Weekly Program Highlights
Friday 7/3
1:00 – 2:00 PM
Science Friday… This week on Science Friday, in honor of the nation’s 250th birthday, the show looks at science in Colonial America.
2:00 – 3:00 PM
Hidden Brain… This week on Hidden Brain, food, safety, and strong relationships are essential to our survival. But what if the human brain is built not only for survival, but also for transcendence?
3:00 – 4:00 PM
Fresh Air… This week on Fresh Air, Steven Spielberg talks about how he fell in love with movies and became a filmmaker.
6:30 – 7:30 PM
The Club McKenzie… The Slide Rule: The phrase “tailgate” has a wonderfully literal origin, before it ever became a musical one. New Orleans bands in the early 1900s drummed up business for that night's gigs by riding through the streets on horse-drawn furniture wagons, playing as they went — what was called "ballyhooing." Because the trombonist needed room to work his slide, he'd sit at the back of the wagon, which is where the name "tailgate trombone" comes from.
Saturday 7/4
10:00 – 11:00 AM
Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me!… This week on Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!, revisit some of the show’s favorite interviews with John Cusack, Aasif Mandvi, Kali Reis and Arden Cho. And some panelists share their thoughts on America’s past time, baseball.
11:00 – NOON
Radiolab… This week on Radiolab, tracking down answers to the big little questions swirling around our own heads; we reached out to some of our favorite people and asked them to come along with us as we journeyed back in time, to outer space, and inside our very own bodies.
3:00 – 4:00 PM
American Routes… This week on American Routes, celebrate our nation’s 250th year with a live concert in honor of the American Folklife Center’s 50-year legacy at the Library of Congress, sponsored by and hosted at the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park in the French Quarter. Hear New Orleans jazz, Afro-Creole Louisiana acapella Juré, a mix of French and Native American songs, Creole fiddle tunes, Cajun music, Afro-French zydeco and blues, classic folk songs, Bentonia, Mississippi blues, and the latest Cajun French stylings.
Sunday 7/5
NOON – 3:00 PM
Sunday Baroque… For the Independence Day holiday weekend, as our nation is celebrating America 250, hear some of the greatest hits of the baroque era, played by performing ensembles across the US on Sunday Baroque. You’ll hear the Cleveland Baroque orchestra APOLLO’S FIRE, New York’s celebrated Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and a Boulder, Colorado-based brass ensemble.
3:00 – 4:00 PM
Code Switch & Life Kit… This week on Code Switch, a show about hunger and labor strikes at an immigration detention center in Newark. Then on Life Kit, a show about living a nice life.
6:00 – 7:00 PM
The Moth Radio Hour… This week on The Moth Radio Hour, stories of diving in head first and putting it all on the line. Unconventional gifts, apex predators, and stock car racing.
Monday 7/6
1:00 – 2:00 PM
SPECIAL: Off the Path… To celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, this special episode of the podcast Off the Path explores some of the most fascinating stories lost to history — well, mostly. They’re kept alive by scholars and history buffs who still celebrate them today. They’ll tell you that the American Revolution started under an elm tree and ended in a tavern — and about the first woman to get an honorable discharge, disguised as a man — or the only known intersection in the U.S. where every house was built before America became a country. Those stories and more, coming up on Off the Path, this Monday afternoon at 1:00.
2:00 – 3:00 PM
The Splendid Table… This week on The Splendid Table, they’re taking on hot dogs and Vietnamese grilling in time for your 4th of July! Andrea Nguyen, award-winning Vietnamese food scholar, schools us on the delicious art of Vietnamese grilling. She is the author of many books, including her latest Ever-Green Vietnamese. Then, get all political and talk hotdogs with Farideh Sadeghin, author of The Hot Dog Cookbook.
Tuesday 7/7
1:00 – 2:00 PM
TED Radio Hour… Whether you love or hate fashion, we all have to get dressed in the morning. And the industry affects us in complex ways. This week on TED Radio Hour, host Manoush Zomorodi looks at the outrageous, environmental and seedy sides of fashion.
2:00 – 3:00 PM
SPECIAL: Call to Mind: The Strain of Stress… Americans are stressed. There are personal stressors like money, caretaking, and jobs — and also, social challenges like political division and the uncertain economy. Health experts warn that living with chronic stress doesn’t just make us feel bad in the moment; stress can shape the brain’s neural networks. It puts many people at higher risk for mental illness, like depression, anxiety disorders, and substance-abuse. On this Call to Mind special, we’ll hear firsthand about issues that can overwhelm us, the effect stress has on our mental health, and ways to manage the strain.
Wednesday 7/8
1:00 – 1:30 PM
Bioneers… Calling someone an “animal” means they’re less than human – not worthy of respect, rights, or even of life itself. But in truth -- and in biological fact -- human beings ARE animals. Scientists continue to find that intelligence and what we call “consciousness” appear to saturate all of nature. Clearly it’s high time to think differently about just what it means to be an animal. Can we know what it’s like to be other-than-human? How can we see into the minds of animals? This week on Bioneers, visionary naturalist, author and conservationist Carl Safina says that the first step is paying attention and observing. And, he suggests, if we had humility, we’d have everything.
1:30 – 2:00 PM
California Report Magazine… This week on California Report Magazine, a new rock opera imagines a time traveler from 1925 experiencing Pasadena now.
2:00 – 3:00 PM
Freakonomics Radio… This week on Freakonomics Radio, can backgammon save us from ourselves? It brings strangers together. It teaches probability, strategy, and emotional control. It has even helped N.F.L. teams win the Super Bowl. Stephen Dubner explores why this ancient game is having a renaissance.
6:30 – 8:00 PM
KCBX in Concert… Join host Lisa Nauful for 90 minutes of music that celebrates the creativity, diversity, and enduring spirit of America's composers. As America marks its 250th birthday, this week's KCBX in Concert celebrates the nation's extraordinary musical heritage. From the wide-open landscapes of Aaron Copland and the jazz-inspired brilliance of George Gershwin, to the groundbreaking voices of Florence Price, William Grant Still, George Walker, Michael Torke, and the unforgettable Moondog, listeners will explore the many sounds that have shaped American music. We'll even make a stop on Broadway with memorable selections from West Side Story.
Thursday 7/9
1:00 – 2:00 PM
Central Coast Voices… As educational funding has become more limited, music often is one of the first areas to face funding challenges. Infinite Music, a local non-profit, was formed to focus on innovative learning that exposes young people to a variety of musical genres, both in and out of school. They are a small yet dedicated group of passionate musicians, music-lovers, educators, and advocates, committed to fulfilling their mission of transforming kids’ lives through music. This week on Central Coast Voices, host Fred Munroe is joined by Sarah Mason, founder of Infinite Music, along with her staff and alumni to share more about this outstanding youth program with us.