Word of Mouth Past Shows

Today on Word of Mouth, a group of biologists see our germ-o-phobia as a key to understanding cultural differences, skeptics take on conspiracy theorists in the name of reason, a filmmaker challenges us to think about the garbage we throw out, and versatile jazz drummer Brian Blade branches out in new directions.

(Photo of Brian Blade by bobtravis via Flickr/Creative Commons)

Tracy Kidder tells true stories. He is one of the masters of the narrative non-fiction genre. He’s won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award for works which combine fine writing with solid reporting, often from places we would never choose to go. Tracy Kidder’s new book, Strength In What Remains, tells the story of a young African medical student who narrowly escapes civil war and the Rwandan genocide and lands in New York as a penniless refugee. It’s a terrifying journey, sometimes mere paces away from the muffled cries and charred remains of terror. It’s also a story of extraordinary courage. Today, Word of Mouth presents a conversation with Tracy Kidder, from the "Writers on a New England Stage" series.

(Photo by Rich Orris)

Today on Word of Mouth, your mind on trickery. We peek up the magician's sleeve to explore why we fall so easily for illusions, and what neuroscientists are learning that could advance treatment for Alzheimer's and attention disorders. Plus, serial callers dominate the airwaves in Ghana, hijacking conversations on radio call-in shows. And, we’ve come a long way since the carnival sideshows, where the curious paid to gape at humans with developmental anomalies. Our guest says we have a lot to learn about evolution and the natural world by studying deformities in humans and animals.

(Photo by Gareth Saunders via Flickr/Creative Commons)

Today on Word of Mouth, pink brain, blue brain. A neuroscientist and mother of three digs through decades of research to decode the differences between boys’ and girls’ brains. Then, a couple tries to save a remote Chinese village from high-rise hotels and big-bus tourism. Plus, a sculptor goes to Vietnam to reveal the legacy of Agent Orange. And human rights activists dare to speak truth to power.

(Photo by Kirk Torregrossa)

Today on Word of Mouth, synthetic biology could hold the key to curing disease and ending hunger, but does the ability to re-create life from its very building blocks come too close to playing God? We’ll speak to an enthusiastic leader in the field. Then, Tokyo’s seedy underworld, where the mafia operates openly, crime bosses manipulate the stock market and underlings chop off their own fingers to prove their loyalty. Plus, a new breed of children’s books indulges unruly kids and the parents who can’t keep them in line. And an after-school program pairs up with publishers to put books in the hands of underprivileged kids. Plus, move over Hollywood, Portsmouth is rolling out the red carpet for the New Hampshire Film Festival.

(Photo by Sushicam via Flickr/Creative Commons)

Today on Word of Mouth, while President Obama weighs opinions on sending more troops to Afghanistan, we’ll travel to the frontlines of a sustained and difficult war. There, Gen. Stanley McChrystal sees only the new counterinsurgency plan as the only way to defeat the Taliban. Plus, Iraq is a dangerous place to be a gay man, as death squads torture and kill homosexuals in the name of Allah. We’ll talk to a member of the underground network now shuttling the targets to safety. Plus, we’ll hear predictions on global water supply, and then go beyond data points, as dozens of contemporary artists plumb the depths of our relationship to water.

(Photo courtesy Martin Smith for "Frontline")