FRESH AIR
We humans have long wondered what separates us from the other animals — but neuroscientist Michael Gazzaniga may have given the topic more consideration than most. Gazzaniga, a pioneer in what’s called split-brain research, has just published Human: The Science Behind What Makes Us Unique. He talks to Terry Gross about his work, which involves investigating the varying functions of the left and right sides of our brains, and about how that research informs our understanding of the brain and human consciousness. Gazzaniga has spent the past 45 years studying the functions of the left and right brain. He’s director of the University of California–Santa Barbara’s SAGE Center for the Study of the Mind. He also serves on the President’s Council on Bioethics and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.In addition to Human, Gazzaniga is also the author of The Ethical Brain.
“How’s my driving?” ask the backs of eighteen-wheelers. Writer Tom Vanderbilt thinks it could be better. Vanderbilt’s book Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us) explores the sociology of driving — why roads are most congested on Saturdays, what percentage of traffic is drivers simply looking for parking, why new cars crash more often than old ones. The book is based on research and interviews with driving experts and traffic officials around the world. Vanderbilt is a New-York based writer who covers topics such as design, technology, science, and culture for Wired, Slate, and The New York Times.
RADIO TIMES
Hour 1
For many working-class families, one misstep could cause financial disaster according to LA Times economics correspondent PETER GOSSELIN. In his new book, High Wire: The Precarious Financial Lives of American Families, Gosselin shows how the average family is bearing the burden of our current economic woes. Listen to this show via Real Audio | mp3
Hour 2
(Rebroadcast tonight at 11)
The alleged e-mail snooping case against local news anchor Larry Mendte offers important lessons about internet privacy and how we use email. We talk with Daily News columnist DAN GROSS about the charges against Mendte. Then Drexel University assistant professor ROB D’Ovidio joins us to talk about how to protect ourselves from unauthorized access to our computers. Listen to this show via Real Audio | mp3
THE WORLD CAFE
Eli “Paperboy” Reed
Eli “Paperboy” Reed and his band, The True Loves, drop by the World Cafe with host David Dye for music from their second album, Roll With You. Just twenty-four years old, Reed honed his musical chops at age eighteen playing the blues in the Mississippi delta. Along with their youthful, raw energy comes the talent of seasoned veterans playing timeless gospel, soul, and rhythm and blues.
ELI ‘PAPERBOY’ REED: It’s Easier
Live and direct from a Paris laundromat.