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The Leonard Lopate Show

Wednesday, April 28, 2004
  • Adam's Curse
    Adam's Curse

    Y Not?

    Sperm counts are declining and percentages of abnormal sperm are rising in many parts of the world. Are we headed towards a world without men? Brian Sykes, one of the world’s premier geneticists, predicts that the Y chromosome could someday cease to exist. Then, biographer Simon Sebag Montefiore details everything from the daily routines to the horrific crimes of Josef Stalin and his entourage. New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast talks about a new collection of her cartoons from 1995 to 2003. It’s called The Party, After You Left. And our Next Frontier series continues with Dr. Juris Zarins, who’s combing the Middle East for the fabled ancient city of Ubar.

Brian Sykes

Oxford geneticist Brian Sykes is the author of Adam’s Curse. He explains scientific findings that suggest that the Y chromosome is fragile, and why that might lead to the eventual extinction of men.

» Read an excerpt of Adam’s Curse in the Reading Room

Music: “Feast,” “The Circular Word,” and “New York Counterpoint” by Richard Stoltzman from "New York Counterpoint"

Simon Sebag Montefiore

Simon Sebag Montefiore’s biography is Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar. He chronicles Stalin’s court from his acclamation 1929 until his death in 1953. According to some estimates, about 20 million Russians died in Stalin's purges and in his notorious Gulag.

» Read an excerpt of Stalin in the Reading Room
» More about the author

Music: Symphony No. 7 “Leningrad” by Gergiev Shostakovich

Roz Chast

The Party, After You Left is Roz Chast’s latest collection of her cartoons, which appear frequently in the New Yorker. She finds humor in bad marriages, road rage, and bratty children.

Music: “Down Home Rag” by The Beau Hunks from "Saxophone Soctette"

The Next Frontier: Dr. Juris Zarins

Ubar Dr. Juris Zarins is a professor in the anthropology department at Southwest Missouri State University. He’s been out exploring in the Middle East, looking for the ancient city of Ubar, once dubbed "the Atlantis of the Sands."

» Visit "The Next Frontier" pages for bios, links and a slideshow

Music: “Gelin Gidelimk” from "Monothiestischer Dreiklang: Christliche Gregorianik Sufimusik des Islam Judische Tempelgesange"

Tributes: Jeanne-Claude

The Leonard Lopate Show

Jeanne-Claude created environmental works of art with her husband and fellow-conspirator/collaborator Christo. Together, they wrapped the Reichstag in Berlin, the Pont-Neuf in Paris, and created The Gates, with billowy orange drapes, in Central Park. Jeanne-Claude just died at the age of 74. You can hear Leonard Lopate’s last interview with them both, from July 19, 1999.

Let’s Go Swimming!

The Leonard Lopate Show

According to the Centers for Disease Control, bacterial, viral, and parasitic organisms found in recreational water in the United States sicken thousands of people every year, and even result in deaths. We’ll speak with chemist and industrial hygienist Monona Rossol about the protozoa, amoebas and other things that love to go swimming with us. Monona is also founder and President of Arts, Crafts and Theater Safety.

Frank McCourt

The Leonard Lopate Show

Frank McCourt has been a guest many times on this show over the years, starting in 1996 for the memoir, Angela’s Ashes, that would earn him a Pulitzer Prize. Fame came to him late in life, after he’d retired at the age of 65 from teaching English and creative writing at public schools here in New York. He was a sweet, eloquent man who spoke with grace and humility; he just died at the age of 78 after a battle with cancer. You can hear him speaking with Leonard Lopate for his Survival Kit in 2000, and in 2005, for his memoir, Teacher Man.

Science and Faith

The Leonard Lopate Show

Earlier this week, Pres. Obama announced that he plans to nominate geneticist Dr. Francis Collins to lead the National Institutes of Health. You can listen to Leonard’s 2006 conversation with Dr. Collins about how he reconciles his personal faith with his professional scientific knowledge.

FDA to Regulate Tobacco?

The Leonard Lopate Show

May 14, 2009
Congress is getting ready to a vote on whether to make tobacco subject to FDA regulation. You can listen to a segment we did in May about the bill and what it would mean for the cigarette companies.

Our 3-ingredient Challenge wins a James Beard Award

The Leonard Lopate Show

On May 3, the Lopate Show won its third James Beard Award for our 3-ingredient challenge. In August, we asked our listeners to call in and name 3 ingredients and then challenged New York chef and 3-ingredient expert Rozanne Gold to whip up a recipe! You can listen to the 3-ingredient challenge and get some inspiration for simple, delicious, and unexpected dishes.

Leonard is on Facebook

Now Leonard is on Facebook! We’re posting photos, status updates, links to notable interviews, and lots more. Check it out.

Barack Obama, Circa 2004

The Leonard Lopate Show

Listen to President-Elect Barack Obama on the Leonard Lopate Show in November 2004. He had recently won a seat in the U.S. Senate, and only a few months before, his rousing speech during the 2004 Democratic National Convention catapulted him into the national spotlight.