Radio Lab

I have been totally floored by a show on NPR called Radio Lab. I first heard one of their stories on an episode of This American Life. Hosts Robert Krulwich and Jad Abumrad use a patchwork of people, sounds, stories and experiences that are all centered on one Big Idea. It's science bumping into culture and it is absolutely mind blowing.

The first thing you will notice about these shows is how intricate the production is. It's as close to TV as radio can get...and I mean that as a compliment. I can't even begin to tell you how challenging and awe inspiring these discussions are. Don't take my word from it, just listen to either one of these two episodes and you will be instantly hooked. Oh yea, it's free too.

Links below lead to iTunes:

"Memory and Forgetting" - According to the latest research, remembering is an unstable and profoundly unreliable process. It’s easy come, easy go as we learn how true memories can be obliterated and false ones added. And Oliver Sacks joins us to tell the story of an amnesiac whose love for his wife and music transcend his 7 second memory.

"Who Am I?" - The "mind" and "self" were formerly the domain of philosophers and priests. Today, it’s neurologists who, armed with giant magnets, are asking the big questions, like "How does the brain make me?" We stare into the mirror with Dr. Julian Keenan, reflect on the illusion of self-hood with British neurologist Paul Broks, contemplate the evolution of consciousness with Dr. V. S. Ramachandran. Also, the story of woman who one day woke up as a completely different person.