Word of Mouth Past Shows

Today on Word of Mouth, learning surgery without a scalpel. Med students test out virtual reality training – no cadaver required. And a library without books? An elite prep school ditches its tomes as relics of the past. Plus, we’ll peer at the frontier of technology that logs memories, and puts us on the path to digital immortality. And a Supreme Court reporter attempts an exeriment she may not want to remember: writing chick-lit, with the help of her Facebook fans.

Today on Word of Mouth, good news from the West Bank. We speak to an Israeli man who’s working to empower Palestinian villagers with wind and solar energy. And author Nicholas Thompson tells us about the Cold War remnant he discovered while researching his book The Hawk and The Dove. And nosmoking on this construction site. We’ll bring you a behind the girders look at the people who built the first green residential building in the tightly-knit South Boston neighborhood. Plus, Portsmouth rolls out the red carpet for the Telluride By The Sea film festival.

Today on Word of Mouth, a robot rover scours the ocean floor to read its record of our planet. Back on dry land, a seasoned Vermont farmer disabuses youngsters of romantic notions, and worries about the future. Meanwhile, in New York City, a family attempts a year of no impact living, and discovers the riches of doing without. With a new book and a new movie, some accuse No Impact Man of profiteering from eco-gimmickry. And high school students uncover the history of the ordinary in their neighborhoods.

(Photo courtesy of Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute)

Today on Word of Mouth, get fat with a little help you’re your friends. Researchers mine an epidemiological study spanning decades and discover connections between friends and health. The controversial findings show that even loose social connections strongly influence smoking, drinking, and eating habits, and may even affect our happiness. Then, literary critic James Wood makes an eloquent and passionate case for the novel.

Today on Word of Mouth, pain-free meat. A philosopher considers the possibility of genetically engineering animals to not feel pain. PETA's dream or an ethical nightmare? And we’ll step inside the NYPD's surveillance system to find out whether extensive electronic observation is driving down New York's crime rates. Plus, a 5-foot-8, 170-pound, 43-year-old sportswriter gets behind the lines at an NFL training camp - not for sound bytes, but as a rookie field-kicker.