Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'modern'

Obama Leans On Lincoln In Preparation For the Presidency

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:00:00 EST

As Barack Obama prepares to become the country's 44th president, much of his political philosophy seems influenced by the wisdom of Abraham Lincoln, who took office as the 16th U.S. president in 1861. Columbia University historian Eric Foner and Duke University professor Mark Anthony Neal discuss what the two leaders have in common — both personally and politically — and the implications of Obama's modern-day application of Lincoln's ideals.

Addressing The Threat Of Deflation

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:00:00 EST

As central banks continue to slash interest rates almost to zero, prices can plummet. It creates a liquidity trap, as it did in the 1930s and in Japan during the 1990s. Harvard economist Kenneth Rogoff outlines what deflation could mean for modern America.

Solas On Mountain Stage

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:01:00 EST

In their fourth appearance on Mountain Stage, the modern-day Irish traditionalists in Solas perform songs from their latest release, Love and Laughter. The set opens with a series of jigs and a traditional Irish love song, and later ends with a rendition of Bob Dylan's "Seven Curses."

Plotting A Course To Halt Pirate Attacks

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:03:00 EST

The shipping industry has seen a sharp increase in problems with modern-day pirates, especially off the Somali coast in the Gulf of Aden. What can governments and the international community do to stop them?

The Dan Tyminski Band On Mountain Stage

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:18:00 EST

One of the most distinctive voices in modern bluegrass, Dan Tyminski visits Mountain Stage for the first time with his own band to perform songs from his second solo release, Wheels. The set closes with "Man of Constant Sorrow," the bluegrass standard prominently featured in the 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Ravi Coltrane: Live At The Village Vanguard

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:40:00 EST

He's descended from jazz royalty, and he wears it with pride. But the saxophonist has engineered his own modern and thoroughly personal approach to improvisation. Hear Ravi Coltrane's working quartet perform live at the Vanguard.

Challenging The Stereotypes Of Modern Iran

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:23:00 EST

In The Ayatollah Begs to Differ, Hooman Majd, an Iranian-American writer and the grandson of an ayatollah, travels behind "Persian walls" to provide a revealing look at modern Iran.

A New Boom... Mining Town Doesn't Its Hold Breath

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 17:26:00 EST

Jeffrey, Wyo., is a modern-day ghost town. Once home to a booming uranium mining industry, the town crumbled after uranium prices plummeted in the 1980s. Its 50 remaining residents react to the possibility of a new uranium boom.

Old Crow Medicine Show: Return To Roots

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 13:46:00 EST

Old Crow Medicine Show brings its rootsy back-porch sound to World CafÃ©, where it showcases songs from the new Tennessee Pusher. The disc takes a modern approach to Americana with gospel and rock overtones, but leaves the band's roots firmly intact.

The Modern Vampire: Bloodthirsty, But Chivalrous

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 15:00:00 EDT

A new generation of vampire heroes is dominating best-seller lists, movies and TV. The modern-day vampire gentleman is eerily alluring in all the old-fashioned, bloodsucking ways but reins in his baser instincts in an impressive display of control.

5,300-Year-Old Mummy Has No Human Descendants

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:52:00 EDT

Oetzi, a mummified man found frozen in the Italian Alps after 5,300 years, has no living genetic descendants among modern humans. The discovery came after researchers sequenced Oetzi's entire genome and compared it with human DNA.

'Socialism' Charges Draw On Old Fears

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 11:44:00 EDT

The McCain campaign's charge that Barack Obama has socialist leanings has put the spotlight on a word relatively uncommon to modern American elections. Linguist Geoff Nunberg explains how the "S" word was used in the past — and why it's come up now.

Searching For A Modern-Day 'Hemline Index'

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 12:05:00 EDT

Nearly a century ago, an economist noted a correlation between the health of the economy and the length of women's skirts — the phenomenon became known as the "hemline index." New York Times reporter Tamar Lewin set out to find modern-day economic indicators.

