Stefan Gates is the author of and a self-described "Gastronaut" – someone who'll stop at nothing to experience a transcendent moment through food, no matter how bizarre.
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
Audio
Elizabeth Lunbeck talks about her book, "The Americanization of Narcissism."
Jim Fleming talks with novelist Wesley Stace. He explains why "Tristram Shandy" is one of his favorite books.
Writer Scott Topper provides a commentary on the power of films on the minds of film-goers.
Neuroscientists say that about a quarter of our mental energy is dedicated to maintaining our narrative identities. Julian Keenan says there's got to be an evolutionary benefit for all that "self".
Renowned British paleontologist Simon Conway Morris believes human-like intelligence was the inevitable outcome of the appearance of life on earth.
The process of data sonification is exactly what it sounds like: the translation of data points into various sounds, each with unique characteristics that can change over time. So instead of turning your spreadsheets into charts and graphs, they can now be turned into a kind of music. Matt Kenney demonstrates how it's done.
Philosopher Rebecca Goldstein says philosophy is still evolving, and continues to shape our values. She talks about her long fascination with the granddaddy of all philosophers, Plato.
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