Roundup

Bethany Cobb: In Galileo's Footsteps [video 1 hour 2 minutes 28 seconds]

Learn about the great astronomy pioneer Edwin Hubble and how his use of a 100-inch telescope at the Mount Wilson Observatory in California not only resolved the "Great Debate" over the scale of the universe but also provided radical evidence that the universe is expanding.

"Segment 2: 'Biography in Sound: Meet Ernest Hemingway.' 1954." [audio 53 min 35 sec]

Herbert Marshall, Laurence Olivier, Mickey Spillane, Charles Cooper, Marlon Brando, and Al Capp all contribute to this Dec. 19, 1954 documentary on the life of Ernest Hemingway, part of an NBC radio series, "Biography in Sound." Various segments of the series are now widely available on the WWW, as well as in the National Archives and the Library of Congress.

"Segment 1 and 3: 'The Resistance of the Maya.' 1981." [audio 23 min 51 sec and 13 min 56 sec[

Here is another contribution -- slightly edited for length by us -- from the Pacifica Radio Archives' From the Vault program, a re-broadcast of a 1981 documentary titled The Resistance of the Maya: "This program examines the history of the 500 year resistance of the Maya against foreign rule, starting with the arrival of the Spanish, up to the current threat against the Lacandon-Maya, the last of the traditional Mayans. Independent radio producer John Walsh does an outstanding job surveyin

" Body Politics: A History of Health Care " [audio 54 min 51 sec]

FightTBIn 1912 Teddy Roosevelt was the first presidential candidate to run on a platform of national health care reform. He advocated a system based on the German model…and was soundly defeated. This episode of BackStory looks at the origins of our current health care debate. How did we end up with a system so different from other industrialized countries? Brian talks to Jacob Hacker, author of the "public option" plan, about why lobbyists hold so much sway when it comes to health ca

Move Over, Lucy; Ardi May Be Oldest Human Ancestor [audio 4 minutes 32 seconds]

Scientists on Thursday unveiled a fossil human ancestor dating back 4.4 million years — a creature more ancient than the famous fossil "Lucy." And, the scientists say, even more important than Lucy.

Smithsonian Opens Observatory On National Mall [audio 28 seconds]

It's the International Year of Astronomy. It also is the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first recorded astronomical observations. To honor the anniversary, the National Air and Space Museum opened its first public observatory on the National Mall.

Jimmy Carter Presidential Library Adds New Chapters [audio 5 minutes 4 seconds]

When former President Jimmy Carter celebrates his 85th birthday on Thursday, it will coincide with the reopening of his library and museum in Atlanta. After a $10 million renovation, the library includes an area that focuses on Carter's life post-presidency. Carter is one of the first past presidents to have lot of time to reshape his image after leaving the White House.

U.N. Protects Cultural Status Of Tango [audio 1 minute 6 seconds]

The cultural arm of the United Nations not only protects historic places but also cultural traditions. The members of UNESCO's Intergovernmental Committee of Intangible Heritage on Wednesday granted the tango dance and its music protected cultural status.

The Hawk and the Dove: Nicholas Thompson [video 39 minutes 46 seconds]

Nicholas Thompson talks about The Hawk and the Dove. Despite their very different views and influence throughout the Cold War, Paul Nitze and George Kennan remained good friends all their lives. In this double biography, Thompson (Nitze's grandson) brings Nitze and Kennan to vivid life and paints a portrait of our nation.

U.S. Considers Reengaging with Myanmar [video 6 minutes 38 seconds]

Following a bloody military coup in 1988, the nation of Myanmar has been largely isolated from the West. Now, for the first time in more than 20 years, signs are emerging that the U.S. may engage in new diplomatic talks with the country.

Spike Lee Speaks About 'Do the Right Thing' 20 Years later [5 minutes, 42 seconds]

Spike Lee, in a conversation with Henry Louis Gates Jr., The Root's Editor-in-Chief, calls out the critics who predicted violence at the release of his groundbreaking 1989 film and clarifies what the "right thing" really was.

Steve Hildebrand: Obama and the LGBT Community [video 1 hour 9 minutes 4 seconds]

Steve Hildebrand served as Barack Obama's Deputy National Campaign Manager during the historic 2008 presidential campaign. His work with Obama began in September 2006, long before Sen. Obama made a decision to seek the presidency. Hildebrand was at the forefront of all strategic decisions and helped craft the overall campaign from the beginning until Obama's victory on Nov. 4, 2008. Hildebrand details the work the LGBT community with the Clinton's and Obama, as well as the continued

Dam! [audio 3 minutes 42 seconds]

There is a monument of two enormous bronze angles on the Hoover Dam that embody the spirit of the men who designed and built this marvel of American progress. In 1931, during the height of the Great Depression, five thousand men and their families traveled to the desert of Nevada in the hope of employment. They were comprised of former commodities traders, obstetricians, hosiery salesmen and geometry teachers that were not used to working ten hour shifts in 130 degree heat. From their collective

Black President Stands Out At Mostly White College [audio 9 min 31 sec]

More than 230 years since Hampden-Sydney's founding, tradition is very much alive at the Virginia college. The students, all men, wear bow ties and jackets to football games. On arriving for the school year, students are handed an etiquette guide. The college slogan is simple. It reads: "Forming Good Men and Good Citizens Since 1776." It's a school steeped in the traditions of the Old South — a place that educated the leaders and the children of the Confedera

The Man Who Kept The Cold War Cool [audio 7 minutes 49 seconds]

Most people think of the Cold War as a long, glacial period, but in the beginning it was dangerously unstable. Author Neil Sheehan says there might well have been nuclear war — had it not been for one man. Sheehan tells All Things Considered host Guy Raz that a quiet Air Force general, Bernard Schriever, kept the U.S. and Soviet Union balanced against each other by virtually creating the concept of mutual assured destruction

Obama Keeps Bush Rules On Indefinite Detention [audio 3 minutes 51 seconds]

The Obama administration has decided not to ask Congress for a new law that would allow terrorism detainees to be held indefinitely — in other words, it'll stay with the rules set up right after the Sept. 11 attacks by the Bush administration. What does this decision say about Obama as president?

Stars Celebrate Communist China's 60th Anniversary [audio 56 seconds]

A state-run film studio has released a movie to mark the 60th anniversary of Communist China. The producers wanted to appeal to younger generations in the film The Founding of a Republic. So they recruited more than 100 Chinese movie stars, including Jackie Chan and Jet Li. The film grossed nearly $20 million — a new record for a domestic film in its first week.

"Segment 3: 'A Propitious Misadventure: Part 1 of A History of the 17th Century Dutch Colony of New Netherland.' (2009)." [audio 16 min 53 sec]

A Propitious Misadventure is the first part of a Radio Netherlands series focusing on the 17th century Dutch colony of New Netherland. This episode focuses on Henry Hudson: "400 years ago, in 1609, English explorer Henry Hudson set off on a Dutch ship called the Half Moon. This 'propitious misadventure' would result in a Dutch colony called New Netherland in the uncharted wilds of North America." Our thanks to Radio Netherlands http://www.rnw.nl for perm

"Segment 2: 'From the Archives: Hernando De Soto.' (1938)." [audion 5 min 10 sec]

"The World is Yours" was a series that was broadcast by the National Broadcasting Company, Inc. (NBC) radio network but produced in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution. The half-hour weekly programs "covering the entire range of the Smithsonian Institution's collections and research. The series featured the 'Oldtimer' as the audience's guide to 'the wonders of that unique establishment, the Smithsonian Institution -- dedicated to the increase and diffusion of knowledge.'&

"Segment 1: 'The Last Dutch Outpost: The Enduring Legacy of New Netherland.' 2007." [audio 29 min 30 sec]

"Two hundred and fifty years ago, a minor military skirmish in a remote corner of the colonial New World snowballed into what some have described as a World War. One of the casualties was the Dutch culture of the town of Albany in New York State – previously New Netherland. So, what happened to the Dutch of Dutch Albany? Although there are few physical remains from the Dutch colonial period, a modern revival of interest seems to be gathering steam. Laura Durnford visits some historic sites