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A New "Normal""?  Living with the threat of terrorist attacks, we wonder: is fear, anxiety and disorientation our new way of life? We talk about "getting back to normal," but perhaps this is it. This special program explores what we all can do to cope with our inner uncertainty, and, perhaps, strike a blow against terrorism in the process. The program also looks at how the nation's mental health system is coping with this national crisis. Guests include: Mary Guardino, of Freedom From Fear; Dr. Robert Ursano, expert in the psychological effects of crisis and disaster; Cynthia Folcarelli, executive vice president of the National Mental Health Association; Giselle Stolper, executive director of the Mental Health Association of New York; Dr. Russ Newman, executive director for professional practice for the American Psychological Association; and Avner Tavori, an Israeli-born television and radio journalist. With commentary by John Hockenberry.   

Addiction Examine our brain on drugs with the head of the world's largest drug research institute, the leading authority on nicotine and depression, a doctor who left his operating room to fight drug abuse, and more.  Featured guests:  Dr. Alan Leshner, National Institute on Drug Abuse; Dr. Alexander Glassman, Chief of Clinical Pharmacology, New York Psychiatric Institute; and, Dr. Beny Primm, Director, Addiction Research and Treatment Corporation. 

ADHD and Children Fidgeting, daydreaming, not paying attention to the teacher, a preoccupation with "Gameboy" - are these characteristics of a typical American youth or signs of an underlying neurobiological disorder? In this hour, we explore attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. Guests include: Dr. Peter Jensen, Director of the Center for the Advancement of Children's Mental Health at Columbia University; Dr. Stephen Hinshaw, Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley; Clarke Ross, Chief Executive Officer of CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder); Debbie Zimmett, author of the children's book "Eddie Enough." We hear also from parents of children who have been diagnosed with ADHD - some say incorrectly - and a teenager who had to take on his local board of education to get the help he needed in school. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Adult ADD ADD affects adults as well as children, but breakthroughs in treatment offer new hope. This hour features performance artist Reno, plus, the plight of mentally ill children behind bars.  Featured Guests:  Dr. Edward Hallowell, Hallowell Center; Michael Faenza, President, National Mental Health Association; Dr. Marc Grossman, Rye Learning Center; Reno, actress and performance artist; and, Peter Homans, musician and financial consultant. 

Alcoholism Chances are that you have a close family member who has a drinking problem. But if alcoholism is a disease, why is it that too often we look at the drinker as the problem? In today's program, we explore the latest research on alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse, the largest research study to date on treating alcoholism, and promising new treatments, including a clinical trial to treat alcohol dependence with a medication commonly used to control epilepsy. Guests include recovering alcoholic "Ann," on the role that Alcoholics Anonymous has played in her recovery; Dr. Enoch Gordis, former director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism; Dr. William Miller, professor of psychiatry and psychology at the University of New Mexico; actor, writer, and comedian Richard Lewis, whose book "The Other Great Depression" is now out in paperback; Dr. Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health; Dr. Dennis Charney, director of mood and anxiety disorders research at the National Institute of Mental Health; Pat McCathern, retired first sergeant in the U.S. Air Force; and Dr. Bankole Johnson, professor of psychiatry and pharmacology at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Altruism s everything we do motivated by selfishness, or can a person act only in the best interest of another? When we do commit charitable acts - such as giving money to a homeless person - is that a truly selfless act? Guests in this one hour program include: Dr. C. Daniel Batson, Professor of Psychology at the University of Kansas, Lawrence; Emily Palmer, editor of "The Chronicle of Philanthropy."  We also have a panel discussion with four religious leaders; Dr. Elliot Sober and Dr. David Sloan Wilson, authors of "Unto Others: The Evolution and Psychology of Unselfish Behavior;" and, John Hockenberry, commentator for "The Infinite Mind." 

Alzheimer's It is called the disease from which people die twice. Only a few generations back, our bodies wore out long before our minds. Today, living longer can also mean losing one's mental capacity to Alzheimer's, a debilitating and terminal disease. However, dramatic inroads in research could lead to the prevention and treatment of this disease within the next decade. This program also looks at geriatric depression.  Featured guests: Dr. Trey Sunderland from the National Institute of Mental Health; Judy Riggs of the Alzheimer's Association; filmmaker Deborah Hoffmann; and, Dr. Dan Blazer of Duke University Medical Center. Commentary by John Hockenberry.

Alzheimer's Update: Alzheimer's Research Success Stories We explore the latest reseach on Alzheimer's, including advances in treatment, new medications that might eventually prevent the disease, and the hunt for clues to early diagnosis. Guests include Dr. Trey Sunderland, chief of the geriatric psychiatry branch of the National Institute of Mental Health; Dr. David Snowdon, the lead researcher on The Nun Study and professor of neurology at the University of Kentucky; and poet Philip Schultz, who chronicled his mother's slow decline from Alzheimer's. 

Amnesia When most of us think of amnesia, we are reminded of television soap opera story lines where a character returns from a long absence with no memory of his old life or as a plot twist in Hollywood films. But amnesia that severe, where a person forgets everything, is very rare. Guests include: author Jill Robinson; Dr. Neal Cohen, head of the Amnesia Research Laboratory at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology; Dr. Brian Richards, who treats amnesia patients at the Baycrest Hospital in Toronto; author Jonathan Lethem, reading from his upcoming book, "The Vintage Book of Amnesia;" and, Professor Stephen Bertman, author of "Cultural Amnesia: America’s Future and the Crisis of Memory." Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

An Educated Consumer Right now in the United States, tens of millions of Americans live as part of a minority group that is routinely denied jobs, housing and basic human rights. This group has no widely recognized leaders, no Martin Luther King, Susan B. Anthony or Cesar Chavez. For the 44 million Americans living with mental illness, change is coming through the efforts of unsung heroes and revolutionary, grass-roots approaches to transformation. Dr. Peter Kramer's guests include Moe Armstrong, who has schizophrenia and who talks about his experiences with the mental health system in the 1960s. We’ll speak with Larry Fricks, who has bipolar disorder and who started a movement of people in recovery from mental illness. We’ll talk with Duke University researcher, Dr. Eric Elbogen, who studies psychiatric advance directives that allow people to give doctors instructions and plan for their own treatmen. And we’ll hear an excerpt from Charles Barber’s memoir, Songs from the Black Chair. Dr. Kramer interviews Cynthia Folcarelli and Charles Konigsberg about mental health stigmas that continue to marginalize people with mental illness and thwart making the best medical practices actual policy. Plus commentary from John Hockenberry. 

