Who's getting married, who isn't and why May 15
Guest:  Andrew Cherlin In honor of the start of wedding season, we’re going to spend the hour talking about the state of the American marriage. Despite the odds (the U.S. Census Bureau says roughly 50% of first marriages [...]

The Brothers Emanuel May 10
Guest: EZEKIEL EMANUEL HR 1 [REBROADCAST]EZEKIEL EMANUEL is the eldest brother of the current Mayor of Chicago and former White House Chief of Staff, and a powerful Hollywood agent immortalized in the HBO series, “Entourage” – Rahm and [...]

Hunger strike at Guantanamo Bay — ethics and the law May 8
Hour 1 Guests:  Carol Rosenberg, Jonathan Marks and Scott Allen Over 100 inmates at the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center have been on a hunger strike since February in protest of their seemingly indefinite detention and the alleged mishandling [...]

Anatomy of violence May 6
Guest: Adrian Raine Why does someone commit a violent crime?  Is it their genes, their environment or a combination of the two? Neurocriminologist ADRIAN RAINE has been studying the psychological origins of crime for 30 years and, through [...]

Alexandra Horowitz: "On Looking" May 3
Guest: Alexandra Horowitz [REBROADCAST] Take a walk around the block and look around — what do you see?  What don’t you see?  Cognitive scientist ALEXANDRA HOROWITZ says that most of us fail to see a lot of the [...]

What do you say to a sick friend? April 30
Guest:  Letty Cottin Pogrebin What do you say to a sick friend and why is it so difficult to come up with the words and actions that both adequately express our concern and at the same time offer [...]

What drives radicalization; then media coverage of the Boston bombings April 22
Guests: John Horgan and Rem Rieder What does it take for a young man to go from being what friends said was a "regular" kid to someone who commits a heinous act of violence? What would motivate that [...]

Babies, language and the developing brain April 15
Guests:  Roberta Golinkoff, Trude Haecker Talk to your baby – it’s critical for their developing brains. And researchers now know that the choice and number of words that parents use matter.  Early exposure to language helps predict kids' [...]

When sibling rivalry follows us into adulthood April 12
[REBROADCAST] For most of us, the bickering and battling with our brothers and sisters when we were children become amusing pieces of our family history. But for others, unresolved hurts and jealousies accompany us into adulthood and have [...]

Frans de Waal: Primates, evolution and morality April 11
Hour 2 Guests: Frans de Waal Morality is not unique to humans.  Biologist FRANS DE WAAL has found ethical behavior like empathy, altruism, and fairness in chimpanzees, bonobos and capuchin monkeys.  De Waal is the director of the [...]

Give and Take: helpfulness as a key to success April 9
GUEST: ADAM GRANT Are you sick of being the patient doormat at work, passed by the fierce, ambitious type of co-worker who always seems to get ahead? Well, nice guys and gals may finish first, according to our [...]

The Rutgers University basketball coaching scandal April 8
Guests:  David Ridpath and Eric Zillmer Rutgers basketball coach Mike Rice was fired last week after videos of his abusive behavior towards players were made public.  Rice was shown being physically aggressive and yelling homophobic slurs during practice.   [...]

Debating 'no smoker' hiring policies April 5
Guests: Harald Schmidt, David Asch Smokers need not apply to the University of Pennsylvania Health System starting this July when a ban on hiring nicotine users will go into effect.  Penn Health system says this policy is an [...]

The Brothers Emanuel April 2
Guest: EZEKIEL EMANUEL EZEKIEL EMANUEL is the eldest brother of the current Mayor of Chicago and former White House Chief of Staff, and a powerful Hollywood agent immortalized in the HBO series, “Entourage” – Rahm and Ari Emanuel. [...]

An update on the U.S. Guantanamo Bay detention facility April 1
CAROL ROSENBERG, BENJAMIN WITTES & DAVID FRAKT At least 31 prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay detention center have joined a hunger strike to protest the conditions and their indefinite detainment, according to some of the detainees’ lawyers. When [...]

