On a fall afternoon in 1984, Dethorne Graham ran into a convenience store for a bottle of orange juice. Minutes later he was unconscious, injured, and in police handcuffs. In this episode, we explore a case that sent two Charlotte lawyers on a quest for true objectivity, and changed the face of policing in the US.
Charlie Rose: Podcasting Roundtable
A discussion about podcasting with Alex Blumberg of Gimlet Media, Andy Bowers of Panoply Media, Paula Szuchman from WNYC Radio, and Jad Abumrad, the creator and co-host of Radio Lab and “More Perfect.”
Will Understanding Biology Eliminate Free Will?
A new tussle over an old story, and some long-held beliefs, with neurologist and author Robert Sapolsky.
Four years ago, we did a story about a man with a starling obsession that made us question our ideas of responsibility and justice. We thought we’d found some solid ground, but today Dr. Sapolsky shows up and takes us down a rather disturbing rabbit hole.
Radio Lab: Nukes
President Richard Nixon once boasted that at any moment he could pick up a telephone and – in 20 minutes – kill 60 million people. Such is the power of the US President over the nation’s nuclear arsenal. But what if you were the military officer on the receiving end of that phone call? Could you refuse the order?
This episode, we profile one Air Force Major who asked that question back in the 1970s and learn how the very act of asking it was so dangerous it derailed his career. We also pick up the question ourselves and pose it to veterans both high and low on the nuclear chain of command. Their responses reveal once and for all whether there are any legal checks and balances between us and a phone call for Armageddon.