Anger Anger can be the most natural emotion in the world... and the most destructive. In "Anger," we explore the differences between constructive and destructive forms of anger, talk with a comedian and Academy Award winning actress about anger on stage, hear about the Tibetan Buddhist perspective on anger, and reflect on the role that this explosive emotion plays in ongoing struggles in the Middle East. Guests include: comedian Lewis Black; author and psychiatrist Dr. Norman Rosenthal, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Georgetown University; Academy and Tony Award-winning actress Mercedes Ruehl, now playing a spurned wife in Edward Albee's new play, "The Goat: Or Who is Sylvia?"; and, Dr. Robert Thurman, Professor of Religion at Columbia University and President of Tibet House in New York City. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Animal Companions Can owning a fish help people with Alzheimer's disease? Does having a dog lower your risk of depression? We hear the latest research on the health and mental health benefits of having pets. Guests include: Dr. Alan Beck, Director of the Center for the Human-Animal Bond at the School of Veterinary Medicine at Purdue University and co-author of "Between Pets and People: The Importance of Animal Companionship"; Dr. Susan Cohen, a social worker at the Animal Medical Center in New York City; Dr. Harriet Ritvo, a Professor of History at Massachusetts Institute of Technology whose books include The Animal Estate: The English and Other Creatures in the Victorian Age; and pet trainer Bash Dibra, whose books include "DogSpeak" and "Cat Speak." Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Animal Intelligence  Three top animal researchers discuss the intelligence of animals.  Dr. Sally Boysen is a professor of psychology and director of the Chimpanzee Center at Ohio State University. Her work focuses on animal cognition. Dr. Stan Kuczaj is professor and chair of the Psychology Department at the University of Southern Mississippi. He works with killer whales and dolphins and studies dolphin communication and problem-solving abilities. Dr. Irene Pepperberg is probably the world's best-known researcher into bird intelligence, and she and her African grey parrot, Alex, come to The Infinite Mind from the University of Arizona. Alex is heard throughout the scientists' discussion, sometimes answering questions and sometimes butting in. 

Anorexia and Bulimia  Why does food become a deadly enemy for some people? This week, we look at anorexia and bulimia. Guests include: Dr. Kelly Brownell, Director of the Yale University Center for Eating and Weight Disorders; Dr. Joan Jacobs Brumberg, a historian at Cornell University and author of "Fasting Girls: The History of Anorexia Nervosa" and "The Body Project: An Intimate History of American Girls"; Dr. Walter Kaye, director of the eating disorders clinic at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and an expert on genetics; and, Marya Hornbacher, author of "Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia." 

Anxiety National experts discuss anxiety and panic disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and phobias, plus listener phone calls, John Hockenberry, and more.  Featured Guests:  Dr. Michael Davis, a neurobiologist and Professor of Psychology, Yale University Medical Center; Dr. Steven Hyman, Director, National Institute of Mental Health; Mary Guardino, founder, executive director, Freedom From Fear; Joan Keiter, comedian and actress. 

Are the Mentally Ill More Violent? Mental illness often appears in the media in connection with violent acts so that, fairly or not, many think the two are linked.  Are they?  Top mental health experts and advocates disagree on that connection and how it affects public policy.  Featured guests:  Dr. John Monahan, Professor of Psychology and Law, University of Virginia; Harvey Rosenthal, Executive Director, New York Association for Psychiatric Rehabilitative Services; D.J. Jaffe, Founder and Mary Zdanowitz. Executive Director, Treatment Advocacy Center; Jody Silver, Director of Advocacy, Community Access; Bill Lichtenstein, Executive Producer, "The Infinite Mind." 

Art and Madness Images of the tormented artist, poet, painter and composer are familiar - but is there really a link between madness and art? Guests include: actress Margot Kidder; Dr. Louis Sass, Professor of Clinical Psychology and Comparative Literature at Rutgers University; Dr. David Schuldberg, Professor of Psychology at the University of Montana, Missoula; Dr. Richard Kogan, a psychiatrist and concert pianist; Linda Gray Sexton, writer and daughter of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Anne Sexton. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Artificial Intelligence Here we are in the year 2001, and - despite the Kubrick fim's predictions - computers have yet to develop minds of their own. How close are we to developing machines that can simulate human thought? This week on "The Infinite Mind," we look at the latest research on Artificial Intelligence. Guests include: Brian Aldiss, writer of the short-story, "Super Toys Last All Summer Long," which is the inspiration for Steven Spielberg's upcoming movie, AI: Artificial Intelligence; Dr. Peter Norvig, co-author of the standard textbook on AI, Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach and Chief of the Computational Sciences Division at NASA's Ames Research Center in California; Dr. Rosalind Picard, founder and director of the Affective Computing Research Group at the MIT Media Lab; and Dr. Marvin Minsky, a pioneer in the field of AI, who's now a professor in the MIT Media Lab and was co-founder and, for many years, director of the MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab. 

Asperger's Syndrome Part 1 of 2 The first in a two-part special report on Asperger’s Syndrome. In this hour, Dr. Peter Kramer talks with Dr. Simon Baron-Cohen, a researcher at Cambridge University, on recent advances in recognizing the condition. We meet Dr. Michael Fitzgerald of Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, a child psychiatrist who’s made quite a stir diagnosing Asperger’s Syndrome among the dead. Then, in a panel discussion, three adults – Liane Holliday Willey, Stephen Shore, and Michael John Carley – talk about growing up as loners with Asperger’s. Now they celebrate their membership in the community of “Aspies.” Finally, in a commentary, Dr. Arthur Caplan, head of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania, asks, “If you could go back in time and stop the birth of the world’s most famous nerd, would you have done so?” 

