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FRONTIERS OF PHYSICS

Program 07-04-15-A

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Tragedy struck Ron Mallett (Mal-et) when he was ten years old. His beloved father died and he wanted to bring him back. So he dreamed of building a time machine. Ron Mallett grew up to become a theoretical physicist. Now he studies quantum mechanics and he's still trying to figure out how to go back in time. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge we'll talke about the physics of time travel and the debate over why the universe is so finely-tuned for life

SEGMENT 1:

Ron Mallett is a theoretical physicist and the author of "Time Traveler." He tells Anne Strainchamps that he's been fascinated with the idea of time travel since his dad's early death. And he thinks he's found some clues in Einstein's work how he might try it, if not in this universe than in another. Also, Fleda Brown, poet laureate of Delaware reads some of her poems and talks with Steve Paulson.

SEGMENT 2:

Wisconsin Public Radio producer Leo Duran reports on the science of movie and television science fiction. He speaks with physicist Lawrence Krauss and screenwriter Michael Cassutt, and we hear lots of clips. Also, Chris Jones writes for Esquire Magazine and is also the author of "Too Far from Home." He tells Jim Fleming what happened to the three astronauts left in space when the space shuttle Columbia was lost in 2003.

SEGMENT 3:

Cosmologist Paul Davies talks with Steve Paulson about the anthropic principle and proposes that we live in a "participatory" universe - a premise he explores in his book, "Cosmic Jackpot."

CD copies are available at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 07-04-15-A.

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Books:

Fleda Brown, Reunion (Wisconsin)
Paul Davies, Cosmic Jackpot: Why Our Universe is Just Right for Life (Houghton Mifflin)
Chris Jones: Too Far From Home: a Story of Life and Death in Space (Doubleday)
Ronald Mallett (with Bruce Henderson), Time Traveler: A Scientist's Personal Mission to Make Time Travel a Reality (Thunder's Mouth Press)

Websites:

• websites

Music:

• After Mallett:
• John Coltrane w/ “Soul Eyes”
  On “Coltrane”
  MCA Records
• After Brown:
  Coltrane w/ “Soul Eyes”
• After Jones:
  “A Distant Discovery”
  On “Deep Impact” soundtrack
  Sony Classical
• After Davies:
  Pat Metheny & Brad Mehldau w/ “The Sound of Water”
  

Distribution dates: week of 02/17/2008 - hour 1 week of 04/15/2007 - hour 1 click here for timings and cues

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Questions and comments can be addressed to: flemingj@wpr.org

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