To the Best of Our Knowledge

PROMO FOR HOUR TWO  6/17/07   "The End of the World (As We Know
                              It)"
*It's the liberal's apocalypse. Consider empty big-box stories, deserted
highways, worthless pieces of paper we used to call money. The economy
collapses. There's widespread violence and social unrest.  The only
people with a fighting chance ride out the storm in life-boat
communities with access to locally-grown food. In this hour of To the
Best of Our Knowledge, the peak oil crisis. Also, doomsday scenarios
from Islam to Christianity.
 documentary for HBO called "Wide Awake."  Berliner is a chronic
insomniac who goes for days without sleeping.  He tells Steve Paulson it
seems to be part of his creative process.
                    
PROGRAM RUNDOWN:   "The End of the Word )As We Know It"

0:00 - 17:00        SEGMENT 1: (17:01)
            After a YouTube clip on the subject of Peak Oil, we meet
            journalist Bryandt Urstadt, author of a Harper's story
            called "Imagine There's No Oil: Scenes from a liberal
            apocalypse."  Urstadt tells Steve Paulson about the grim
            future the peak oilers are already getting ready for and
            thinks we should all buy gold.  Also, Ken Eklund is the
            creator of the alternate reality game "World Without
            Oil."  He describes the game and we hear the comments of
            several game bloggers. There are links at ttbook.org. 
                    
            Segment One Outcue:  "...PRI - Public Radio
            International."

17:01 - 17:30  LOCAL OPTION with music bed (:29)

17:31 - 44:05       SEGMENT 2: (26:35)
            Theologian Martin Marty tells Steve Paulson that The
            Rapture, the vision of the end of the world recently
            popularized in the "Left Behind" series of Christian
            books, is a fairly recent concept and can't be found in
            the Bible. Also, British novelist Jim Crace reads from
            and talks with Jim Fleming about his novel "The
            Pesthouse." It takes place in America after an un-named
            eco-disaster has decimated the population and destroyed
            much of our hi-tech civilization.  
                    
            Segment Two Outcue:  "...PRI - Public Radio
            International."

44:06 - 44:35       LOCAL OPTION with music bed (:29)

44:36 - 53:00       SEGMENT 3: (8:24)
            Astrophysicist Lawrence Krauss talks with Steve Paulson
            about the cosmology of the end of the universe.  The big
            bang will also have a big finish!
                    
            Segment Three Outcue: PRI Audio Logo


For a copy of this hour, call 1-800-747-7444, and ask for program number
6-17-B.