Clik here to view.
Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3
On tomorrow’s Please Explain, we’ll be delving deep into the history and the construction of standardized tests. Standardized tests, once used only to test a select group for college readiness, have...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Please Explain: Tests – The Answers, Revealed
For today’s Please Explain, we asked you to take a look at some sample SAT and New York State Exam questions. We’ll be discussing the answers during the segment, but we didn’t want to keep you waiting...
View ArticlePlease Explain: Accents and Dialects
Today's Please Explain is all about accents in the English speaking world--how did Australians come to sound different than New Zealanders? Why do some people lose their accents quickly...while others...
View ArticlePlease Explain: Tsunamis
This morning, an 8.9 magnitude earthquake occured 230 miles northeast of Tokyo, Japan, causing a large tsunami. The full extent of the impact of the tsunami is not yet known, and there are tsunami...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Five Things You May Not Know About Tsunamis
On today's Please Explain, Leonard spoke to geologist Lori Dengler and seismologist Geoff Abers about the tsunami in Japan. In addition to finding out that earthquakes can cause whirlpools, we found...
View ArticlePlease Explain: Generic Drugs
On today's Please Explain, we'll look into the science behind and history of generic drugs. Just how identical are they to their name-brand counterparts? Could they be part of the solution to America's...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The First Coupon
The first coupon ever created was, unsurprisingly, invented by the Coca-Cola company in 1887. The coupons offered a free sample of the year-old drink, which was initially sold for 5 cents. In...
View ArticlePlease Explain: The Inner Lives of Dogs
For many of us, dogs are loyal friends and companions, but we know very little about how they see the world. On this week's Please Explain, we look at what we know about how dogs perceive the world and...
View ArticlePlease Explain: Norovirus
Please Explain is all about the Norovirus, which is the leading cause of outbreaks of food-borne illness. We'll speak with Dr. Aaron Margolin and Dr. Christine Moe.
View ArticlePlease Explain: Helium
Today's Please Explain is all about helium and the helium shortage. We speak with Dr. Martin Stute, a noble gas geochemist at Barnard college and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and with Dr. Joe...
View ArticlePulled Apart
On today’s show: We’ll find out how the epidemic of post-traumatic stress disorder among the country’s veterans is spreading to their families. Writer, director, and producer Bill Persky looks back at...
View ArticlePlease Explain: The Post Office
When you drop a letter in a mailbox, how exactly does it end up where it’s supposed to go? We’ll find out how the U.S. Postal Service works and why it’s struggling for survival. Nancy A. Pope, curator...
View ArticleLife, Death, and Art
Marc Bookman looks into the case of Andre Thomas, who was convicted of murdering his family and sentenced to death, despite the fact that he was mentally ill. Nigerian artist El Anatsui describes...
View ArticleAnthropology, Inc. - Why We Love Cats...and People - Please Explain
We’ll find out how anthropological research is being used by corporations to find out the needs, fears, and desires of consumers. Peter Trachtenberg talks about how searching for a lost cat led him to...
View ArticlePlease Explain: Superfoods
This week’s Please Explain is all about so-called superfoods—natural, whole foods that are superior sources of anti-oxidants and essential nutrients. Dr. Drew Ramsey, assistant clinical professor of...
View ArticleFat Sugar Salt, Eddie Huang, Russ & Daughters, the Science of Baking
Michael Moss explains why the average American eats 33 pounds of cheese and 70 pounds of sugar each year, and 8,500 milligrams of salt a day! Baohaus chef Eddie Huang talks pork buns and politics of...
View ArticlePlease Explain: Cheese and Making Cheese
Sascha Anderson, Director of Education at Murray’s Cheese, and Gianaclis Caldwell, cheesemaker at Pholia Farm and author of Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking, talk about the wide variety of cheeses, how...
View ArticleKitchen Essentials, Lidia Bastianich, Springtime Foraging, Please Explain:...
We’ll start off today’s Food Fridays with Jack Bishop from the America’s Test Kitchen, who gives advice about what ingredients you should always have on-hand in your home. Lidia Bastianich discusses...
View ArticleLeftovers to Lunch, Rosie Perez, Gardening without Soil, Amazing Grains
Today’s show is the latest installment in our Food Fridays series! New York Times food columnist Melissa Clark is here with her suggestions on how to turn last night’s dinner into today’s lunch. Rosie...
View ArticleRecipe: Greek Millet Saganaki with Shrimp and Ouzo
Millet1 1/4 cups water3/4 cup millet1 bay leafPinch of fine sea salt Saganaki1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil1 cup finely chopped yellow onion (about 1 small)1 clove garlic, peeled and slightly...
View Article
