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On Demand

The Leonard Lopate Show

Friday, March 14, 2008
  • Sputnik
    Sputnik replica (Dave Pearson/flickr)

    Balancing Act

    Find out how the USSR's launch of Sputnik 50 years ago brought the world’s superpowers to the brink of nuclear war! Also: the relationship between the media and the Pentagon. A look into how mass-produced commercial colors changed the art world in the mid-20th century. And Please Explain is all about balance and the 6th sense of proprioception.

Sputnik Mania

The launch of Sputnik 50 years ago brought the world’s superpowers to the brink of nuclear war. David Hoffman is director of the new documentary "Sputnik Mania." Paul Dickson co-wrote the film, and is also the author of the book Sputnik: The Shock of the Century. It’s playing at the IFC Center (323 6th Ave.) March 14-18.

“Sputnik Mania” website
More about “Sputnik Mania” at the IFC Center

War Made Easy

Columnist and media expert Norman Solomon claims that the US media have often acted as a propaganda arm of the Pentagon. A new documentary based on his book, War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death, begins March 14 at The Quad Cinema (34 West 13th Street).

"War Made Easy" the film website

How Commercial Colors Changed the Art World

The advent of mass-produced commercial colors changed the art world in the mid-20th century. Ann Temkin is curator of the new MoMA exhibit, "Color Chart: Reinventing Color, 1950 to Today." John Baldessari is one of the artists featured in the exhibit.

Slideshow: Color Chart: Reinventing Color, 1950 to Today

More about “Color Chart” at MoMA

Please Explain: Balance and Proprioception

Find out about two senses we often take for granted - balance and proprioception (the sense that indicates body movement and placement). Science writer Sandra Blakeslee is author of the book The Body Has a Mind of Its Own: How Body Maps in Your Brain Help You Do (Almost) Everything Better. Scott McCredie is author of Balance: In Search of the Lost Sense.

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.

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.