Talk of the Nation

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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.

Find more information about Talk of the Nation.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Resetting Your Moral Compass After An 'Ethical Slip'

The widespread cheating in Atlanta schools and Lance Armstrong's doping are two examples of cases where a moral wrong became an everyday normality. In a piece in the Christian Science Monitor, Courtney Martin explains how to realign your moral compass once wires get crossed.

'Accidental Racist': The Controversy And The Conversation

"Accidental Racist," the new collaboration between country singer Brad Paisley and rapper LL Cool J, has set off a firestorm. Paisley sings about the dilemma of balancing Southern pride without projecting a racist attitude. The artists have called the widely-panned tune a conversation-starter.

Letters: Adult ADHD, Second Chances In Politics, Isolation

Host Neal Conan reads from listener comments on previous show topics, including living with adult ADHD, political redemption, and the effects of isolation.

A Look Inside White Supremacist Prison Gangs

Members of white supremacist prison gangs are among the suspects in the killings of law enforcement officials in Texas and Colorado, putting a spotlight on the organization and other prison gangs. The Aryan Brotherhood of Texas is known for organizing crimes from inside prison walls.

Being A 'Hot Poet' And A 'Hot Basketball Player

In an essay for Sports Blog Nation, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Stephen Dunn reflects on his path from college basketball player to poet. "What basketball and poetry have in common," he writes, "is that they each provide opportunities to be better than yourself — opportunities for transcendence."

Monday, April 8, 2013

North Korea's Threats: Predicable Pattern Or Provocation?

The North Korean government officially suspended operations at the Kaesong industrial complex, withdrawing all of its more than 50,000 workers. Many see the complex as the last remaining symbol of North and South Korean unity and fear that tensions may be nearing a dangerous tipping point.

Op-Ed: The Nonexistent Line Between Justice And Revenge

Law professor Thane Rosenbaum says it's time for Americans to be honest about the role revenge plays in our lives. "The distinction between justice and vengeance is false," he writes in The Chronicle of Higher Education. "A call for justice is always a cry for revenge."

How Margaret Thatcher Changed The World

Britain's first female prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, died Monday following a stroke at the age of 87. Thatcher served for 11 years and was a highly divisive leader. She is remembered for implementing sweeping reforms of Britain's economy and for her key role in the demise of the Soviet Union.

Friday, April 5, 2013

Tracking A Rise In ADHD Diagnosis

Surveys show a marked rise in the diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, among the nation's youth. William Graf, a professor of pediatrics and neurology at Yale School of Medicine, discusses the surge in ADHD diagnosis and its potential implications.

Searching For The Roots of 'Right' And 'Wrong'

In The Bonobo and the Atheist: In Search of Humanism Among the Primates, primatologist Frans de Waal explores traits like empathy and fairness in our closest relatives, bonobos and chimpanzees, and argues that human morality is not the product of rational thought or religion, but evolved long ago.

Bees Emerging After A Hard Winter

After a winter that many beekeepers have described as particularly hard on their hives, Eric Mussen, extension apiculturist at the University of California, discusses the plight of the modern honeybee and the threats the tiny pollinators face from disease and pesticides.

Amyloid Proteins Help Paralyzed Mice Walk Again

Reporting in Science Translational Medicine, researchers write that amyloid-forming proteins, traditionally thought of as enemies to the nervous system, may actually be protective 'guardians' instead. Study author Lawrence Steinman, a neurologist at Stanford University, explains how amyloid injections helped paralyzed mice with a multiple-sclerosis-like disease walk again.

Building Synthetic Tissues from Water Droplets?

Reporting in Science, Gabriel Villar and colleagues have turned tiny water droplets into cooperating networks that can pass electrical signals and do mechanical work. Villar says that in theory, water droplet networks could be used as artificial tissues.

President Obama Calls For A 'BRAIN Initiative'

This week President Obama announced his BRAIN (Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies) Initiative, which the White House describes as "a bold new research effort to revolutionize our understanding of the human mind." National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins describes the new research plan.

'Drunk Tank Pink' Finds Clues To Behavior

In his new book Drunk Tank Pink Adam Alter, an assistant professor of psychology and marketing at NYU, explains how subtle cues, such as the sound of someone's name or the color of a room, can influence behaviors and thoughts. Alter discusses the book, and his research on the psychology of decision-making.

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Arts & Culture

NPR

A Read Down Memory Lane: Lessons From Your Former Self

Writings from childhood — cards, stories and other notes — can hide for decades, like time capsules tucked away in boxes, old bedrooms, attics and journals. Writer Jim Sollisch talks about how old thank you notes from his youth foreshadowed his adult life.

Food

NPR

Guava Paste And Tamarind? What To Do With Weird Food Gifts

Have a food that has you stumped? Submit a photo and we'll ask chefs about our favorites!

Politics

NPR

Political Attacks Ramp Up In U.S. Senate Race In Mass.

In Massachusetts, what's been a relatively lackluster campaign to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Secretary of State John Kerry is heating up. Veteran Democratic Rep. Ed Markey is running against Republican Gabriel Gomez, a businessman and former Navy SEAL. Gomzez is a political newcomer.

Technology

NPR

Viewers To Decide If Amazon's Sample Shows Make The Cut

Amazon is piloting 14 possible shows for its streaming video service. The audience will vote on which shows it likes best. TV critic Eric Deggans says the process and the shows would like to be breaking ground for a new media — but they aren't.

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Talk of the Nation

Arts & Culture

A Read Down Memory Lane: Lessons From Your Former Self

Food

Guava Paste And Tamarind? What To Do With Weird Food Gifts

Politics

Political Attacks Ramp Up In U.S. Senate Race In Mass.

Technology

Viewers To Decide If Amazon's Sample Shows Make The Cut

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