Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda
335 episodes - English - Latest episode: 1 day ago - ★★★★★ - 3.4K ratingsLearn to connect better with others in every area of your life. Immerse yourself in spirited conversations with people who know how hard it is, and yet how good it feels, to really connect with other people – whether it’s one person, an audience or a whole country. You'll know many of the people in these conversations – they are luminaries in our culture. Some you may not know. But what links them all is their powerful ability to relate and communicate. It's something we need now more than ever.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Carl Bergstrom: Why Birds Don’t Lie and We Do
August 16, 2022 03:30 - 41 minutes - 37.9 MBTrying to figure out how to stop the spread of misinformation on social media, Carl Bergstrom draws from his studies of how birds stick to the truth when communicating about things that matter – like sex and food.
Lucy Cooke: Where Females Call the Shots
August 09, 2022 03:30 - 39 minutes - 35.9 MBAre men more fit to lead, and more interested in sex than women? Lucy Cooke takes on these myths and more, telling Alan how she visited women biologists around the world who have studied species as different as songbirds, lions and bonobos. What she discovered is eye-opening – especially if you’re a man.
Frans de Waal: Gender, Apes, and Us
August 02, 2022 03:30 - 41 minutes - 38.4 MBGender fluidity is tolerated a lot more among our cousins— chimpanzees and bonobos— than in our species. The famed primatologist Frans de Waal tells Alan what he’s found after decades of studying our closest relatives.
Paul Dooley: Movie Dad
July 26, 2022 17:41 - 40 minutes - 37.3 MBAlan and Paul Dooley started out as actors around the same time and in this conversation they have a reunion. In the years between, Paul has gone from standup comedy to playing a multitude of dads in movies. And at 94 he’s still going strong.
Katie Mack: When Time’s Totally Up
July 19, 2022 03:30 - 42 minutes - 39.2 MBThe end of absolutely everything won’t happen for a long, long time. But Katie Mack can describe the different ways the universe might die with clarity and even humor.
Ed Yong and Liz Neeley: They Have Storytelling Down to a Science
July 12, 2022 03:30 - 42 minutes - 39.3 MBStars in the field of science communication, they know how to make the rest of us want to learn about something we don’t think we care about. They even creatively inspire each other.
Arthur Brooks: Investing in Happiness
July 05, 2022 03:30 - 43 minutes - 39.7 MBWhen he realized that the skills that had led to his successes in the first half of life needed to be replaced by other skills for the next half, social scientist Arthur Brooks began investigating what we need to do now to prepare for happiness and fulfillment as we grow older.
Mónica Guzmán: She Never Thought of It That Way
June 28, 2022 03:55 - 42 minutes - 38.9 MBHer realization that if she’d led the life her parents have, then she would have voted for Trump too, was an insight that contributed to her decision to write her new book, I Never Thought of It That Way. The book is both a diagnosis of, and a prescription for, the ugly polarization that is gripping today’s America.
Emanuel Ax: Reaching Out Through Music
June 21, 2022 04:00 - 41 minutes - 37.9 MBAlan talks with longtime friend, the great pianist Emanuel Ax. How does practice lead to the unexpected magic of spontaneity? What role does the audience play? And taking music to the places whereit’s needed most.
James Burrows: He Gave Us Thousands of Reasons to Laugh
June 14, 2022 03:30 - 41 minutes - 38.4 MBHe brought us classics like Cheers, Taxi, Will and Grace, Frasier, Friends and The Big Bang Theory. He's directed over 1,000 episodes of TV comedy. Jim Burrows and Alan compare notes on what it takes to make a show a success.
Conny Aerts and George Whitesides: Starquakes and Tiny, Tiny Factories
June 07, 2022 03:30 - 41 minutes - 37.8 MBShe listens to quakes in stars far, far away, to help predict if they host earth-like planets. He makes it possible to build factories so small you can’t even see them.
