Ever wonder how your tax dollars are spent? Or why the American tax code is filled with loopholes and special interest provisions that serve the interests of tax lawyers, accountants and huge corporations? T. R. Reid, a longtime correspondent for The Washington Post and bestselling author, joins us for this week’s Please Explain about the American tax code. His latest book is A Fine Mess: A Global Quest for a Simpler, Fairer, and More Efficient Tax System. He’ll explain how our tax code works, h...
Apr 14, 2017•31 min•Ep. 433
For this week’s Please Explain, we discuss psychosomatic illnesses and the mind-body connection with Dr. Suzanne O’Sullivan. O'Sullivan is a neurologist and author of the book, Is It All in Your Head?: True Stories of Imaginary Illness. In her book, O’Sullivan chronicles the world of psychosomatic illnesses and shows how it can take over people’s lives.
Apr 07, 2017•31 min•Ep. 432
Our latest Please Explain is all about navigating the high seas and using water to help you find direction in your everyday life. We’ll hear from explorer and natural navigation expert Tristan Gooley, author of How to Read Water: Clues and Patterns from Puddles to the Sea. Do you have a question, or a story, about navigating through open water? Leave us a comment!
Mar 24, 2017•31 min•Ep. 431
‘Tis the season for sniffles. Millions of Americans suffer from allergies, seasonal and otherwise. For this week’s Please Explain, Dr. Clifford Bassett, the founder and medical director of Allergy and Asthma Care of New York, joins us to explain what an allergy is (and isn’t), identify key triggers - from nuts to gluten to the nickel commonly used in cell phones - and offer both medical and nonmedical alternatives to treatment. Dr. Bassett’s book The New Allergy Solution: Supercharge Resistance,...
Mar 17, 2017•30 min•Ep. 430
Dave Owen, Professor of Law at U.C. Hastings, joins us for this week's Please Explain to discuss the history of clean water legislation and what's at stake as the EPA attempts to roll back established water regulations. A recent executive order issued by President Trump instructed the EPA to review the "Waters of the United States" rule, an Obama-era clean water act that the president criticized for it's "horrible" treatment of small farmers and small businesses. Owen will discuss that 2015 wate...
Mar 10, 2017•32 min•Ep. 429
This week's Please Explain is all about the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)! We pull back the curtain on the institution that explores the mysteries of our universe. Dr. Valerie Neal, curator, chair of the Space History Department at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and author of Spaceflight: A Smithsonian Guide and Where Next, Columbus? The Future of Space Exploration , joins us to talk about the inner-workings of NASA and to answer questions from listeners. Ha...
Mar 03, 2017•38 min•Ep. 428
Science journalist Jennifer Kahn joins us for this week’s Please Explain, which is all about CRISPR , an incredible tool that makes precise gene editing cheaper and easier than ever before. Researchers have used CRISPR to genetically engineer malaria-resistant mosquitoes and manipulate the genes so that they copy-and-paste themselves, making it more likely that the new generation of mosquitoes will also be resistant. Kahn will discuss CRISPR, how it can be used in humans, the ethical questions i...
Feb 24, 2017•33 min•Ep. 427
Sharon Begley, the senior science writer for STAT, joins us for our latest Please Explain on compulsions to discuss her latest book Can’t Just Stop: An Investigation of Compulsions . She explores the spectrum of compulsions afflicting many people, from checking your smartphone frequently to the people who hoard and exhibit symptoms of OCD. Begley finds that the root of compulsion lies in the areas of the brain that triggers anxiety. Have questions about compulsions? Leave us a comment below, or ...
Feb 17, 2017•33 min•Ep. 426
Why do we fall in love with one person and not another? Is there such a thing as love at first sight? Today’s Please Explain is all about love and attraction! Dr. Helen Fisher, author, biological anthropologist and chief scientific advisor to Match.com , joins us to discuss romance, dating, and marriage. We'll be taking calls from listeners with questions about love. Have questions about dating and love? Leave us a comment below, or let us know on Twitter or Facebook . Helen Fisher will be talki...
Feb 10, 2017•21 min•Ep. 425
Itching to do something that makes a real change, but not sure where to begin? This week's Please Explain with Ami Dar, founder and executive director of Idealist , and Alex Kouts, chief product officer at Countable , is all about social activism. We'll be answering your questions about ways to become politically active, whether that means simply educating yourself on bills, participating in town halls, or contacting your representatives. We'll also be discussing ways to find volunteer opportuni...
Feb 03, 2017•31 min•Ep. 424
When is a shrug just a shrug? What are you really saying when you fold your arms across your chest? Whether we know it or not, we’re constantly conveying signals to other people through our body language and facial expressions. On this week’s Please Explain, we’re decoding body language and non-verbal communication, and looking at the psychology behind why we communicate this way with Dana Carney, Associate Professor at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business. Have questions about body language?...