Marlene Zuk on "Paleofantasy" April 1
Guest: Marlene Zuk Have you tried barefoot running, the Caveman Diet or attachment parenting?  Taking lessons from our ancient ancestors has become all the rage lately.  But evolutionary biologist MARLENE ZUK warns that our Paleolithic past was far [...]

New Jersey's gay conversion therapy ban is up for debate March 27
Guests: BRIGID HARRISON, PETERSON TOSCANO and CLINTON ANDERSON Last week the New Jersey State Senate committee passed a bill that would outlaw licensed therapists practicing gay conversion therapy. Governor Chris Christie has not signed the bill, co-sponsored by [...]

Douglas Rushkoff's Present Shock March 27
Guest: DOUGLAS RUSHKOFF Do you often feel you aren’t on your game because you’re not hip to the new trend and are behind in your tweets? Our guest, author DOUGLAS RUSHKOFF, has been observing our culture’s need to [...]

Alexandra Horowitz: "On Looking" March 14
Guest: Alexandra Horowitz Take a walk around the block and look around — what do you see?  What don’t you see?  Cognitive scientist ALEXANDRA HOROWITZ says that most of us fail to see a lot of the world [...]

To Sell is Human March 4
Guest: DANIEL PINK According to the 2012 Bureau of Labor Statistics, one in nine people work in sales. And the other nine work in sales, too, according to our guest, DANIEL PINK. Employees pitch new ideas to their [...]

Addiction: tightening the gap between research and practice February 19
Are addiction treatment centers prepared to provide the care necessary for sustainable sobriety? And how can we successfully track those suffering from addiction after they have 'graduated' from intensive treatment? We’ll get an update on how the growing [...]

Laughing, sneezing, burping and more: the science of curious behavior February 18
[REBROADCAST] Scientists have sent rovers to Mars and decoded our DNA but they rarely look at the strange assortment of behaviors that we all do everyday – scratching, burping, sneezing, yawning, and laughing.  Psychologist and neuroscientist Robert Provine [...]

Learning about love from arranged marriages; then the science behind online dating February 14
Guests:  ROBERT EPSTEIN, REVA SETH and BENJAMIN KARNEY The notion of an arranged marriage (by choice) seems odd to most of us but several recent studies have found that such unions are just as likely, if not more [...]

Separating fact from fiction on weight loss and obesity February 12
GUESTS:  DAVID SARWER and STELLA VOLPE An article in last week's issue of The New England Journal caught our attention. It's authors identified seven commonly held beliefs about obesity and weight loss that actually have never been scientifically [...]

What's happened to recess? January 7
As school districts cut budgets, worry about litigation and squeeze more academics into limited time, recess has taken a hit in terms of frequency and duration in some schools throughout the country.  Only six states mandate 20 minutes [...]

How make believe is important to our survival December 25
[REBROADCAST] Once upon a time, we told stories through oral tradition, moved on to words and pictures and fast-forwarded to video games. Drawing on research in evolutionary biology, psychology and neuroscience, Washington and Jefferson College English professor, JONATHAN [...]

Debunking doomsday 2012 junk science December 21
[REBROADCAST] Today is December 21st, 2012. And the hype about the “end of the world” has reached a supernova, mostly based on a misinterpretation of the Mayan calendar. Almost a year ago, we reached out to two astronomers [...]

How to protect yourself from scams December 20
Tens of billions of dollars are lost each year to consumer fraud and when the economy is down, fraud goes up.  These last years have been boom times for scammers.  While research shows that many of us are [...]

Downsizing the Pentagon budget; then, what suicide bombers & rampage shooters have in common December 19
Should the U.S. slide off the fiscal cliff in a few weeks, over $55 billion in spending cuts a year for the next decade will kick in at the Pentagon. That amount added to the $487 billion in [...]

