Les Blank is a much admired documentary film-maker. His subjects have included Polka music, gap-toothed women, and bluesman Lightning Hopkins.
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
Audio
Jane Fonda tells Steve Paulson that she learned to hate her body while she was still a child and developed an eating disorder that continued for years.
Oxford University philosopher Nick Bostrom offers a cautionary take on artificial intelligence in his new book, Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies. In it, he imagines what could happen if computers were to ever become smarter than humans. He tells Steve Paulson that it could have catastrophic effects, unless we start thinking about it now.
Can you learn to be more creative? You can if you go to Lynda Barry's workshop on "writing the unthinkable."
You can also listen to the EXTENDED interview, and read the extended transcript.
What happens when you discover racial fear in yourself? Rachel Shadoan recently reached an uncomfortable conclusion: she was afraid of black men. Rachel was appalled and decided to do something about it. She tells her story in an article titled, "I am racist and so are you."
Michael Pollan tells Judith Strasser where the American front lawn came from, and what it has come to symbolize.
Jonathan Lethem's new novel is "Chronic City." The book has been described as a cross between the famous borough-centric New Yorker cartoon and the darkest episode of "Seinfeld."
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