Showing results by narrator "Jim Fleming" in All Categories

In this hour, we ask what exactly Einstein concluded about religion. First, a discussion with Richard Dawkins, Elaine Pagels, and Einstein biographer Walter Isaacson (Einstein: His Life and Universe). Next, Jungian analyst David Lindorff (Pauli and Jung: the Meeting of Two Great Minds). Then, author David Leavitt, (The Indian Clerk). Finally, mystic Father Thomas Keating.

A little laugh goes a long way. This week, we’re taking a crash course in how to be funny. From Chicago’s famous Second City, to a humor research lab, this hour's a laugh riot. We also talk with a laughter coach, Canadian comic Mary Walsh, and longtime New Yorker humorist Ian Frazier. Giggle on!

In this hour we'll hear the latest science on brain plasticity. First, psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and researcher Norman Doidge (The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science). Next, author Daniel Pinchbeck (2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl), and more.

When’s the last time you were wonderstruck? Would your life be richer for more wonder? What wonder is, how to make it, where to find it and what it does for us... we all get gently awed in this hour.

Today most of what we read is on a screen. So here's the question: Is there something different -- something better -- about reading a physical book? Or does it matter? We explore slow reading, e-reading, bibliotherapy and a novel that unfolds within another novel.

Science fiction offers us visions of histories we don't know -- histories of the future and the past. Today, legendary science fiction writers talk about science, utopia, and the imagination. Plus, the winners of our 3 Minute Futures fiction contest!

In this hour, Jonathan Lethem talks to Steve Paulson about his new novel, Dissident Gardens. Next, Margaret Atwood talks to Jim Fleming about her new novel, MaddAddam. Then, Boris Kachka talks with Steve Paulson about his Vulture.com story, "On the Thomas Pynchon Trail." After that, Shane Salerno talks to Anne Strainchamps about his documentary, Salinger, and the companion book he co-authored with David Shields. And finally, we share the mysterious story of the listener who sent us postcards in response to our show about handwriting.

Atheists are finally coming out of the closet, and in some cases denouncing religion. Others still crave a sense of the sacred even though they don’t believe in God. Do atheists have something to learn from religion? Why do so many people call themselves "spiritual but not religious"? And why did bestselling novelist Anne Rice split very publicly with the Catholic Church?

Buried scrolls, clay tablets, priceless artifacts and expensive forgeries – this week, we bring you stories from the strange and amazing world of biblical archeology.

Whatever happened to psychoanalysis? It used to be the most influential science of the mind, but today its founder, Sigmund Freud, just looks like a sex-obsessed old man. Analyst Adam Phillips says we got Freud all wrong; he remains a radical thinker if we know how to read him. This hour explores the connections between therapy and art.

The happiness industry is booming. And with good reason - everyone wants to be happy. Today, science can light the way. Brain researcher Richard Davidson can sum it up quickly: learn to meditate. Davidson's research studying the brains of longtime Buddhist monks has discovered that most of the time, the brain that meditates is a happy brain. And a Harvard-trained neuro-scientist finds nirvana in the devastation of a stroke.

Albert Camus was many things: war hero, Nobel Prize-winning novelist, and one of the 20th century’s most fascinating public thinkers. We examine the life and legacy of Camus on his 100th birthday: how a poor kid from Algeria became a revered French writer, hungry to find meaning in an absurd world, and why Camus still has a lot to tell us about a world mired in political violence.

The Meaning of Life in 5 Easy Lessons.

We explore the frontiers of brain science, from the neurobiology of emotions to recent discoveries about autism. Renowned neuroscientists Richard Davidson and V.S. Ramachandran reveal new insights into the brain, and we'll hear the story of one marriage saved by a diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome.

Both practically and symbolically, our voices are one of the primary ways that we interact with the world around us. Since ancient Greece, the voice has represented participatory democracy, and today we still argue about whose voices to include in our national conversations. But even though we might think of our voices as our own—and ourselves as free to use them—it turns out that the voice is one of the most disciplined, trained, standardized, regulated dimensions of human life and expression.

What makes a great school? Is it the quality of teaching, class size, or the curriculum? When it comes to school reform, everyone seems to have an opinion. Today, we're rethinking schools and the way we teach.

“A short story is a love affair, a novel is a marriage. A short story is a photograph; a novel is a film.” – Lorrie Moore.

If you've ever been alone on Valentine's Day, you probably know how isolating it can be to feel like the only single person in a world full of happy couples. But being alone doesn't have to be shameful. This hour, we're changing the script and making the case for the lovelorn, the loners, the bachelors and spinsters that there's nothing wrong with being alone.

This collection of powerful moments from a beloved public radio program tries to capture the essence of what matters most in life. With wisdom and compassion, humor and courage, respect and awe, celebrities and ordinary people share their best thinking about how to live and how to die. No matter what your spiritual orientation, these stories will enlighten and entertain you. And they'll dare you to keep an open mind.

When we’ve had enough of reality, we often seek escape in a movie. But we don’t have to shut off our brains when we visit the cinema. Some films actually encourage us to use our minds. This hour, we explore philosophy through the lens of film.