Perspective on the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy December 17
In an effort to provide thoughtful perspective on the tragic shootings that killed 20 children aged 6-7 and 6 educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, we’ll turn to three local professionals who study and work [...]

Facts, lies and the 2012 election November 9
Hour 1 In a presidential election where each candidate accused the other of playing lose with the facts, in the end each campaign, to some degree, was guilty of misrepresenting the truth.    As a result, what we saw [...]

The Cuban Missile Crisis 50 Years Later October 22
Hour 1 Fifty years tonight, in a nationally televised speech, President John Kennedy informed the American public that the world was on the brink of a nuclear war.  A week before, the President was briefed by the State [...]

Laughing, sneezing, burping and more: the science of curious behavior October 13
Hour 2 Scientists have sent rovers to Mars and decoded our DNA but they rarely look at the strange assortment of behaviors that we all do everyday – scratching, burping, sneezing, yawning, and laughing.  Psychologist and neuroscientist Robert [...]

Keeping the family peace during political season October 12
Hour Two Do you worry about politics ruining your personal relationships? Are there family members you re-consider inviting to functions because of their heated, dinner table conversations? Have you and your partner made a pact not to parse [...]

How make believe is important to our survival September 17
Hour 2 Once upon a time, we told stories through oral tradition, moved on to words and pictures and fast-forwarded to video games. Drawing on research in evolutionary biology, psychology and neuroscience, Washington and Jefferson College English professor, [...]

Friendships in adulthood — the challenges and rewards September 11
Hour 2 A recent article in the New York Times got us thinking about adult friendships and why making friends gets harder as you grow older.  If you’ve moved to a new city or neighborhood or gotten a [...]

Daniel Smith's memoir of anxiety, 'Monkey Mind' August 28
Hour 2 [REBROADCAST] Can anxiety be controlled, and perhaps cured? Journalist DANIEL SMITH is sweating this concept out. The writer was set up for anxiety – he suffered an early childhood near-drowning, had a traumatic, aggressive introduction to [...]

Quiet: The Power of Introverts August 27
Hour 2 [REBROADCAST] In a world that celebrates the loudest, most outlandish, extroverted personalities, a recent book makes the case for quieter types – those who shy away from the limelight and who like to spend time alone. [...]

Philly gun violence, Pt. 3: Youth perspectives August 22
Hour 1 In the third part of our summerlong series (links to Part 1 and Part 2) on the intersection of guns and violence in Philadelphia, we hear from some young Philadelphians whose lives have been touched by [...]

Madeline Levine on how to 'Teach Your Children Well' August 20
Hour 2 According to psychologist MADELINE LEVINE, PhD, 25 percent of students attending Ivy League colleges have symptoms of anxiety or depression. When she wrote “The Price of Privilege” in 2006, Levine says she had to sell the [...]

Hate groups in the U.S., including the Sikh temple shooter August 9
Hour 2 Wade Michael Page, the man police say shot up a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, on Sunday and killed six worshipers there, was a well-documented participant in the underground white racist extremist fringe of this [...]

Character and leadership July 25
Hour 1 What makes a great leader? Why do some companies thrive in uncertainty and others fail? New technologies, the unstable economy and the unconventional habits of high-profile CEOs show leadership has different skills and sensibilities. Our guest, [...]

Making sense of shootings: Aurora, CO & Utoya, Norway July 23
Hour 1 Yet another mass murder by gun has claimed too many lives in the United States and inflamed the nation's bitter debate about gun safety and legislation. Friday morning's slaughter in an Aurora, Colorado, movie theater premiering [...]

How are you? BUSY! July 20
Hour 2 Do you live by the clock, stressed out about getting as much done as you can in one day? Do your to-do lists have lists?  When people ask you how you are do you reply, "I'm [...]

