WNYC New York Public Radio Most Emailed of the Month

Choice (Radiolab: Friday, 14 November 2008)

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:52 GMT

We turn up the volume on the voices in our heads and try to make sense of the babble. On a journey around the country to understand how emotion and logic interact to guide us through our options, we ponder how we get through the million choices and decisions we make every day. Forget free will, some important decisions could come down to a steaming cup of coffee.

The History of Bubbles (The Brian Lehrer Show: Wednesday, 19 November 2008)

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 05:00 GMT

Niall Ferguson, Laurence A. Tisch Professor of History at Harvard University, senior research fellow of Jesus College, Oxford University, a senior fellow of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and the author of The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World, places the current financial crisis in historical context.

The Word Beyond the Bird (The Leonard Lopate Show: Tuesday, 11 November 2008)

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 05:00 GMT

Start your Thanksgiving meal planning! Join us for our Thanksgiving side-dish recipe swap -- tune in for tips on what to serve with the turkey. Also: chef Jamie Oliver on how to cook using the most natural ingredients possible; then, suggestions on how to combine seasonings for the best possible flavors. We also talk about what the U.S. can do to regain the respect of the rest of the world.

Choice (Radiolab: Friday, 14 November 2008)

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:52 GMT

The Word Beyond the Bird (The Leonard Lopate Show: Tuesday, 11 November 2008)

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 05:00 GMT

Agriculture Warrior (The Brian Lehrer Show: Monday, 17 November 2008)

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 05:00 GMT

Writer Michael Pollan says government agricultural policy promotes a diet that makes us fat and sick. What can the Obama Agriculture Secretary do about it? Plus, Kerry Kennedy, daughter of Robert Kennedy and founder of the RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights on this week’s re-naming of the Triborough Bridge for her father.

Musica Sacra

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 09:33 GMT

As part of the 2008-2009 New Sounds Live concert series at the World Financial Center’s Winter Garden, New York’s Musica Sacra, the versatile chorus led by Kent Tritle, performs two contemporar....

Musical Language (Radiolab: Friday, 21 April 2006)

Wed, 09 May 2007 20:09 GMT

What is music? How does it work? Why does it move us? Why are some people better at it than others? In this hour, we examine the line between language and music, how the brain processes sound, and we meet a composer who uses computers to capture the musical DNA of dead composers in order to create new work. We also re-imagine the disastrous 1913 debut of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring…through the lens of modern neurology.

Police Review Surveillance Video After Wal-Mart Worker Trampled

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 16:07 GMT

Police say it may prove difficult to identify individual shoppers who trampled on a Wal-Mart worker killed at a Long Island store during Black Friday's buying frenzy. REPORTER: Nassau County police ....

Turn It Off (The Brian Lehrer Show: Monday, 24 November 2008)

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:13 GMT

John P. Robinson, professor of sociology at the University of Maryland, talks about why happy people don't watch TV.

Time to Change Your Life (The Leonard Lopate Show: Thursday, 27 November 2008)

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 05:00 GMT

Most people spend their time less wisely than their money. Find out how a better understanding of the psychology of time can lead to a healthier, happier, and more successful life. Philip Zimbardo’s most recent book is The Time Paradox.

The Modern Art World (The Leonard Lopate Show: Thursday, 13 November 2008)

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:25 GMT

Find out about the wide range of subcultures that make up the contemporary art world. Sarah Thornton, contributor to Artforum.com and the New Yorker, is author of Seven Days in the Art World.

Malcolm Gladwell on the Secret of Success (The Leonard Lopate Show: Wednesday, 19 November 2008)

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 05:00 GMT

Why do some people succeed, while others never reach their full potential? Malcolm Gladwell talks about how luck, skill, and hard work affect your chances at success. His new book is Outliers.

You're Getting Warmer (The Brian Lehrer Show: Thursday, 06 November 2008)

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 13:38 GMT

Gretchen Reynolds, Contributing writer for The New York Times Sunday Sports magazine "Play," and writer of their Phys. Ed column, discusses the benefits of "Dynamic Stretching" and why your current preexercise warm-up could be doing you more harm than good.

