Showing results by narrator "Jim Fleming" in All Categories

Light has long been a powerful metaphor for holiness and truth, and rightly so. From the stars in the sky to the bulbs in our homes, light touches every facet of human life. This hour, a look at the natural, artificial, and symbolic light that colors our history - and our future.

Getting through winter requires mental and physical toughness, plus good central heating. But animals have amazing strategies for surviving conditions that make humans whimper. Today, winter survival strategies from our furred and feathered friends. What could we learn from a walrus who spends the winter munching shrimp below 30 feet of polar ice? Or from frogs who survive the entire season awake, but frozen solid?

Do you ever get the feeling that this is Big Soda's world and we're just living in it? Even though soda sales have declined in recent years, Big Soda looms large in our popular culture. In this hour, we explore "Coca-Cola Capitalism" and soda politics.

Who doesn’t love a good book? We all know a great novel can change the way we see the world, but what about the way we treat each other? This week, we explore the benefits of reading fiction, and find out if it makes us more moral.

It used to be easy to get lost in a good book, but now lots of people say reading is boring. Scientists say all that skimming and surfing on electronic screens is actually rewiring our brains. So we examine the new science of reading, and meet celebrated New Yorker book critic James Wood.

It's National Novel Writing Month. How's yours coming along? If that seems too daunting, maybe you'd rather try writing a short story. You might want to think again because a short story can often be more difficult to write. Today, we explore what makes a short story great. Acclaimed writer Ben Marcus talks about the addictive power of the short story; Jesse Eisenberg the actor unveils Jesse Eisenberg the writer; and Diane Cook talks about going from "This American Life" to writing surreal short fiction. Also, Margaret Atwood on her new novel.

Automated machines are taking over our lives. They're not the scary robots you see in movies, but more and more of today's technology - from smart phones to airplanes - is automated. And some of the world's biggest companies are racing to come up with a "master algorithm" - a formula that will let machines learn anything. This could lead to self-driving cars and even a cure for cancer. But do we want to give machines so much control?

Some people talk to God and some think God talks to them. But what one person calls mysticism, another might call mental illness. We examine a range of spiritual experiences - from hearing voices to prayer and conversations with God. Also, David Steindl-Rast reflects on life as a Benedictine monk.

Name a problem and Washington seems unable to solve it. Poverty. Climate change. Unemployment. Immigration. Education. Enter the mayor. As one of our guests ask, "What IF mayor ruled the world?" Jon Gnarr wasn't trying to rule anything. He is a professional comedian who ran for mayor of Reykjavik on a lark. And to his surprise, won. And to everyone's surpirse, helped change his country during a crisis.

Something's bubbling in American kitchens: a resurgence of interest in cultured and fermented foods. Fermentation revivalists share a slow food philosophy, a DIY approach to foodcraft, and a deep interest in the health of the American gut. Today, we explore fermentation culture in food, technology, art and science.

With shows in Milan, Paris and New York, its fashion month across the Western World, and people are turning their eyes to runways. But does fashion really matter? Truth is, the garment industry is worth trillions of dollars, and employs millions of people. In this hour, we take a look at the role of clothing in our identities, cultures, economies and environment.

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.

Walk long enough and far enough, and you will never be the same. This week, stories of people who transformed their lives by picking up their feet; blazing trails; and enduring blisters, frostbite, and bad trail food.

Are humans really unique? Not as much as we think, says renowned primatologist Frans de Waal. So what do our ape cousins - chimps & bonobos - think and feel? Also, the remarkable story of a feral child who lived with monkeys.

Do you ever think about the way you think? Lately, we've been doing a lot of thinking about what we think about when we think about thinking. Join us as we explore the life of the mind.

For millions of people, a mosque is a safe haven, a place to worship. But others fear that mosques are a breeding ground for terrorists - especially since September 11, 2001. It's the same building, but has become a marker for so much controversy. This hour, we wanted to approach the idea of the mosque from the buildings themselves.

"Death is not a failure," writes Dr. Atul Gawande. "Death may be the enemy, but it is also the natural order of things." We live much longer than we used to, thanks to medical advances, but what are the emotional and financial costs of extending life? Some doctors don't know how to talk with their patients about preparing for death, so there's now a push to have frank conversations about end-of-life care. Also,one family's story of working within Oregon's "Death with Dignity" law.

We’re all a little bit wild inside, but how often do we let it out? If you've been spending too much time indoors in front of a screen, maybe it's time for a dose of the real thing. This week, stories of people who found strength, wonder and joy by heading into the wild.

What goes into making new music? And how does hearing new music change the way we listen? From the Avant Garde composers of the 1920s, through Japanese noise music, to punk progenitor Richard Hell, we’re looking at how music - and how we hear it - changes.

Ah, summer music festivals... beer tents, starry nights, a great lineup of bands. And tens of thousands of strangers. The festival-ization of American music has more of us shelling out for expensive tickets to multi-day, multi-stage festivals. Are they worth it? Today, a road trip to indie musician Justin Vernon's new boutique Eaux Claires Music and Arts Festival in his Wisconsin hometown. And a sonic tour of the great 60's festivals you're too young – or were too stoned – to remember.