly, because the way he sees it, we’re all cousins. His latest book is a dive into genealogy and the new ways we’re understanding the human family. He’s coming to Utah, and joins us to talk about the world’s family tree.

Wednesday, we’re talking to journalist Vanessa Grigoriadis, whose controversial new book looks at sex and sexual violence on college campuses. Grigoriadis interviewed more than 100 students, as well as parents and college administrators, to try to understand how sex, power, and consent work on campus these days. The answer is really complicated with good and terrible sides to the story. There’s also a lot of what she calls the mushy middle. Her book is called Blurred Lines .

No idea from psychology has saturated popular culture as thoroughly as Hermann Rorschach’s inkblots. Rorschach designed the ten amorphous, symmetrical inkblots as a means to probe the human mind. He believed that what you see is who you are. He died less than a year after publishing his test, and the inkblots became a kind of sorcerer’s apprentice, influencing the world without his guidance. In a new biography, writer Damion Searls chronicles Rorschach’s life and the influence of his iconic

What do you do when a panhandler approaches you? Do you give money? Do you give food? Maybe you don’t give the person anything. Maybe you donate to a homeless services organization, or volunteer at the soup kitchen instead. But what should you do? That’s what we’re asking on Monday’s show. Our guests work closely with Utah’s homeless population, and they all agree, there are no easy answers when it comes to the ethical questions around panhandling.