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The Leonard Lopate Show
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How to Be Happy
On today’s show: Joshua Wolf Shenk on a 72-year-long Harvard study that looks at the human condition and whether or not there's a formula for happiness. And our latest Underreported segments look at how the economic recession is affecting human rights around the world, and at oversight of defense contractors in Afghanistan.
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What Makes Us Happy
For 72 years, researchers at Harvard have been following 268 men who started college in the late 1930s through war, marriage, fatherhood, their careers, divorces, sickness, health, and old age. Joshua Wolf Shenk has examined the records and archives of this study, one of the most comprehensive longitudinal studies in history. It offers insight into the human condition—and into the mind of its longtime director, George Vaillant. The article "What Makes Us Happy," appears in the June issue of the Atlantic magazine.
Underreported: The Recession's Impact on Human Rights
The economic crisis has radically changed many of the ways in which the world functions, but one of the great recessions most disastrous side effects is an increase in global repression. Widespread economic problems are creating extensive social problems as people and governments cope with limited access to food, jobs, clean water, land, and housing. What’s more, growing unrest about the economy is leading to violence and political repression in many countries. We’ll speak with executive director of Amnesty International Larry Cox about where the suffering is worst and who is the most affected.
Underreported: Defense Contracts, Afghanistan, and Fraud
The cost of defense contracting surged to $400 billion annually in 2008, while prosecutions by the Justice Department of defense contracting fraud fell by 76% during the years President Bush was in office. And until last year there was no independent oversight of where money for defense contractors in Afghanistan was going. If the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan increases, it will need the support of military contractors—many of whom have operated with little oversight. We’ll talk with staff writer for the Center for Public Integrity and American University Fellow Nick Schwellenbach about the problem.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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.
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