Fab Cab Follow Up: Michael Pollan (The Brian Lehrer Show: Monday, 17 November 2008)

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:39 GMT

Food writer Michael Pollan got numerous mentions for Agriculture Secretary in the BL Show Fab-Cab nomination process. He discusses what food policy he'd like to see under the Obama administration.

Buyology: The Science of Neuromarketing (The Leonard Lopate Show: Wednesday, 12 November 2008)

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 05:00 GMT

Find out why we buy what we buy, and why some ads and jingles work and others don’t. Martin Lindstrom’s new book about how much neuromarketers know about our decisionmaking processes is Buyology.

Obama Effect (The Brian Lehrer Show: Monday, 10 November 2008)

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:12 GMT

Many think the Barack Obama election created a new spirit of public service in this country. But will it last? Huffington Post contributor Linda Bergthold discusses whether Americans will follow through on their inspiration.

How about you? Has your Obama-inspired call to action manifested itself, or are you back to your normal day-to-day life? Comment below!

Sperm (Radiolab: Friday, 21 November 2008)

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:35 GMT

Why so many sperm? We turn to the animal kingdom to answer that question, which lands us on a tour of sperm battles in ducks, flying pig sperm, and promiscuous whippoorwills. We ponder the necessity of males in a world where sperm can be frozen and kept for all eternity. And we sit quietly in a stark sonic space with a widow struggling to keep some essence of her husband alive.

Reading is Fundamental (The Brian Lehrer Show: Tuesday, 02 December 2008)

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:12 GMT

Erin Bauer, English and literacy educator, advisor, and senior advisor for graduation at the High School for Global Citizenship in Brooklyn and Dolores Perin, associate professor of Psychology and Education at Columbia University's Teachers College, talk about the issues raised in yesterday’s Radio Rookies piece.

Race (Radiolab: Friday, 28 November 2008)

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 05:00 GMT

The U.S. Census defines five races, and an "other" category. When the human genome was first fully mapped in 2000, Bill Clinton, Craig Venter, and Francis Collins took the stage and pronounced that "The concept of race has no genetic or scientific basis."

Great words spoken with great intentions. But what does that mean and where does it leave us? It doesn't seem to have wiped out our evolving conversation about race.

Story of a Soldier's Anthem (Soundcheck: Monday, 10 November 2008)

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 05:00 GMT

During World War II, a song about a young woman longing for her sweetheart was popular with German soldiers as well as the Allies. On the eve of Veterans' Day, we look back at an unusual crossover hit, "Lili Marlene." Plus: New York-based singer-songwriter Alfonso Velez performs live.

WNYC - WNYC Video

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 16:26 GMT

Thanksgiving Recipe Swap: Side Dishes! (The Leonard Lopate Show: Tuesday, 11 November 2008)

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 05:00 GMT

It’s our Thanksgiving recipe swap! Ruth Reichl of Gourmet magazine, as well as a few listeners, join Leonard to talk about side dishes. Tune in for tips on what to serve with the turkey.

Here are some of Ruth Reichl's favorite side dish recipes:
Baby Brussels Sprouts with Buttered Pecans
Jeweled Rice with Dried Fruit
Wild-Mushroom Bundles
Parmesan-Roasted Butternut Squash
Haricots Verts with Bacon and Chestnuts

Weigh in: What do you serve with turkey? What's your family's favorite recipe, and what's the story behind it?

Ultra-Secret NSA (The Leonard Lopate Show: Thursday, 06 November 2008)

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 05:00 GMT

Find out how the National Security Agency evolved after 9/11, and how it might change again under the incoming Obama administration. James Bamford is author of The Shadow Factory.

Stretched to the Limit (The Brian Lehrer Show: Thursday, 06 November 2008)

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:16 GMT

The president-elect faces the global economic crisis, and New York Times business editor Marcus Mabry and author/Atlantic Monthly editor Reihan Salam offer their thoughts on where to go from here. Plus: NY1’s Dominic Carter talks local politics, and when it comes to stretching, you’re probably doing it wrong.

Answer our Time Capsule Question: What Will President Obama Actually Change by 2012?