Jan 27, 2017•24 min•Ep. 423
Jonathan Capehart guest hosts today! This week’s Please Explain is all about the weird and wonderful human body with James Hamblin, author of If Our Bodies Could Talk: A Guide to Operating and Maintaining a Human Body . Hamblin, an M.D., is also a writer and senior editor for The Atlantic . He’ll answer all of our most pressing questions including, “If I lose a contact lens in my eye, can it get into my brain?” and “When I shave or cut my hair, does it grow back faster?” Have questions (strange ...
Jan 13, 2017•33 min•Ep. 422
Our latest Please Explain is all about fat with Dr. Sylvia Tara, author of The Secret Life of Fat: The Science Behind the Body's Least Understood Organ and What It Means for You . Dr. Tara argues that fat, an endocrine organ that’s critical to our health, is one of the least understood parts of the body. She’ll explain how fat can use stem cells to regenerate; increase our appetite if it feels threatened; and use bacteria, genetics, and viruses to expand itself. Have questions about fat? Send us...
Jan 06, 2017•33 min•Ep. 421
It's widely known that the modern celebration of Christmas has its origins in Pagan traditions. The Roman Saturnalia was celebrated by exchanging gifts and candles. But there's much more to the story than that. On this week’s Please Explain, we’re looking at the pagan origins of holiday traditions rooted in the celebration of the Winter Solstice. Linda Raedisch, author of The Old Magic of Christmas:Yuletide Traditions for the Darkest Days of the Year , discusses the history, folklore, traditions...
Dec 23, 2016•34 min•Ep. 420
As many of us know from childhood goldfish experiences, there’s a lot that can go wrong when it comes to keeping fish fed, safe, healthy and stimulated. Imagine how much effort it takes to run a successful aquarium, where thousands of gallons of water housing everything from anemones to sharks and seals are at stake! On today's Please Explain, we're going behind the scenes at aquariums with two experts from the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk in Norwalk, CT: Publicist Dave Sigworth and John Lenzyck...
Dec 16, 2016•29 min•Ep. 419
Why can’t we sleep? The CDC estimates that 50 to 70 million U.S. adults have a sleep or wakefulness disorder, caused by "broad scale societal factors such as round-the-clock access to technology and work schedules, but sleep disorders such as insomnia or obstructive sleep apnea also play an important role." Dr. Rafael Pelayo, Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Stanford Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine, joins us for this week's Please Explain about insomnia and sl...
Dec 09, 2016•31 min•Ep. 418
Julia Child once said, "With enough butter, anything is good." Wise words because after all, where would we be without butter, the building block of hundreds of recipes, from flaky croissants to rich buttercream frosting? On this week’s Please Explain, we are talking all about butter, with award-winning writer and former pastry chef Elaine Khosrova, author of Butter: A Rich History . She traveled across the world to uncover the social and culinary history of butter, from Ireland to Tibet and eve...
Dec 02, 2016•33 min•Ep. 417
This week's Please Explain has us on the edge of our seats! From the Klismos, to the Eames, we're talking about the history of chairs and chair design with Witold Rybczynski, an architect, writer and an emeritus professor of architecture at the University of Pennsylvania. He’s the author of, Now I Sit Me Down: From Klismos to Plastic Chair: A Natural History. Have questions about chairs or chair design? Send us your questions in a comment below, or let us know on Twitter or Facebook !...
Nov 18, 2016•32 min•Ep. 416
Where would music be without the electric guitar, the instrument that gave us everything from the quintessential rock n' roll sound of the 1960s, to hardcore punk, and face-melting metal? On this week's Please Explain, Brad Tolinski, former the editor-in-chief of Guitar World , and author of Play it Loud: An Epic History of the Style, Sound, and Revolution of the Electric Guitar introduces us to the inventors and musicians who developed the instrument that defines so many genres. Also joining us...
Nov 11, 2016•31 min•Ep. 415
Ever wonder why Swiss cheese has holes? Why are so many types of cheese yellow in color? Or, what kinds of milk are best for making cheese? Chemist Michael Tunick has spent almost three decades working with the USDA's Agricultural Research Service creating new dairy products and improving existing ones. On our latest Please Explain, he’ll address the chemistry, physics and biology that results in cheese! He's the author of The Science of Cheese . Have questions about cheese? Send us your questio...
Nov 04, 2016•26 min•Ep. 414
Tis the season for squash! Although most of us are only familiar with a handful of squashes, there are 150 varieties of heirloom pumpkins, squash, and gourds. For this week's Please Explain, Chef Alfred Portale, executive chef and co-owner of the Gotham Bar and Grill, shares his favorite ways to cook different kinds of squash. Zaid Kurdieh, a professor and partner operator of Norwich Meadows Farm, LLC, a certified organic, diversified vegetable farm in Norwich, NY, also joins us to discuss squas...
