Talk of the Nation, hosted by Neal Conan, offers call-in listeners the opportunity to join enlightening discussions about politics, public service, health care, education, religion, and music with decision-makers, authors, academicians, and artists from around the world.
Recently
Humans, The World's 'Superomnivores'
In his book The Omnivorous Mind: Our Evolving Relationship with Food, neuroanthropologist John S. Allen discusses the history of human eating, from foraged foods on the savannah to four-star meals cooked by celebrity chefs, and discusses why crunchy foods like tempura and fried chicken have universal appeal.
What's The Secret To Great Tomato Flavor?
Horticulturalist Harry Klee is on a mission to bring great taste back to the supermarket tomato. To do so, he asks taste-testers to rate the most flavorful fruits, and analyzes each winning variety's chemical profile. Then he uses his 'chemical recipe' to breed high-yield, better-tasting hybrid tomatoes.
Tick Talk: Lyme Disease Under The Microscope
Banking giant JPMorgan's multibillion-dollar trading loss is blamed on an executive's absence due to Lyme disease. And a mild winter has some scientists predicting a busy tick season ahead. A panel of experts discuss how the infection is contracted, why it's often misdiagnosed and the most effective treatment options.
Breaking Out Of A Web Of Fear
Reporting in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers write that a brief therapy session with people who had a lifelong phobia of spiders resulted in lasting changes to brain areas that process fear. A panel of experts discuss the results, debilitating fear and ways to overcome it.
Monster Turtle Fossil Discovered In Colombian Mine
Reporting in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, researchers write of discovering a car-sized turtle they named Carbonemys cofrinii. Edwin Cadena, who found the fossil, describes the giant reptile's lifestyle 60 million years ago, and what it may have dined on--like baby alligators.