Asperger's Syndrome Part 2 of 2 In one of our most important programs to date, this second of a two-part special report on Asperger’s Syndrome offers a groundbreaking and extraordinary look at Asperger's in children and young adults. We meet Anders, a 17-year-old boy with Asperger’s, and his mother Carol, who talks about her surprise when Anders suddenly began speaking like a professor and using four-syllable words. We also speak with film producer Robert Lawrence, about his forthcoming film, Mozart and the Whale, starring Josh Hartnett and co-written by "Rain Man" screenwriter Ron Bass, which tells the tale of Donald and Isabelle, two "Aspies in love." Dr. Stanley Greenspan, founder of the DIR/Floortime approach, explains how children with autistic disorders can significantly build their capacity for emotional understanding and interpersonal connections through intensive play. Dr. Richard Howlin, a psychologist works with teens with Asperger's, talks about the special challenges it poses with family, school, peers and especially dating. Finally, summing up the two-part series is commentator and visionary Howard Bloom, who reaches back to his childhood in Buffalo, and even further back to the dawn of man, to examine the lessons each of us can glean from our own weaknesses. 

Attachment It is human to connect, but without the opportunity for consistent relationships early in life, emotional, psychological, and physical development founders. This show explores Attachment Disorder, and attachment problems that affect children who have been abused and neglected. Guests include: psychiatrist Dr. Charles Zeanah; clinical psychologist Robert Karen; Thais Tepper, founder of the Network for the Post-Institutionalized Child; and, Joyce Peters, the adoptive mother of a child with Attachment Disorder. 

Autism: Beyond the Silence New developments in autism research and therapy, parents of autistic children, a professor who recovered from autism.  Singer/songwriter Suzanne Vega performs, actor Anthony Edwards of the TV show "ER" speaks on the topic.  Featured Guests: Dr. Edwin Cook, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, University of Chicago; Dr. Robert Koegel, Professor of Psychology, Director of the Autism Research Center, University of California - Santa Barbara; Temple Grandin, Assistant Professor, Colorado State University; Charlotte Tabachini, mother of son with autism; Jonathan Shestack, founder, Cure Autism Now; Anthony Edwards, actor; Suzanne Vega, singer/songwriter. 

Basic Brain If you do not know your brain stem from your cerebellum, this program is for you.  It is a clear and understandable primer on the structure and workings of the human brain, featuring performances by the Brainiacs improvisational comedy troupe.  Guests include: Dr. Norbert Myslinski, professor at the University of Maryland and Director of the International Brain Bee; Otilia Husu, 2000 Brain Bee winner; Dr. John Byrne of the University of Texas; Dr. Lawrence Katz of Duke University and author of "Keep Your Brain Alive: 83 Neurobic Exercises;" and, Dr. Charles Jennings, Editor of the scientific journal Nature Neuroscience. 

Between Two Worlds: Mental Health Care for Latinos More than one in eight people in the United States are of Hispanic origin. The majority of children born in California are Latino. And yet, Latinos are falling through the cracks of the mental health system. As a caller on the program comments, "In my culture, in Mexico, going to a psychologist means I'm crazy, I'm loco." This week: we go Between Two Worlds, to investigate Mental Healthcare for Latinos. Language is often a barrier. Dr. Roberto Lewis-Fernández, a psychiatrist at Columbia University says, "If someone thinks they're being attacked spiritually, you have to begin with an understanding of that language." Almost a third of all Latinos lack health insurance. As Alba Cuevas, who suffers from depression, puts it, "All they can do is stay at home and hope they'll get better by themselves." What needs to change? We'll visit a program in Dallas that works -- patients never miss their appointments. Plus, we'll talk to Elena Avila, a curandera, or traditional folk healer, who tackles depression with rituals: "I finish with the rosemary that I pass all over the body, and the last thing I do is I pass the eagle feather or the condor feather." And writer Judith Ortiz Cofer discusses her new novel, a coming-of-age tale set in her native Puerto Rico, and describes how her own family dealt with her father's depression. 

Bipolar Child As many as a third of the children diagnosed with ADD - Attention Deficit Disorder - are tragically misdiagnosed.  Their tantrums, fidgetiness, self-abuse and inability to pay attention are signs of a major mental illness - bipolar disorder, or manic depression.  Worse yet, the standard treatments for ADD - stimulants like Ritalin and anti-depressants like Prozac - can provoke violence, psychosis and even suicidal mania in bipolar children. Featured Guests: Janice and Dr. Demitri Papalos, best-selling authors of a new and ground-breaking book on bipolar children; Martha Hellander, director of the Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation; and Stephen Serpas, publications manager, National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association talks about his own bipolar family. 

Body Clocks Think better in the afternoon? Sleep better in the winter? Suffer jet lag? The mind and body have not one but several internal clocks. Understanding how they work can help you manage your health and energy.  Featured Guests:  Dr. Michael Smolensky, Director, Hermann Center for Chronobiology and Chronotherapeutics, University of Texas Health Science Center; Dr. Thomas Wehr, Chief of Clinical Psychology, National Institute of Mental Health. 

Body Image Body piercing and ballet, muscle-men and plastic surgery. We rarely see ourselves as others see us -- they usually think we look much better. Clinically, we’re talking about body dysmorphic dysfunction. Commentary by John Hockenberry.  Featured Guests: Dr. Katharine Phillips, author, psychiatrist and director of the Body Image Program at Butler Hospital; Donna Fish, clinical social worker in private practice in New York City; singer/songwriter Suzanne Vega; Dr. Justin Richardson, assistant professor of psychiatry at Columbia University; writer, David Groff; and Chris Eldredge, psychotherapist. 

Borderline Personality Disorder Most people have probably never heard of Borderline Personality Disorder. But this mental illness is terribly serious -- it accounts for a quarter of all admissions to U.S. psychiatric hospitals, and one in ten people diagnosed with BPD will die by suicide.  Even within the psychiatric community, the disorder is stigmatized, with some therapists refusing to treat BPD patients. This week we talk with a leading researcher about a new form of therapy for BPD. We hear from those who have it and their families, and an advocate for people with the disorder. Plus author Sally Bedell Smith discusses her new book on Princess Diana which makes a strong case that Diana suffered from the disorder.  Featured Guests:  Dr. Marsha Linehan, professor of psychology at the University of Washington in Seattle, and director of the university's Behavior Research and Therapy clinics; Valerie Porr, executive director of the Treatment and Research Advancements Association for Personality Disorder; and Sally Bedell Smith, author of the book "Diana in Search of Herself." 

