|
Genetic Interviews --
John Darnton
Who is Charles Darwin?
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
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Saul Diskin
Identical Twins
The End of the Twins, a Memoir of Losing a Brother
Ever wondered what it would be like to have an identical twin—how alike would you be to that person? How much of an individual would you be? Saul Diskin and his identical twin brother Marty grew up together in New York City where Saul and Marty were inseparable. As adults, they began to live separate lives, Saul in Phoenix and Marty near Boston. In 1991, Marty, who had suffered from leukemia for 20 years, needed a bone marrow transplant, which he received from Saul. In his extraordinarily intimate book, “The End of the Twins, a Memoir of Losing a Brother,” Saul Diskin chronicles the rich relationship beginning with their early childhood and ending well past Marty’s death in 1997, shortly before their 63rd birthday.
Saul Diskin recommends “Entwined Lives,” by Nancy Segal and “Cosmology and Creation: The Spiritual Significance of Contemporary Cosmology” by Paul Brockelman.
Originally Broadcast: September 22, 2001
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Genetically Modified Food
Genetically engineered food products are an issue that concerns many. In more recent years, Mendocino County has gone so far as to pass a resolution legally prohibiting their growth in the county. My guest in this program, recorded in the late summer of 1995, is Ron Epstein, a philosophy professor at both the Buddhist University in Talmage, CA and San Francisco State University. He has given considerable consideration to the problems of genetic engineering of the plants and vegetables that we eat.
Dr. Ron Epstein recommends "Algeny," by Jeremy Rifkin.
Originally Broadcast: September 18, 1995
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Ron Epstein
Genetically Modified Food, Part Two
Not so long ago in human history, wars were fought with sticks, slings and rocks. Now, with the ability to modify the DNA of disease causing organisms, war is very different. Evidence is appearing that genetically engineered war has, in fact, been used in our world. With this program, Radio Curious will begin a series of discussions on environmental and social effects of genetically engineered war. This program’s guest is Dr. Ron Epstein, a research professor at the Institute of World Religions in Berkeley, California, and a lecturer in the Philosophy Department at San Francisco State University in San Francisco, California. We discussed the scientific and ethical dangers of genetic engineering.
Dr. Ron Epstein recommends "The Cobra Event," by Richard Preston & "Biotech Century," by Jeremy Rifkin.
Originally Broadcast: September 4, 1998
Clck here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
The Future of Food
The 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
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Let Boys Be Boys
The Wonder of Boys & A Fine Young Man
Boys do not have an easy time growing up and maturing in our complex world these days. The same standard of behavior is frequently expected of boys and girls, often without recognizing the special and different needs of boys. Testosterone is a prime mover in the shaping of boys' behavior resulting in their special and different needs. This is a two-part program from the archives of Radio Curious with Michael Gurian, the author of a 1997 book entitled, “The Wonder of Boys: What Parents, Mentors and Educators Can Do To Shape Boys Into Exceptional Men.” I spoke with Michael Gurian in January of 1998 from his home in Spokane, Washington.
Michael Gurian recommends "Sex on the Brain," by Deborah Blum & "Beyond the Birds and the Bees," Beverly Engle.
Originally Broadcast: January 23, 1998 & January 30, 1998
Click here to begin listening to Part One.
Click here to begin listening to Part Two.
--------------------------------------------------------
Steve Jones
Origin of Species Updated
Darwin's Ghost: The Origin of Species Updated
The Origin of the Species,” written by Charles Darwin, after his trip to the Galapagos Islands off of the northwest coast of South America, approximately 150 years ago, fundamentally changed, the understandings of how our species came to be. Steve Jones, Professor of Genetics at University College in London, England, has written a sequel to Darwin’s book called “Darwin’s Ghost, the Origin of the Species Updated.
Steve Jones recommends “The Basque History of the World: The Story of a Nation,” by Mark Kurlansky and "The Book of Pi," author unkown.
Originally Broadcast: May 9, 2000 May 16, 2000
Click here to begin listening to Part One.
Click here to begin listening to Part Two.
--------------------------------------------------------
Tracing The 'Y' Chromosome
Y, The Descent of Men, Revealing the Mysteries of Maleness
Professor Steve Jones, author of the book, “Y, The Descent of Men, Revealing the Mysteries of Maleness,” discusses biological aspects of maleness created by the Y chromosome. Jones explores the effect of male hormones, hair loss, and the hydraulics of man’s most intimate organ. He lays out the case for and against masculinity.
Steve Jones recommends "Cherries, the Worst Journey in the World: A Biography of Alexy Cherry Gerard," by Sarah Wheeler.