Huda Zoghbi and Christopher Walsh: Hunting the Genes that Damage our Brains
June 01, 2022 14:00 - 47 minutes - 43.7 MBTwo of the winners of the just-announced Kavli Prizes in neuroscience on what inspired their breakthrough research. And how their discoveries may help not only those with rare, devastating brain disorders, but also provide a better understanding of more common conditions such as autism.
Huda Zoghbi and Christopher Walsh: Hunting Genes that Damage our Brains
June 01, 2022 14:00 - 47 minutes - 43.7 MBTwo of the winners of the just-announced Kavli Prizes in neuroscience on what inspired their breakthrough research. And how their discoveries may help not only those with rare, devastating brain disorders, but also provide a better understanding of more common conditions such as autism.
Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda - Season 17 trailer
May 31, 2022 03:30 - 32 minutes - 30.2 MBAlan and Executive Producer Graham Chedd chat about and play excerpts from Alan's conversations with some of the guests in the new season, beginning next week. Guests include classical pianist Emanuel Ax, director James Burrows, and primatologist Frans de Waal. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
Ardem Patapoutian and Emmanuelle Charpentier: Touching the Horizon
May 24, 2022 03:30 - 39 minutes - 36.6 MBArdem Patapoutian discovered more about our sense of touch than we ever knew and Emmanuelle Charpentier co-invented the most powerful biomedical tool we’ve ever had. Celebrating two past winners of the Kavli Prize a week before the 2022 laureates are announced.
Mike Brown and Millie Dresselhaus: Exploring the very big and the very small
May 17, 2022 03:30 - 43 minutes - 39.8 MBMike Brown, the man who demoted Pluto, is now hot on the trail of a new planet 9, much bigger than Earth and way beyond Neptune. And the brilliant career of his fellow Kavli Prize winner, Millie Dresselhaus – the “Queen of Carbon” and pioneer of nanoscience – is remembered by her biographer, Maia Weinstock.
Kashmir Hill: Reporting from the Future
May 10, 2022 03:30 - 42 minutes - 38.6 MBPutting herself as she says, “inside the tech worlds to come,” reporter Kashmir Hill explores how the technology that’s making our lives easier is also eroding our privacy. Her experiences are both amusing and downright scary.
David Linden: How Come You’re So Special?
May 03, 2022 03:30 - 45 minutes - 41.5 MBWhile filling out an on-line dating app – listing his traits and those of an ideal partner – neuroscientist David Linden began to wonder what makes each of us unique. Why is even each person in a pair of identical twins unique? The answer, he tells Alan, is far richer and more interesting than the old false division of "nature versus nurture".
Bette Midler: How She Became Divine
April 26, 2022 03:30 - 40 minutes - 37.2 MBThe multitalented singer, actor, songwriter, author tells Alan how her childhood in Hawaii shaped not only her career but also now moves her to bring nature back to the city of New York.
Saul Perlmutter: The Man Who Upended the Universe
April 19, 2022 03:30 - 44 minutes - 40.9 MBAfter making the astonishing discovery that what he and his fellow cosmologists thought they knew about the universe was wrong, Saul Perlmutter began a course at his university explaining why catching mistakes is at the heart of science. It’s also a lesson in life for the rest of us.
Hope Jahren: What You Can Do to Save the Planet
April 12, 2022 03:30 - 38 minutes - 35.3 MBThe author of the wonderful memoir Lab Girl turns her turns her ability to be both clear and vivid to providing a path forward for a new generation tackling the climate crisis.
Billy Collins: When Words Have a Mind of Their Own
April 05, 2022 03:30 - 39 minutes - 35.8 MBHis poems are loved by millions. Poet Laureate from 2001 to 2003, Billy Collins achieves both depth and accessibility in the same moment. His words often surprise us because they have a way of surprising him.
Chris Hadfield: Song of an Astronaut
March 29, 2022 03:30 - 43 minutes - 39.8 MBHis descriptions of living in space make you feel you’re on the ship with him. His performance of the David Bowie song Space Oddity in a video he beamed down to earth was a worldwide hit. Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield is a veteran of three space missions, including as commander of the International Space Station. He takes us with him.
Sarah Ruhl: What if you couldn’t smile?
