In this episode of "Luminous," we go inside Usona Institute’s chemistry lab and go deep with co-founder Bill Linton about what brought him to this unique moment in the psychedelic revolution. Read more
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
Episode Archives
We celebrate Mother's Day with a collection of stories from our archives, by and about moms. Stories about care and about courage — about the work of mothering.Read more
Original Air Date:
May 13, 2023
In some of our favorite science interviews — discover the joy of studying fossils, the invention of a paper microscope, and the astrophysics of making a hard-boiled egg.Read more
Original Air Date:
April 22, 2023
In the first episode in our series about psychedelics, how can psilocybin ease our fears about dying and help us make peace with the end of our lives?Read more
Original Air Date:
April 08, 2023
You're not even out of bed and you're already worrying. So let's talk about it: How anxious we are, how we got that way, and what to do about it.Read more
Original Air Date:
March 25, 2023
Maybe there’s something missing in your life you can’t quite explain. It might be that you need to re-discover your sense of wonder.Read more
Original Air Date:
March 18, 2023
Debates over American history are front-page news, and a new generation of public historians is re-shaping our national narrative.Read more
Original Air Date:
February 25, 2023
Radical politics and radical movements are on the rise everywhere. Maybe they're all — in one way or another — a rebellion against capitalism.Read more
Original Air Date:
February 11, 2023
A Native American hero — one of the greatest athletes the world has ever known — is now being celebrated by a new generation.Read more
Original Air Date:
January 14, 2023
Wakanda is a very American version of an idealized African future. So how do African science fiction writers tell stories about their own imagined future?Read more
Original Air Date:
December 10, 2022
In this final part of our series, we’re talking about work — specifically the right to meaningful work.Read more
Original Air Date:
November 19, 2022
PTSD and other mental health challenges can push people into poverty. How do you break the cycle? How do we truly care for people mentally and financially?Read more
Original Air Date:
November 12, 2022
In the first of three episodes of "Going For Broke" all about the care economy, we're thinking about housing. Many of us would consider it a basic human right. But in America, it can be hard to come by.Read more
Original Air Date:
November 05, 2022
When the real world becomes too much, fantasy might be your ticket out. But at what point does fantasy go too far?Read more
Original Air Date:
September 17, 2022
2019 marked the "year of return" to Ghana. Now, scores of African-Americans are moving to Ghana permanently – giving up on the country of their birth.Read more
Original Air Date:
September 03, 2022
Around the world, authoritarian leaders are on the rise – from Russia and Hungary to the U.S. We examine the return of the Strongman — and how to save democracy.Read more
Original Air Date:
August 13, 2022
Walking prolongs our life and made us human. So why are we doing less and less of it? Read more
Original Air Date:
July 30, 2022
Psychedelics show remarkable promise for treating depression, addiction and PTSD. They just might revolutionize the treatment of mental illness.Read more
Original Air Date:
July 02, 2022
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, producer Charles Monroe-Kane made 300 yard signs that read "You're not ok. That's ok." He put them on his porch. Soon they were gone.Read more
Original Air Date:
June 18, 2022
Geometry is the secret sauce of mathematics. It's different from everything else, and it applies to everything from human evolution to romance novels.
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Original Air Date:
May 28, 2022
We talk with poets and novelists about how they deeply notice the historical time we live in — through their words and voice.Read more
Original Air Date:
May 07, 2022
As our world gets more and more virtual, traditional skills like blacksmithing and woodworking are starting to look better and better to a lot of people.Read more
Original Air Date:
April 09, 2022
What might seem like fleeting chart-topping fodder is actually a powerful vehicle for bringing people together, and music fans can teach us about community and hope.Read more
Original Air Date:
March 26, 2022
Ghosts from the past stalk Europe again today in the wake of Russian tanks and missiles. To find a path forward, we might need to look back.Read more
Original Air Date:
March 05, 2022