The Colin McEnroe Show

Between all we know to be true and all we know to be false lies a world of woo. “Woo-woo,” to use the full term, refers to ideas considered irrational or based on extremely flimsy evidence or that appeal to mysterious occult forces or powers. But who decides what’s woo-woo, and what gets accepted into the hallowed halls of scientific truth? The easy answer is that scientists decide. But the answer becomes harder when we remember that it was scientists who once deemed the world to be flat, light to be transmitted through “aether,” and a mysterious element called “phlogiston” to be responsible for combustion. On any given day in history, one person’s science is another person’s woo-woo. This hour, we bring together both skeptics and believers in an attempt to pin down exactly what constitutes “woo-woo.” GUESTS: Stuart Hameroff: Anesthesiologist and professor at the University of Arizona known for theories on quantum consciousness Michael Shermer: Founder of The Skeptics Society and the author of The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies — How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths and The Moral Arc: How Science Makes Us Better People Jess Tomlinson: Creator of Radiant & Rise The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Greg Hill, Jonathan McNicol, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired September 22, 2015.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Schadenfreude,” the German word for taking pleasure in others’ misfortune, seems like an ugly human emotion. But psychologists and philosophers argue that schadenfreude is baked into the human condition and actually is kind of good for us. This hour, we explore why it’s okay to laugh when someone slips on a banana peel. GUESTS: Scott Dikkers: Founding editor of The Onion and the author of How to Write Funny Lauren Ober: Hosted the Spectacular Failures podcast John Portmann: Professor of religious studies at the University of Virginia and the author of When Bad Things Happen to Other People Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week’s NoseMay come cannonballing down through the sky,Gleam in its eye,Bright as a rose!Who knows? As of Wednesday, Kim Kardashian is legally single and officially no longer named West. Meanwhile, Kanye West (who is also officially no longer named West, nor Kanye — he legally changed his named to just Ye last year) dropped a new video — also on Wednesday — in which he buries Pete Davidson alive. Davidson and Kardashian have reportedly been dating since November. On Monday, it took three Wheel of Fortune contestants 10 guesses to solve a phrase in which 19 of the 23 letters had been revealed: ANOTHER FEATHER _N YO_R _AP. It has since been called the “worst two minutes in Wheel of Fortune history.” And finally: Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story is nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. It is the second film adaptation of the 1957 stage musical and one of two movie adaptations of Shakespeare (along with The Tragedy of Macbeth) nominated for Oscars this year. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Alan Ladd Jr., ‘Star Wars’ Savior and Oscar Winner for ‘Braveheart,’ Dies at 84 A longtime studio exec and son of a movie icon, he also had a hand in such films as ‘Blade Runner,’ ‘The Turning Point,’ ‘Alien’ and ‘Thelma & Louise.’ Oscars: Academy Infighting Mounting Over Categories Controversy The Hollywood Reporter’s awards columnist Scott Feinberg provides an update on the firestorm over the decision to present eight awards prior to the live Oscars telecast. The Lords of Baseball Think You’re Stupid The MLB lockout displays a breathtaking level of cynicism. AMC Theatres is charging more for The Batman tickets as a little experiment Tickets will be “slightly higher” for the Robert Pattinson-led superhero film says AMC CEO Designing Gotham Batman and his city are inextricably linked, and in developing their Dark Knight movies, filmmakers from Tim Burton to Matt Reeves have always paid special attention to how that city looks Warner Bros. Pulls ‘The Batman’ Russia Release Sony quickly followed suit in pausing the release of Jared Leto’s ‘Morbius.’ EA Sports Dumps Russian Squads from FIFA 22 Amazon to shut its bookstores and other shops as its grocery chain expands People Online Are Saying We’re In The Midst Of The “Lohanaissance,” And Hallelujah, What A Time To Be Alive! I’ve been waiting for years. Epic Games buys Bandcamp proving, once again, we can’t have nice things Too much is never enough as the multi-billion dollar gaming behemoth buys the only good music streaming and purchasing service Evan Rachel Wood Cast As Madonna (in Weird Al Biopic) GUESTS: Rebecca Castellani: The co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications and a freelance writer Sam Hadelman: Works in music public relations and hosts The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free Brooklyn Steve Metcalf: Founder and director of the Garmany concert series at the university of Hartford’s Hartt School The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! 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.

Mike Pesca’s The Gist — with more than 1,700 episodes dating back to 2014 — is said to be the longest-running daily news podcast. After a controversial split from Slate, Pesca relaunched The Gist as an independent podcast this January. Mike Pesca joins Colin for the hour. GUEST: Mike Pesca: Host of The Gist The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Eugene Amatruda contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chances are you’ve probably used an index at the back of the book at some point in your life. But how much thought have you given to their creation, their function, and their history? Our guest this hour has written a whole book on the topic. Dennis Duncan, author of Index, A History of the: A Bookish Adventure from Medieval Manuscripts to the Digital Age, joins us, along with a professional indexer, to tell you more than you ever thought to wonder about the role of indexes in our world. Plus, we get mixed up in the world of cookbook indexes. GUESTS: Dennis Duncan: Author of Index, A History of the: A Bookish Adventure from Medieval Manuscripts to the Digital Age and a lecturer in English at University College London Paula Clarke Bain: Professional indexer Elizabeth Parson: Professional indexer Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, and Jonathan McNicol contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Treasure hunts are prolific across literature, film, and history. This hour we talk about treasure hunts, including what happens when you drop one in the present day. GUESTS: Dan Barbarisi - Author of Chasing The Thrill: Obsession, Death and Glory In America’s Most Extraordinary Treasure Hunt Marcellus Cadd - Writes the blog Geocaching While Black Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired August 4, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve been doing these shows a lot of weeks where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. We don’t even, anymore, start with the suggestion of a topic that your calls might, potentially, be about. We’ve had fun with these shows, and you seem to like them too. So we’re doing that again. In other words: Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EST hour about anything at all. 888-720-9677.‌ Or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Catie Talarski contributed to this show. The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week’s Nose wants to be found out, same as everybody else. Guillermo del Toro’s sideshow noir, Nightmare Alley, is nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It stars Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, and Richard Jenkins, among others. It’s based on the 1946 novel, of which it’s the second film adaptation, after Edmund Goulding’s 1947 version starring Tyrone Power and Joan Blondell. And The Trojan Horse Affair is the fifth podcast from Serial Productions. It’s hosted by Brian Reed (host of S·Town) and newcomer Hamza Syed, and it’s billed as “a mystery in eight parts.” Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: A Prominent Regional Theater Will Exit Its Stage to Explore Its City Long Wharf Theater, a regional nonprofit on New Haven’s waterfront, is ending a long, bumpy chapter there, hoping to expand access and reduce costs. Hiatus brain: When your favorite show returns, but you can’t remember a thing Famous, but wanting to be forgotten The Problem With the Pandemic Plot Literary novelists are struggling with whether, and how, to incorporate Covid into their fiction. Idris Elba on Plumbing the “Dark Side of Human Beings” and Making Room for Music With a far-reaching slate of movies ahead, including a big-screen adaptation of Luther, the actor is riding high—and ready to take risks. Academy Won’t Air All Categories Live for 94th Oscars Telecast Jerry Lewis’s Costars Speak Out: “He Grabbed Me. He Began to Fondle Me. I Was Dumbstruck”Women first interviewed by the directors behind Allen v. Farrow say the comedy icon sexually harassed—and in at least one case, sexually assaulted—them with impunity. A special collaboration, including a mini doc, between V.F. and the filmmakers. Hugh Jackman’s The Music Man Removes the Classic Show’s Racist Subtext. What’s Left? Harold Hill was a Trumpian figure—but not anymore. Self-loathing Will Kill the Oscars Have We Forgotten How to Forgive? The internet preserves our worst moments so they can’t be forgotten. Social media’s insatiable appetite for punishment ensures that they can never be forgiven. Is this really what anyone wants? Colin Farrell’s Penguin Banned From Smoking in ‘The Batman’: ‘I Fought Valiantly for a Cigar’ Still Tickets Left For The Louis CK Show In Kyiv [Tonight] Some may call stand-up comedy the biggest security risk of all… GUESTS: Theresa Cramer: A freelance writer and editor and the co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications Bill Griffith: Created the syndicated daily comic strip Zippy, and he’s the author of Nobody’s Fool: The Life and Times of Schlitzie the Pinhead Irene Papoulis: Teaches writing at Trinity College The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Eugene Amatruda contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nobody ever died of a broken heart, right? Not true. A condition known as broken heart syndrome can be brought on by a sudden shock, such as grief from the death of a loved one or a divorce. You may not die of a broken heart but it can alter your biology in ways that can increase your risk for disease. The good news is that it can be reversed if you can begin to mend your heart. Also this hour: We talk about how our language changes in the months leading up to a breakup — before either partner consciously realizes what’s happening — and why we’re so drawn to sad songs, particularly torch songs, when our hearts are breaking. GUESTS:  Florence Williams: A science writer and the author of three books, most recently Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey Kate Blackburn: A data analyst at TikTok Sarah Seraj: Chief Technology Officer at A Better Force  Noah Baerman: A jazz pianist, composer, and educator; his most recent album is Love Right 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.

What makes something tacky? This hour is a celebration of all things "tacky" with Rax King, author of the new book, "Tacky: Love Letters to the Worst Culture We Have to Offer." Plus, we look at why reality tv is sometimes tacky, and discuss the tackiest home décor. GUESTS: Rax King - Author of “Tacky: Love Letters to the Worst Culture We Have to Offer,” and co-host of the podcast “Low Culture Boil.”  Brian Moylan - A writer, reality tv show recapper, and author of “The Housewives: The Real Story Behind the Real Housewives.” Peter York - A journalist and author of “Dictator Style: Lifestyles of the World’s Most Colorful Despots,” among other books.  Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.