Kathy Kleiman: The six women who programmed the first modern computer
3 January 2023 - 37 minsBuilt during WWII, the world’s first electronic computer, the ENIAC, was an engineering marvel. But at 80 ft long and 6 ft tall it was mute until it was brought to life by six young women mathematicians who figured out how to program it.
Series Episodes
Carol Burnett: A favorite conversation
At age 92, Carol Burnett still graces our screens with her presence and humor. Alan revisits a 2019 conversation that explores with her what made The Carol Burnett Show a comedy masterpiece and recalls the time she played his wife in his movie The Four Seasons.
35 mins
3 March Finished
Adam Frank: Are there aliens out there? Probably. But UFOs – not so much
It’s highly likely that life – maybe even intelligent life – has evolved elsewhere in the universe. But that aliens bother to hang out in our skies, or are even able to get here...Really?
37 mins
24 February Finished
David Baron: When Martians were real
…at least according to a bold-face December 1906 headline in the New York Times. This was in the middle of a decades-long fascination with the idea that Martians not only exist but were much smarter than us Earthlings. How Martians came… and went.
36 mins
17 February Finished
Rebecca Goldstein: Why it matters to matter
A philosopher and novelist, she has spent 40 years pondering why we all have a longing to matter. She’s talked with dozens of people about their own need to matter, and tells their stories in her new book, The Mattering Instinct.
38 mins
10 February Finished
Steve Ramirez: Forget about it
Experiments with mice have shown it’s possible to tinker with and even erase a memory. The goal for neuroscience now is to apply the science to help people struggling with PTSD and other mentally crippling memories.
37 mins
3 February Finished
Michael Shermer: Want to know the truth?
These days, despite the internet providing us access to every imaginable source of information, the truth is harder than ever to find. A conversation about how to sort truth from fiction and why, more than ever, truth matters.
36 mins
27 January Finished
