Before family photos, or school pictures or Instagram, there were hand-drawn and painted portraits. We consider how we see ourselves — and others — through these deeply personal images.Read more
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
Episode Archives
Are you ready to think in centuries instead of seconds? Eons instead of hours? It’s time to throw away your watch and make thousand-year plans. And appreciate how Earth keeps time. Read more
Original Air Date:
August 19, 2023
Gul Dolen is a pioneering neuroscientist who's investigating the “critical periods” of psychedelics, including studies where she's given MDMA — also known as “Molly” — to octopuses. Read more
Original Air Date:
August 12, 2023
We all feel better after a good cry. In fact, humans are the only animals who cry emotional tears. But what about people who don't cry? And have you ever wondered why a sad song or movie makes you cry?Read more
Original Air Date:
August 05, 2023
Can neuroscience explain what happens to the brain on psychedelics? And even if we map the brain while it’s tripping, does that tell us why these experiences can be so transformative? Read more
Original Air Date:
July 15, 2023
The rock icon explains why she’s fascinated by psychedelics as a promising treatment for addiction, a path for spiritual exploration, and a source of creativity.Read more
Original Air Date:
July 08, 2023
For a lot of Americans, summer means that it's time to hit the open road. We take road trips and endless highways for granted, but there are other countries where people can pay a heavy price just for getting behind a wheel.Read more
Original Air Date:
July 01, 2023
For many birdwatchers, identifying bird calls, tracking rare breeds through marshes and waters, and watching our feathered friends is more than just a pastime — it's a calling.Read more
Original Air Date:
June 17, 2023
When you’re on the clock, you’re always running out of time. The relentless countdown is making us and the planet sick. But clock time isn’t the only kind. There are older, deeper rhythms of natural time. We just forgot how to listen.Read more
Original Air Date:
June 03, 2023
In this episode of "Luminous," we go inside Usona Institute’s chemistry lab and go deep with co-founder Bill Linton about what brought him to this unique moment in the psychedelic revolution. Read more
Original Air Date:
May 17, 2023
We celebrate Mother's Day with a collection of stories from our archives, by and about moms. Stories about care and about courage — about the work of mothering.Read more
Original Air Date:
May 13, 2023
In some of our favorite science interviews — discover the joy of studying fossils, the invention of a paper microscope, and the astrophysics of making a hard-boiled egg.Read more
Original Air Date:
April 22, 2023
In the first episode in our series about psychedelics, how can psilocybin ease our fears about dying and help us make peace with the end of our lives?Read more
Original Air Date:
April 08, 2023
You're not even out of bed and you're already worrying. So let's talk about it: How anxious we are, how we got that way, and what to do about it.Read more
Original Air Date:
March 25, 2023
Maybe there’s something missing in your life you can’t quite explain. It might be that you need to re-discover your sense of wonder.Read more
Original Air Date:
March 18, 2023
Debates over American history are front-page news, and a new generation of public historians is re-shaping our national narrative.Read more
Original Air Date:
February 25, 2023
Radical politics and radical movements are on the rise everywhere. Maybe they're all — in one way or another — a rebellion against capitalism.Read more
Original Air Date:
February 11, 2023
A Native American hero — one of the greatest athletes the world has ever known — is now being celebrated by a new generation.Read more
Original Air Date:
January 14, 2023
Wakanda is a very American version of an idealized African future. So how do African science fiction writers tell stories about their own imagined future?Read more
Original Air Date:
December 10, 2022
In this final part of our series, we’re talking about work — specifically the right to meaningful work.Read more
Original Air Date:
November 19, 2022
PTSD and other mental health challenges can push people into poverty. How do you break the cycle? How do we truly care for people mentally and financially?Read more
Original Air Date:
November 12, 2022
In the first of three episodes of "Going For Broke" all about the care economy, we're thinking about housing. Many of us would consider it a basic human right. But in America, it can be hard to come by.Read more
Original Air Date:
November 05, 2022
When the real world becomes too much, fantasy might be your ticket out. But at what point does fantasy go too far?Read more
Original Air Date:
September 17, 2022
2019 marked the "year of return" to Ghana. Now, scores of African-Americans are moving to Ghana permanently – giving up on the country of their birth.Read more
Original Air Date:
September 03, 2022