Janet Reitman is most recently the author of Inside Scientology. Condition of Mr. Segundo: Always on the run. Author: Janet Reitman Subjects Discussed: Scientology and cults, the way Scientology works, Orthodox Judaism, Michael Sklar, tax-exempt religions, the religious elements used to form Scientology, esoteric religious movements in early 20th century Los Angeles, L. Ron Hubbard’s [...]
Listen: Play in new window | Download (Running Time: 55:59 — 51.3MB)
Mara Hvistendahl is most recently the author of Unnatural Selection. Condition of Mr. Segundo: Considering cold water solutions if he attempts to sire sons. Author: Mara Hvistendahl Subjects Discussed: Lyndon Johnson’s 1965 address on the occasion of the UN’s 20th anniversary, the relationship between birth rate, sex selection, and development, the history of amniocentesis in [...]
Listen: Play in new window | Download (Running Time: 42:51 — 39.2MB)
James Gleick is most recently the author of The Information. Condition of Mr. Segundo: Giving little bits of your entropy. Author: James Gleick Subjects Discussed: Claude Shannon, the origin of the byte, Charles Babbage and relay switches, measuring information beyond the telegraph, bit storage capacity, being right about data measurement, “A Mathematical Theory of Communication,” [...]
Listen: Play in new window | Download (Running Time: 42:17 — 38.7MB)
Adam Hochschild is most recently the author of To End All Wars. Condition of Mr. Segundo: Conscientiously objecting and objectifying consciousness. Author: Adam Hochschild Subjects Discussed: What is considered morally permissible in war, mustard gas, deadly military technology, Ray Bradbury’s “The Flying Machine,” the women’s suffrage movement and World War I, Emmeline Pankhurst and the [...]
Listen: Play in new window | Download (Running Time: 38:08 — 34.9MB)