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jj_judes/flickrMake Up Your Mind
Humans often act irrationally... but irrational behavior can be quite predictable. An MIT professor explains the forces that lead to irrational behavior. Also, a new novel about the constricted life of a Japanese princess. On States of the Union, former US Senator from Rhode Island Lincoln Chafee tells us what his state’s voters are thinking as they head into their primary on Tuesday. And on Underreported: new attempts to change the sentencing policies for crack versus powder cocaine.
Check out the latest in our Political Projections film series! On Tuesday, March 4, we'll talk about how Hollywood has showcased American cynicism about politics. You can watch the films we've chosen and weigh in on the conversation.
Predictably Irrational Decision-Making
Humans often act in irrational ways...for example, making poor decisions about dating, and spending money unwisely. Recent experiments reveal our irrational behavior can be quite predictable! MIT professor Dan Ariely explains the forces that lead to irrational behavior in his new book Predictably Irrational.
Weigh in: What's the most irrational decision you've ever made? And do you know why you made it?
The Constricted Life of Japan’s Royal Family
John Burnham Schwartz’s new novel, The Commoner, is based on the life of Japan’s Empress Michiko, who was the first commoner to marry into the Japanese imperial family.
States of the Union: Rhode Island
All eyes are on Ohio and Texas for their March 4 primaries, but Rhode Island is voting on that day too. Rhode Island’s biggest industry is health care and we find out whether health care reform is a major issue there. Also: why Rhode Island has the lowest presidential approval rating in the country, and how that may affect the campaigns in the coming months. Lincoln Chafee is former US Senator of Rhode Island.
States of the Union fact of the week: The official name of Rhode Island is State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations – the smallest state in the country has one of the longest state names, thereby stumping cartographers for generations to come.
Underreported: Unfair Crack and Cocaine Sentencing Guidelines
According to current federal sentencing guidelines, convictions for the sale of 500 grams of powder cocaine – and only 5 grams of crack cocaine – both result in a 5-year mandatory minimum sentence. Jesselyn McCurdy, legislative counsel for the ACLU, explains why this sentencing disparity is unfair and fails to address the larger problem of the drug trade. Karen Garrison is the mother of 2 sons who are each serving long sentences in federal prison for non-violent crack cocaine offenses.
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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.
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
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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.
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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.