Broken Trust:Sexual Abuse of Children Recent allegations against priests and educators are bringing new attention to the subject of child sexual abuse, but the majority of children who are victimized never tell an adult, or report the abuse to police. Yet the opportunity to be heard, believed, and helped can be critical in decreasing a victim's risks for profound and lasting problems associated with this abuse. These risks include post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal depression, drug abuse, and the possibility that a victim will grow up to be a victimizer. In the first half of this program, we hear from adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse and explore how therapy and art-making can help victims heal. Guests include: psychologist Dr. Esther Deblinger, Clinical Director of the Center for Children's Support at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey; filmmaker James Ronald Whitney, the director of the documentary, "Just, Melvin;" and, adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. In the program's second half, we explore what we know about treatment for pedophilia with Nick, who has served time for molesting children and now works with an innovative educational organization called Stop It Now; Fran Henry, the President of Stop It Now; Dr. Carol Ball, a psychologist at New England Forensic Associates; and, Psychiatrist Dr. John Bradford, Director of the Forensic Psychiatry program at Canada's Royal Ottawa Hospital. 

Bullying In this hour, we explore Bullying. Beat up during recess? Teased on the school bus? New research shows bullying has serious consequences for children on both sides of the problem. Guests include Dr. Howard Spivak, the director of the Tufts University Center for Children and the chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Task Force on Violence; Dr. Susan Limber, a developmental psychologist and a researcher at the Clemson University Institute on Family and Neighborhood Life in South Carolina; John Scagliotti, the award-winning director of Oliver Button is a Star - a new film that deals with building acceptance for kids who don't fit boy/girl stereotypes; and Dr. Gary Namie, a social psychologist who, with his wife Ruth Namie, co-founded The Workplace Bullying & Trauma Institute in Bellingham, WA and co-wrote The Bully at Work: What You Can Do to Stop the Hurt and Reclaim Your Dignity On the Job. 

Cell Phones With 100 million Americans using cell phones, there is a great deal of interest in how their use affects the human body - and very little accurate information. In this hour, we hear from the top federal regulator as well as a journalist reporting on cell phone health effects. We also look at the impact of cell phones on the human psyche and the etiquette of mobile phone use. Guests include: Dr. David Feigal of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; Dr. Louis Slesin, Editor of Microwave News; Dr. Lilli Friedland, an expert in the psychology of new technologies; reigning Mrs. Palm Beach County, Jacqueline Whitmore, who runs the Protocol School of Palm Beach; and, Dr. Charles Jennings, Editor of the scientific journal Nature Neuroscience. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Character Character is a word we hear often from our political and religious leaders.  But what does it really mean?  And what can we do to make sure young people develop it?  Join Dr. Fred Goodwin as he speaks with an elementary school principal an expert in adolescent psychology, and an evolutionary biologist who studies the science behind unselfish behavior.  Hear an Afro-Caribbean folktale that teaches character. And on another  topic, we hear about a disturbing report on psychiatric patients dying while in restraints.  Featured guests: Afro-Caribbean storyteller Marline Martin;  Dr. William Damon, Professor of Education and Director of the Center on Adolescence at Stanford University; Mrs. Lynn Macan, Principal of Brookside Elementary School in Binghamton, New York; Dr. David Sloan Wilson, Professor of Evolutionary Biology at the State University of New York, Binghamton; and, Eric Weiss, lead writer on the Hartford Courant’s investigation on use of restraints in institutions. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Cheating In this hour, we explore Cheating. Four out of five high school students say they've cheated. More than half of medical school students say the same thing. Even The New York Times has cribbed from somebody else's paper. Is everybody doing it? Guests include Dr. Howard Gardner, professor in Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and co-director of a large-scale research study called the GoodWork Project; renowned primate researcher Dr. Frans de Waal, professor of psychology at Emory University; Dr. Helen Fisher, research professor in the department of anthropology at Rutgers University and author of Anatomy of Love: A Natural History of Mating, Marriage, and Why We Stray; and country music group BR5-49, who perform the Hank Williams classic, "Your Cheatin' Heart." Plus, commentator John Hockenberry wonders, just what defines cheating these days? 

Childhood's End When our grandparents were young, adolescence was thought of as a short passage between childhood and adulthood. Now it starts early . . . and does it ever end? Today's program, Childhood's End, explores the sometimes blurry lines between child and adult. Dr. Goodwin's guests include Ms. Kay Hymowitz, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute and contributing editor of "City Journal"; Dr. Reed Larson, professor of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Dr. Jeffrey Arnett, a researcher in developmental psychology at the University of Maryland; Dr. Laurence Steinberg, Professor of Psychology at Temple University; and Dr. Ronald Dahl, professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Eighteen-year-old reporters Jessica Margolis-Pineo and Valerie Randall of the Blunt/Youth Radio Project in Portland, Maine, contribute a report on what they think it might mean to be an adult today. We also hear from a 13-year-old boy, Zachary Charles, as he prepares for and later recalls his bar mitzvah. 

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Imagine coming down with a bad case of the flu - the kind where your whole body aches and it's hard to think straight -- and that the flu NEVER GOES AWAY. That's how many people describe what it feels like to live with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Guests include author Laura Hillenbrand, explaining why she had to write part of her bestseller, Seabiscuit, with her eyes closed; Dr. Nancy Klimas, professor of medicine and director of the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome research center at the University of Miami School of Medicine; Dr. Gudrun Lange, a neuropsychologist at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey; Kim Kenney, president of the Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome Association of America; and finger-songwriter Janis Ian, performing a song that she wrote months after her diagnosis with chronic fatigue syndrome. Plus, Marlene Sanders reports on why some patients and advocates think the name of this illness should be changed. Her report includes interviews with filmmaker Kim Snyder, psychologist Dr. Leonard Jason, and Dr. Anthony Komaroff. And commentary by John Hockenberry.

