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RadioWest

462 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 days ago - ★★★★★ - 711 ratings

KUER’s award-winning interview show explores the world through deep thinkers who host Doug Fabrizio asks to think even deeper. Join writers, filmmakers, scientists and others on RadioWest: A show for the wildly curious.

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Episodes

A History of Witchcraft in Thirteen Trials

March 21, 2024 08:00 - 48 minutes - 22.3 MB

The scholar Marion Gibson is an expert on witches. Her latest book tells a centuries-long history through the stories of 13 witch trials.

Gardening along the (not so dry) Wasatch Front

March 20, 2024 10:00 - 49 minutes - 22.4 MB

Utah is suffering from megadroughts, a dying lake (or two) and a dwindling Colorado River. So, why, then, are we watering so much Kentucky bluegrass along the Wasatch Front?

Podcast Extra: A Brief History of Polyamory in America

March 18, 2024 21:58 - 44 minutes - 20.1 MB

Polyamory is having a bit of a moment right now. We wanted to learn more about the history of having more than one romantic partner.

The Serious Search for Alien Life

March 14, 2024 08:00 - 49 minutes - 22.6 MB

UFOs undoubtedly exist. After all, people have been seeing inexplicable things in the skies for centuries. So, if the truth is out there, what does the government know about it?

Through the Lens: ‘Exposure’

March 13, 2024 10:00 - 49 minutes - 22.5 MB

In 2018, a group of inexperienced explorers — all women — set out on a journey that lots of people thought they couldn’t possibly finish: a trek to the North Pole.

Tax Exemptions for Religious Institutions

March 07, 2024 09:00 - 50 minutes - 22.9 MB

According to one report, the LDS Church’s financial holdings are in the hundreds of billions of dollars. And that raises the question: When is a church less about spirit and more about profit?

The Mastermind Behind Oil in the Uinta Basin

March 06, 2024 16:57 - 49 minutes - 22.3 MB

Transporting oil out of the Uinta Basin isn’t easy. The place is remote and the roads aren’t great. But a Texas oil man named Jim Finley is trying to change all that.

The 2024 Utah Legislative Wrap-Up

March 01, 2024 20:25 - 49 minutes - 22.5 MB

There is a new format for the Utah Legislative session — start with the most controversial bills up top. However, now that we near the end of the session, important bills are still in flux.

The Long Shot Bid for a Utah Lottery

February 27, 2024 23:27 - 49 minutes - 22.8 MB

Utah is one of only four states without a lottery. A longshot bill under consideration by the Utah State Legislature could potentially change that.

Through the Lens - The Eternal Memory

February 21, 2024 23:26 - 49 minutes - 22.6 MB

“There is pain here,” “But there is also a lot of nobility.” From the book “The Forbidden Memory” by Augusto Góngora.

Through the Lens - The Eternal Memory

February 21, 2024 16:56 - 49 minutes - 22.6 MB

“There is pain here,” “But there is also a lot of nobility.” From the book “The Forbidden Memory” by Augusto Góngora.

The Alien Abduction of Betty and Barney Hill

February 15, 2024 11:00 - 49 minutes - 22.5 MB

On September 19, 1961, Betty and Barney Hill claimed they were abducted by “beings that were somehow not human.”

Spirit World Encounters in Mormon Utah

February 14, 2024 22:12 - 47 minutes - 21.9 MB

Growing up in Northern Utah, the scholar Erin Stiles often heard stories from her Mormon friends about visits from spiritual beings. In a new book, she explores just how common these experiences happen to be.

The Golden Era of Hijacking Planes

February 07, 2024 11:01 - 49 minutes - 22.4 MB

If you were born in post-9/11 America, the idea of a plane getting hijacked is terrifying. But once upon a time hijackers seemed more interested in the thrill than instilling fear. And one of them even became a kind of folk hero.

The Plan to Save Great Salt Lake

February 01, 2024 19:12 - 50 minutes - 23 MB

A new plan to protect Great Salt Lake was recently released. This one has the endorsement of Utah’s most powerful political leaders. But does it have what it will take to save the lake?

How the Road Crossed the Land

February 01, 2024 19:11 - 49 minutes - 22.6 MB

Roads are such a common feature of the landscape that you can forget that they aren’t natural at all — that is, unless you’re an animal trying to cross one.

The Future of D.E.I.

