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The Leonard Lopate Show / July 26, 2005

The Leonard Lopate Show

Tuesday, July 26, 2005
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    Feast Your Eyes

    Junk food is often much cheaper than health food. Adam Drewnowski of the University of Washington explains why he thinks that obesity in America may have as much to do with economics as genetics. Next, we’ll hear from Fran Capo, the world’s fastest-talking woman. Then, Robert Krulwich tells us about some of the recent scientific breakthroughs he explores in a new tv series on PBS: NOVA scienceNOW. Finally, in our regular Please Explain feature, we look at how eyes work. How does the eye take in information? And how is light translated into images?

Putting Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

Adam Drewnowski argues that obesity may be as much of an economic issue as a genetic or lifestyle issue. Foods rich in sugar and fat are often less expensive, and provide more energy and calories than healthier foods like lean meats and fresh vegetables. Mr. Drewnowski’s research shows that for each 100 grams of fats and sweets eaten per day, the cost of an individual's diet decreases by almost 50 cents.

» Read an article on money and obesity in Science News Online.

Music: soundtrack for "Finding Neverland" -- by Jan A.P. Kaczmarek (Decca) -- #1 and 4

Fast Talking

Fran Capo holds the title of world’s fastest-talking woman. The Guinness Book of World Records clocked her in at 603.32 words per minute–that’s 10 words a second!

Music: The Canadian Brass "Swingtime" (RCA Victor) -- "Blue Rondo a la Turk" and "Artistry in Rhythm"

Science Now

Robert Krulwich explains some exciting scientific frontiers, from advances in fuel cell technology to new approaches to gene therapy, in a new PBS series: NOVA scienceNOW.

» More on NOVA scienceNOW

Music: "Secret Agent" soundtrack by Philip Glass (Nonesuch), #2 and 6

eye

Please Explain: Eyes

In this week’s Please Explain feature, we’ll try to understand how our eyes work. We’ll learn about the component structures of the eye, and find out how the eye takes information in. Dr. William Schiff, Assistant Professor of Clinical Opthamology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and Dr. Janet Sparrow, Director of the Retinal Cell Biology Lab and Professor of Opthalmic Science at Columbia University, tell us how light is translated into images, how we perceive color, and how human vision differs from that of other species.

» Please Explain series

Music: Sonatine soundtrack by Joseph Hisaishi, #6 and 1

Bill Richardson on Diplomacy

The Leonard Lopate Show

New Mexico governor Bill Richardson will be joining Obama’s cabinet as Commerce Secretary. You can hear him talk about his experience in foreign policy and diplomacy on the Lopate Show in April 2007.

(<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tedkerwin/">tedkerwin</a>/flickr)

Plaxico Burress on the Lopate Show

The Leonard Lopate Show

NY Giants star Plaxico Burress is in the headlines this week for his self-inflicted gunshot wound. You can hear him on the Leonard Lopate Show in July 2008 talk about his life on and off the football field, and what it was like to win the 2007 Super Bowl.

Tom Daschle on Fixing America’s Health Care System

The Leonard Lopate Show

Former U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle has accepted President-Elect Barack Obama’s offer to be Secretary of Health and Human Services. You can hear Tom Daschle talk about his prescriptions for fixing American’s health care crisis on the Leonard Lopate Show in March 2008.

Barack Obama

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.

Guest Picks

The Leonard Lopate Show

Find out surprising facts about some recent guests on the Leonard Lopate Show. Check out our Guest Picks section! Did you know that football star Herschel Walker loves Judge Judy, Laurie Anderson is a big fan of agility training for dogs, and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi likes Johnny Depp?