Closing of Haverford State What happens when a psychiatric hospital closes down? Veteran radio correspondent Joanne Silberner took a year off from National Public Radio News to investigate the closing of one such hospital near Philadelphia. In this one-hour documentary, she follows the stories of patients and staff as they start their new lives.  Featured guests:  Aidan Altenor, former superintendent, Haverford State; former patients Carlos Prigg, Kathy Schreffler and "Sarah"; Charles Curie of the Pennsylvania State Department of Public Welfare; Robbie Altenor, advocate for community-based care; patient advocate Jo Halberstadter; and Joe Rogers, Executive Director of the Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Coincidence We've all experienced it: a friend calls just as we are thinking of him, or a romantic partner has the same birthday we do. Some coincidences are small, and seemingly inconsequential, but others have the potential to change lives. What causes a coincidence to happen, and what does it mean? Is every coincidence meaningful? And what are the odds of a particular coincidence happening? This week we explore the nature of coincidence with scientists, psychotherapists, mathematicians, and people like you. Guests include: Jungian analyst and psychotherapist Robert Hopcke, who has authored books on coincidence and the related theory of synchronicity ("Coincidences are meaningful for what they tell us about ourselves"); cognitive scientist Josh Tenenbaum at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who studies how coincidences work in the brain ("They seem to be the source of some of our greatest irrationalities"); and statistician Karl Sigman at Columbia University, who computes the odds that coincidences will happen. The program also includes quirky first-person accounts of coincidence from writers, filmmakers, identical twins, and others, and from the producer of this show, who experienced an unusual coincidence while working on it. 

Coma If we are to believe the stereotypical depictions on television and in the movies, when someone wakes up from a coma, he gets up, leaves the bed and go straight back to his life without missing a beat. That is not entirely accurate. In this hour, we attempt to demystify the condition of coma - what it is, the treatment, how patients recover and its impact on the lives of survivors and their families. Guests include: Ian Elliot, coma survivor; Dr. Ronald Cranford of the Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Dr. Nancy Childs of the Brown Schools Rehabilitation Center in Austin, Texas; Kay Guynes, whose son Michael is a coma survivor; Dr. Randall Chesnut of the Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland; and, Peter Quinn, Executive Director of the Brain Trauma Foundation. We also visit the Center for Head Injuries at the JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Center in Edison, New Jersey. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Complementary Medicine Two out of five Americans have tried some sort of complementary medicine, from herbs to acupuncture.  In this program, we look at how some of these remedies are being used for the mind and the brain, and whether science supports the claims. Featured guests:  Dr. James Balch, co-author of "Prescription for Nutritional Healing;" Dr. Jerry Cott of the National Institute of Mental Health; and, Norman Rosenthal, author of "St. John's Wort: The Herbal Way to Feeling Good."  Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Consciousness This special one-hour program on consciousness explores an issue that has for centuries fascinated the greatest minds in philosophy, theology and the arts, and is now engaging some of the best minds in neuroscience as well. Using the latest technologies, scientists are beginning to unlock some of the hidden secrets of the human experience. But what happens to concepts like free will and the soul? You may be surprised. Guests include: Dr. Andrew Newberg, medical doctor, of the University of Pennsylvania department of Radiology; Dr. Patricia Churchland, neurophilosopher, from the University of California at San Diego; Dr. Christof Koch, Professor of Computation and Neural Systems at the California Institute of Technology; Dr. David Chalmers, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Arizona and Associate Director of the university's Center for Consciousness Studies; Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, leader of the Shambhala tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.  We also have a reading from Descartes' seminal, "Discourse on the Method of Rightly Conducting the Reason, and Seeking Truth in the Sciences," by New York actor Bray Poor.  Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Courage What separates the ordinary neighbor from the heroic life-saver? The bystander from the holocaust rescuer? We focus on the science and spectacle of courage. Guests on this show include: sociologist Samuel Oliner, writer and lawyer, Harriet Johnson; psychologist Dr. Marvin Zuckerman; Carnegie medalist James Stack and, Tony Tedeschi, Ed Mislynski and George Healy from the New York City Fire Department’s Rescue Company One. 

Creativity Creativity can be mysterious--even to those who earn their livelihood by practicing it.  This week, we shed some light on the creative process and talk to leading researchers about artistic, scientific and corporate creativity.  We also hear from a chef, a poet and singer/songwriter Suzanne Vega and discusses creativity and mental illness.  Featured guests: Dr. Dean Simonton, Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Davis; Alan Robinson, Professor at the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts; Rocco DeSpirito of Union Pacific restaurant in New York; poet Jay Ward of the Nuyorican Poet’s Cafe; Dr. Ruth Richards, Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center in San Francisco; and, singer/songwriter Suzanne Vega. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Criminal Mind How are those who commit violent crimes different from the rest of us? A leading criminal psychiatrist, a 25-year FBI veteran who studies sex offenders, and research on violent children provide insights.  Plus, the editor of Psychology Today.  Featured Guests:  Dr. Gary Wells, Professor of Psychology, Iowa State University; Dr. Adrian Raine, Professor of Psychology, University of Southern California; Dr. Park Dietz, forensic psychiatrist; Ken Lanning, FBI Agent; Annie Murphy Paul, editor, Psychology Today. 

CyberPsych Mental Health In this age of cyber-everything, it is hard to imagine anything that cannot be obtained on line, and that includes mental health information and services. In this hour, we discuss Internet mental health in terms of treatment, ethics, privacy, law and money. Guests include: psychologist and researcher Dr. John Grohol of HelpHorizons.com; clinical psychologist and attorney Dr. Russ Newman, Executive Director for the Professional Practice of the American Psychological Association; attorney and psychiatrist Dr. Gregg Bloche, Professor and Co-Director of the Georgetown-Johns Hopkins Joint Program in Law and Public Health; and Internet pyschotherapist Dr. Richard Sansbury, who has also practiced traditional therapy for more than 20 years. Web consultant Martha Ainsworth reads excerpts from her own on line therapy. 

Depression in the Brain We explore Depression in the Brain, with guest host Dr. Peter Kramer. Guests include: Virginia Heffernan,the television critic for the online magazine Slate and a contributor to the anthology Unholy Ghost: Writers on Depression; Dr. Robert Sapolsky, professor of biology and neurology at Stanford University and the author of both popular and academic books related to stress and its effects; Dr. Yvette Sheline, associate professor of psychiatry and radiology at Washington University in St. Louis; Dr. Ronald Duman, a neuroscientist and professor of psychiatry and pharmacology at Yale University; and singer-songwriter Dar Williams. 

