We sang it during the civil rights movement, on marches, on buses, and in the face of violence. We sang it for workers rights, and to protest the war in Vietnam, on the mall in Washington. Sometimes, we sang it hand in hand, our arms criss-crossed across our bodies, swaying. More than any...Read more
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Episode Archives
“Lets Make Our Own Movie!” That was a wild idea back in the days of young Mickey Rooney, but today, anyone can do it. Next time on To the Best of Our Knowledge, how digital cameras make us all directors, and why movies may never be the same. Also, screenwriter Andrew Davies...Read more
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...Read more
Consider this future world: a vaccine that makes you continually happy. A chip in your brain that lets you communicate telepathically with your spouse. Human lives that span hundreds of years. Sound far-fetched? Not according the James Hughes of the World Trans-humanist Association. He says...Read more
Imagine a scenario where universes bubble up out of black holes. Space itself can boil, and humankind may have to fight for survival by building gigantic atom-smashers the length of several star systems. That future may be closer than you think. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge,...Read more
Larry Brilliant is a doctor, co-founder of the digital social network the Well, and he was the first executive director of Google.org. But back in the Sixties, he was a hippie doctor who joined Wavy Gravy's traveling bus caravan and then landed in an Indian ashram in the Himalayas, where his...Read more
Scientists are launching one of the most audacious projects ever conceived: a detailed map of the human brain, neuron by neron, synapse by synapse. For some scientists...Read more
Do African-Americans believe Jesse Jackson speaks for them? A resounding 72% between the ages of 18 and 45 say "No." In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, the battle between the Civil Rights generation and the Hip-Hop generation. We'll speak to young blacks about who does speak for them...Read more
Plugged into devices, fixated on screens, their world muted by headphones jammed in their ears, college students on campus in Ann Arbor can seem oblivious to risk. Poet Laura Kasischke marvels at their fearlessness in...Read more
Can you imagine spending a week at an airport? By choice? Alain de Botton did exactly that. He tells us about it, as we explore airports and air travel.Read more
In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, Simon Winchester tells the remarkable story of Krakatoa. The volcanic eruption spewed chunks of land 25 miles into the air. The blast was heard three thousand miles away. And it kicked up monstrous tidal waves that killed nearly forty thousand...Read more
An early spring thaw is good news if you live in a snow belt state. But it's not just the snow mound at the bottom of the driveway that's melting right now – the polar ice caps are melting too. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, stories from the lands of snow and ice. What do we...Read more
In case it’s not obvious: we LOVE books on TTBOOK. But we’re also incredibly picky about which books we choose for interviews.Read more
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.Read more
What animals will still be living in the year 3000? Forget about tigers, rhinos and pandas. They’ll go the way of the dodo bird. But scientist Peter Ward says rats and coyotes will flourish. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge the future of evolution. Also, best-selling novelist...Read more
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!
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Do you have a tattoo? One in five American adults do. It seems there are tattoo parlors everywhere. What’s most popular? Quotes from great works of literature. "So it goes."Read more
Robert Olen Butler had a crazy idea. The Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist wanted to show how writers really work. So he created his own web site, pointed a camera at his word processor, and wrote...every night for three weeks. Believe it or not, thousands of people tuned in for the these...Read more
We run for all sorts of reasons -- to lose 10 pounds, to win an Olympic medal, or simply because it’s fun. Some even run as a spiritual practice. Today, why we run - and how far and how fast can humans go?Read more
For eons Mars has been the toast of the galaxy – and has ignited the human imagination. The Red Planet is home to the God of War – and to little green men. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, exploring Mars. We’ll get the latest on NASA’s new Mars missions, and take a look at the...Read more
Do you believe that the government is keeping secrets from us? That the military is hiding evidence of alien visitations? Maybe you have a hard line to the truth -- or maybe you're a sucker for conspiracy theories. Today, we explore why we love conspiracy theories and why we believe them.Read more
Outlet malls are America's number-one travel destination. They get more visitors every year than Times Square, Disney World and the Grand Canyon combined. We definitely have a lust for low prices. But this discount culture comes with a high cost. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, we'...Read more
Welcome to the next generation of African writers. They’re young, multi-lingual, and breaking out of all the old literary boxes. This hour, why Africa has one of the most exciting literary scenes on the planet.Read more
What would the Old Masters make of the exhibitions that get some elected officials so worked up? They might have liked them! In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, new art and old masters. Simon Schama paints Rembrandt as a prankster. We’ll uncover the political...Read more