TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE
from Wisconsin Public Radio
September 29, 1996 Programs
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1100 - 1159 Hour #1 Weapons of War
1200 - 1259 Hour #2 Bugs
1300 - 1359 Hour #3 Censorship
PROGRAM RUNDOWN Hour 1:Weapons of War
SEGMENT 1:
David Shukman is a BBC correspondent and the author of
"Tomorrow's War: The Threat of High-Technology Weapons."
He tells Jim Fleming that robotic soldier ants,
genetically engineered killer algae, and noise bombs are
not the stuff of science fiction: they actually exist
and make the world an increasingly dangerous place.
Also, the poor man's atom bombs are chemical and
biological weapons which can be cooked in the average
kitchen. Leonard Cole, author of "The Eleventh Plague:
The Politics of Biological and Chemical Warfare" tells
Steve Paulson that global acceptance of Iraq's use of
these weapons against Iran eroded the long-standing taboo
against such poisons.
SEGMENT 2:
Writer Donovan Webster has visited the sites of several
twentieth century wars in Europe, Asia and Africa. He
tells Judith Strasser that war's left-overs -- land
mines, radiation, unexploded poison gas shells -- are
still killing and maiming innocent civilians years after
the conflicts supposedly ended. Webster's book is
"Aftermath: The Remnants of War."
SEGMENT 3:
Cultural historian Paul Fussell was an infantryman during
the Second World War. He tells Steve Paulson that his
idyllic childhood left him unprepared for the horror of
war and that his combat experience left him with life-
long feelings of shame. Fussell's books include "The
Great War and Modern Memory" and "Doing Battle: The
Making of a Skeptic."
For cassette copies of this hour, call 1-800-747-7444, and ask for program number
09-29-A.
PROGRAM RUNDOWN Hour 2:Bugs
SEGMENT 1:
Cornell University biologist Tom Eisner loves bugs. He
tells Steve Paulson why and cites the amazing Bombardier
Beetle (which attacks its enemies with jets of boiling
toxic chemicals) as an example of a truly fascinating
bug.
SEGMENT 2:
University of Arizona entomologist Stephen Buchman and
Gary Nabhan, director of science for the Arizona-Sonora
Desert Museum, have co-authored a book called "The
Forgotten Pollinators." They tell Jim Fleming that
without pollinating insects, we would lose about a third
of our foods, and that pollinators (especially honey
bees) are at risk from disease and habitat degradation.
Also, Penn State biologist James Marden tells Judy
Strasser that he's close to being able to explain one of
the greatest mysteries in entomology: how insects
learned to fly.
SEGMENT 3:
Biologist Roger Knutson tells Jim Fleming about the many
insects that make their homes on human beings. We're not
just talking fleas here! Knutson taught biology at
Luther College in Iowa for over thirty years and is the
author of "Furtive Fauna: A Field Guide to Creatures Who
Live on You."
For cassette copies of this hour, call 1-800-747-7444, and ask for program number
9-29-B.
PROGRAM RUNDOWN: HOUR 3: Censorship
SEGMENT 1
Candace Morgan, former Chair of the American Library
Association's Intellectual Freedom Committee, tells Jim
Fleming about the three most banned books in America and
the nature of the challenges against them. Morgan works
at the Vancouver Regional Library in Washington state.
SEGMENT 2:
Ivan Klima published all of his work abroad to avoid
trouble with the communist censors in his native
Czechoslovakia. Klima tells Steve Paulson that his work
explores the consequences of censorship. Klima's most
recent novel is "Waiting for the Dark, Waiting for
Light." Also, Ahdef Soueif is a feminist Egyptian who
writes in English. She tells Judith Strasser what
happened when portions of her novel "In the Eye of the
Sun" were translated into Arabic.
SEGMENT 3:
Honduran poet Roberto Sosa tells Judith Strasser that
whatever he writes about, his work is seen to be
political. We also hear one of Sosa's poems read by Jim
Fleming. A bilingual edition of Sosa's poetry, "The
Common Grief," is available from Curbstone Press. Also,
Ursula Owen, editor of the British periodical Index on
Censorship, tells Judith Strasser that the United States
is the least censored society in the world. Considering
the dangers of hate speech, she wonders if American free
speech is a little too free.
For cassette copies of this hour, call 1-800-747-7444, and ask for program number
9-29-C.
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Last modified: Friday September 27, 1996