Daniel Smith's memoir of anxiety July 11
Can anxiety be controlled, and perhaps cured? Journalist DANIEL SMITH is sweating this concept out. The writer was set up for anxiety – he suffered an early childhood near-drowning, had a traumatic, aggressive introduction to sex, and went [...]

The science of exercise July 4
Hour 2 [REBROADCAST] What do you do for exercise? Go for a run or a walk with the dog?  How about a game of tennis or golf?  Maybe you garden, do yoga or a Zumba class?  Most of [...]

Life without parole for juveniles: The Supreme Court decides June 26
Hour 1 The Supreme Court ruled yesterday that states may no longer sentence juveniles under the age of 18 who have committed homicide to mandatory life sentences without parole.  The 5-4 majority ruling in the case called such [...]

An athlete, an author & 'The Road Back' from tragedy June 22
Hour 1 Pulitzer Prize-winning author MICHAEL VITEZ's new book, "The Road Back: A Journey of Grace and Grit," tells the story of MATT MILLER, a member of the University of Virginia triathlon club who suffered a near-fatal accident, [...]

Friendship's evolution, in us & our animal friends May 28
Hour 2 [REBROADCAST] Friendship is something often associated with the human species. Most of us make dozens of friendships in our lives and gain a great deal from them – we get love, support, even, as we now [...]

How the new economic power of women is changing work, home and family May 11
Hour 1 According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, full-time working women earned 81 percent of what full-time working men earned in 2010, but over the past three decades women's wages have been steadily increasing. And now, more [...]

What's the hold up? The science of procrastination May 1
Hour 1 [REBROADCAST] Procrastination is something a lot of us struggle with everyday – we delay work, get anxious about impending deadlines and pull all-nighters to finish things up at the very last minute.  So why do people [...]

The science of exercise April 25
Hour 2 What do you do for exercise? Go for a run or a walk with the dog?  How about a game of tennis or golf?  Maybe you garden, do yoga or a Zumba class?  Most of us [...]

Triggered: A first-person memoir of OCD April 20
Hour 1 You don’t want to know what writer FLETCHER WORTMANN is thinking. For many of his 25 years he was consumed by thoughts of intrusive, taboo, abhorrent acts so perverse he became suicidal out of his concern [...]

A Breeze of Hope & justice for sexual abuse survivors April 6
BRISA DE ANGULO is a student at Rutgers School of Law-Camden and a co-founder of  Centro Una Brisa De Esperanza (CUBE), or A Breeze of Hope Center — the only place in Bolivia specializing in providing comprehensive assistance [...]

Delaware Valley's response to the rising rates of autism April 4
Hour 1 A new estimate the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests the rates for autism in American children is rising ever faster. Now, about one in 88 children in the United States has autism or a [...]

When sibling rivalry follows us into adulthood April 4
Hour 2 For most of us, the bickering and battling with our brothers and sisters when we were children become amusing pieces of our family history. But for others, unresolved hurts and jealousies accompany us into adulthood and [...]

What's the hold up? The science of procrastination March 29
Hour 2 We've wanted to do a show on procrastination for a while now but we just kept putting it off. Finally, we buckled down and scheduled it.  Sound familiar?  Procrastination is something a lot of us struggle [...]

The neuroscience of the addicted brain March 21
Hour 2 Neuroscientist MARC LEWIS had first-hand knowledge of addiction when he began to study the effect of drugs on the brain. He was an addict for 15 years, starting when he was at boarding school and homesick. [...]

Sex trafficking, prostitution & backpage ads March 16
Hour 2 Sex trafficking doesn’t only happen abroad, it’s become a growing crime in the United States as well. According to the FBI, more than 100,000 children are trafficked for sex in the United States every year and [...]

Picky eaters: Discretion or disorder? March 8
Hour 2 Do you know someone who only eats certain foods like pizza, grilled cheese or cereal? Many of us do and it turns out not all of them are children. For thousands of adults picky eating is [...]

