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Latest Episodes:

112 Eight Books that Changed the World Nov 07, 2018

Professor Joseph Luzzi uncovers the mysteries of 8 books that, in one way or another, changed our world. He explores the creative processes behind these masterpieces, traces their impact, and helps reveal their remarkable riches.:

The Bible

The Odyssey by Homer

The Divine Comedy by Dante

Hamlet by Shakespeare

To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

Joseph Luzzi is a Literature and Italian Professor at Bard College, and was previously a Visiting Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, where he received the Scaglione Prize for his teaching. He is also the author of the audio course, "The Art of Reading." Professor Luzzi previously taught at Yale University, where he was awarded a Yale College Teaching Prize.

111 Films That Changed America Oct 24, 2018

While most works of cinema are produced for mass-entertainment and escapism, a peculiar minority have had a profound influence on our culture. Whether intentionally or not, some movies have brought social issues to light, changed laws, forwarded ideologies both good and bad, and altered the course of American history through their resounding impact on society. Renowned Yale Film Professor Marc Lapadula discusses several films that, for better or worse, made their mark.

The Jazz Singer, I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang, Easy Rider, The Graduate, & Jaws

Marc Lapadula is a Senior Lecturer in the Film Studies Program at Yale University. He is a playwright, screenwriter and an award-winning film producer. In addition to Yale, Marc has taught at Columbia University's Graduate Film School, created the screenwriting programs at both The University of Pennsylvania and Johns Hopkins where he won Outstanding Teaching awards and has lectured on film, playwriting and conducted highly-acclaimed screenwriting seminars all across the country at notable venues like The National Press Club, The Smithsonian Institution, The Commonwealth Club and The New York Historical Society.

110 Women of the American Revolution Oct 10, 2018

One of the remarkable myths of the American Revolution is that it was an all male affair. Really? An eight year home front war and American women didn't notice it? In fact, women played vital roles throughout the war - from enforcing the boycotts of British imports to writing and publishing propaganda, from nursing the soldiers at Valley Forge to scavenging active battle fields for usable clothing and weapons. Carol Berkin dispels the myth that the success of the war rested solely on the shoulders of "great men" and explores the valuable contributions that women made to the effort - and beyond.

Carol Berkin is Presidential Professor of History at Baruch College and a member of the history faculty of the Graduate Center of CUNY. She has worked as a consultant on several PBS and History Channel documentaries, including, The "Scottsboro Boys," which was nominated for an Academy Award. She has also appeared as a commentator on screen in the PBS series by Ric Burns, "New York," the Middlemarch series "Benjamin Franklin" and "Alexander Hamilton" on PBS, and the MPH series, "The Founding Fathers." She serves on the Board of The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and the Board of the National Council for History Education.

109 Abraham Lincoln: What's Fact and What's Fiction Sep 26, 2018

Any thinking American is drawn to Abraham Lincoln. His story invites us to marvel at how this poor, self-educated, frontier lawyer transformed himself into a political leader who defended democracy, preserved the nation, and abolished slavery. As late as 1859, when asked to provide an autobiographical sketch, he mused there was not much to say because "there is not much of me." If not much then, there would be plenty ahead.

Despite his stature, much of what we think we know about Lincoln isn't necessarily based on fact. In this episode, Professor Lou Masur looks at the facts, and the fictions, surrounding Lincoln's Presidency. What were his real attitudes toward slavery, and how did they change over time? How did he approach presidential power? And did he ever recognize the Confederacy as legitimate?

Louis Masur is a Distinguished Professor of American Studies and History at Rutgers University. He received outstanding teaching awards from Rutgers, Trinity College, and the City College of New York, and won the Clive Prize for Excellence in Teaching from Harvard University. He is the author of many books including "Lincoln's Last Speech," which was inspired by a talk he presented at One Day University. His essays and articles have appeared in the New York Times, Boston Globe, Dallas Morning News, and Chicago Tribune. He is an elected member of the American Antiquarian Society and serves on the Historians' Council of the Gettysburg Foundation.

