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The Leonard Lopate Show
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Ricky Gervais, the "King of Comedy" (Ray Burmiston)Life's Work
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 Lasker Award for Clinical Research.
» More on the Lasker Awards
Music:
Soundtrack to the Secret Agent by Philip Glass,
Tracks 2, 5, 6
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.
» More on Ricky Gervais
» Visit our Guest Picks page to find out what moves Ricky Gervais
Music:
Theme for The Office
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, and describes some of the problems she believes just aren’t getting enough attention.
Music:
Fall Out by Euphone
Wax Off by Kodo
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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.
Video Pick: David Chang on Momofuku
The Leonard Lopate Show
Recent Videos:
- Arthur Schwartz on The Southern Italian Table
- David Plouffe on The Audacity to Win: The Inside Story and Lessons of Barack Obama’s Historic Victory
- Ken Auletta on Googled: The End of the World as We Know It
- Paul Shaffer on We’ll Be Here for the Rest of Our Lives: A Swingin' Show-Biz Saga
- George Steel on the New York City Opera’s new season
- Gail Collins on When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of Women from 1960 to the Present
- Comments [1]
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.
- Comments [33]
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.
- Comments [1]
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.
- Comments [9]
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.
- Comments [4]