Domestic Violence Every year, over one million women are battered by someone they know. It's a crime, and for too many Americans, it's also a fact of daily life. Guests include domestic violence survivor Judith whom we agreed would be identified only by her first name; filmmaker Frederick Wiseman, whose most recent documentary films "Domestic Violence" and "Domestic Violence II" will have their premiere broadcasts on PBS in March; Dr. Judith Herman, professor of clinical psychiatry at Harvard University Medical School; Ms. Clare Dalton, professor of law at Northeastern University and executive director of the Domestic Violence Institute at Northeastern University School of Law; singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega, whose song "Luka" put domestic violence on the top ten charts; John, who says he is a former batterer and who asked to be identified only by his first name; and Dr. Edward Gondolf, professor of sociology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and research director of the Mid-Atlantic Addiction Training Institute.  

Dopamine Connection Sex, gambling, drug use, extreme sports. Behind ALL these thrills lurks a brain chemical called dopamine. In this hour, we explore The Dopamine Connection. Guests include Dr. Daniel Weinberger, chief of the Clinical Brain Disorders Branch of the National Institute of Mental Health; Dr. Hans Breiter, assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and an expert in brain imaging; Dr. Helen Fisher, a research professor in the department of anthropology at Rutgers University, whose new book is Why We Love: The Nature and Chemistry of Romantic Love; and Mark Decena, the director and co-writer of Dopamine, the movie. Plus, we'll hear about a fascinating study that shows a link between the dopamine medications given for Parkinson's disease and compulsive gambling.

Double Jeopardy: Mental Illness & Addiction Mental illness and addiction: for 10 million Americans, these debilitating disorders are a deadly combination. Sharing their first hand experiences with dual diagnoses are Robert, a client at New York's innovative Institution for Community Living, and writer Emily Carter. Former deputy drug czar Dr. Herbert Kleber and Jean Henry, Clinical Director of Journey House in Louisville, Kentucky, discuss challenges in diagnosis and treatment. Dr. Alvin F. Poussaint recalls the loss of his schizophrenic older brother to drug-related suicide and the mental health crisis among African-Americans, Dr. H. Westley Clark, Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, at the Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, outlines SAMSHA's strategies to further the mental health field's effectiveness in this field and answers calls from concerned family members of those living with the double jeopardy of addiction and psychiatric illness. 

Dreams All of us dream: four or five times each night, 100,000 times over the course of a lifetime, about four solid years of dreaming.  In this program, host Dr. Fred Goodwin explores the mystery and the science of dreams.  Featured guests: Dr. Alan Siegel, President of the Association for the Study of Dreams, and Editor of the Association's magazine, Dream Time and the author of several books on dreams; Dr. Stephen LaBerge, author and researcher in the area of "lucid dreaming;" author Spalding Gray; and musical guest Carrie Newcomer.  Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Dude, Where's my Walker? This hour we explore the science of memory loss for the baby boom generation. The Baby Boomers are hitting their 50's & 60's... and the 50's and 60's are hitting back. No aspect of aging scares the boomers more than memory loss. In this program, we look at what they're doing about it. We visit a memory workshop to find out if two days of coaching can really improve the brain’s recall. Dr. Gary Small takes less time than that – in just 15 minutes, he teaches our host, Dr. Peter Kramer, an on-air trick for remembering unrelated words, and also explains how memory works (and why it sometimes doesn’t). Dr. Antonio Convit tells us that when it comes to memory, you are what you eat. The ladies of “Menopause: The Musical” sing about their own memory woes. And Drs. Gary Lynch and Roger Stoll, of Cortex Pharmaceuticals, say that someday a revolutionary “smart pill” could make all these worries a thing of the past. With commentary from John Hockenberry. 

Dyslexia As many as 1 in 7 American children are affected to some degree by dyslexia, which disables language skills but often bestows special abilities in the visual and spatial realm.  This program explores what dyslexia is, and what it is not.  Guests include author and producer Stephen J. Cannell, Thomas Viall of the International Dyslexia Association, Yale researcher Dr. Sally Shaywitz, Toronto entrepreneur Jay Mandarino, author Thomas G. West, virtual reality pioneer Daniel Sandin, children's author Jeanne Betancourt and her daughter, filmmaker Nicole Betancourt. 

Dysthymia Do you know someone who never seems to experience joy? Whether it be a new pair of shoes, a new job, or even a raise - they never look happy and their personality always seems “blah.” It’s something that used to be thought to be a personality disorder, but the mental health community now recognizes these symptoms to be a mood disorder. It’s a chronic low-level depression called "dysthymia." And if left untreated, or misdiagnosed, which is what often happens, it can last for a lifetime. Guests include; web designer Kristy Mclean, who has dysthymia; research psychiatrist Dr. John Markowitz of Payne-Whitney Clinic in New York; composer and author Mary Rodgers on her depression and that of her father, composer Richard Rodgers; author and psychiatrist Dr. Peter Kramer and comedian Lisa Kaplan, who makes depression part of her act.

ECT-Electro-Convulsive Therapy Electroshock therapy: It’s a charged topic. Is it something out of Frankenstein, or a modern medical miracle? Research shows today’s electroconvulsive therapy is the quickest, most effective way to treat major depression. But there are risks; for one, nearly everyone experiences memory loss. We’ll investigate the very real pros and cons of electroconvulsive therapy. With Oscar-nominated actress Marsha Mason reading the work of Sylvia Plath.

The Electric Brain The Electric Brain probes the brain's natural electricity and how scientists are learning to bypass faulty wiring to help deaf people to hear, blind people to see, and depressed people to feel joy again. 

Emotions Emotions are an integral part of being human. But what makes us happy, sad, or angry? What can science tell us about what happens in the brain when we experience emotion? In this program, we talk about the science of emotions. Guests include: Dr. Antonio Damasio, head of the Department of Neurology at the University of Iowa, and the author of, "The Feeling of What Happens: Body, Emotion, and the Making of Consciousness," published by Harcourt Brace; Dr. Candace Pert, Research Professor in the department of Physiology at Georgetown University Medical School, and the author of "Molecules of Emotion,"published by Simon & Schuster; Jack Katz, Professor of Sociology at UCLA, and the author of, "How Emotions Work," published by the University of Chicago Press; and, Dempsey Rice, a producer for "The Infinite Mind" and producer/director of the HBO documentary film "Daughter of Suicide." Plus, actors from the Classic Stage Company's recent production of "Naked." 

