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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

Sonic Sidebar: 40 Part Motet

One place that new music’s finding audiences is in galleries and museum. One piece in particular has won the hearts of people across the world. It’s called Forty Part Motet.  Sound artist Janet Cardiff uses 40 speakers to play "Spem in Allium," a 40-part Renaissance motet written by Thomas Tallis.   Think of it as Renaissance surround-sound.

To The Best Of Our Knowledge

Sacred Pain with Ariel Glucklich

In many cultures, people use pain as a means of coming closer to God.

Ariel Glucklich talks with Jim Fleming about the history and psychology behind the practices.

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Scott Russell Sanders on Songs of Place

Several grammy-winning folk musicians have written songs based on the stories in a book called "Wilderness Plots" by Scott Russell Sanders.

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Tom Bollestorff on Second Life

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

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Would You Like Neurotransmitters with That? - Nathan Witkin

Restaurants serve food and feelings in this story by Nathan Witkin.

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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.

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Stephen Batchelor on Rethinking Buddhism

Stephen Batchelor wants contemporary Buddhists to re-think the life of the Buddha.

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