January 25, 2024 11:00 - 50 minutes - 34.4 MB

Lawmakers are rushing an anti-D.E.I. bill through the 2024 Utah Legislature.

Sundance Film Festival 2024: ‘Sugarcane’

January 24, 2024 11:00 - 49 minutes - 22.4 MB

In 2021, unmarked graves were discovered at several residential boarding schools in Canada. Then, investigations began.

A New History of Mormonism

January 18, 2024 11:00 - 49 minutes - 22.6 MB

Upstate New York, 1830: self-proclaimed prophets are creating new faiths. Joseph Smith was one such man, and it was his new religion that would endure.

Budget, Housing and DEI — It’s the 2024 Legislative Session

January 17, 2024 11:00 - 48 minutes - 22.3 MB

The controversial bills — including Diversity, Equity and Inclusion — will kick off the 2024 Utah Legislative Session.

The Offensive Magic of Swearing

January 11, 2024 11:00 - 49 minutes - 22.7 MB

A good swear is like a bomb, shocking and offensive to all in the blast-radius. Except for those times when swears don’t quite go off. So, what’s the difference?

Mary Beard On The Emperors of Rome

January 10, 2024 11:00 - 49 minutes - 22.7 MB

Mary Beard is an expert on the Roman Empire, and her latest book is about the rulers who presided over it — 30 emperors in nearly three centuries.

How the Female Body Drove Human Evolution

January 04, 2024 11:00 - 49 minutes - 22.7 MB

In biological and medical research, the majority of studies that use mice are only using males. Why? Because female mammals’ estrous, or sexual, cycle means that their bodies are more “messy” than their male counterparts.

The Films of 2023

January 03, 2024 11:00 - 48 minutes - 22.2 MB

You’ll find plenty of lists of the best films of 2023 out there. But only ours includes the tenth installment of a notoriously grisly horror franchise.

Habits — Good and Bad

December 28, 2023 23:00 - 49 minutes - 22.5 MB

For the new year, we’re sharing our conversation with psychologist Wendy Wood, who told us that changing habits and keeping goals isn’t about willpower — it’s about tapping into our unconscious selves.

Exploring the Sonic World with ‘Sounds Wild and Broken’

December 27, 2023 23:00 - 49 minutes - 22.5 MB

Our planet is filled with sound — birdsong, music, speech. Even the earth itself makes noise. That sonic diversity is in danger.

Nigella Lawson on What Makes a Good Meal

December 20, 2023 20:29 - 49 minutes - 22.4 MB

If you’re into food writing or follow celebrity chefs, the chances are good that you've run across British food star Nigella Lawson. But how much do you actually know about her work?

The 2023 Salt Lake City Mayoral Election

November 09, 2023 16:37 - 49 minutes - 22.7 MB

The race for Salt Lake City mayor comes down chiefly to two people, and both are, in a way, seeking re-election.

Through The Lens: ‘Body Parts’

November 07, 2023 23:41 - 49 minutes - 22.7 MB

During the silent film era, women directed, wrote scripts and had a lot of say over how they were portrayed on screen. Fast forward a hundred years to the #metoo movement, and that dynamic has entirely changed.

How the Ocean Works

November 01, 2023 20:43 - 49 minutes - 22.6 MB

The oceanographer Helen Czerski wants you to think of the ocean as a vast, planet-spanning engine. And what it drives is no less than life itself.

The Reckoning of Mitt Romney

October 31, 2023 22:30 - 1 hour - 36.3 MB

When Mitt Romney was 17 years old, he attended the 1964 Republican national convention with his dad, then-governor of Michigan. George Romney, disgusted by the extremes he saw in his party, delivered a scathing rebuke. Years later, his son found himself in a very similar situation.

Radio Hour Episode 17: ‘Sherlock Holmes and The Final Problem’

October 30, 2023 22:23 - 50 minutes - 23.1 MB

Plan B Theatre and “RadioWest” are back with a new hour of live radio — and a live audience — with “Sherlock Holmes and the Final Problem.”

The Man Who Tasted Words

October 26, 2023 19:53 - 49 minutes - 22.5 MB

It’s through the senses of taste, sight, hearing, smell and touch that we perceive the world around us. But just how reliable, really, are those senses?

The Case Against the Gondola

October 23, 2023 22:31 - 49 minutes - 23 MB

The Utah Department of Transportation received more than 35,000 comments about its plans to build a gondola in Little Cottonwood Canyon. According to one count, more than 60% of commenters opposed the idea.