Empathy This hour on The Infinite Mind we strive to understand Empathy. More than just caring, empathy is a complex neurological mechanism that holds society together. We’ll learn about what goes on in our brains when we tune into each other’s emotions, and what it means if we can’t. Dr. Peter Kramer is our host. 

Encephalitis This special report focuses on the mosquito-borne virus that sickened dozens of New Yorkers with symptoms ranging from headache and fever to encephalitis and death.  We hear from residents of affected neighborhoods, the scientific detectives on the front lines, a physician who specializes in infectious diseases and experts on the chemicals used to kill infected mosquitoes.  We also explore the likelihood of the disease spreading to other parts of the U.S.  Featured guests:  Dr. Tracey MacNamara, veterinary pathologist at the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York City; Dr. Roger Nasci, Centers for Disease in Colorado; Dr. James Miller, Director of the Multiple Sclerosis Center at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center; Dr. Gina Solomon, a physician and senior scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council in San Francisco; Alan James, Executive Director of Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment in Washington, DC.; and, Camille Chatterjee, News Editor of Psychology Today magazine.

Epilepsy One out of every hundred people in the U.S. has epilepsy.  Seizures have been attributed to everything from divinity to demonic possession.  In this hour, we learn about the latest in epilepsy treatment and research, plus, a look at cultural perceptions of epilepsy. Featured guests: Dr. Martha Morrell, Chair of the Epilepsy Foundation of America and Director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City; Dr. Phil Sheridan, Program Director of Neurodevelopment and Pediatric Neurology at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the National Institutes of Health; Anne Fadiman, author of, "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down;" Dr. Jeff Noebels, Professor of Neurology and Human Genetics at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston; and, Timothy Finnigan and Alyssa Genna, two ten-year old children with epilepsy who were named Epilepsy Foundation Winning Kids.

Ethics: A National Crisis of Conscience Ethics: A National Crisis of Conscience? is the second program in our three-part series Mental Health in Troubled Times: One Year After.  

Evolution of the Mind Just what is the mind; and how did it come to be the complex system that it is today? Guests include Dr. Steven Pinker, author of the best-selling How The Mind Works, and evolutionary psychiatrist Dr. Randolph Nesse. With John Hockenberry and listener calls. Exercise and the Mind In this hour, we explore Exercise and the Mind. Guests include Olypmic athlete Marla Runyan; Dr. John Ratey, associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and author of A User's Guide to the Brain; Dr. James Blumenthal, professor of medical psychology at Duke University Medical Center; Dr. Kristine Yaffe, assistant professor of psychiatry, neurology and epidemiology at the University of California at San Francisco; Dr. Monika Fleshner, assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology and the Center for Neurosciences at the University of Colorado at Boulder. We'll also talk to New York Giants football player Greg Comella about yoga. Our guest host is Dr. Susan Vaughan. 

Fame Few forces exert as much sway over popular culture as the power of celebrity. This week The Infinite Mind looks at the art and science of Fame.Where does it come from, this burning need to be known? Guest host Dr. Peter Kramer, filling in for Dr. Fred Goodwin, speaks with those chasing fame, those who have achieved celebrity, and scientists who study it. They  

Fears and Phobias Fear is normal. If we didn't have a fight or flight instinct, our species would have died out a long time ago. But some people are ruled by fear, by phobias that dictate where they go and what they do or, more commonly, where they don't go and what they don't do. This week on The Infinite Mind, you'll hear from people who have phobias and from doctors who treat them; about the difference between fears and phobias; about the regions and chemicals in the brain responsible for fear and anxiety; and about a virtual reality program used to treat fear of flying.  Commentary by John Hockenberry.  Featured Guests: Jerilyn Ross, a psychotherapist in Washington, DC, president of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America; Dr. Michael Kahan, director of the phobia clinic at Hillside Hospital on Long Island, New York; Lilyan Wilder, a communications consultant and author; Dr. Dennis Charney, a professor of psychiatry at Yale University. 

Feed Your Brain Top nutritional experts talk about eating for a healthy brain. With Dr. Andrew Weil, author of the best-selling books Spontaneous Healing and Eight Weeks To Optimum Health.  Also: philosophers as therapists?  Featured guests:  Dr. Andrew Weil, Center for Integrative Medicine, Tucson; and, Lou Marinoff, Executive Director, American Society of Philosophy,  

Food & Mood Just thinking about eating your favorite foods can make you feel good. Now, scientists are unearthing surprising links between the foods you eat and behavior. We'll hear about the latest research. Noted food critic and "Gourmet" magazine editor-in-chief Ruth Reichl starts the show with a reading about comfort food. Then, on a low carb diet? Feeling irritable or even blue? You are probably not alone. We'll speak with two M.I.T. researchers, On a low carb diet? Feeling irritable or even blue? You are probably not alone. Joining host Dr. Peter Kramer are two M.I.T. researchers, Richard Wurtman, MD and Judith Wurtman, Ph.D., who have investigated the possible links between serotonin and carbohydrate cravings, and explain why low carb diets might be making people crabby or even depressed. Also, Dr. Joseph Hibbeln, the National Institutes of Health researcher who helped first identify the link between Omega-3 fatty acids and depression, reveals new research indicating that eating fish may reduce violence in society. Plus, a visit to one of New York's hottest new restaurants, "Public," which has won awards for a mood that compliments the food. And we'll hear from Johns Hopkins anthropologist Dr. Sidney Mintz about the social role of food in cultures throughout the world, from "sinful" foods to why customers in Asia flock to McDonalds even though people may not like the food. 

Forgiveness We hear of the psychological and medical benefits of forgiveness, and speak with those who have much to forgive, including former hostage Terry Anderson, the family of a Holocaust survivor and the mother of a young man killed in the Waco siege.  Also, we will examine "Are today's kids the most violent ever?"  Featured Guests:  Dr. Robert Enright, Professor of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Filomena Hipsman, mother of son killed in Waco Branch Davidian compound; Terry Anderson, former chief Middle East correspondent, Associated Press; Vincent Schiraldi, Director of the Justice Policy Institute; Dan Coburn, retired Superior Court Judge, Lecturer, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University. 

