Barcodes - the little stripes on everything you buy that make the register beep at the checkout counter. Ever wonder how they got there? Jordan Firth did, and his book reveals a weird and wonderful history.
In February 1965 there was a televised debate on "the American dream is at the expense of the American Negro." Author Nicholas Buccola tells why that debate still affects us today.
Have you checked out politics lately? We're definitely in the midst of strange political times. Thank goodness political columnist Dick Polman is here to help us sort things out. As much as he can.....
Journalist and documentarian Jennifer Lin is premiering her latest film this week. "Ten Times Better" is the remarkable story of George Lee, a dancer the film describes as a "prodigy, refugee and pioneer."
Exploring the mind of a writer! Poet and essayist Ross Gay talks about what inspires his writing, how he gets his ideas on paper, and how he shapes them into his poems and essays.
What's it like to be a contestant on a TV game show? Heather Zell won cash and a trip on Wheel of Fortune, and she's here to share behind-the-scenes stories about the show (and Pat and Vanna)!
How do we tackle the problem of immigration? John C. Austin, a fellow at the Brookings Institute, has co-authored a plan featuring logical, common-sense steps we can take to fix a broken system.
Looking back at 2023? Not for us! We prefer to look WAY back -- to the TV themes we heard while we were growing up, and to the radio programs America heard while it grew up.
Ozempic is a drug intended to help diabetics. Is it okay to prescribe it for weight loss? Who's better equipped to handle abortions, doctors or legislators? Bioethicist Art Caplan looks at these and other medical issues
Merry Christmas! Here are holiday stories as warm as the kiss of an angel, and as stupid as your cousin Harry, who still believes mistletoe is a disease contracted by astronauts.
Most shrink from Shakespeare. His language is archaic and hard to understand. Behold! Carmen Khan is here to help you understand what the Bard is saying - and, more importantly, why he's saying it.
Why do we have Christmas trees and Christmas cookies? Where did the idea of Santa Claus originate? Is there really such a thing as "holiday hide the pickle?" Folklorist Cory Hutcheson tells all about holiday traditions!
At the end of every episode of The Musical Innertube, we thank virtual band Car Radio Dog for playing our theme music. Why? And what is a virtual band? Listen and find out!
Journalist, author and filmmaker Jennifer Lin takes us on a deep dive into history with her film Beethoven in Beijing - as well as a deep dive into her family history with her book Shanghai Faithful.
Thanksgiving is a time for friends and family to gather together. But what if you're all by yourself this year? Don't worry! The Musical Innertube Players have a solution: Martin Stewart's lonely Thanksgiving feast.
They're baaack! Those ads saying you need to enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan! Well, we're back, too! Here's our talk with medical reporter Cheryl Clark all about Medicare and those plans, including updates about new regulations.
Last year, Patty Kim won re-election to the PA House. She and her fellow Democrats took control of the chamber by one seat. But before that, she told us what it was like to serve in the minority.
Here's a Halloween treat from the Musical Innertube Players - the story of a hideous man-pig monster eating its way through the pantries of London!
Singer/songwriter Olivia Farabaugh talks in depth about how CIRS has affected her life. Elizabeth Cripe tells how mold sickened her family. Together they've organized a festival to provide awareness and raise funds for CIRS sufferers.
Take a break from all your worries and listen to this fun conversation about cartoons and other forms of animation with Jerry Beck, historian and cartoon lover, who tells us about his all-time favorite cartoon!
Julius Henry Marx was born on October 2, 1890, in Manhattan. In honor of Groucho's birthday, please join us for a talk with the man who gives us Evenings with Groucho, Frank Ferrante (who was born much later).
There are a lot of laughs in this podcast, because Gina Barreca knows humor. But there is a lot of truth as well, because Gina's edited a book of essays about how women fall, real and imagined.
Tons of "space junk" is floating around the earth, posing a danger to present and future space missions. Astronomer Chris Impey talks about the difficult task of removing that junk, and other cosmic challenges.
Magicians often band together for fun (and profit). Here are two members of the Artificial Wizards group, Kyle Purnell and Vince the Vaudevillian, talking about the shows and secrets they share. Magic in the making!
Here's more with Justin Timpane, who talks about making music at home, and why the Star Trek/Star Wars universes are running out of steam. Hear some of his music -- and, hey, get a free t-shirt!
It's been 22 years since terrorists flew planes into the twin towers of the World Trade Center. That means it's been 22 years since Mike Hingson and his guide dog Roselle got out of the first tower alive.
He's the man behind the " Ninjas Vs." trilogy of B-movies, as well as films like "The Christmas Cancellation" and "The Distanced." Justin Timpane shares what happens in the world of indie filmmaking. ALSO: listen to get a free T-shirt!
Tornadoes leave death and destuction in their path. So do serial killers. Writer and forensic psychologist Katherine Ramsland talks about how her new novel explores those similarities, as seen through the latest case of her Nut Cracker Investigators.
Climate change is causing permafrost to melt, unearthing things that have been frozen for hundreds of thousands of years. Bio-ethicist Art Caplan says some of those things are viruses that we might have no way of combatting.
We all do it: try to figure out the meaning of the vanity plate on that car that's in front of us. Isaac Klein took it one step further, getting the stories behind the plates in his podcast Vanity.
