Andrew Keen- “Does The Internet Really Kill Culture”

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Those of us who use the internet are subject to the words and wisdom, or lack thereof, provided by the people and or machines that upload ideas and content. The democratization of the internet, allowing anyone to post anything is, in the mind of Andrew Keen, our guest of this edition of Radio Curious, creating a “cut-and-paste” on-line culture which threatens copyright protection and intellectual property rights at the expense of those who create original work. Andrew Keen is the author of “The Cult Of The Amateur: How Today’s Internet is Killing Our Culture.” When I spoke with him from his home in Berkeley, in early June 2007 we began with his explanation of the democratization of the internet.

The song, film and book recommended by Andrew Keen are the U2 song “Vertigo,” the movie “Vertigo,” by Alfred Hitchcock, and the book “Vertigo,” by W.G. Sebald.

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Gregory Hartley & Maryann Karinch – “Reading Body Language”

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Originally Broadcast: April 4, 2007
I Can Read You Like a Book

Have you ever wondered what some body movements mean when people hear certain words or see certain images? Many of these body movements are involuntary reactions inherent to the individual or culturally based. “I Can Read You Like A Book: How to Spot the Messages and Emotions People are Really Sending with their Body Language,” by Gregory Hartley and Maryann Karinch, describes methods of understanding what people really mean and how to gain insight to their background by watching their physical behavior. Hartley, a former Army interrogator details how to review with an open mind what you see, evaluate to know what is relevant, analyze to identify voluntary versus involuntary movements and then decide or draw a conclusion based on what you observe.

Gregory Hartley recommends “Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us,” by Dr. Robert D. Hare..

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Dr. Gene D. Cohen– “Do We Get Smarter As We Age”

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Originally Broadcast: April 18, 2006

The Mature Mind: The Positive Power of the Aging Brain

Do people over a certain age necessarily loose mental acuity? According to Dr. Gene Cohen, the answer is “no.” Dr. Cohen, a psychiatrist and gerontologist has determined that certain genes are activated by experience as we age, allowing our personalities to grow and change. The brain has reserves of strength and agility that compensate for the effects of aging on its other parts. Dr. Cohen has found that the information processing in the 60 to 80 year old brain achieves it’s greatest density and reach. He explains these and other developing concepts in brain research in his book, “The Mature Mind: The Positive Power of the Aging Brain.” I spoke with Dr. Cohen in March 2006 from his office on Aging, Health & Humanities, in Washington D.C., where he is the Director. We began our conversation with his description of the importance of the role of creativity.

Gene Cohen recommends, “Tuesdays with Morrie: A Young Man, An Old Man, and Life’s Greatest Lesson,” by Mitch Albom.

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John Darnton – “Who is Charles Darwin”

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The Darwin Conspiracy

Who was Charles Darwin and what led him to describe what we now call “the theory of evolution?” These curious questions are ones that I have been following since I was about ten years old. In 1978 I had the good fortune of visiting the Galapagos Islands, 600 miles west of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean. Charles Darwin visited the Galapagos Island in 1831 for month as part of a five-year voyage around the world. There he saw birds and animals that helped him formulate some of his ideas about evolution he published “The Origin of the Species,” 22 years later in 1853. And the world has not been the same since. Now, at a time when concepts of evolution and natural selection are attacked certain from theological and political perspectives, a novel called “The Darwin Conspiracy,” has been written by John Darnton, a writer and editor for the New York Times. “The Darwin Conspiracy,” although fiction, is said by John Darton to be 90% accurate, and covers Darwin’s life and thinking before and after the publication of “The Origin of the Species.” I spoke with John Darton from his home in New York City at the end of October 2005. He began by describing who Charles Darwin was, in his time and place.

John Darnton recommends “Snow,” by Orhan Pamuk.

