KUOW Presents

Soon — sooner than most of us think — we’ll have tiny computers embedded in our brains. And this step is an advancement, a sign of a new era in evolution. That’s according to inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil. He talks with Wisconsin Public Radio about the fusion of biology and machine technology he sees in our future.

Other Stories On KUOW Presents:

Cities are pretty robust organisms. They tend to survive even when put under tremendous stress and strain. Local industries rise and fall, people immigrate and emigrate, but most of these changes happen over long periods of time. What happens to a city when its purpose is stripped away virtually overnight?

Bonn was the quiet, unlikely capital of West Germany. Then it became official seat of government of a United Germany. But when the Cold War ended, the seat of the German government was moved back to its historic home of Berlin.

Today the city of Bonn is still finding its new identity and purpose. But there are hidden clues in the urban landscape that can remind us of what Bonn used to be. Independent producer Roman Mars brings us the story.

Other Stories On KUOW Presents:

Coming up on KUOW Presents on Friday, December 7 at 2:00 p.m.

For many of us there is a distinction between a virtual world and the real world. But writer Beth Coleman argues otherwise. In her book "Hello Avatar: Rise of the Networked Generation," Coleman examines a crucial aspect of our cultural shift from analog to digital and what she calls the “x-reality” that crosses between the virtual and the real. We hear her conversation with Wisconsin Public Radio's Anne Strainchamps.

Other Stories On KUOW Presents:

During prohibition in the early 20th century, Franklin County, Virginia was dubbed the moonshine capital of the world. In the most mountainous parts of the county, nearly every farming family was involved in the making and selling of illegal whiskey. The 1920s and 30s were difficult for small scale farmers. Producing moonshine offered extra cash and a path out of poverty.

When prohibition ended, those formerly illegal moonshiners were expected to start paying taxes. Yet they continued to operate illegally in Franklin County. The moonshine trade was an opportunity for the most powerful men in the county to get richer on the backs of poor farmers. The men overseeing the operations would charge large protection fees in exchange for looking the other way.

But in 1935, it all came to a crashing halt. Over 200 farmers testified about their role in the massive racket resulting in Virginia’s Great Moonshine Conspiracy Trial. With the help of a retired World War I spy, the federal government indicted many of the racket's powerful leaders, including the state’s attorney, the sheriff, a federal agent and several deputies. Jesse Dukes of Big Shed Media brings us the story of The Great Moonshine Conspiracy, as told by writer Charlie Thompson.

Other Stories On KUOW Presents:

Musician John O'Regan was touring with his indie rock band when one night after a show he started having convulsions. He was rushed to the hospital where John wound up getting emergency treatment for Crohn's disease. O'Regan had to stay in the hospital for weeks. But all that time in spent recovering kick-started a surprising persona shift in his musical career.

In this excerpt from a longer interview with the CBC's Sook Yin lee, John O'Regan talked about what happened to him during his time spent healing, and what the experience helped him learn about himself and his music.

Other Stories On KUOW Presents:

Science Fiction Novelist William Gibson first coined the term "cyberspace” in his short story "Burning Chrome.” He then popularized the concept in his debut novel “Neuromancer” in 1984. In imagining the then new world of cyberspace, Gibson created an interpretation of a virtual world for the information age, well before the ubiquity of the Internet in the 1990s. Gibson recently talked to Wisconsin Public Radio's Jim Fleming about why he chose that word, and what it means to him today.

Other Stories On KUOW Presents:

People often describe themselves as either left-brained — logical, analytical — or right-brained — intuitive, creative. According to psychologist Iain McGilchrist the notion of the divided brain has shaped modern history in all kinds of ways. McGilchrist explores the meaning and impact of the divided brain in his book, “The Master and His Emissary.” He talks about it with Wisconsin Public Radio’s Steve Paulson.

Other Stories On KUOW Presents:

Nate Kalichman, who is 90, and Paula Givan, 67, are spending their first holidays as a married couple. Sit with them and it seems like they've been married for years, yet it's brand new at the same time. They share their stories of finding love late in life and making plans.

Other Stories On KUOW Presents:

Lots of us had imaginary friends when we were kids. And now a psychologist at the University of Oregon is looking into how having imaginary friends, and creating an imaginary world for them, affects how you relate to real people. We’ll learn about her research. And we’ll meet Maxine, an 8-year old with a whole host of imaginary friends.

Other Stories On KUOW Presents:

Everywhere you look in American culture it seems there are images of fame and celebrity. When Jake Halpern set out to write his book "Fame Junkies: The Hidden Truths Behind America's Favorite Addiction," he wanted to answer a few questions. Why do countless Americans yearn so desperately to have entertainment-celebrity type fame? Why do others, like celebrity personal assistants, devote their entire lives to servicing these people? And why do millions of others fall into the mindless habit of watching them from afar?

In order to get the answers he sought, Halpern talked with academics, psychologists, magazine editors and teenagers about why more Americans would rather be famous, than not. The CBC's Sook Yin Lee talked with Halpern about what he discovered.

Other Stories On KUOW Presents: