The Colin McEnroe Show

There’s a theory that ours isn’t the only universe. That there are, actually, infinitely many universes. That there are, then, infinitely many yous. That there are infinitely many different yous reading infinitely many different versions of this show synopsis. That there are infinitely many universes that don’t even bother to include you. Or this show synopsis. Or even reading. Also, there’s a theory that The Berenstain Bears prove the theory that ours isn’t the only universe. So, this hour, in this universe, a show about all that. Or (at least) one version of a show about all that. GUESTS: Amanda Gefter - A physics and cosmology writer and the author of Trespassing on Einstein’s Lawn: A Father, a Daughter, the Meaning of Nothing and the Beginning of Everything Mack Lamoureux - Night editor at Vice Canada Eugene Lim - Senior lecturer in theoretical physics at King’s College London Alicia Lutes - Managing editor of The Nerdist Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Katie Glass, Cat Pastor, Chion Wolf, and Alan Yu contributed to this show, which originally aired December 8, 2016.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For many, meetings at work can feel like they get in the way of actual work. This hour, we talk about the history of meetings, why we meet, and how to meet better. Plus, how our meeting culture might change due to the pandemic. GUESTS: Liana Kreamer - PhD Student in Organizational Science at the University of North Carolina Caitlin Rosenthal - Associate Professor of History at the University of California Berkeley Rachel Sugar - Staff writer for Grubstreet Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How far would you go? How far would you go, for instance, to convince people to get vaccinated? Vaccination is, in a way, a test run. It’s a test run for some of the other big challenges we face. Like, for instance, climate change. How far would you go? Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EDT hour at 860-275-7266, or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For decades, Christian evangelicals were the fastest-growing religious group in this country. Now, some young evangelicals are abandoning the faith. And: There’s a new competitive edge in pro sports — the COVID vaccines. And finally: Tomorrow, July 20, Wally Funk will become the oldest person ever to fly to space. So today, our conversation with Funk on her last day as a non-astronaut. GUESTS: Wally Funk - An American aviator with nearly 20,000 flight hours and a former member of the Mercury 13 program Alex Kirshner - A writer and editor; he co-hosts the Split Zone Duo podcast and co-writes the Moon Crew newsletter Terry Shoemaker - A lecturer on religious studies and American studies at Arizona State University Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Black Widow is the 24th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is the ninth, and final, one to feature Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff, and it’s the first film in Phase Four of the M.C.U. I don’t know what a lot of that stuff means, but Black Widow has already set a number of pandemic box office records. It has grossed more than $200 million worldwide so far. And: I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson is Robinson’s Netflix sketch comedy series. Its six second season episodes debuted on July 6. The episodes are all less than 20 minutes long (!). Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Charlie Robinson, Who Played Mac on ‘Night Court,’ Dies at 75 Mj Rodriguez Just Became The First Transgender Person To Be Nominated For A Major Lead Acting Emmy The Emmys Have Gone Mildly Wild Best Actor Or Actress? Gender-Expansive Performers Are Forced To Choose Jason Sudeikis Is Having One Hell of a Year Thom Yorke and Radiohead Release Music Video for “Creep (Very 2021 Rmx)” Olivia Rodrigo Went To The White House To Talk About Vaccinations Mint condition Super Mario 64 game sells for record $1.5m This Insect Drinks Your Milkshake Man fuels his personal fart-cycle with gas from a swamp The newest clip from Netflix’s Sexy Beasts dating show offers fresh nightmare fuel The Only ‘New’ Thing About Cross-Cultural Casting Is Who’s Getting The Roles GUESTS: Raquel Benedict - Claims to be the most dangerous woman in speculative fiction, and she’s the host of the Rite Gud podcast Tom Breen - Managing editor of The New Haven Independent, and he hosted Deep Focus on WNHH radio Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When we think of unicorns, many of us picture idyllic white horses with a single horn, surrounded by rainbows. But that’s not how unicorns have always been depicted. This hour, we discuss the history of unicorns, and their enduring popularity. GUESTS: Martha Bayless - The Director of Folklore and Public Culture and a professor of English at the University of Oregon Adam Gidwitz - Author of The Unicorn Rescue Society series, among other books, and the creator of the podcast Grimm, Grimmer and Grimmest Sarah Laskow - Author of The Very Short, Entirely True History of Unicorns and senior editor for science at The Atlantic Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Plum Island sits less than 7 miles off the coast of Connecticut in Long Island Sound. It is completely owned by the federal government and controlled by the Department of Homeland Security. Since 1954, it has been the site of the soon-to-be-decommissioned Plum Island Animal Disease Center. “All islands carry a certain mystery, but Plum Island has more than its share of stories and secrets,” according to Marian Lindberg. This hour, a look at the place Dr. Hannibal Lecter calls “Anthrax Island”: Plum Island, New York. GUESTS: Ellen Killoran - Staff reporter and editor at Crime Online Marian Lindberg - Conservation specialist for The Nature Conservancy and the author of Scandal On Plum Island: A Commander Becomes the Accused Geoff Manaugh - Co-author of Until Proven Safe: The History and Future of Quarantine Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the one hand, it kind of feels like the pandemic is winding down, right? On the other hand, the daily caseload in the U.S. is 23,000, up 94% versus two weeks ago. At the same time, the Teletubbies are all vaccinated, so that’s a welcome relief. How are you handling this strange gray area in which we find ourselves? Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EDT hour: 860–275–7266, or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most of the Western world is organized by alphabetical order, which is so much more than the 26 letters that make up the alphabet. Alphabetical order is an organizing principle that allows us to save, order, and access thousands of years of humankind's most precious documents and ideas. Without it, we'd never know what came before us or how to pass on what's with us. It's ubiquitous, yet invisible in daily life. This hour, a conversation about how we order our world and why we do it. GUESTS: Nicholson Baker - A novelist and essayist; he's the author of 17 books, including, most recently, Baseless: My Search for Secrets in the Ruins of the Freedom of Information Act Judith Flanders - Author of A Place For Everything: The Curious History of Alphabetical Order Peter Sokolowski - A lexicographer and editor-at-large at Merriam-Webster and co-host of the podcast Word Matters Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired January 21, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Nose is all TV all the time this week. First: Is the era of the unifying television hit already over? And: Has Netflix already lost its cool? And then: Kevin Can F**k Himself is both a multi-camera sitcom and a single-camera drama at the same time. It airs on AMC and stars Annie Murphy. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Richard Donner, Director of 'Superman,' 'The Goonies' and 'Lethal Weapon,' Dies at 91 R.I.P. filmmaker and actor Robert Downey Sr.His son, actor Robert Downey Jr., confirmed the news on Instagram What Deadlines Do to LifetimesCan we find a balance between structuring our time and squandering it? Brace yourself for the Bill Cosby media redemption tourIn the comedy world he may still be persona non grata. But can TV news divisions resist the ratings he'd pull in? 2021 Miss Nevada Will Be The First Openly Transgender Miss USA Contestant Everyone is praising Selena Gomez's unedited swimsuit and bikini pictures"Seeing Selena Gomez's stomach & body WITHOUT PHOTOSHOP is fire" The Pop Music You Listen to Really Does MatterThe story of Dr. Luke and Doja Cat shows how the industry relies on consumer passivity. But audiences can still stand against alleged abusers. Future Lord of the Rings films should acknowledge the book's queer leaningsNobody wants to see a horny Gollum or Orcs with raging hard-ons – but why shouldn't some of Middle-earth's denizens be gay? If they won't let Zack Snyder make a stupid Star Wars, he'll just make his own stupid Star Wars Zack Snyder is making an Akira Kurosawa-inspired sci-fi epic for Netflix How Disney Mismanaged the Star Wars UniverseAnd how The Mandalorian can restore the true power of George Lucas's galaxy The Urge to Destroy a ViolinAn Instagram account reveals both our reverence for and our loathing of classical instruments. The Games Done Quick Marathon Is More Important Than EverFor years, GDQ has brought together gamers to speedrun for charity. After a year of loss and loneliness, the event means so much more. Returnal and Why Games Need More Badass Middle-Aged WomenWomen in video games are either young and sexy or old and wise. But a character who’s built up the strength and confidence of experience? Sign me up. How "The Print Shop" Turned People into Banner Wizards in the 1980s Mathematicians Prove 2D Version of Quantum Gravity Really WorksIn three towering papers, a team of mathematicians has worked out the details of Liouville quantum field theory, a two-dimensional model of quantum gravity. What Gets Lost as Little Leagues Get SmallerTown leagues, unprofessionalized and open to all, knit neighborhoods together in ways that intensive and competitive travel teams do not. How "Rick and Morty" and "Loki" built thoughtful altars to apathy for everything we hold dearBoth shows acknowledge that gods exist. But each questions the zealotry with which we follow them 'Legally Blonde' Oral History: From Raunchy Script to Feminist ClassicAlong the way, adult zingers were edited out, Jennifer Coolidge struggled with the "bend and snap" and the ending was changed at least three times. You Really Need to Quit TwitterHow could I have succumbed to this common, embarrassing habit that just about everyone on Earth knows is a scourge? Why Is Everyone Talking About the "Cat Person" Short Story Again? "Cat Person" and MeKristen Roupenian's viral story draws specific details from my own life. I've spent the years since it published wondering: How did she know? Nicholas Braun is going to be the Cat Person asshole in the viral story's movie adaptationEmilia Jones will play Margot, the 20-year-old who goes on a bad date with the Cat Person Admit it: Grilling is bad GUESTS: Carolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer; founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic Dance Bill Yousman - Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart University Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.