Originally Broadcast: November 29, 2005

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Fred Watson– “What a Telescope Reveals”

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Stargazer, the Life and Times of the Telescope

The history of the telescope is a rich story of human ingenuity and perseverance involving some of the most colorful figures in the scientific world. In this edition of Radio Curious we visit with Dr. Fred Watson, the Astronomer-in-Charge of the Anglo-Australian Observatory at Coonabarabran, New South Wales, Australia. Dr. Watson’s book, “Stargazer, the Life and Times of the Telescope,” reveals the science and technology behind the telescope and its impact in unveiling the mysteries of the universe, and concludes with a fictional epilogue in the year 2108. This epilogue looks back 48 years at the object, one kilometer in diameter, that had a 99.9% probability of impacting the earth in April 2060 and how it was diverted. Dr. Watson was in his office in New South Wales, Austrailia, when this interview was recorded and begins by explaining the importance of the epilogue.

www.aao.gov.au/local/www/fgw

Fred Watson recommends “The Transit of Venus,” by Peter Autin.

Originally Broadcast: July 19, 2005

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Peter Ward— “A World Without Ice Caps” Part One & Two

When the polar ice caps melt, sea level will rise. That’s happened earlier in the history of the world, and it appears it will happen again.

In this edition of Radio Curious, we bring you a two part series on global warming and sea level rise, with Peter D. Ward, a paleontologist and professor of biology and earth and space sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle. He is the author of “The Flooded Earth: Our Future in a World Without Ice Caps,” in which he describes expected conditions in 2050, 2300 and 2500.

This series with Professor Peter D. Ward, was recorded on August 2, 2010, from his office in Seattle, Washington. In part 1, Ward begins with a description of what will happen when the level of the sea rises. In part 2, we begin with a discussion of why, in the face of rather clear evidence, there continues to be a denial of global warming.

The books Peter Ward recommends are, “An Inconvenient Truth,” by Al Gore and “Weather Makers,” and any other book by Tim Flannery.

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Click here to listen to part 2. 

Glenn McGourty – “The Slow Food Movement”

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How can we assure ourselves that the food we eat is safe, nutritious and energy-efficient? If we are what we eat, we ought to know what we will become. That may be the concept underlying what is coming to be known as the slow food movement. Glenn McGourty is the wine growing and plant science advisor for the University of California Cooperative Extension for Lake and Mendocino Counties in Northern California.

Glenn McGourty recommends “The Origins and Ancient History of Wine,” by Patrick McGovern.

Originally Broadcast: January 4, 2005

 

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Stuart Shanker – “The First Idea”

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The First Idea: How Symbols, Language and Intelligence Evolved From Our Primate Ancestors to Modern Humans

“The First Idea: How Symbols, Language and Intelligence Evolved From Our Primate Ancestors to Modern Humans,” is a book by professors Stanley Greenspan and Stuart Shanker. Their hypotheses assert that our ability to use symbols and language depends on specific types of nurturing interactions and other cultural practices passed down, learned anew and further developed by each generation, dating back to prehuman and even nonhuman primate cultures. I spoke with Professor Shanker about these and other topics.

Stuart Shanker recommends “The Trees in my Forest,” by Berndt Heinrich.

Originally Broadcast: November 23, 2004

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Bryan Sykes – “The Y Chromosome May Disappear”

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Adam’s Curse, A Future Without Men

The Y chromosome, compared to the body’s 45 other chromosomes, is very fragile. It has been worn down by millions years of attrition and over time has lost many of its genes. It is unable to exchange genetic material or repair itself because it does not combine with other chromosomes like the X chromosome does. Professor Bryan Sykes, author of “Adam’s Curse, A Future Without Men,” explains the degeneration of the Y chromosome.

Bryan Sykes recommends “Mismatch,” by Andrew Hacker & “Burgdorf Blondes,” by Plumb Sykes.

Originally Broadcast: June 1, 2004

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Deborah Koons Garcia– “The Future of Food”

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Director of, The Future of Food

“The Future of Food,” a film written and produced by Deborah Koons Garcia, discusses our food’s conflicting relationship with both mass agri-business and local agriculture. Our discussion was conducted in the context of the passage of Mendocino County’s Measure H, banning growth of GMOs in the county.

Deborah Koons Garcia recommends “Women’s Diaries fo the Westward Journey,” edited by Lillian Schlissel.

Originally Broadcast: April 25, 2004

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