Episode Archives

Filter episodes by the year they originally aired.
spare change

How did our economists miss it? We're in a full-on economic crisis. Where was the warning? In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, a look at the so-called dismal science. We'll talk with the winner of the 2008 Nobel Prize for Economics on why the alarm bells never rang. And, why is it that...Read more

Original Air Date:

February 01, 2009

hunter with dogs

Put on your Blaze Orange and your waterproof boots, we're heading into the woods! Hunting is one of the oldest human activities, and despite markets full of food and TV nature specials about a world of oneness among species, hunting remains very popular. In this hour of To the Best of Our...Read more

Original Air Date:

January 18, 2009

brain

Jill Bolte Taylor is a Harvard-trained brain scientist who suffered a crippling stroke. What's remarkable about her story is that she watched - in clinical detail - what was happening to her own mind and body while she was having the stroke. As her body shut down, she felt strangely euphoric....Read more

Original Air Date:

September 21, 2008

a border collie runs with a ball

In Baltimore, Maryland, there's an octopus that likes to play with toys. In Vienna, Austria, there's a border collie with a vocabulary of 340 words - more than many toddlers. Southeast Asia is home to dozens of elephants who like to paint. Re-thinking animal intelligence--not only are they...Read more

Original Air Date:

July 13, 2008

a lonely guy

Men are under siege. They might be the stronger sex, but as far as cultural clout goes, they get the short end of the stick. One writer says the feminist movement lost its way and ended up making men the enemy. Is it time to save the males? Also, we remember the madcap genius of one of America's...Read more

Original Air Date:

June 29, 2008

a member of the press in a military helmet

When the war in Iraq started, over 770 journalists went with Coalition troops. 5 years later there are fewer than 20. What happened? In this hour of To The Best Of Our Knowledge, the embed system. How can journalists accurately report on the very soldiers who protect them? Has the US military...Read more

Original Air Date:

June 15, 2008

To The Best Of Our Knowledge

Every mom deserves something special on Mother's Day. We can't fix you breakfast in bed or drop by with coffee and muffins – though here's hoping someone in your life does! - but we can serve up a radio show. What do women want to say to each other about what it's like to be a mom.Read more

Original Air Date:

May 11, 2008

a woman shushing

Standing on 8 feet of ice in Antarctica you can actually feel the call of the Weddell seal below through your boots. The Carthusian monks say you can feel the vow of silence in your soul. In this hour of To The Best Of Our Knowledge, touching the sound of a monk's silence and a seal's call. And...Read more

Original Air Date:

March 02, 2008

The celebrated writer Susan Sontag died a few years ago from a brutal form of blood cancer. She fought her illness to the end and didn't want anyone - including her son - to tell her she was dying. Now that son, David Rieff, has written a memoir of his mother's death. And he tackles a difficult...Read more

Original Air Date:

February 24, 2008

a cassette

Music writer Carl Wilson doesn't like Celine Dion's music so why would he write a book about her 1999 hit album, "Let's Talk About Love"? Wilson shares his story of trying to get in touch with his inner Celine Dion fan. And what the experience taught him about musical taste. Also, we'll explore...Read more

Original Air Date:

January 27, 2008

a woman receives makeup

The beauty biz is booming. The image conscious consumer can choose between a full-service menu of make-over options: laser facial resurfacing, liposuction, eyelid enhancing, breast implants and even a nip and tuck – wherever. And reality TV makes the whole process downright seductive. But why...Read more

Original Air Date:

January 27, 2008

gas masks

Every good story comes to an end, but in some stories the End is just the beginning. It takes a special kind of writer to create a believable Apocalypse in the pages of a novel, and right now there are a lot of them. In this hour of To The Best Of Our Knowledge, Apocalyptic Fiction – new stories...Read more

Original Air Date:

January 20, 2008

american flag

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. It depends on what the meaning of the word "is" is. From Bold declarations to bald-faced lies. On To The Best Of Our Knowledge, the audacity of American politics. How did we get from Thomas Jefferson to William Jefferson...Read more

Original Air Date:

January 13, 2008

the Bible

How far would you go for what you believe? If you're a practicing Jew or Christian, does it matter to you to do everything the Bible tells you to? If you follow a guru, how much of your life are you willing to change? In this hour of To The Best Of Our Knowledge, the strange things that...Read more

Original Air Date:

December 30, 2007

a photograph with the letters SAD printed on it

We're into the holiday season. Or, as some might say, the seasonal affective disorder season. Or better yet, the depression season. So have another cocktail, another piece of cake. Take a few pills. It'll be January soon enough. But why are we trying to force happiness anyway? I mean, what's so...Read more

Original Air Date:

December 16, 2007

a book about language

In biology it's widely accepted, but the study of the evolution of language was once banned by The French Linguistic Institute. In this hour of To The Best Of Our Knowledge, we'll let it develop, and take a look at the story of French as well. Also, composer Stephen Paulus finds music in and...Read more

Original Air Date:

November 11, 2007

a dark bullhorn hangs

We're familiar with the idea of hearing voices...perhaps our "inner critic" or the voice of a parent or beloved family member. But what if you, or someone you loved, really heard voices? In this hour of To The Best Of Our Knowledge, Daniel B. Smith talks about the phenomenon of auditory...Read more

Original Air Date:

November 04, 2007

an architectural arch

Is there an irreconcilable conflict between Islam and the West — a “clash of civilizations”?  In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge we'll hear prominent Western and Muslim intellectuals debate this idea.Read more

Original Air Date:

November 04, 2007

woman raises fist

9/11 changed the American psyche. According to some reports, Americans wanted to eat comfort food, like macaroni and cheese, get married and have babies. They wanted leaders - male leaders - who were strong, who could rescue the female victims, like Jessica Lynch. Or did they? In this hour of To...Read more

Original Air Date:

October 28, 2007

a California road

It's been fifty years since Jack Kerouac's groundbreaking novel, "On The Road" was published. But there's still a lot we can learn from the book. In this hour of To The Best Of Our Knowledge, John Leland on the lessons of "On The Road" and why Kerouac still matters. Also, Joyce Johnson shares...Read more

Original Air Date:

September 09, 2007

traditional tacos

There's no question – we crave authenticity. You want "real" Chinese or Mexican food? Then make sure you find a restaurant that makes food the way it's made in the old country. Music lovers are also obsessed with authenticity - from folk and blues to rap...just consider the mantra of hip hop - "...Read more

Original Air Date:

August 19, 2007

the edge of a psychedelic trip

In this hour of To The Best Of Our Knowledge we'll talk with Daniel Pinchbeck and hear the latest science on brain plasticity. Who says you can't teach an old brain new tricks?Read more

Original Air Date:

August 05, 2007

palm trees

"Middle age is when you're sitting at home on a Saturday night and the telephone rings and you hope it isn't for you." That's according to Ogden Nash. Saturday night is definitely a special night. In this hour of To The Best Of Our Knowledge, Susan Orlean tells us about some of the Saturday...Read more

Original Air Date:

June 10, 2007

a murder?

Author, Author

Part Four

 

Violence, crime, destitution. No so much fun in real life, but in literature they can be divine. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge we'll dive into the world of pulp fiction. From the classic noir...Read more

Original Air Date:

June 10, 2007

Pages