Most people think of conflict as something to be avoided, but there's another way to view it -- as creative and generative. In his book "The Art of Rivalry," Boston Globe art critic Sebastian Smee explores how intense conflicts, broken friendships and personal reconciliations fueled some of the most dramatic breakthroughs in Modern Art. He tells Steve Paulson that the rivalry between Picasso and Matisse contributed, in part, to cubism.
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
Audio
"Gifts make slaves like whips make dogs" is an anthropologist's tale of inter-cultural difference in gift exchanges.
David Graeber takes us on a tour of gift giving, and gift economies. He also takes a swing at the question of whether it's possible to give a truly selfless gift.
Acrassicauda means Black Scorpion and is the name of an Iraqi heavy metal band.
Playwright and actor Eric Bogosian has written a novel, “Mall.” It’s a satire about the suburbs involving the activities of several unappealing characters who interact at the local mall.
Sci-fi writer Eileen Gunn bookmarks Nisi Shawl's "Filter House."
What's the oddest - or most delicious - translation of traditional food that you've sampled?
LA Times food critic Jonathan Gold has spent his career seeking out the best plates of authentic – or reinterpreted – culture. Anne Strainchamps asked him about food in translation.
Listen to the UNCUT interview here. We recommend having some snacks on hand!
A Pakistan school is de-radicalizing Taliban boy soldiers, many of whom were forcibly recruited. Psychologist Feriha Peracha directs the experimental program.
Brian Palmer is a veteran journalist and foreign correspondent. He embedded with the First Battalion/Second Marines three times between 2004 and 2006. He's now made a documentary film called "Full Disclosure," about the experience.
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