Nagging: The Marriage Killer? March 5
Hour 2 A recent story in The Wall Street Journal described nagging in marriage as potentially more toxic than adultery. Some of us are guilty of it, most every couple has experienced it and we all know it's [...]

The divorce generation with author Susan Gregory Thomas February 24
Hour 2 [REBROADCAST] SUSAN GREGORY THOMAS says that the defining question of her generation, those born between 1965-1980, is "when did your parents divorce?"  Statistics back up her claim.  Almost half of Generation X's childhoods were marked by [...]

Friendship's evolution, in us & our animal friends February 22
Hour 2 Friendship is something often associated with the human species. Most of us make dozens of friendships in our lives and gain a great deal from them – we get love, support, even, as we now know, [...]

Going Solo: The Appeal of Living Alone February 17
Hour 2 There’s a new demographic trend in this country toward living alone. Thirty-one million people – roughly one out of every seven adults — is choosing to live by themselves – no roommate, no spouse, no kids [...]

The perils of Farmville: A look into the social gaming phenomenon February 15
Hour 2 Zynga, a social games company that has created hits like Farmville and Words With Friends, made headlines recently after Facebook released data indicating that Zynga is responsible for about 12 percent of its annual revenue. Social [...]

Quiet: The Power of Introverts February 10
Hour 2 In a world that celebrates the loudest, most outlandish, extroverted personalities, a new book makes the case for quieter types – those who shy away from the limelight and who like to spend time alone. Writer [...]

Cursing & public discourse: Have we gone too far? January 27
Hour 2 Mayor Nutter recently turned a few heads after he used some choice words when responding to the senseless murder of three Philadelphia teenagers.  The award-winning ABC sitcom Modern Family also found itself in a little bit [...]

Why & how people change their names January 10
Hour 2 Our names tell people a lot about us—perhaps our gender, our marital status, our race or religion or country of origin and sometimes the name we are given no longer fits or we just don't like [...]

What to do when you witness child abuse? January 5
Hour 1 You’re playing in a public park with your kids, riding on public transit or shopping in a supermarket and witness a parent cursing at and/or pushing their child. What is the right thing to do? Is [...]

Debunking doomsday 2012 junk science January 3
Hour 2 2012 is upon us, and if you thought the end-of-the-world hysteria was insane last year, just you wait for the end of this year. Hollywood helped kick the doomsday hype last year with its disaster movie [...]

The Psychology of Poverty December 21
Hour 1 Nearly one in two Americans is poor or low-income, a record number according to the latest census numbers. With unemployment high and social services eroding with budgetary constraints, how can people living in poverty be helped? [...]

The Psychology of Gift-Giving December 20
Hour 2 Better be careful what you wish for and what you give this holiday season. It turns out gifts reveal a lot about both the giver and the receiver. So as you comb the store shelves for [...]

A Cultural History of Shoplifting December 16
Hour 2 [REBROADCAST] It’s called the “five finger discount” and it’s been around for centuries – Plato, Zeno and St. Augustine all had thoughts on shoplifting.  In her fascinating book, The Steal: A Cultural History of Shoplifting, writer [...]

Modern Childhood and the Brain December 12
Hour 2 In the effort to give kids a leg up in life, parents bombard them with educational toys, rush them to chess, fencing, and piano lessons, and place them in preschool programs that stress academics in the [...]

Doing a better job of protecting our children November 29
Hour 2 Several high profile cases in recent years involving the abuse of children have highlighted serious weaknesses in Pennsylvania's child welfare system and the Commonwealth's laws designed to protect them. Charges of sexual abuse at Penn State and [...]

Going Cashless November 28
Hour 1 This holiday shopping season some people may be leaving their wallets at home but still spending plenty. The new mobile payment apps like Google Wallet and Square allow people to pay with their phones. For now [...]

Aging in Place November 22
Hour 2 While retirement communities may appeal to some people, in surveys most Americans say they want to grow old in their homes. The “aging in place” movement, as it’s been called, works to enable people to stay [...]