The Disastrous Voyage of the Wager

October 19, 2023 19:26 - 49 minutes - 22.6 MB

In 1740, the Wager set sail from England in search of Spanish treasure. Just about everything that could go wrong did go wrong.

The Scariest Movie of All Time

October 13, 2023 19:27 - 48 minutes - 21.9 MB

In 1973, moviegoers were seen fleeing from theaters. Some fainted; others threw up. That was the year that “The Exorcist” was released.

How to Cure Your Craving for More

October 12, 2023 21:30 - 49 minutes - 22.5 MB

If you find yourself fixating on something you want but know you don’t need, it’s not your fault; it’s the “scarcity brain” at work.

Through The Lens: ‘A Run For More’

October 06, 2023 18:19 - 48 minutes - 22.4 MB

In 2018, Frankie Gonzales-Wolfe, a transgender woman, ran for a city council seat in San Antonio, Texas — just as a flurry of anti-trans legislation was kicking up.

The Unraveling of Tim Ballard

October 06, 2023 18:17 - 49 minutes - 22.6 MB

In July, Tim Ballard stepped down as CEO of Operation Underground Railroad, just as “Sound of Freedom,” the movie based on his work, was released. Since then, a series of strange stories about Ballard have emerged.

"Sluffing School" and Other Utah-isms

September 29, 2023 21:00 - 49 minutes - 22.7 MB

Wanna talk like a real Utahn? Well, pour yourself a glass of “melk” and head on up to the “ruf.” We’ve got some “explainin’” to do.

Searching for Home in (Very) Rural America

September 29, 2023 20:00 - 49 minutes - 22.7 MB

Navied Mahdavian had always been a city guy. He had never fished, gardened, hiked, hunted or lived in a snowy place. Then he, his wife and dog moved from San Francisco to an off-the-grid cabin in rural Idaho.

A Struggle for the Soul of Mormonism

September 21, 2023 23:25 - 49 minutes - 22.5 MB

In September of 1993, six prominent intellectuals were disciplined and excommunicated from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The World’s Most Successful Art Thief with Michael Finkel

September 21, 2023 22:03 - 49 minutes - 22.6 MB

Between 1995 and 2001, Stéphane Breitweiser stole 239 works of art from more than 100 museums around Europe. He never sold a single one.

The Case for the Gondola

September 16, 2023 03:36 - 49 minutes - 22.5 MB

More than fifty years ago, there was a proposal to build a gondola from the base of Little Cottonwood Canyon to Snowbird Ski Resort. What if it was the right idea all along?

How Parking Explains the World. Seriously.

September 14, 2023 20:48 - 50 minutes - 22.9 MB

Here’s a way in to understanding what author Henry Grabar wants to tell you about parking: it’s one of the reasons we’ve got a housing crisis in America.

The New Science and Enduring Mystery of Owls

September 08, 2023 15:50 - 49 minutes - 22.6 MB

Look into the eyes of an owl and what do you see? Is there any way to know what’s hidden behind those eyes? Thanks to new research, there might be.

Oliver Burkeman: How to Spend Four Thousand Weeks of Life

September 07, 2023 20:47 - 49 minutes - 22.7 MB

If each of us lives to be 80, we’ll have spent about four thousand weeks being alive on this planet — which isn’t really much time at all. So, how should we spend it?

What Happens to the Group When the Individual Tops All?

September 01, 2023 17:47 - 49 minutes - 22.5 MB

American culture promotes a strong sense of individualism. But, what happens when individualism trumps community?

Clint Eastwood: The Man with No Name

August 31, 2023 23:06 - 49 minutes - 22.6 MB

Clint Eastwood has been a constant in American cinema for more than 60 years. But if you think it’s all Westerns and machismo, you’d be wrong.

Is a Gondola the Silver Bullet for Little Cottonwood’s ‘Red Snake’?

August 25, 2023 18:06 - 46 minutes - 21.3 MB

By now you’ve probably heard about the gondola, the one that’s slated to go up Little Cottonwood Canyon. It’s still decades away, but debate over the plan is holding steady at a fever pitch.

Guests

Dave Eggers
2 Episodes
Dolly Parton
2 Episodes
Karen Armstrong
2 Episodes
Richard Powers
2 Episodes
Tan France
2 Episodes
Bill Buford
1 Episode
Colin Dickey
1 Episode
Mitt Romney
1 Episode
Pico Iyer
1 Episode