‘Love’s in need of love today’: A look at Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder turned 75 this year. Also this year, our friend the jazz pianist Noah Baerman put out an album of covers of Wonder’s “message music.” This hour, a look at Stevie Wonder as musical icon, as important civil rights figure, as utterly timeless songsmith. Plus: some in-studio performance…

How robots, and our attitudes toward them, have evolved

What counts as a robot? This hour, a look at what robots are and the latest in robot technology. Plus, how robots were used and thought about in medieval times and Ancient Greece and the role of robots in science fiction. GUESTS: Chris Atkeson: Professor at the Robotics Institute and the Human-Co…

Nothing to see here: Erasure in history, art and more

This hour, we look at the political erasure of history, and its impacts. Plus, we talk about why artists destroy their own work or the works of others. And, the history and evolution of erasers. GUESTS:  Jason Stanley: Bissell-Heyd-Associates Chair in American Studies at the Munk School of Globa…

What the history of the McKinley era, tariffs, and the Gilded Age can teach us about the present

President Donald Trump has found inspiration for tariffs and more in the 25th President of the United States: William McKinley. This hour, we look at the life and legacy of McKinley, and why Trump is drawn to him. Plus, we'll learn about the Gilded Age and its parallels to today. GUESTS:  Kevin …

All calls: Should we be less worried about the Netflix deal and more worried about the collapse of the CDC?

We’ve been doing these shows where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing — calls about grammar, gardening, long-distance dialing, autotune. Anything. Everything. These shows are fun for us, and they seem to…

The Nose looks at ‘PLUR1BUS’ and ‘Orwell: 2 + 2 = 5’

This week’s Nose — guest hosted by writer and journalist Lindsay Lee Wallace — looks at: PLUR1BUS is a new post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller series created by Vince Gilligan. Apple TV describes its premise like this: “The most miserable person on Earth must save the world from happiness.” Rhea Seeh…

A look at cultural manias from Liszt and orchids to the Beatles and beyond

From fueling some of mankind's most violent events to inspiring your daughter's latest pop star obsession, mania has become an indispensable force in shaping our collective story. This hour we explore a centuries-long flower frenzy and modern-day fanaticism to uncover why we are so drawn to being "…

Trinity College's new president, Daniel G. Lugo, reflects on the transformative power of higher education

This hour, Daniel G. Lugo, the new president of Trinity College in Hartford, joins us to talk about the value of higher education, his background, the challenges of leading a college at this time, and more. GUEST: Daniel G. Lugo: Trinity College’s 23rd President

All calls: Guess the song; Win a free starling

We’ve been doing these shows where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls, calls about anything, everything. These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one. This hour, the conversation winds around to whether less is more or better…

Remembering Sir Tom Stoppard

In 2014, Colin McEnroe and the playwright and screenwriter Tom Stoppard recorded a live conversation at The Study in New Haven. Stoppard, whom Colin considers “quite possibly the most dizzyingly proficient writer of the English tongue (who) did not grow up speaking English,” has died at the age of …