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Humans have long been interested in the possibility of extraterrestrial life. This hour, a look at why that interest has persisted.

Plus, we talk to a scientist who is looking for extraterrestrial life and a linguist who is preparing in case we ever receive communications from extraterrestrials.

GUESTS:
Kate Dorsch: Historian, philosopher of science, and the associate director of the philosophy, politics, and economics program at the University of Pennsylvania
Amanda Rees: Historian of science based at the University of York
Seth Shostak: Senior astronomer at the SETI Institute and host of the radio show and podcast Big Picture Science
Sheri Wells-Jensen: Associate professor of English and linguistics at Bowling Green State University who is on the board of directors of METI International

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!

Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.

Humans have long been interested in the possibility of extraterrestrial life. This hour, a look at why that interest has persisted.
Plus, we talk to a scientist who is looking for extraterrestrial life and a linguist who is preparing in case we ever receive communications from extraterrestrials.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>Kate Dorsch: Historian, philosopher of science, and the associate director of the philosophy, politics, and economics program at the University of Pennsylvania</li>
<li>Amanda Rees: Historian of science based at the University of York</li>
<li>Seth Shostak: Senior astronomer at the SETI Institute and host of the radio show and podcast <a href="http://radio.seti.org/">Big Picture Science</a></li>
<li>Sheri Wells-Jensen: Associate professor of English and linguistics at Bowling Green State University who is on the board of directors of METI International</li>
</ul>
Join the conversation on <a href="https://facebook.com/ColinMcShow">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/wnprcolin">Twitter</a>.
The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-colin-mcenroe-show/id714179884">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0AXtqrzWounIoJyIqz003p?si=89RJodkWRsOo1dck5BCdMA&amp;nd=1">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cub21ueWNvbnRlbnQuY29tL2QvcGxheWxpc3QvYWMwYmU5NjktZDdkZi00NjBjLWE2NmMtYTZmOTAwZTFlYmQxLzcxZGM0YTBmLWU4Y2EtNDAyMS1hZWM5LWFhMDMwMDI2MDQyZC9iNjk1Y2I4Ny1mNmE5LTRjNzYtOGYxMS1hYTAzMDAyNjA0M2IvcG9kY2FzdC5yc3M">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/show/colin-mcenroe-show-rsspodcast">Stitcher</a>, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!
Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.

The Colin McEnroe Show is public radio’s most eclectic, eccentric weekday program. The best way to understand us is through the subjects we tackle: Neanderthals, tambourines, handshakes, the Iliad, snacks, ringtones, punk rock, Occam’s razor, Rasputin, houseflies, zippers. Are you sensing a pattern? If so, you should probably be in treatment. On Fridays, we try to stop thinking about what kind of ringtones Neanderthals would want to have and convene a panel called The Nose for an informal roundtable about the week in culture.

<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/the-colin-mcenroe-show/about">The Colin McEnroe Show</a> is public radio’s most eclectic, eccentric weekday program. The best way to understand us is through the subjects we tackle: Neanderthals, tambourines, handshakes, the Iliad, snacks, ringtones, punk rock, Occam’s razor, Rasputin, houseflies, zippers. Are you sensing a pattern? If so, you should probably be in treatment. On Fridays, we try to stop thinking about what kind of ringtones Neanderthals would want to have and convene a panel called <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/tags/the-nose">The Nose</a> for an informal roundtable about the week in culture.

The Colin McEnroe Show

The Colin McEnroe Show has been on the air for more than 13 years. In that time, we’ve produced some shows that were really good ideas and some that were really bad ideas (usually on purpose). We don’t remember all of the episodes we’ve done in that time, and we don’t expect you to either. So we put together this list as a starting point of some of our favorite and most memorable shows. 

The Colin McEnroe Show has been on the air for more than 13 years. In that time, we’ve produced some shows that were really good ideas and some that were really bad ideas (usually on purpose). We don’t remember all of the episodes we’ve done in that time, and we don’t expect you to either. So we put together this list as a starting point of some of our favorite and most memorable shows.

The Colin McEnroe Show for Beginners

What our search for extraterrestrial life can tell us about ourselves

Rupert Holmes won two Tony Awards for his musical The Mystery of Edwin Drood. His single “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. His dramedy Remember WENN was AMC’s first original scripted series. And his newest novel, Murder Your Employer, was a New York Times bestseller.

This hour: Rupert Holmes.

GUEST:
Rupert Holmes: Playwright, composer, singer-songwriter, and author

The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!

Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired April 20, 2024, in a different form.

Rupert Holmes won two Tony Awards for his musical <a href="https://www.rupertholmes.com/the-mystery-of-edwin-drood/">The Mystery of Edwin Drood</a>. His single &ldquo;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXG_I_tf_i4">Escape (The Pi&ntilde;a Colada Song)</a>&rdquo; went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. His dramedy <a href="https://www.amcplus.com/shows/remember-wenn--1052130">Remember WENN</a> was AMC&rsquo;s first original scripted series. And his newest novel, <a href="https://www.rupertholmes.com/murder-your-employer/">Murder Your Employer</a>, was a New York Times bestseller.
This hour: <a href="https://www.rupertholmes.com/">Rupert Holmes</a>.
GUEST:
<ul>
<li>Rupert Holmes: Playwright, composer, singer-songwriter, and author</li>
</ul>
The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-colin-mcenroe-show/id714179884">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0AXtqrzWounIoJyIqz003p">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9b6b3cee-f69b-4729-a78b-181f851d80e8/the-colin-mcenroe-show">Amazon Music</a>, <a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/The-Colin-McEnroe-Show-p1208473/">TuneIn</a>, <a href="https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-colin-mcenroe-show-connecticut-public-lXR08dxQSM5/">Listen Notes</a>, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!
<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/newsletters">Subscribe to The Noseletter</a>, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.
Join the conversation on <a href="https://facebook.com/ColinMcShow">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/colinmcshow">Twitter</a>.
Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired April 20, 2024, in a different form.

An hour with Rupert Holmes

Shakespeare’s tragedy about two star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, has appealed to audiences for centuries. It’s been adapted countless times for stage and screen.

This hour, we talk with experts exploring the play and its legacy, from The Hartford Stage on the set of their recent adaptation.

GUESTS: 
David Sterling Brown: Associate professor of English at Trinity College; he is the author of Shakespeare’s White Others and a development associate and scholar in residence for the American Globe Center, and he is on the curatorial team for Claudia Rankine’s The Racial Imaginary Institute
Melia Bensussen: Hartford Stage’s artistic director
Carman Lacivita: Actor who played Friar Laurence in Hartford Stage’s production of Romeo and Juliet; he is a recipient of the Bayfield Award — given to the best performance of Shakespeare in the New York Metropolitan Area

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.

Join the conversation on Facebook.

Colin McEnroe, Robyn Doyon-Aitken, Megan Fitzgerald, Jonathan McNicol, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired on May 6, 2025. Thank you to the staff and volunteers at the Hartford Stage, including Lucas Clopton, Wesley McCabe-Schroeder, Lindsay Abrams, Zoe Golub-Sass, Jennifer Levine, Todd Brandt, and the volunteer ushers.

Shakespeare&rsquo;s tragedy about two star-crossed lovers,&nbsp;Romeo and Juliet, has appealed to audiences for centuries. It&rsquo;s been adapted countless times for stage and screen.
This hour, we talk with experts exploring the play and its legacy, from The Hartford Stage on the set of their recent adaptation.
GUESTS:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>David Sterling Brown:&nbsp;Associate professor of English at Trinity College; he is the author of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/shakespeares-white-others/F2DFE968C825182E53052A09E8CE4EAE">Shakespeare&rsquo;s White Others</a>&nbsp;and a development associate and scholar in residence for the American Globe Center, and he is on the curatorial team for Claudia Rankine&rsquo;s The Racial Imaginary Institute</li>
<li>Melia Bensussen:&nbsp;Hartford Stage&rsquo;s artistic director</li>
<li>Carman Lacivita:&nbsp;Actor who played Friar Laurence in Hartford Stage&rsquo;s production of&nbsp;Romeo and Juliet; he is a recipient of the Bayfield Award &mdash; given to the best performance of Shakespeare in the New York Metropolitan Area</li>
</ul>
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text the 988 Suicide &amp; Crisis Lifeline.
The Colin McEnroe Show&nbsp;is available as a podcast on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-colin-mcenroe-show/id714179884">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0AXtqrzWounIoJyIqz003p">Spotify</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9b6b3cee-f69b-4729-a78b-181f851d80e8/the-colin-mcenroe-show">Amazon Music</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/The-Colin-McEnroe-Show-p1208473/">TuneIn</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-colin-mcenroe-show-connecticut-public-lXR08dxQSM5/">Listen Notes</a>, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.
<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/newsletters">Subscribe to&nbsp;The Noseletter</a>, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by&nbsp;The Colin McEnroe Show.
Join the conversation on&nbsp;<a href="https://facebook.com/ColinMcShow">Facebook</a>.
Colin McEnroe, Robyn Doyon-Aitken, Megan Fitzgerald, Jonathan McNicol, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired on May 6, 2025. Thank you to the staff and volunteers at the Hartford Stage, including Lucas Clopton, Wesley McCabe-Schroeder, Lindsay Abrams, Zoe Golub-Sass, Jennifer Levine, Todd Brandt, and the volunteer ushers.

O Romeo (and Juliet): The lasting appeal of Shakespeare’s tragedy

Occam’s razor states that “entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity.”

This hour: Occam’s razor — where the principle came from, how it impacts science, its role in medicine, and how it shapes our daily lives.

GUESTS:
Kurt Andersen: Co-founder of Spy magazine, the host and co-creator of Studio 360, and the author of Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire — A 500-Year History
Johnjoe McFadden: Author of Life Is Simple: How Occam’s Razor Set Science Free and Shapes the Universe
Lisa Sanders: Clinician educator in the Primary Care Internal Medicine Residency Program at the Yale School of Medicine; she writes the Diagnosis column for The New York Times Magazine

The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!

Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired November 17, 2021, in a different form.

Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.

Occam&rsquo;s razor states that &ldquo;entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity.&rdquo;
This hour: Occam&rsquo;s razor &mdash; where the principle came from, how it impacts science, its role in medicine, and how it shapes our daily lives.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>Kurt Andersen: Co-founder of Spy magazine, the host and co-creator of Studio 360, and the author of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kurtandersen.com/fantasyland">Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire &mdash; A 500-Year History</a></li>
<li>Johnjoe McFadden: Author of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basicbooks.com/titles/johnjoe-mcfadden/life-is-simple/9781541620438/">Life Is Simple: How Occam&rsquo;s Razor Set Science Free and Shapes the Universe</a></li>
<li>Lisa Sanders: Clinician educator in the Primary Care Internal Medicine Residency Program at the Yale School of Medicine; she writes the Diagnosis column for The New York Times Magazine</li>
</ul>
The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-colin-mcenroe-show/id714179884">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0AXtqrzWounIoJyIqz003p">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9b6b3cee-f69b-4729-a78b-181f851d80e8/the-colin-mcenroe-show">Amazon Music</a>, <a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/The-Colin-McEnroe-Show-p1208473/">TuneIn</a>, <a href="https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-colin-mcenroe-show-connecticut-public-lXR08dxQSM5/">Listen Notes</a>, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!
<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/newsletters">Subscribe to The Noseletter</a>, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.
Join the conversation on <a href="https://facebook.com/ColinMcShow">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/colinmcshow">Twitter</a>.
Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired November 17, 2021, in a different form.
Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/donate">Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today</a>.

What our search for extraterrestrial life can tell us about ourselves

The Colin McEnroe Show for Beginners

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