Originally Broadcast: August 12, 2003
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Daniel J. Levitin
Music On The Brian
This Is Your Brain On Music: The Science of a Human Obsession
The understanding of how we humans experience music and why it plays a unique role in our lives is this topic of two interviews with Dr. Daniel Levitin, author of “This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession,” recorded from his home in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in late October 2006. Professor Levitin runs the Laboratory for Musical Perception, Cognition and Expertise at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He asserts that our brains are hardwired for music and therefore we are all more musically equipped than we think and that music is an obsession at the heart of human nature, perhaps even more fundamental to our species than language. Professor Levitin believes that the music we end up liking meets our expectations of what we anticipate hearing just enough of the time that we feel rewarded, and the music that we like also violates those expectations just enough of the time that we’re intrigued. In the first interview Dr. Levitin begins by describing how the human brain learns to distinguish between music and language. The second interview begins with a discussion of what happens when people listen to music they like.
www.yourbrainonmusic.com
Dr. Daniel J. Levitin recommends "Another Day in the Frontal Lobe," by Katrina Firlik, and "The Human Stain," by Philip Roth.
Originally Broadcast: November 1, 2006 November 8, 2006
Click here to begin listening to Part One.
Click here to begin listening to Part Two.
--------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Donald Perry
A Ride Through a Rain Forest in Costa Rica
Life Above the Jungle Floor
In the middle of the Costa Rican rain forest, about an hour west of San Jose, Costa Rica, on the east side of the continental divide, you can find the Rain Forest Aerial Tram located on a private rain forest reserve. It’s a series of small, open-air cars that hold about five people each held together by a three kilometers long cable. The tramcars carry visitors through, above and below this portion of the Central American rainforest canopy. The Rain Forest Aerial Tram was the brainchild of Dr. Donald Perry, a biologist trained at the University of California at Los Angeles, who, beginning in 1970, has specialized in the study of the flora and fauna of the Central American Rainforest. In April of 1995, I visited the Rain Forest Aerial Tram with Dr. Perry.
Dr. Donald Perry recommends "Life Above the Jungle Floor," by Dr. David Perry.
Originally Broadcast: April 1, 1995
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Nature or Nurture?
Genome & Nature via Nurture: Genes, Experience and What Makes Us Human
Are we humans defined by nature or nurture? Matt Ridley, the author of “Genome,” published in 2000, has more recently written “Nature via Nurture: Genes, Experience and What Makes Us Human.” He argues that genes are enablers, rather than constrainers; thus, we are continually shaped by everyday life.
Matt Ridley recommends "Dot Con," by John Cassidy.
Originally Broadcast: February 3, 2004
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
The First Idea
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
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Sally Shaywitz
How to Identify and Overcome Dyslexia
Overcoming Dyslexia: A New and Complete Science-Based Program for Reading Problems at Any Level
Approximately one child in five suffers from dyslexia, a condition that makes learning to read difficult and in some cases seemingly impossible. In this edition of Radio Curious, originally broadcast in August of 2003, we visit with Dr. Sally Shaywitz, a Professor of Pediatrics at Yale University and the co-director of the Yale justify for the Study of Learning and Attention. She discusses early diagnosis of dyslexia in young children, older children, and in adults, and what can be done to assist people who suffer from this disability. In her book, “Overcoming Dyslexia,” Dr. Shaywitz describes how current research, including new brain imaging studies, are uncovering the mechanics underlying this problem, and have led to effective treatments.
Dr. Sally Shaywitz recommends "Emperor of Ocean Park," by Stephen Carter & "Samaritan," by Richard Price.
Originally Broadcast: August 5, 2003
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
The Y Chromosome May Disappear
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
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Frank Vertosick
Evolutionary Intelligence
The Genius Within: Discovering the Intelligence of Every Living Thing
Neurosurgeon Dr. Frank Vertosick is the author of “The Genius Within, Discovering the Intelligence of Every Living Thing,” a book that discusses learning among all species. He talks about learning through evolution or alteration of the genetic structure as compared to learning the way we more commonly think of it, by studying or by experience.
Dr. Frank Vertosick recommends "Linked: The New Science of Networks," by Albert Lazlso-Barbasi.
Originally Broadcast: October 9, 2002
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Jonathan Weiner
Genetic Control
Time, Love, Memory: A Great Biologist and His Quest for the Origins of Behavior
How much of our personalities are truly within our control? What is currently known about how the genes we inherit affect our behavior? The science that studies these questions is now called molecular biology. Looking at life from the genes up, molecular biology has given us insight into the hard links between genes and behavior. Seymour Benzer, a pioneer scientist who studied the genetics of fruit flies, is the hero of a book called “Time, Love, Memory: A Great Biologist and His Quest for the Origins of Behavior," by Jonathan Weiner. Weiner, who won the Pulitzer prize in 1995 for his work on the finches of the Galapagos Islands, provides a current analysis of Benzer’s genetic studies and raises questions about molecular biology the 21st century.
Jonathan Weiner recommends “The Missing Moment,” by Robert Pollack.
Originally Broadcast: May 26, 1999
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
The Peopling of the World
The Journey of Man, A Genetic Odyssey
Around 60,000 years ago, a man - identical to us in all important genetic respects - lived in Africa. Every person alive today is descended from him. This is known because the secrets of human evolution are hidden in our genetic code. In this edition of Radio Curious, we visit with geneticist Spencer Wells, author of the book and movie, “Journey of Man, A Genetic Odyssey.”
Spencer Wells recommends "No Logo," by Naomi Klein.
Originally Broadcast: February 10, 2004
Click here to begin listening.
|
