Jonathan Lethem talks about his new novel, "Dissident Gardens."
You can also hear their EXTENDED conversation.
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
Audio
Let's say you want to design a perfect playground for kids. What would it look like? We turned to some experts to find out — they're 3rd graders from Madison's Marquette Elementary School.
Kim Stanley Robinson is renowned for his futuristic science fiction, so he surprised lots of people by writing a novel set in the Paleolithic era. He says recent archeological discoveries, as well as his backpacking in the Sierra Nevada, inspired him to write about our ancient ancestors.
What would it be like to spend two days a month in complete silence?
Do atheists have any use for religion? Philosopher Alain de Botton says atheists can learn religious traditions tap into various emotional needs, from our yearning for community to our desire to create sacred spaces.
Sheherezade – the world’s first feminist. Lebanese writer Hanan Al-Shaykh has re-told some of her stories in a new collection.
Steve Paulson talks with philosopher Alva Noe, author of "Out of Our Heads: Why You Are Not Your Brain, and Other Lessons from the Biology of Consciousness."
Economists at the University of Warwick in England have calculated the price of happiness. Andrew Oswald tells Steve Paulson that money can buy happiness, but it takes a lot.
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