Christopher Benfey tells Anne Strainchamps why there was a hummingbird craze in 19th century Massachsetts, how artists and poets used them as symbols, and why they seem like winged jewels.
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
Nature
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...
British artist Laura Williams talks with Anne Strainchamps about Aluna — her design for the world's first tidal-powered moon clock.
Piers Vitebsky is an anthropologist who studies the Eveny — also known as the "Reindeer People of Siberia." He tells Steve Paulson they keep herds of reindeer for meat, but also have personal, consecrated reindeer animal doubles, which they believe will die for them.
"We're all of us guinea pigs in the laboratory of God. Humanity is just a work in progress." So said Tennessee Williams. Inventor and visionary Ray Kurzweil believes the new, improved version of humanity could feature computers the size of blood cells implanted in our brains....
Ice is amazing stuff. A few cubes in a glass and you have a refreshing drink. A light glaze on a highway and you have a tragedy waiting to happen. In this hour of To The Best Of Our Knowledge, a visit with a woman who knows pretty much all there is to know about ice. And, where there's ice,...
Steve presents a profile of Edward Abbey, whose book "Desert Solitaire" changed the way people thought about the desert. Abbey inspired many of today's environmental activists. We hear excerpts from Abbey's work and his admirers.
Do animals have culture? The orangutans of Sumatra certainly do. They've learned how to fish honey out of tiny termite nests, and to scoop the pulpy food out of razor-sharp fruits. What's more, they've passed on this knowledge to their offspring. Now, scientists think these primates may offer...
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