Penn State Child Sex Abuse Scandal November 10
Hour 1 In a disturbing and graphic grand jury report (pdf), the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office has provided details of the child sex abuse case against former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky. The report alleges that while [...]

The how & the why of hit-and-run drivers November 7
Hour 1 Sometimes, it’s because they’re drunk or high. Sometimes it’s because they’re uninsured or unlicensed. But why – how – a driver could flee the scene of an accident – hit and run – is still largely [...]

The New Grief November 7
Hour 2 'Just like we plan for birth, we need to plan for death. After all, it’s a part of life,” says our guest, BARBARA OKUN Ph.D., professor of counseling psychology at Northeastern University. Medical advances have extended [...]

PTSD: A Mafia mole & NBA ref blows whistle on recovery November 4
Hour 1 BOB DELANEY’s life has already brought him deep inside worlds most of us can only dream about. In his first act, he spent three years infiltrating the Mafia as a young New Jersey state trooper. Then [...]

Closure: The Rush to End Grief and What it Costs Us October 17
Hour Two Do you need closure to heal? Can it be achieved? Most people want a satisfying end to a traumatic event, but are we setting our expectations too high? Our guest, associate professor of sociology at Drake [...]

The psychological and emotional impact of 9/11 September 7
Hour 2 Following our special presentation of "Out of the Shadows, we take an hour to reflect, react and explore further the issues and ideas contained in Maiken Scott's radio documentary about post-traumatic stress. We'll talk about the [...]

The divorce generation with author Susan Gregory Thomas August 1
Hour 2 SUSAN GREGORY THOMAS says that the defining question of her generation, those born between 1965-1980, is "when did your parents divorce?"  Statistics back up her claim.  Almost half of Generation X's childhoods were marked by divorce.  [...]

Philly jazz saxophonist Odean Pope July 15
Hour 2 [Rebroadcast] Philadelphia jazz saxophonist ODEAN POPE’s good friends and collaborators include the Heath brothers, drummer Max Roach and trumpeter Lee Morgan. He and the saxophone giant John Coltrane’s paths crossed more than once – in fact [...]

Why We Fear Flying: The Hassles and Real Phobias Behind Today's Air Travel July 12
Hour 2 It’s summertime and planes are packed with vacationers trying to escape their hectic and stressful lives for a few days or a few weeks.  But for most of us, airline travel these days is the antithesis [...]

A Cultural History of Shoplifting July 11
Hour 2 It’s called the “five finger discount” and it’s been around for centuries – Plato, Zeno and St. Augustine all had thoughts on shoplifting.  In her fascinating new book, The Steal: A Cultural History of Shoplifting, writer [...]

A nip, a tuck & our quest to look perfect June 29
Hour 2 Saggy eyelids and too many wrinkles got you down?  To fix it, all you need is a little courage, some faith and enough money.  Cosmetic surgery and non-surgical procedures to improve appearance have, for more and [...]

Sexual violence against journalists June 20
Hour 2 Before the news of the sexual assault of CBS correspondent Lara Logan, few cases of sexual attacks against journalists had ever been documented.  Now, more and more female journalists are coming forward with similar stories.  They [...]

Living a Long, Healthy Life June 10
Hour 2 [REBROADCAST] How does one live a long and healthy life? Does being married ensure your long-term health? Is a happy-go-lucky type person going to thrive into their twilight years? Conventional patterns of life choices will surprise [...]

Living a Long, Healthy Life April 14
Hour 2 How does one live a long and healthy life? Does being married ensure your long-term health? Is a happy-go-lucky type person going to thrive into their twilight years? Conventional patterns of life choices will surprise some [...]

Is It OK to Cry at Work? April 5
Hour 2 How much emotion can you show at work? Is it okay to cry at your desk once in a while? And if you do cry, does it reflect how much you like your job? Our guest, [...]