Science

Are Alien Abductions Real? Expert David Jacobs Reveals Findings

Bill Thompson
Photo by Hinata47d

Did you hear the recent testimony given at a Congressional hearing about UFOs and alien beings?

And while the question of alien abductions did not come up, that subject has been around for decades.

Get your copy of David Jacobs’s book

In 1992, David Jacobs, a distinguished professor at Temple University published his findings after years of research and interviews with dozens of people who said they had been abducted by aliens.

His book was called Secret Life, And it’s spelled out in often frightening detail what these abductees went through.

Jacobs spent years looking for answers and explanations, as we talked about when his book came out.

So here now, from 1992, David Jacobs.

David Jacobs is 82 now. He is now retired from his position at Temple University.

Chris Kraft: The Father of NASA’s Mission Control

Bill Thompson

This weekend marks 55 years since human beings first set foot on the surface of the moon

The Apollo 11 mission put astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon Good 3rd crew member, Michael Collins, remained in the orbiting And module .

It was the fulfillment of an ambitious goal set at the beginning of the 1960s by President John F Kennedy .

During the 1960s tens of thousands of talented engineers and experts working at warp speed, if you will, help the U.S. reach that goal

At the heart of it all was a brilliant aerospace engineer named Christopher Columbus Kraft Jr. It was largely Chris Kraft created, pioneered, or invented many of the things that we now regard as standard elements of the NASA space program

Get your copy of Chris Kraft’s book

From Mercury to Gemini to Apollo, Kraft was there, helping shape what the space program became .

In 2001 Chris Kraft wrote a memoir of his life and career, mirroring that of NASA.it was called flight comma and that’s….few minutes with this iconic figure.

So here now, from 2001 Chris Kraft.

Chris Kraft died in 2019, just days after the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing he had helped make possible.

Carl Djerassi: The Visionary Behind ‘The Pill’

Bill Thompson
Photo by Douglas A. Lockard

It was in the early 1950sThe 28 year old pharmaceutical chemist created something that would change the very fabric of our society .

His name was Carl Djerassi. He was a Bulgarian]American who led a team that came up with an oral contraceptive that became known – and is still known today – as simply The Pill . Djerassi has been dubbed “the father of The Pill.”

In 1992 he wrote a memoir called The Pill, Pygmy Chimps, and Degas’s Horse, a reflection on a life that was filled with far more than white lab coats and experiments. And that’s when he and I had a conversation about it.

So here now, from 1992, Carl Djerassi.

Carl Djerassi died in 2015. He was 91.

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How Mathematics Reveals the Mysteries of the Universe: A Conversation with Mario Livio

Bill Thompson
Photo by Festival della Scienza

Today we’re talking about mathematics. But don’t let your eyes glaze over, because there are no formulas to memorize, no problems to solve and there will be no quiz at the end.

In fact, we’re not even looking for answers as much as we are enjoying asking the questions, says astrophysicist Mario Livio.

His 2009 book Is God a Mathematician? asks the big questions about math, and how it explains our entire universe.

Or does it? See, that’s one of the questions.

So here now my 2009 interview with Mario Livio.

MMario Livio is 78 now. He is continuing his work on the emergence of life in the universe.

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Will Steger’s Pioneering Journey to the North Pole

Bill Thompson
Photo by Andy Witchger

In today’s shrinking world, there are very few things left that no one has ever done before. But in 1986, explorer Will Steger did something no one had done before – he led the first ever dog sled journey to the north pole without resupply

It was an amazing, and in some ways death-defying expedition

As he described in his 1987 book N to the pole, it’s difficult when your face is frozen, you’re only allowed two pounds of food a day, and you have just a short window of opportunity to reach your goal.

We sat down in my well heated studio one day in December 1987 to talk. So here now, from 1987, Will Steger.

Will Steger Is 79 now. He is a popular public speaker and advocate for preservation of the Arctic

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How We Misunderstand And Undervalue The Human Breast

Bill Thompson

The popular actress Suzanne Somers recently became the latest high profile victim of breast cancer.

The CDC estimates that 42,000 women will die from the disease this year. So will a few hundred men.

October is, of course, Breast Cancer Awareness month. But a book that was written several years ago reminds us of how little we actually know about the human breast.

In 2012, acclaimed author and journalist Florence Williams researched and wrote a definitive volume called Breasts. A Natural And Unnatural History

And you’re going to be startled by how much we don’t know about the human breast.

So here now from 2012. Florence Williams

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Richard Dawkins on Evolution, Creationism, and the Blind Watchmaker

Bill Thompson
Photo by Steve Jurvetson

Were Adam and Eve real? Or is the story of creation found in Genesis just a myth?

British evolutionary biology professor Richard Dawkins is a prominent figure in the worlds of science and atheism, known for his eloquent writings on evolution and his critique of religious beliefs.

In early 1988 I had the chance to interview Dawkins about his bestselling book The Blind Watchmaker and how it challenged the traditional view of a divine creator.

So here now, from 1988. Richard Dawkins.

Richard Dawkins is now 82.

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Dan Ariely

Bill Thompson
Photo by Yael Zur for Tel Aviv University Alumni Organization

How many times a day do you lie, cheat, or steal?

If you’re like most people, you might say, with some pride, you never lie, cheat or steal.

That’s a lie.

Psychology and behavioral economics professor Dan Ariely says we all do it. Thing is, we almost all do it just a little, not enough to ruin our self-image of being a good, honest person.

In his 2012 book The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty Ariely explained the science behind our misbehaviors.

So here now, from 2012, Dan Ariely.

Dan Ariely, who is 56 now, has taught at Duke University since 2008.

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Temple Grandin

Bill Thompson

Why do animals think and behave and react in the ways they do?

Animal behaviorist Temple Grandin has spent a lifetime finding answers. And for her, the journey has been a personal one, as well.

Grandin is autistic, and has found that animal behavior is not unlike that of some people with autism.

I first met her in 2005, when she published her book Animals in Translation.

So here now, from 2005, Temple Grandin.

Temple Grandin is 75 now, and still active in the field of animal behaviorism.

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J. Craig Venter

Bill Thompson

Can the guy who just barely graduated from high school become one of the world’s 100 most influential people?

Well, it doesn’t very often, to be sure. But that is the short version of the story of Dr. J. Craig Venter, who led the first draft sequence of the human genome some 20 years ago,

Venter founded the company Celera Genomics, which found itself in a very publicized race with the international Human Genome Project to produce that map.

And by summer 2000, Venter was a VIP guest at a White House announcement featuring President Clinton, British prime minister Tony Blair, and a host of other high-level dignitaries.

Venter was widely hailed around the world as a leading figure in the scientific community .

In 2007, Venter wrote his autobiography, a book called A Life Decoded. And that’s what I met him.

So here now, from 2007, Dr. J. Craig venter.

J. Craig Venter is 75 now. He lives in California.

Oh, and if he was curious as to why he was always such a poor student, Venter later discovered that he had a genetic marker for ADHD.

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