March 22, 2022 03:30 - 40 minutes - 37 MBA successful playwright with plenty to smile about – a new play opening on Broadway and the birth of twins – suddenly lost her ability to smile. Her struggle to regain it is the subject of her new book, a story that – perhaps surprisingly – will give you plenty to smile about.
Gal Beckerman: How Quiet Whispers Lead to Radical Roars
March 15, 2022 03:30 - 40 minutes - 37.6 MBIn a widely praised new book, The Quiet Before, Gal Beckerman paints vivid pictures of how throughout history, radical change has only come about through quiet preparation.
Natalie and Natasha Batalha: Looking for Life on Alien Worlds
March 08, 2022 05:30 - 42 minutes - 39.1 MBAs the James Webb Space Telescope starts peering out into space this summer, mother and daughter astronomers Natalie and Natasha Batalha will each have major roles in the search for signs of life on planets beyond the solar system.
Michael Keaton: From Standup to Drama
March 01, 2022 04:30 - 39 minutes - 36.4 MBHis outstanding career acting in both movies and television – most recently his highly praised performance in the Hulu series Dopesick – had its beginning in standup comedy. “It was an opportunity to have a stage for 15 minutes and… perform.” Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda - Season 16 trailer
February 22, 2022 05:45 - 39 minutes - 36.7 MBAlan and Executive Producer Graham Chedd chat about and play excerpts from Alan's conversations with some of the guests in the new season, beginning next week. Guests include actor Michael Keaton, poet Billy Collins, and astronaut (and space oddity) Chris Hadfield. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
Kate Crawford: Artificial Intelligence – neither artificial nor intelligent
February 15, 2022 04:30 - 43 minutes - 40.2 MBTwenty years of exploring the technical, social and environmental impact of AI has convinced Kate Crawford that we should be much more skeptical about where AI is useful – and concerned about where it is harmful. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
Stephon Alexander: Einstein, Coltrane… and the Universe
February 08, 2022 04:30 - 38 minutes - 35.4 MBHis jazz informs his physics and his physics informs his jazz, as cosmologist Stephon Alexander seeks a new understanding of the Universe. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
Mary Roach: When Animals Break the Law
February 01, 2022 04:30 - 41 minutes - 38.6 MBAn author with a thing for one syllable titles – Stiff, Gulp, Bonk – Mary Roach’s latest book, Fuzz, is a quirky exploration of how animals are indifferent to laws made for people, laws like manslaughter, breaking and entering, home invasion, jaywalking, littering. They may not care, but we do. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
Thor Hanson: How Nature Struggles with a Warming Planet
January 25, 2022 05:15 - 44 minutes - 41.2 MBFrom lizards that cling on for dear life during hurricanes to bees that can’t find flowers, plants and animals are trying to cope with climate change – and both inspiring and warning us to take action. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
Nancy Padilla-Coreano: Knowing Your Place
January 18, 2022 04:30 - 40 minutes - 37.2 MBHow do we instantly sense whether someone has more or less power than we have – and change our behavior as a result? Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
Robin Dunbar: Circles of Friendship
January 11, 2022 04:30 - 42 minutes - 39.8 MBDunbar’s Number is the most people you can have meaningful relationships with. But that number – 150 – is only one of the many circles of friends and acquaintances in your life. And one of those circles, according to Robin’s research, can determine how long you’ll live. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
Bianca Jones Marlin: Preparing Kids for Survival
January 04, 2022 04:30 - 39 minutes - 36.3 MBHow is it that the experience of stress or trauma can be passed on from one generation to the next, even without contact between them? Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
Kate Bowler: Living With The Certainty of Uncertainty
December 28, 2021 04:30 - 42 minutes - 38.7 MBSurviving some of the hardest of times has given Kate Bowler insights that are valuable to the rest of us who can't know what tomorrow will bring. And she’s funny, too. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
Diego Bohórquez: Gut to Brain – Listen Up!
