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The Leonard Lopate Show

Friday, September 14, 2007
  • brain

    Words of Wisdom

    On today's show: Bestselling author and Harvard Professor of Psychology Steven Pinker tells us what everyday speech reveals about the way our minds work. Then a curator from the Brooklyn Museum of Art describes what's new with their collection of millennia-old mummies. Also, we'll get the scoop on the 2007 Brooklyn Book Festival. And for our latest Please Explain, we'll take a look at HMOs.

The Stuff of Thought

Time magazine has called Harvard Professor Steven Pinker one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World Today." His latest book, The Stuff of Thought, delves into the mental processes behind everything we say, from swear words to polite greetings, from baby names to technical jargon, explaining what the words we say reveal about the way we think.

Event

Steven Pinker will discuss his book during a talk and Q&A session.
Tonight, Sept. 14, at 7 pm
Barnes & Noble
2289 Broadway (near 82nd St)

Purchase The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature at amazon.com.

Weigh in: Have you ever made a bad choice of words and said more than you wanted to?

How often do words betray you?

Mummy's the Word

In preparation for a major touring exhibition opening in 2008, the Brooklyn Museum of Art is using new scientific technologies to analyze the five human and 50 animal mummies in its collection. Curator Ed Bleiberg will explain what CT scans, X-ray fluorescence, and GC Mass Spec have revealed about these millennia-old treasures.

Visit brooklynmuseum.org for more information.

Brooklyn Book Festival 2007

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes - also a debut author with the crime novel Triple Homicide - will join us to discuss the ever-expanding Brooklyn Book Festival.

Brooklyn Book Festival 2007 takes place this Sunday, September 16, from 10:00 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Brooklyn Borough Hall, the adjacent Borough Hall Plaza and Columbus Park, the Brooklyn Historical Society, and St. Francis College. Learn more at brooklynbookfestival.org.

Weigh in: Who's your favorite local author?

Please Explain: HMOs

More than half of all Americans who have health insurance belong to health maintenance organizations, more commonly called HMOs. On today's Please Explain, Professor Michael Sparer of Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health will answer your questions about the history of HMOs, how they work, how plans differ from one another, and more.

Call us at 212-433-WNYC or post your questions and comments here.

Weigh in: Do you belong to an HMO? Are you satisfied with the health care you receive?

Patrick Swayze

The Leonard Lopate Show

Patrick Swayze mixed grace with athleticism in his movies – and rose to stardom with roles in “Dirty Dancing” and “Ghost.” He died just recently after a battle with pancreatic cancer. And you can hear his interview with Leonard Lopate from July 16, 2002, when he came by to discuss appearing in the film, “Green Dragon.”

The Silver Anniversary of the Silver Palate

The Leonard Lopate Show

Sheila Lukins was one half of a partnership that helped popularize gourmet cooking throughout America – first, through their gourmet food shop in New York City and then with the cookbook, The Silver Palate, which remains one of the top-selling cookbooks of all time. She collaborated on 2 other cookbooks that simplified gourmet cooking for the home cook. She died recently from brain cancer at the age of 66, and you can listen to her 2007 conversation with Leonard Lopate and her business partner Julee Rosso about the 25th Anniversary of the publication of The Silver Palate.

Dominick Dunne

The Leonard Lopate Show

Dominick Dunne was a famous novelist and Hollywood producer. But he may be best remembered for covering trials of the rich and famous – from Claus von Bulow to O. J. Simpson. He died just recently at the age of 83. But you can still hear his interview with Leonard from November 23, 2001, when he was discussing crimes, trials, and punishments.

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.

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?