Public Radio International

Wisconsin Public Radio

HUMANITY: A WORK IN PROGRESS

Program 06-10-15-B

Listen!

"We're all of us guinea pigs in the laboratory of God. Humanity is just a work in progress." So said Tennessee Williams. Inventor and visionary Ray Kurzweil ("Kurtz-while") believes the new, improved version of humanity could feature computers the size of blood cells implanted in our brains. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, the future of the human brain. Also, the new scientific theory of evolution...Intelligent Life is the architect of the universe.

SEGMENT 1:

Ray Kurzweil is the author of "The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology." He tells Steve Paulson humans will merge with new technology and vastly improve their intelligence. He says it's the net stage of evolution. Also, Mark Mothersbaugh is co-founder of the new-wave band Devo. They think humanity is de-evolving. TTBOOK producer Doug Gordon caught up with Devo in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and filed this report.

SEGMENT 2:

Ann Gibbons is an award-winning science writer and author of "The First Human: The Race to Discover Our Earliest Ancestors." She tells Jim Fleming about the teams of paleontologists she met in Africa who are studying four to six million year old fossils of human ancestors.

SEGMENT 3:

James Gardner is the author of "Biocosm: The New Scientific Theory of Evolution: Intelligent Life Is the Architect of the Universe." Gardner tells Steve Paulson about his version of the anthropic principle and why he thinks life had to evolve the way it is.

CD copies are available at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 06-10-15-B.

................................................................

Books:

Ray Kurzweil, The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology (Viking)
James N. Gardner, Biocosm: The New Scientific Theory of Evolution: Intelligent Life Is the Architect of the Universe (Inner Ocean Publishing)
Ann Gibbons, The First Human: The Race to Discover Our Earliest Ancestors (Random House)

Websites:

• -- Ray Kurzweil
  http://www.kurzweilai.net/index.html?flash=1
• -- Mark Mothersbaugh/Devo
  http://www.clubdevo.com/indexie/
  http://www.mutato.com/
  
• -- Ann Gibbons
  http://www.anngibbons.com/
  
• -- James Gardner
  http://www.biocosm.org/

Clips:

• -- “Nu-Tra Speaks (New Traditionalist Man)”/Protar from the two-CD set, “Pioneers Who Got Scalped: The Anthology/Devo (Warner Archives/Rhino)
  http://www.rhino.com/store/ProductDetail.lasso?Number=75967
  http://www.rhino.com/
  
  

Music:

• -- "Desert Trip" from "The Andromeda Strain"
  Performed by Gil Melle, The Universal Orchestra from the box set, "Brain in a Box: The Science Fiction Collection"
  (Rhino)
  http://www.rhino.com/
• --------------
  Music used in Mark Mothersbaugh/Devo mix:
• -- “Jocko Homo”/Devo
  from the CD, “Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!” (Warner Bros.)
• -- “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”/Devo from the two-CD set, “Pioneers Who Got Scalped: The Anthology/Devo
  (Warner Archives/Rhino)
  http://www.rhino.com/store/ProductDetail.lasso?Number=75967
  http://www.rhino.com/
• -- “Whip It”/karaoke version from the CD, “MTV Karaoke: 80’s New Wave” (The Singing Machine)
• -- “Whip It”/Devo from the two-CD set, “Pioneers Who Got Scalped: The Anthology/Devo
  (Warner Archives/Rhino)
  http://www.rhino.com/store/ProductDetail.lasso?Number=75967
  http://www.rhino.com/
• -- “Gut Feeling”/Devo from the CD, “Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!” (Warner Bros.)
• -------------
  -- “Whip It (E-Z Listening version)”/Devo from the CD, “E-Z Listening Disc”/Devo (Rykodisc)
• -- “Main Title” from “Planet of the Apes”/Conducted by Jerry Goldsmith from the box set, "Brain in a Box: The Science Fiction Collection"
  (Rhino)
  http://www.rhino.com/
• -- “Mars, Bringer of War” from “The Planets” (Gustav Holst)/
  The City of Prague Philharmonic/Nic Raine from the box set, "Brain in a Box: The Science Fiction Collection"
  (Rhino)
  http://www.rhino.com/
  

Distribution dates:

week of 10/15/2006 - hour 2

Listen!

................................................................

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

Wisconsin Public Radio is a service of the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension.

Page design and management by Jim Fleming at Wisconsin Public Radio and Sarah Fleming.

© 2006 WHA Radio and the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. All rights reserved.