December 21, 2021 04:30 - 34 minutes - 32.1 MBThe discovery of a direct and instant connection between your stomach and your brain has brought a whole new dimension to the notion of a “gut feeling.” Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
Mel Brooks: On Love, Life and Punchlines
December 14, 2021 04:30 - 45 minutes - 41.7 MBAt 95, Mel tells it like it was in his new book, All About Me! My Remarkable Life in Show Business Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
Max Brooks: How Zombies May Save Us
December 07, 2021 04:45 - 42 minutes - 39.4 MBBest-selling books like The Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z made Max Brooks famous. They also led to his becoming an advisor to the Modern War Institute at West Point. There he’s helping shape a survival guide for a future where cyberwar becomes more threatening than war on the battlefield. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda - Season 15 Trailer
November 30, 2021 04:45 - 29 minutes - 27.2 MBAlan and Executive Producer Graham Chedd chat about and play excerpts from Alan’s conversations with some of the guests in the new season, beginning next week. Guests include zombie expert Max Brooks; neuroscientists Diego Bohórquez and Bianca Jones Marlin; and author Kate Bowler. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
Holland Taylor: The Role of a Lifetime She Wrote Herself
November 23, 2021 04:30 - 41 minutes - 38.3 MBEmmy and Tony nominee Holland Taylor wrote and performed a one-woman show called Ann, bringing to life on the stage the woman she most admired, former Texas governor Ann Richards. And she came up with a smash hit. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
Marcia Rieke: Peering Back to the Cosmic Dawn
November 16, 2021 04:30 - 38 minutes - 35.4 MBNext month her camera will be hurled a million miles into space, from where it will be seeking the first stars in the universe. On board the James Webb Space telescope, her infrared camera will also be checking the atmospheres of planets beyond the solar system, looking for signs of life. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
The LaPook Effect: Empathy for doctors
November 09, 2021 04:30 - 44 minutes - 41 MBJon LaPook, Chief Medical Correspondent for CBS News, is on a mission to help doctors be more empathetic with patients. And his communication skills are turning out to be contagious. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
Karl Deisseroth: Lighting up The Brain
November 02, 2021 03:30 - 41 minutes - 38.3 MBWith the invention of new ways to explore the brain, Karl Deisseroth has revolutionized neuroscience – work that has just now been recognized with the highest honor in medical research, the Lasker Award. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
Lee McIntyre: Talking to Science Deniers
October 26, 2021 03:30 - 41 minutes - 37.7 MBTaking a deep dive into the alternative reality of people convinced that the earth is flat, Lee McIntyre learned valuable lessons about how – and how not – to talk to those who persist in denying science. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
Marin Alsop: A Woman Who Leads
October 19, 2021 03:30 - 42 minutes - 39.2 MBThe first female conductor of a major American symphony orchestra, Marin Alsop explains to Alan just what a conductor contributes to a performance; how her right and left hands have different roles; why oboists have to be treated differently from horn players; and the success of an innovative program to bring the joys of classical music to kids. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
Scott Small: The Point of Forgetting
October 12, 2021 03:30 - 38 minutes - 35.6 MBAn eminent physician caring for patients with memory loss, Scott Small was a surprised as you will be to discover that not all forgetting is bad – in fact it’s vital to your being “smarter, better and happier". Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer: When Politics are a Peril
October 05, 2021 03:30 - 43 minutes - 39.5 MBThe authority of the court to be a check on the other two branches of our government, Justice Breyer says, rests on its ability to be regarded by the people as completely impartial. That trust was hard won and is in danger when the court becomes political. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
Roger Rosenblatt: A Writer on Writing
September 28, 2021 03:30 - 42 minutes - 39.3 MBAlan and his friend, best-selling author Roger Rosenblatt, explore what makes a good piece of writing. Turns out to be very similar to what makes a good life. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
Mayim Bialik: How Acting Led to Science and Science to Acting
September 21, 2021 03:30 - 42 minutes - 39 MBWith a schedule impossible for anyone not named Mayim Bialik, she shares with Alan how acting and science have intertwined throughout her extraordinary career – as sitcom star, neuroscientist, podcaster and now movie director. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid