The Connection with Marty Moss-Coane

Author Oliver Burkeman on why it’s time to settle for your imperfections and ditch the relentless self-help messaging of productivity and control.

Leonardo da Vinci was more than a great artist, famous for The Last Supper and Mona Lisa. He was a draughtsman, an engineer, a scientist, a sculptor and an architect. He had a voracious curiosity and believed that real understanding was best found in nature, not in a musty library. He didn’t complete half the paintings he started and left behind thousands of pages of drawings. A new two-part Ken Burns documentary about Leonardo da Vinci airs November 18th and 19th on WHYY. It explores the lively mind of da Vinci, finding connections between art and science, imagination and elements in the natural world. Filmmakers Sarah Burns and David McMahon, who lived in Florence where Leonardo lived, join us today to tell us how they brought this 15th century genius to life.  Also with us is Jack Hinton, curator at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

There’s a lot of talk about fascism as we count down the final days of a contentious and consequential presidential election. Members of former President Trump’s administration have told journalists that Trump has fascist beliefs, admires dictators and has contempt for the U.S. Constitution. Trump has promised he will prosecute his enemies and order mass deportations, if elected. Our guest Timothy Snyder specializes in the history of authoritarian governments and the Holocaust. His 2017 book, On Tyranny, offered lessons for protecting democracy against the threats of 20th century totalitarianism. His new book, On Freedom, asks Americans to expand our understanding of liberty by embracing a more inclusive freedom that connects us rather than divides us — that builds bridges not barriers. On this week’s edition of The Connection: tyranny, fascism, freedom and democracy.

‘Tis the season for ghouls, goblins, witches and ghosts. Halloween can be traced back to the Celts who marked the start of the cold, dark winter with bonfires, costumes and ritual celebrations to ward off the dead. Coming up, why do we like to be frightened? Why do so many of us enjoy horror movies and roller coasters, devour crime stories and read fairy tales to our kids and grandkids. Our guest is behavioral scientist, Coltan Scrivner, who studies morbid curiosity, organizes zombie crawls and runs scary film festivals. He says scaring ourselves can have evolutionary and psychological benefits. It can even make us more empathetic.

Psychologist Joshua Coleman was estranged from his young adult daughter after his divorce,  remarriage and the start of a new family. She said he had let her down and she didn’t feel like a priority in his life. She cut off contact, which Coleman said was the most painful experience of his life. They did reconcile after a few years and now Coleman treats families who are estranged. Families are complicated. They can be the source of boundless love and support, and the cause of emotional pain and suffering. This week on The Connection, what drives parents and children apart, what it takes to make amends and rebuild the relationship, and how to grieve and move on when reconciliation becomes impossible. Coleman’s book is Rules of Estrangement: Why Adult Children Cut Ties and How to Heal the Conflict. Also with us is psychologist Lucy Blake, author of No Family is Perfect: A Guide to Embracing the Messy Reality.

Millions of people share their lives with dogs, opening their homes and hearts to their canine companions. It’s a partnership that goes back thousands of years. We love and care for them, feed and groom them and they give us joy, loyalty and what feels like unconditional love. Today we examine the dog-human connection from both perspectives and look at what makes it so unique and fulfilling. Our guests are Alexandra Horowitz who studies dog cognition at Barnard College and is the author many dog books including, Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell and Know, and Our Dogs, Ourselves, and Clive Wynne, who heads the Canine Science Collaboratory at Arizona State University and is the author of Dog is Love: Why and How Your Dog Loves You. (originally aired April 5th, 2024)

Psychologist Jamil Zaki explains how to avoid cynicism and why most people are better than we think.

Dr. Francis Collins, former director of the NIH and the Human Genome Project, on finding common ground and the role of science and faith in his life.

Belonging is a powerful need for us human beings whether we’re a sports fan, a member of a book group, part of a neighborhood clean up crew or a member of a political party.

Men hold most of the leadership roles in American politics with majorities in governorships and the U.S. Senate. College presidents are mostly male, and men dominate the business world. And they still beat out women when it comes to the gender pay gap. But there is a jarring disconnect when looking at boys and men in America. They commit most of the homicides, are most likely to be victims of violent crime, are more likely to die by suicide compared to women and have shorter life spans. Our guest, developmental psychologist Niobe Way, has spent decades listening to boys and young men and says they are experiencing a crisis of connection, driven in part by our narrow view of masculinity. Her new book is Rebels with a Cause: Reimagining Boys, Ourselves and Our Culture. She joins us to talk how “boy” culture, which values thinking over feeling and independence over dependence, hurts boys and the rest of us.