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On Demand

The Leonard Lopate Show

Wednesday, January 23, 2008
  • Neil Shubin with a model of Tiktaalik (John Weinstein/ Field Museum)
    Neil Shubin with a model of Tiktaalik (John Weinstein/ Field Museum)

    Missing Link

    Nobel Prize winning economist Muhammad Yunus lays out the ways he thinks free market capitalism can be made more humane. Also, on States of the Union: the issues that matter to South Carolina's Democratic voters as they head into their primary. One man’s search to find the places in the world that make people happy. Plus: what can studying fish teach us about human evolution?

    Check out the latest in our Political Projections election film series! On Feb. 5th, we'll talk about how Hollywood has poked fun at politics over the years. And find out more about our special Feb. 4 film screening here.

A More Humane Kind of Capitalism

Nobel Peace Prize-winning economist Muhammad Yunus lays out the ways he thinks free market capitalism can become more humane. His new book is Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism.

Event: Muhammad Yunus will be speaking and signing books
Wednesday, January 23 at 7 pm
Union Square Barnes & Noble

More about Muhammad Yunus and his work

The Happiest Places in the World

Usually foreign correspondents seek the least happy places in the world…like Iraq or Afghanistan. But NPR correspondent Eric Weiner went to the world’s happiest places for his new book The Geography of Bliss.

Event: Eric Weiner will be speaking with Emma Seppala
Part of the Brainwaves: Sacred Science series
Wednesday, January 23 at 7 pm
Rubin Museum of Art
150 West 17th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues)
To learn more, go here or call the box office at (212) 620-5000x344

Weigh in: Tell us about the places in the world that make you happiest.

Eric Weiner’s website

States of the Union: South Carolina

South Carolina has voted solidly Republicans for years, but the Palmetto State’s primaries have the potential to shape the race for the nomination in both parties. We examine what happened last Saturday in the Republican contest…and what we can expect this weekend for the Democratic primary. Andrew Gobeil the managing editor of and host of ETV’s "The Big Picture," a weekly newsmagazine about South Carolina politics on South Carolina’s PBS stations.

ETV’s "The Big Picture"

Pricier Wine Tastes Better

A recent study shows that raising the price of wine makes it taste better. When tasting wines they’d been told cost more, testers’ brains showed more pleasure than when drinking cheaper wines…even when the wines were exactly the same! The study’s lead author is California Institute of Technology economics professor Antonio Rangel.

Weigh in: Do you think your tastebuds are influenced by the price of what you eat or drink?

The Fish With Hands

Paleontologist Neil Shubin discovered Tiktaalik, the "fish with hands" that may give us clues into how humans evolved. His new book is Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body.

Event: Neil Shubin will be speaking and signing books
Wednesday, January 23 at 6:30 pm
American Museum of Natural History
Linder Theater, First Floor
You can buy tickets here.

More about Dr. Shubin

National Book Award Winners

The Leonard Lopate Show

A number of this year’s National Book Award winners have appeared on The Leonard Lopate Show. Click here to see the list!

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.

Please Explain: Eco-Labels

The Leonard Lopate Show

Your broccoli, shampoo, and air conditioner might bear labels declaring them to be organic, cruelty-free, or energy efficient, but what do those labels mean and are they true? Dr. Urvashi Rangan, Project Director for Consumer Reports' GreenerChoices.org and Consumers Union’s Senior Scientist for Policy Initiatives, and Dara O'Rourke, founder and CEO of GoodGuide.com, took a look at what eco-labels indicate, how standards are set, and what they mean for consumers and manufacturers around the world.

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.