A while ago came the news that the US is in grave danger of a clown shortage. Today we'll get a report from a clown convention and find out why membership is down, but why clowns are still unlikely to completely disappear.
We'll also talk to a futurist about ectogenesis, or artificial wombs. Often referenced in science fiction, the idea of children being grown outside of a mother's body is inching closer to reality.
Plus, the latest 10-Minute Writer's Workshop with anatomical historian Alice Dreger.
Listen to the full show.
The Artificial Womb
Science fiction has long imagined babies gestating – from conception to delivery – in a lab, and artificial wombs may soon become a reality.
Zoltan Istvanis a futurist, philosopher, journalist and author. He wrote about the science and the ethics of artificial wombs – or ectogenesis, as the technology is formally called - for Motherboard. His most recent book is "The Transhumanist Wager."
The Future of Clowns
Is there any truth to the impending clown shortage? Leigh Cowart traveled to a clown convention to find out for herself. Her article “Don’t Be Afraid Of The Clowns” appeared in Buzzfeed.
Leigh also spoke with us about the passing of Robin Williams.
Learning to Like Poetry
Victoria Chang is a poet, most recently of a collection called The Boss – and she recently wrote a list for the Huffington Post called “13 Poetry Collections for People Who Think They Don’t Like Poetry”.
10-Minute Writer's Workshop: Alice Dreger
In the latest installment of the 10-Minute Writer's Workshop, Virginia talks process with Alice Dreger, a historian of science and medicine and, recently, the author of Galileo's Middle Finger: Heretics, Activists, and the Search for Justice in Science.
Listen to this episode again: 10-Minute Writer's Workshop: Anatomical Historian Alice Dreger?.