108 Turning Points in American History Jul 11, 2018

In the relatively short history of the United States, there have been many turning points and landmark movements that irrevocably altered the direction of the nation and signaled the dramatic start of a new historical reality. Some took the form of groundbreaking political and philosophical concepts; some were dramatic military victories and defeats. Still others were nationwide social and religious movements, or technological and scientific innovations.

What all of these turning points had in common, is that they forever changed the character of America. Sometimes the changes brought about by these events were obvious; sometimes they were more subtle. Sometimes the effects of these turning points were immediate; other times, their aftershocks reverberated for decades. Regardless, these great historical turning points demand to be understood.

Edward O'Donnell / Holy Cross CollegeEdward O'Donnell is a professor of History at Holy Cross College. He is the author of several books, including "Henry George and the Crisis of Inequality: Progress and Poverty in the Gilded Age." He frequently contributes op-eds to publications like Newsweek and the Huffington Post. He has been featured on PBS, the History Channel, the Discovery Channel, and C-SPAN. O'Donnell also has curated several major museum exhibits on American history and appeared in several historical documentaries. He currently hosts a history podcast, In The Past Lane.

107 The Science of Sleep and Stress: How they Affect Creativity, Focus, and Memory Jun 27, 2018

Did you know the best thing you can do for your brain is take a nap? If you ever thought sleep was just downtime between one task and the next, think again. The fact is, your brain pulls an all-nighter when you hit the hay. Many regions of the brain - especially those involved in learning, processing information, and emotion - are actually more active during sleep than when you're awake. These regions work together to sort and process the information you've taken in during the course of the day, helping your brain function better. Professor Payne explains the science behind the sleeping brain, and outline all sorts of practical information on how to control your sleep habits to ensure maximum health and productivity.

Jessica Payne / University of Notre Dame

Jessica Payne is the Nancy O'Neill Collegiate Chair and Professor of Psychology at the University of Notre Dame, where she directs the Sleep, Stress, and Memory Lab. Her course, The Sleeping Brain, routinely sports a waitlist because of its immense popularity among Notre Dame students. In 2012, Professor Payne received the Frank O'Malley Undergraduate Teaching Award. She is also a two-time recipient of the Distinction in Teaching Award, and won the Award for Teaching Excellence at Harvard University's Derek Bok Center.

106 Music That Changed America Jun 13, 2018

Music permeates our lives. It's always with us - via the radio, smart phones, TV commercials and films, even streamed into malls and restaurants. Technology has made it easy to put music in the background. The goal of this lecture is to bring it front and center again.

Professor Celenza shows how music doesn't simply reflect culture, it can change it. She highlights three musical masterpieces that, each in their own way, changed America for the better. A 1930s ballad that fueled the need for the Civil Rights movement, a 1980s pop album that influenced American foreign policy, and a recent musical that that forced us to reassess history.

Anna Celenza is the Thomas E. Caestecker Professor of Music at Georgetown University. She is the author of several books, including "Jazz Italian Style: From Its Origins in New Orleans to Fascist Italy and Sinatra." In addition to her scholarly work, she has served as a writer/commentator for NPR's Performance Today and published eight award-winning children's books, among them "Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue" and "Duke Ellington's Nutcracker Suite." She has been featured on nationally syndicated radio and TV programs, including the BBC's "Music Matters" and C-Span's "Book TV."

105 America 2018: Where are we now? May 30, 2018

America's founding political commitments were to democracy and the rule of law. Some have described them as the soul and spirit of our nation. But their meanings are contested and open to interpretation. Professor Sarat discusses how the've evolved in American history and assesses the health of the United States today. Does America face an erosion of public faith in long taken-for-granted aspects of our political life? Do we even understand what they really mean? Some believe that the rule of law and democracy are under attack, but could it be this is be a symptom rather than a cause of what some see as our current crisis?

Austin Sarat is William Nelson Cromwell professor of Jurisprudence and Political Science at Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts. He has written, co-written, or edited more than ninety books in the fields of law and political science. Professor Sarat has received the the Stan Wheeler Award for his excellence as a teacher and mentor, awarded by the Law and Society Association.

