The Leonard Lopate Show
Nothing More Than Feelings
Friday, July 13, 2007
Emotions influence everything from which movies we see to how we vote. On today's show: how emotions play into politics...and what candidates need to do to win over voters' hearts. Also, a look at how Queen Elizabeth I managed to keep the British economy afloat through naval exploration. We'll hear about a new play based on the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. And Please Explain is all about the chemistry and history of birth control.
Emotional Politics
Emotions influence everything from which movies we see to how we vote. Leonard talks with Drew Westen about how emotions play into politics...and what losing candidates like Kerry, Gore, and Dole should have done to win over voters' hearts. Westen is the author of the new book The Political Brain.
The Political Brain is available for purchase at amazon.com
Weigh in: Which of the current candidates for the 2008 Presidential election are most effective at appealing to voters' emotions?
Elizabeth I: The Pirate Queen
In the 1500s, Elizabeth I kept Britain's economy afloat through naval exploration. She was dubbed the "pirate queen" by the Vatican and Spain's Philip II. Susan Ronald's history of Elizabeth I is The Pirate Queen.
The Pirate Queen is available for purchase at amazon.com
Eurydice Comes Back to Life
Playwright Sarah Ruhl's new off-Broadway play is "Eurydice." The play revisits the legend of Orpheus’s descent into the underworld to retrieve his wife Eurydice, and focuses on what Eurydice has learned about life after her death. "Eurydice" is at the Second Stage Theater through August 12.
Please Explain: Birth Control
The earliest known female contraceptive device dates back to 1850 BC, when pessaries made of crocodile dung, honey, and sodium carbonate may have been the best option available to women. Chemical contraception has changed a lot since then. Today's Please Explain is about the chemistry of birth control. Dr. Rini Ratan is an OB/GYN with the Columbia Unversity Medical Center.
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