Did you know that the U.S. military has a long history of working with psychics to try to discover enemy secrets? We examine this history and take a deep dive into the paranormal.

Guests:

Joe McMoneagle, Annie Jacobson, Marge Bradley, Paul Selig, Tanya Luhrmann, Michael Shermer, Tiya Miles

DNA tests are uncovering mixed bloodlines. For African Americans, this can be emotionally-charged. What do you do when you find out one of your direct ancestors was a slave owner? Does it open the door to new conversations about racial justice?

Guests:

Alex Gee, Erin Hoag, Annette Gordon-Reed, Anita Foeman

Covert spies painting nerve agents on doorknobs? It's not the only way to poison someone. We hear stories of radioactive paint, formaldehyde-spiked baby formula, and a beautiful garden full of plants that could kill you.

Guests: Deborah Blum, Kathryn Harkup, Amy Stewart, Kate Moore

The right-wing politics and bro culture of The Proud Boys is attracting young, white men nationwide. Founder Gavin McInnes believes “95% of American women” would be happier at home. Where does his vision of “being a man” fit in 2018?

Guests:

Gavin McInnes, Alexandra Hall, Kyle “Guante” Tran Myhre, Warren Farrell, Ashanti Branch

Cities can be cacophonous and loud, a chaos of sonic discord. If, that is, you don't really focus your listening. People who’ve trained their ears to hear urban soundscapes in new ways hear something different.

Guests:

David Rothenberg, David Haskell, Aaron Henkin, Wendel Patrick, Jennifer Stoever, Pierre Schaeffer, Vivienne Corringham

"Magical thinking" gets a bad rap these days. It suggests losing your grip on reality or being so gullible that you'll believe anything - from ghosts to miracles. But what if magic isn't pure fantasy? Maybe it's the gateway to wonder.

*Guests: *Nate Staniforth, Michael Muhammad Knight, Haleema Shah, Chloe Benjamin

If you think of your life as a series of births, what changes? The first birth is when you arrive here, as a wet, wiggling newborn. But there may be other transitions in your life that feel just as difficult and profound. Some people actually call those passages re-birth. But why does the birth metaphor matter?

This hour, we examine midwives, trans men, and born again Christians. Birth. Rebirth. And Born Again.

Interviews in this hour:

The Power of Choice When You're Giving Birth

On the tenth anniversary of his suicide, David Foster Wallace faces renewed criticism over his treatment of women, in his life and work. Fans and critics are re-reading his work, struggling to reconcile genius with misogyny.

*Guests: *Clare Hayes-Brady, Colleen Leahy, Makini Allwood, David Foster Wallace, Amy Wallace-Havens

It's not easy in America today to find work that matters, that’s meaningful, and that pays enough to live on. Which is the one thing we don’t talk about. What’s wrong with work — and how do we fix it?

**Guests: ** Alissa Quart, David Graeber, James Livingston, Niki Okuk, Studs Terkel

Haven’t listened in a while? In case you missed it, here's a sampling of what we’ve heard on the show recently.

Shows featured:

Our Invisible Universe

Roadtrippin’

What Is School For? 

Against Cynicism

Loving Bees