It is the most recognizable equation in the world and it explains Albert Einstein’s theory of space and time in an elegant, yet deceptively simple expression. But what is the real meaning of this equation? Tonight on Inquiry we speak with BRIAN COX, Professor of particle physics at the University of Manchester and a well-known radio and television presenter. Professor Cox talks about Einstein’s concept of “spacetime”, how we measure distances in spacetime and what causality and invariance has to do with the speed of light. Which brings us to the famous Twins Paradox, the inspiration for many a science fiction tale an even Twilight Zone episodes. All this, and what the discovery of the Higgs Boson at the Large Hadron Collider will mean for the Standard Model. If you have ever wanted to really understand relativity, be sure to tune in. Cox’s book, c0-authroed with Jeff Forshaw, is titled WHY DOES E=MC2 ? AND WHY SHOULD WE CARE?
Don’t touch that dial! Writer and media historian GERALD NACHMAN returns once again to Inquiry, this time to talk about RAISED ON RADIO , a wonderful account of those golden days when the radio was the important media resource in most homes in America and families gathered around radio sets large and small to be thrilled, amused and informed. Tonight we talk about the early comedians of radio, many of whom came directly from vaudeville. People like Jack Benny, Burns and Allen and Red Skelton. Why did some succeed in this new media, while others failed? Tune in tonight for a fond remembrance of radio past.
Only a hundred years ago, the earth’s oceans seem to hold the promise of a limitless abundance of fish and the potential to feed the world. Today, many of the larger food fish are near extinction, even the smaller species at the bottom of the food chain are becoming rare, and more and more people are demanding fish for food. How did we arrive at this sorry state of affairs? Tonight’s guest is PAUL GREENBERG, writer, researcher and passionate fisherman. In his new book FOUR FISH: THE FUTURE OF THE LAST WILD FOOD, Greenberg writes about what has become of the world’s wild stocks of salmon, sea bass, tuna and cod. Overfishing, the damming of migratory rivers and pollution have all taken their toll and the situation seems grim. But does aquaculture hold out a promise to counter the extinction of these familiar food fish? Tune in tonight for a thought provoking discussion on what it will take to keep our favorite fish on the menu.
Blake Edwards directed some of the great slapstick films of the latter decades of the 20th Century. His films include the Pink Panther series; The Great Race; 10 and Victor/Victoria. He directed Days of Wine and Roses and Breakfast At Tiffany’s when he was barely starting out in his career. Yet this master of the sight gag and pratfall seems to get little respect today and was persona non grata in Hollywood for many years after directing the box-office flop Darling Lili. Tune in to Inquiry tonight, when we speak again with film historian SAM WASSON about Blake Edwards amazing career. Wasson’s book is titled A SPLURCH IN THE KISSER: THE MOVIES OF BLAKE EDWARDS.
Natural historian, writer and radio commentator SY MONTGOMERY returns to Inquiry to talk about her latest book BIRDOLOGY, a collection of pieces that explore the fascinating lives of birds and our complex relationships to these avian wonders. Tune in tonight to listen to Sy Montgomery explain why chickens are so much more than merely walking drumsticks. In fact, they are intelligent and even loving birds. Then, we talk about the tense drama of trying to hand-raise two bumblebee-sized baby hummingbirds to their first flight. Sy Montgomery is one of the great describers of the natural world, so don’t miss this show!
California wines are world renowned especially in the Napa and Sonoma valleys. However, the Central Coast region and it's famed Paso Robles is a wine lovers paradise. This week Austin Hope of Hope Family winery is a young man whose love of the land and his passion for wine has helped set the tone for the region and the industry. Join us this Sunday evening at 10:30 for a conversation with Austin Hope.
Three top-tier musicians play Brazilian music literally from the inside out: They're all from Brazil. Romero Lubambo, Nilson Matta and Duduka da Fonseca have been performing together for two decades, racking up collaborations with the entire spectrum of jazz musicians. At the CareFusion Newport Folk Festival in Newport, R.I., they welcome a soulful tenor saxophonist.
A master of the sweeping gesture, the South American tinge and the color-rich palette, Maria Schneider leads what many call the best large ensemble in jazz. Her music is full of depth and variety, and her band stacked with some of the best soloists to be found anywhere. She led a set of favorite compositions at the CareFusion Newport Jazz Festival in Newport, R.I.
The Global Jazz Institute at Berklee College of Music is an interdisciplinary performance program with a social purpose: performing and teaching around the world. Its core collective, made up of some of Berklee's top talent and directed by pianist Danilo Perez, travels down from Boston for the CareFusion Newport Folk Festival in Newport, R.I.
From Azerbaijan to the Netherlands, with a detour in the U.S. — it's the career path of pianist Amina Figarova. Somewhere along the way, she discovered her compositional calling updating the knotty, post-bebop jazz popularized in the 1960s. With her touring sextet of Dutch players, she made a U.S. tour stop at the CareFusion Newport Folk Festival in Newport, R.I.
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