It would be hard to imagine a more fundamental American value than democracy. For centuries, disenfranchised people have fought for the right to vote. But would we be better off if fewer peoplevoted - if only the people who actually know about public policy were allowed to vote? What if democracy itself is the problem with our government? That's the radical idea of Georgetown philosopher Jason Brennan (author of "Against Democracy"), who says most voters are shockingly ignorant of basic political issues. In this extended interview with Steve Paulson, Brennan proposes "the rule of the knowledgeable."

For all the amazing discoveries that scientists have made, the cosmos is still full of mysteries - from dark matter to quantum entanglement. Will physicists ever explain the universe, or is it fundamentally unknowable? We explore the frontiers of physics and ponder what it means to live with mystery Did We Find an Alien Civilization?; The Unknowable Universe; Is Quantum Entanglement for Real?; In the Newton Archives; On Being Terry Gilliam.

Celebrate Live Culture: Exploring the Fermentation Revival Ferment This!; You Won't Believe What They Eat In Iceland; Smells Bad, Tastes Bad, Covered in Slime; Grow Your Own Clothes; The Day The Yogurt Took Over; What Your Poo Says About You; Dangerous Idea: Human Vices Help Drive Evolution; What Comes After Homo Sapiens?.

One of this year's big novels is Colson Whitehead's sweeping historical novel, "The Underground Railroad." It's an unflinching look at the experience of slavery, inspired by the classic slave narratives. And being a sci-fi geek, Whitehead also weaves in bits of fantasy, creating an alternative history that features an actual underground railroad and other historical oddities. In this extended podcast interview, Whitehead tells Steve Paulson that he wasn't going to stick to the facts, but he did stick to the truth.

Public radio producer Charles Monroe-Kane confronts the truth about the years he spent self-treating his mental illness with a dangerous mix of hard drugs and alcohol

There are many ways to live dangerously. Sure, you can take part in a death defying feat like skydiving, but living dangerously also sometimes involves taking intellectual risks, opening up, and being honest with yourself. To the Best of Our Knowledge recently travelled to Salt Lake City to speak with a few people, live onstage, about what it means to live dangerously. Rock Climber Overcomes Loss by Learning How to Fly; Two Activists Challenge the Mormon Church from Inside and Out; Canopy Biologist Studies Movement from Treetops to Prisons; Finding Joy and Discomfort in the History of the National Parks.