The average American voter is NOT smarter than a 5th grader, doesn't understand basic political facts and should probably not be allowed to vote. Philosopher Jason Brennan makes the case for an epistocracy: the rule of the knowledgeable.
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
Audio
Anthropologist Alia Gurtov was one of the first people to crawl into the Dinaledi Chamber to see the Homo naledi fossils. She describes the harrowing climb into the cave, where she had to crawl through tiny passages to retrieve the bones.
Col. David Lapan is Director of Public Affairs for the U.S. Marine Corps and one of the architect's of the Department of Defense's Embedded Media Program.
Neuroscientist David Eagleman says most of the brain's real action happens below the level of the conscious mind. He calls the brain "a team of rivals," since different parts of the brain compete against each other.
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.
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.
Don Gurnett has been working with NASA, recording audio from space for years. He plays some of his favorite space sounds for Jim Fleming and explains where they come from.
David Schmader thinks "Showgirls" is the most brilliant bad movie ever made. He did a commentary for the new DVD edition and tells Steve Paulson why it's so hilarious.
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