Sir Alec Jeffreys is being honored with a Lasker Award for his discovery of DNA fingerprinting in 1984. He’ll tell us how he did it, and how it’s changed the way we think about identification. Then, we’ll talk to Ricky Gervais, the star of the hit BBC comedy "The Office." Finally, on today's Underreported feature, Sarah Chayes calls in live from Kandahar. Sunday's elections in Afghanistan went fairly smoothly, but the country remains very troubled.
DNA Fingerprinting
In 1984, Sir Alec Jeffreys discovered that DNA segments could be used to identify individuals and prove inheritance. He instantly realized the many possible uses of this process, and he became a major figure in the popularization of DNA fingerprinting. His influential work has been recognized this year with a ...
The Office
Ricky Gervais, the co-creator and star of the BBC comedy “The Office,” tells us where he got the inspiration for his hit television series. And he’ll tell us about his latest project, “Extras,” which will premiere soon on HBO.
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» More on Ricky Gervais
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Update from Afghanistan
The US is planning to withdraw from Afghanistan, despite increasing security threats throughout the country. Former NPR correspondent Sarah Chayes calls in from Kandahar with an update on Afghanistan’s recent elections, and the deteriorating conditions there. In this week’s Underreported feature, she tells us why she’s worried about Afghanistan's future, ...

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