Talk of the Nation

Schedule

88.5-3

Monday - Thursday

2:00 pm

When Americans want to be a part of the national conversation, they turn to Talk of the Nation, NPR's midday news-talk show.

Journalist Neal Conan leads a productive exchange of ideas and opinions on the issues that dominate the news landscape. From politics and public service to education, religion, music and health care, Talk of the Nation offers call-in listeners the opportunity to join enlightening discussions with decision-makers, authors, academicians, and artists from around the world.

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Monday, October 24, 2011

Guillermo Del Toro's 'Eternal' Monster Obsession

Few have as intense a relationship with monsters as filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. His award-winning film, Pan's Labyrinth, depicted monsters both fantastical and human, and his best-selling The Strain novels re-imagine vampires as anything but romantic. The Night Eternal is the trilogy's final book.

Op-Ed: 'Ugly' Safety Measures Kill Public Spaces

In cities like New York and Washington, D.C., Julia Vitullo-Martin complains, law enforcement and city planners have installed jersey barriers, concrete planters and other "ugly measures that evoke fear rather than safety." In her op-ed for USA Today she calls it "militarized urbanism."

Views On The Iraq Withdrawal: From About Time To 'Absolute Disaster'

From Talk of the Nation: Opinions vary widely among a diverse group of experts about the wisdom of a U.S. withdrawal by year's end.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Exploring Multiple Personalities In 'Sybil Exposed'

In a new book writer Debbie Nathan digs into archived material documenting the experiences of a patient known as "Sybil," who reportedly suffered from multiple personality disorder. Ira Flatow and guests discuss MPD, and its modern equivalent--dissociative identity disorder.

Predicting When Space Junk Will Come Home To Earth

This weekend, a defunct German satellite is scheduled to crash to Earth, just a month after a NASA satellite did the same. NASA orbital debris scientist Mark Matney and Phil Plait, author of the Bad Astronomy blog, discuss whether engineers on Earth have any say when--or where--objects fall.

Science Diction: The Origin Of 'Bunsen Burner'

Every high school chemist has no doubt fiddled with a Bunsen burner--but where did the apparatus get its name? Science historian Howard Markel talks about the German chemist Robert Bunsen, and why his experiments necessitated the invention of the gas burner still in use today.

Did Giant Stars Feed Blue Stragglers?

In a letter to the journal Nature published this week, astronomers Aaron Geller and Robert Mathieu offer an explanation for the origin of blue straggler stars in a star cluster called NGC 188. Geller suggests the stars fed on neighbor stars, leaving behind white dwarfs.

Video Pick: Jack-O-Lantern 2.0

Marc and Chris, the founders of Maniac Pumpkin Carvers, share tips on how to bring your pumpkin to the next level this Halloween. Their pumpkins, which go for between $150 - $400, rarely end up on stoops. You are more likely to find them in Tiffany's ads and in window displays.

Reinventing Fire: Getting Beyond Fossil Fuels

In his bookReinventing Fire, Amory Lovins lays out his blueprint for freeing society of its addiction to fossil fuels, by saving energy with more efficient vehicles, buildings and manufacturing plants, and producing it with renewable options like windmills and rooftop solar.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Kenyan Troops Pursue Shabab Militants In Somalia

Kenyan officials blame the Shabab militant group, which allied itself with al-Qaida, for a recent spate of kidnappings in Kenya. The government in Nairobi suggested troops might pursue targets up to 100 miles inside Somalia. Shabab promised on Monday to attack Kenya's capital city in retaliation.

Evangelical Christians Form Parallel Structure

Some Evangelical Christians see a public assault on their beliefs with the rise of gay marriage, the increasing legitimacy of abortion, and the debate on climate change. They are forming a "parallel culture" in response, a practice fellow Evangelical Karl Giberson calls "dangerous."

How Libya Will Move Forward Without Gadhafi

After more than 40 years in power, Libya's Moammar Gadhafi died Thursday, as his last stronghold crumbled. Forces aligned with the Transitional National Council finally gained control of the city of Sirte, Gadhafi's hometown. Guests talk about his death and the way ahead in Libya.

Cash-Strapped Cities File For Bankruptcy

Pennsylvania's capital, Harrisburg, has filed for Chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy. The filing is being contested in court. It's the sixth city to file for protection in 2011, and raises questions about whether Harrisburg can afford to continue to provide the expected level of services to residents.

Piri Thomas, Poet And Novelist, Remembered

Piri Thomas gave voice to generations of Latino Americans across the U.S. He died Monday at the age of 83. His acclaimed 1967 autobiography, Down These Mean Streets, chronicled his life growing up in New York's Spanish Harlem, and the poverty and racism that he and his community experienced there.

Albright: Gadhafi's Death A 'Watershed Moment'

Former Secretary of State Madeline Albright reflects on the death of ousted Libyan President Moammar Gadhafi. She calls it a watershed moment for the people of Libya, the international community and "what is known as the Arab Awakening."

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Talk of the Nation

Arts & Culture

Dan Brown: 'Inferno' Is 'The Book That I Would Want To Read'

Food

'Picture Cook': Drawings Are The Key Ingredients In These Recipes

Politics

Ken Cuccinelli Wins GOP Nomination For Virginia Governor

Technology

Book News: Amazon May Be Called Before Parliament Over Taxes

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Talk of the Nation

Monday, October 24, 2011

Friday, October 21, 2011

Thursday, October 20, 2011

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