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To The Best Of Our Knowledge

Suspicious Minds

There's a short story about a guy who's so afraid of other people reading his mind that he wears a tin foil hat to protect his thoughts. The tin foil part is crazy, but protecting your mind is maybe not such a bad idea. Academic psychologist Rob Brotherton says there are certain psychological traits that predispose people to believe in conspiracy theories. For example, there's an experiment done by a group of psychologists in Amsterdam. It involves a group of subjects and a messy desk.

FIND OUT HOW LIKELY YOU ARE TO BELIEVE IN CONSPIRACY THEORIES BY TAKING ROB'S QUIZ.

To The Best Of Our Knowledge

The Hindus: An Alternative History

American Wendy Doniger holds two doctorates in Sanskrit and Indian studies from Harvard and Oxford. She’s the author of numerous books on Hinduism and has translated several Sanskrit texts. She’s widely considered one of the most important scholars on Indian religion in the world. So it might surprise you that there is one country in the world she can’t visit: India.

Doniger’s books have been targeted by Hindu Nationalists and by India’s ruling right-wing BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party). Her latest, “The Hindus: An Alternative History,” was the subject of a major lawsuit in India, and its publisher, Penguin Books India, not only pulled the book from circulation but destroyed all remaining copies. Since then, Doniger has received many death threats inside of India and no longer feels safe visiting there. But as she told Steve Paulson, her writing about Hinduism hasn’t changed in over 40 years. What has changed is India.

To The Best Of Our Knowledge

Steal Like an Artist - Austin Kleon

Austin Kleon gives advice on how to "Steal Like an Artist."

To The Best Of Our Knowledge

Tom Bollestorff on Second Life

Tom Bollestorff is an anthropologist at UC Irvine and author of "Coming of Age in Second Life."

To The Best Of Our Knowledge

Wendy Doniger on the Kamasutra

Wendy Doniger says sexual positions are just a small part of the Kamasutra, and that the British taught the Indians to be ashamed of this book, and their bodies.

To The Best Of Our Knowledge

TV Revolution - Alan Sepinwall

From The Sopranos and Friday Night Lights to The Wire and Breaking Bad, we're living through a TV revolution.  TV critic Alan Sepinwall gives the backstory of this explosion of great shows.

To read Alan Sepinwall's blog, click here.

To The Best Of Our Knowledge

Ronald Aronson on "Camus and Sartre"

Ronald Aronson is the author of “Camus and Sartre: The Story of a Friendship and the Quarrel That Ended It.”  Aronson recounts the relationship and the very public dispute between two of the twentieth century’s leading intellectuals.

To The Best Of Our Knowledge

Will Friedwald on "As Time Goes By"

Music historian Will Friedwald talks with Steve Paulson about “As Time Goes By” and why we love it. 

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