Feb 25th, 2010 · Depending on whom you ask, The Art of the Steal is either a searing expose about the biggest art heist of the young century, or two hours of half-baked conspiracy theories. The new documentary explores controversial plans to move the Barnes Foundation's $25-billion art collection to downtown Philadelphia — against the wishes of its founder.
Feb 12th, 2010 · Valentine's Day is one of the most anticipated and dreaded days of the year. It depends on who you ask. But the day might be especially poignant for African Americans who have some of the lowest marriage rates in this country. Host Michel Martin talks to a panel of African-American writers, all of whom have written books about black love and loss. The writers share their theories on what many believe is a disconnect between black men and women.
Jan 30th, 2010 · For almost every major world event — from the Apollo moon landing to Hurricane Katrina — there's a conspiracy theory to undermine the conventional view of the way things took place. Voodoo Histories, a new book by David Aaronovitch, takes aim at some of the most notorious.
Jan 25th, 2010 · An economist and TV producer hired a comedy duo to perform a rap song they wrote that pits the ideas of John Maynard Keynes against those of lesser known theorist F.A. Hayek. The resulting 6 1/2-minute music video tells the story of Keynes and Hayek going out for a night on the town. While drinking and rolling with their homies, they lay out the basics of their theories.
Dec 28th, 2009 · Hear the genre-busting Turtle Island Quartet perform a new composition called Tree of Life, in the Performance Today studio. Inspired by Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species and written by Turtle Island's leader, David Balakrishnan, the music encompasses a wide range of cultural references.
Nov 28th, 2009 · Rumors about the swine flu vaccine have, pardon the expression, gone viral. The Internet has helped spread these theories, but rumors about the safety and efficacy of vaccines have been around much longer than the World Wide Web. Host Scott Simon talks with trivia expert A.J. Jacobs about the little facts you may not know.
Nov 3rd, 2009 · Claude Levi-Strauss is widely considered the father of modern anthropology for work that included theories about commonalities between tribal and industrial societies. During his six-decade career, he authored literary and anthropological classics including Tristes Tropiques.
May 29th, 2009 · What happens to words after the ear picks them up? Neuroscientist Sophie Scott of University College London discusses the latest theories of speech perception, from how the brain recognizes a familiar voice to how it adjusts to each speaker's unique pitch and accent.