Colby Buzzell is an Iraq War veteran whose blog and book is called "My War," and he tells Anne Strainchamps why he joined up and how he got past the drug test.
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
Audio
Steve here. 2016 marked the 100th anniversary of America’s beloved National Park system. I could think of no one better to reflect on the importance of national parks than one of my favorite writers, Terry Tempest Williams.
Barack Obama talks with Steve Paulson about his self-image and success.
David Thorpe is a filmmaker who went in search of his voice. Specifically, he wanted to know why he and many other gay men ended up markers of a "gay voice"—one with precise enunciation and sibilant "s" sounds. He spoke with his family and several speech therapists to better understand, control, and inhabit his voice.
Angie da Silva is a historian of black cultural life in the United States, going back to the Civil War. She collects stories, both through oral history and archival research. But she's not merely a writer. She brings these stories to life through historical reenactment, often as a slave character she's created named Lila. She says that the stories she hears and tells are too often left out of our history books.
In this interview, she talks about her work and tells the story of Mary Meachum, a free black abolitionist who worked on the Mississippi in St. Louis.
Writer Brendan Koerner reviews Yukio Mishima's classic novel, "Confessions of a Mask".
Psychologists John and Julie Gottman are famous for being able to predict with 94% accuracy whether a couple will break up, stay together unhappily, or stay together happily. In their Love Lab, they've identified hidden patterns of behavior that can strengthen or weaken relationships. If we'd known the secret to a good marriage was non-linear differential equations, we might have paid more attention in math class.
There are lots of ways to amplify our senses, from hallucinogens to cochlear implants. A few people are taking it further, creating original sensory experiences by implanting new technologies in their bodies.
Artist Neil Harbisson is greyscale color blind. He designed a new electronic body part that would help him experience color.
If you want to hear about the art Neil makes thanks to his new sense, here's his extended interview.
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