A Quintet Of Great Modern Piano Trios

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:25:00 EDT

In the piano trio, only three instruments are involved, so the thoughts and actions of musicians must be absolutely in sync with one another. Pianists like Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett have led legendary trios, but here are five piano-trio leaders who keep the acoustic jazz tradition alive in fresh ways.

Anat Cohen: Live At The Village Vanguard

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 12:10:00 EDT

Reedwoman Anat Cohen totes a clarinet and two saxophones, and plays them in modern jazz, traditional revues and every Afro-Latin hybrid imaginable. She'll do all that and more when she visits New York's most famous basement venue for a live broadcast.

Mike Farris On Mountain Stage

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:21:00 EDT

Mike Farris, formerly of the mid-'90s rock group Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies, turned to creating gospel music in 2004, with his album Salvation in Lights. Farris showcases his powerful melding of modern and classic gospel in this edition of Mountain Stage.

Antibiotic Resistance A Major Medical Challenge

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 00:32:00 EDT

Antibiotic resistance is one of the major threats facing todays's modern medicine. Richard H. Ebright, a chemistry professor and researcher, explains new approaches for developing antibiotics that may lead to methods for treating drug-resistant tuberculosis and other diseases.

Eric Church On Mountain Stage

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 14:51:00 EDT

North Carolina-born singer-songwriter Eric Church has quickly become one of the most popular young stars in modern country music. Church recently treated a Mountain Stage audience in Bristol, Tenn./Va., to a stripped-down acoustic performance of what is normally a loud, electric stage show.

Professor Wants Pairs' 1997 Nobel Revoked

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Economists Robert Merton and Myron Scholes won the 1997 Nobel Prize in economics. Their formula for evaluating stock options laid the ground work for risk-management in modern financial markets. Naseem Taleb, a professor at New York University and hedge fund owner, wants their prize revoked. Taleb talks with Renee Montage about why.

Niyaz: From Iran To India To Los Angeles

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 05:07:00 EDT

Azam Ali and Loga Ramin Torkian, of the Persian-Indian music trio Niyaz, sit down to talk about their new album Nine Heavens. The disc blends modern electronica with old Persian folk songs and mystical Sufi poems. Ali talks about how her transcontinental journey from Iran to India, and then to the U.S., has shaped her music.

Assessing Modern-Day Voter Suppression

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 10:33:00 EDT

News & Notes continues its month-long series on voting with a focus on the nature of black voting patterns and whether black voters are being steered away from the polls. Farai Chideya speaks with Earl Ofari Hutchinson, a Los Angeles-based political analyst, and Melanie Campbell of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation.

In New York, An Unusual Dance Performance

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:32:00 EDT

In New York this week, two unlikely groups came together: war veterans and modern dancers. Dancers kicked, twisted and jumped on and around retired airplanes from the 1930s and 1940s in a hangar at Floyd Bennett Field.

Old Visitor Center Is New Battle Of Gettysburg

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 06:00:00 EDT

The 1864 cyclorama painting, "The Battle of Gettysburg," is on display in a new visitors center. The National Park Service wants to demolish the old building but it was designed by Richard Neutra, one of the most important figures of modern architecture. Neutra's son has filed a lawsuit to force the Park Service to reconsider its decision. Alex Schmidt reports for member station WHYY. (6) McCain: There Are Unanswered Questions About Obama — The Democrat and Republican presidential hopefuls debate Tuesday in Nashville, Tenn. On Monday, Republican John McCain campaigned in New Mexico, arguing that Barack Obama is inexperienced and raised questions about Obama's past relationships. NPR's Scott Horsley reports from Nashville.

A Check On The New Head of the Smithsonian

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 06:00:00 EDT

It's not easy trying to modernize a massive institution known more for historic artifacts than cutting-edge technology. Wayne Clough, head of the Smithsonian, talks about his first 100 days in office with Ari Shapiro. They discuss fundraising, education and keeping pace with technological change.

'How To Lose Friends' — And Your Own Bearings

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Based on Toby Young's scathing magazine memoir, this big-screen satire pokes fun at modern media's celebrity obsession — though ultimately it succumbs to the pleasures it pretends to scorn.