Oct 28, 2016•30 min•Ep. 413
We're taking you behind the scenes at The Leonard Lopate Show on today's Please Explain with Executive Producer Melissa Eagan! She and Leonard will talk about the history of the show, share some of their favorite stories and look back at a few of our most memorable guests. What have you always wanted to know about the show? Give us a call at 212-433-9692, send us your questions in a comment below, or let us know on Twitter or Facebook ! Leonard and Melissa at the old WNYC offices at the Municipa...
Oct 21, 2016•36 min•Ep. 412
Centuries before the restaurant became a dining destination, a "restaurant" was actually a medicinal broth that contained ingredients like capon, gold ducats, rubies and other precious gems. So how did restaurants become what they are today? When did eating become an enjoyable, leisurely activity? Rebecca Spang, author of The Invention of the Restaurant: Paris and Modern Gastronomic Culture , joins us for today’s Please Explain all about the history of restaurants! Dr. Spang is a Professor of Hi...
Oct 14, 2016•28 min•Ep. 411
Reports of sinister clowns in the news have us thinking about creepiness. Why are some things simply scary, and other things genuinely creepy? On today's Please Explain, David Livingstone Smith, Professor of Philosophy at the University of New England, offers some insight in an essay for Aeon called, "A theory of creepiness ." He tells us how scientists and researchers have attempted to measure and classify creepiness - from robots that are designed to look like humans (but something isn't quite...
Oct 07, 2016•34 min•Ep. 410
Is it worse to be stung by a scorpion or a bee? Ask Justin O. Schmidt, a biologist at Southwestern Biological Institute, who’s also affiliated with the Department of Entomology at the University of Arizona and the author of The Sting of the Wild . Dr. Schmidt has let more than 83 different species of stinging insects from all over the world attack him... all in the name of science! Schmidt is the inventor of the eponymous “Schmidt Sting Pain Index,” which ranks the relative pain caused by insect...
Sep 30, 2016•31 min•Ep. 409
Dreams are a natural part of life, and throughout human history, people have tried to interpret their dreams. But dreaming, in many ways, still remains mysterious . On this week’s Please Explain, we’ll find out what happens in our brains while we dream, what causes nightmares and lucid dreaming, and why some of us talk and walk in our sleep. We’ll also learn about the many ways psychologists interpret dreams. Joining us is Dr. Michael Breus, a Clinical Psychologist, Diplomate of the American Boa...
Sep 23, 2016•33 min•Ep. 408
The best ballerinas make it look effortless, gracefully dancing and leaping across the stage in beautiful costumes. But what do ballet dancers really go through, given the physical demands, in addition to the hours of practice, preparation and dedication? On today's Please Explain, we're looking at the secret life of ballerinas with Ashley Bouder, principal dancer in the New York City Ballet , and Tiekka Tellier, who spent 16 years as a professional ballerina and founded Everyday Ballet . Have q...
Sep 16, 2016•28 min•Ep. 407
Handwriting has helped shape culture ever since the ancient Sumerians created an alphabet on clay tablets. But are digital communication and the internet threatening to make handwriting obsolete? Anne Trubek , author of The History and Uncertain Future of Handwriting , joins us for this week's Please Explain all about handwriting! Do you have questions about handwriting? Send us your questions in a comment below, or let us know on Twitter or Facebook ! Today's Please Explain: handwriting! We wan...
Sep 09, 2016•29 min•Ep. 406
The summer is not over yet, and to prove it, we’re talking all about ice cream! We’ll look into the history of the beloved frozen treat, as well as the many variations on flavor, sweetness and texture that have developed over the years. We’ll also find out how to make ice cream (with and without dairy) and the science behind the perfect scoop from Laura O’Neill, Co-Founder Van Leeuwen Ice Cream , based in Greenpoint, and Ben Van Leeuwen, Co-Founder. They’re the co-authors of the Van Leeuwen Arti...
Aug 26, 2016•27 min•Ep. 405
From white sugar and brown sugar, to raw sugar and sugar cane… Not to mention agave, simple syrup, and molasses, there's an abundance of options when it comes to choosing an agent that’s going to make your desserts and drinks pop. But which are the best for what purpose… and which are the healthiest? Joining us to talk about all things sweet is Shauna Sever, author of three cookbooks, including Real Sweet:More Than 80 Crave-Worthy Treats Made with Natural Sugars. We'll also find out how sugar an...
Aug 19, 2016•30 min•Ep. 404