104 Science vs Faith: Addressing History's Oldest Debate May 08, 2018

Modern science has its roots in western religious thought, was nurtured in universities established for religious reasons, and owes some of its greatest discoveries to scientists who themselves were people of faith. Nonetheless, on one issue after another, from evolution to the "big bang" to the age of the Earth itself, religion is often on a collision course with scientific thought. On one side, religious believers have constructed pseudosciences to justify narrow interpretations of scripture or to support specific religious claims. On the other, non-believers have used scientific authority to label faith a "delusion" to be set aside.

Can science and religion truly coexist or are they forever locked in conflict? Kenneth Miller approaches this question from a unique perspective. In focusing on a few of today's most contentious issues, he explores if science can be understood in a religious context, or have we finally reached the end of faith?

Kenneth Miller is a professor of biology at Brown University. He has received 6 major teaching awards at Brown, the Presidential Citation of the American Institute for Biological Science, and the Public Service Award of the American Society for Cell Biology. In 2009 he was honored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science for Advancing the Public Understanding of Science, and also received the Gregor Mendel Medal from Villanova University. In 2011 he was presented with the Stephen Jay Gould Prize by the Society for the Study of Evolution.

103 Living and Dying in America: The Politics of Healthcare May 08, 2018

The nation's health care system is in the midst of an enormous transformation. Hospitals and insurance companies are merging (and the lines between the two are blurring). Large retail chains (from CVS to Walmart) are entering the health care business.There are fewer and fewer uninsured, but those who are insured are paying more and more of their health care bill (through higher premiums and deductibles).

Professor Michael Sparer reviews these trends, as well as several others that are sure to have a profound impact on where we get our medical care, what the quality of that care will be, and how we pay for it. He also considers the politics of health care - how did we get here and where will it end?

Michael Sparer is a professor of Health Policy and Management at Columbia University. Professor Sparer is also the Chair of Health Policy & Management. He is a two-time winner of the Mailman School's Student Government Association Teacher of the Year Award, as well as the recipient of a 2010 Columbia University Presidential Award for Outstanding Teaching. He spent seven years as a litigator for the New York City Law Department..

102 Hamilton vs Jefferson: The Rivalry That Shaped America May 08, 2018

They say the personal is political. But the rivalry between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton may be the most political of any relationship in history. Hamilton is experiencing a well-deserved revival. His vision of America as an economic powerhouse with an aggressive government as its engine has found many followers. He helped get the Constitution ratified, found the Federalist Party, and served as the first Secretary of the Treasury.

But Jefferson fought bitterly with Hamilton throughout their careers and articulated a very different vision for the new nation, promoting an agrarian democracy built upon geographic expansion—an "empire of liberty," he called it. These tensions remain embedded in the Constitution and in the debates that roil politics in America to this day!

Louis Masur is a Distinguished Professor of American Studies and History at Rutgers University. He received outstanding teaching awards from Rutgers, Trinity College, and the City College of New York, and won the Clive Prize for Excellence in Teaching from Harvard University. He is the author of many books including "Lincoln's Last Speech," which was inspired by a talk he presented at One Day University. His essays and articles have appeared in the New York Times, Boston Globe, Dallas Morning News, and Chicago Tribune. He is an elected member of the American Antiquarian Society and serves on the Historians' Council of the Gettysburg Foundation.

101 The Science of Happiness May 08, 2018

The UN released a "Happiness Report" rating nearly 200 countries, which found that the world’s happiest people live in Northern Europe (Denmark, Norway, Finland, and the Netherlands). The US ranked 11th.

What role do money, IQ, marriage, friends, children, weather, and religion play in making us feel happier? Is happiness stable over time? How can happiness be increased? Professor Sanderson will describe cutting-edge research from the field of positive psychology on the factors that do (and do not) predict happiness, and provide practical (and relatively easy!) ways to increase your own psychological well-being.

Catherine Sanderson is the Manwell Family Professor of Psychology at Amherst College. Her research has received grant funding from the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Health. Professor Sanderson has published over 25 journal articles and book chapters in addition to four college textbooks, a high school health textbook, and a popular press book on parenting. In 2012, she was named one of the country's top 300 professors by the Princeton Review.

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