Four Lives I The most gripping and insightful stories of mental illness are those of people who face it each day. They are the everyoday heros who struggle to combat their illnesss, and work toward recovery. This week on The Infinite Mind, a special presentation, as we feature the remarkable stories of four people coping with mental illness, whose extraordinary lives and work offer hope and inspiration to all of us. 

Four Lives II, Part One The remarkable stories of Four Lives, told in a special double broadcast.  In the first episode, we hear two powerful tales of recovery from mental illness. First, the former First Lady of New Jersey, Mary Jo Codey, in one of the most remarkable interviews to air on The Infinite Mind, reveals her courageous battle to overcome the postpartum depression that caused her to constantly think of killing herself and her newborn son. After her husband was elected governor and a radio "shock jock" made her private struggle the brunt of a public joke – foreshadowing a similar, acrid exchange between Tom Cruise and Brooke Shields -- Ms. Codey realized she had a cause worth fighting for. She joins The Infinite Mind’s Mary Carmichael for a startlingly candid discussion. Next, renowned TV newscaster Jane Pauley tells The Infinite Mind’s Bill Lichtenstein how steroids and anti-depressants, intended to treat a case of hives, instead sent her spiraling into depression and mild mania, unmasking a hidden vulnerability to bipolar disorder. When she started thinking about suicide, her doctor sent her to the hospital, and in the process, she re-evaluated who she was – emerging as an advocate for people with living with bipolar disorder and mental illnesses.  

Four Lives II, Part Two The second part in our series telling the remarkable stories of Four Lives. In this episode, we hear two more moving tales of recovery from mental illness. First, Caris Corfman is an actress who lost her short-term memory after a brain operation in 1993. Like the character in the film “Memento,” she can only hold on to new memories for about five minutes before they slip away. But, she says, in spite of her disability, the show must go on. She and her father join The Infinite Mind’s Emily Fisher to talk about her remarkable new one-woman play, “Caris’ Peace,” as well as her life offstage. In our second half, Judge Sol Wachtler, former head of the New York State Court of Appeals, joins The Infinite Mind’s Dr. Peter Kramer for a rare, in-depth interview. In the early 1990s, Judge Wachtler was on the fast track to the highest levels of public power. But in private, he was battling bipolar disorder, secretly seeing doctors who prescribed the wrong medications and made him even sicker. Suddenly, the nation learned his secret. In 1992 he was arrested for sending threatening letters to his former mistress and imprisoned for 11 months. Today, he says, he has rebuilt a new life for himself as a mental health advocate -- and he’s come to terms with his old one.  

Freud's Friends It has been nearly 100 years since Sigmund Freud published his first work on psychoanalysis. Since then, he has become a household name - overshadowing other pioneering investigators of the mind. We hear Freud's own words, as read by comedian Robert Klein, and learn about Freud's teacher Jean-Martin Charcot and contemporaries such as Pierre Janet and Sandor Ferenczi.  Jonathan Katz, the alter ego of Comedy Central's "Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist," answers common questions about therapy. Plus a visit with contemporary analysts and the latest news from Psychology Today. Featured guests: Dr. Stanley Finger, Professor of Psychology, Washington University in St. Louis and Editor of the Journal of the History of the Neurosciences; Dr. Nancy McWilliams, Professor of Psychology at the Graduate School of Rutgers University; comedian Robert Klein; "The Infinite Mind's" Eva Neuberg reports from the annual meeting of the American Psychoanalytic Association; Psychology Today editor Annie Murphy Paul. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Gambling In this show, we explore Gambling. Why can some people walk away from the casino, while others just can't quit? Guests include: Dr. Eric Hollander, Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Compulsive, Impulsive, and Anxiety Disorders Program at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City; Keith Whyte, Executive Director of the National Council on Problem Gambling; sociologist Dr. Gerda Reith, author of "The Age of Chance: Gambling in Western Culture"; and, Joanna Franklin, chief trainer for the Institute for Problem Gambling. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Generations In pre-industrialized societies, children learned the history, tradition and values of the cultures through their contact with elders. Today, kids hang with kids, middle-aged people go out to work and older people often live in nursing homes. This program looks at how our mobile urban and technological world has segregated the generations, explores the consequences, and discuss what some people are doing to bridge this ever-widening generation gap. Featured guests: Dr. Nancy Henkin, organizer of an intergenerational retreat; Dr. Anthony Glascock, a public policy expert at Drexel University in Philadelphia; Donna Butts of Generations United in Washington, D.C.; psychologist Dr. Sylvie Taylor of the California School of Professional Psychology; and, teacher Bill Belsey of Alberta, Canada, who developed the program, Generations CANConnect. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Genes and the Brain Now that we've mapped the human genome, what clues is this stunning scientific feat providing about how the brain works and why, sometimes, it doesn't? Guests include Dr. Eric Kandel, professor of physiology and psychiatry at Columbia University and the first psychiatrist to win the Nobel Prize in more than 70 years; Dr. Christopher Walsh, professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School and the chief of neurogenetics at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Dr. Jenae Neiderhiser, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at George Washington University; and Dr. Michael Kaplitt, assistant professor of neurosurgery and director of the Center for Stereotactic and Molecular Neurosurgery at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University.

Genius We see it in figures as different - and distant - as Leonardo da Vinci and Albert Einstein: a rare combination of unusual intelligence, remarkable insight, and amazing inventiveness. It's called genius, and most of us, at one point or another, wish we had it. But what is genius, and where does it come from? Are there many types of genius? And is there any real connection between genius and madness? 

Golden Years: Mental Health & the Elderly In this hour, we explore "The Golden Years? Mental Health and the Elderly." Guests include: Dr. Ira Katz, Director of the Geriatric Psychiatry program at the University of Pennsylvania; Dr. Mildred Reynolds, a retired psychiatric social worker who has been diagnosed with depression she is now on the board of the National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association and an advocate for elderly people with mental illness; Dr. Ellen Langer, a Professor of Psychology at Harvard University and the author of Mindfulness and "The Power of Mindful Learning"; and, English professor and writer Carolyn Heilbrun, author of "The Last Gift of Time: Life Beyond Sixty." 

Grief Grief is a natural dimension of human life.  In a way, it is like the tax we pay on our attachments.  We speak with leading experts on grief and look at some different ways of grieving.  Featured guests:  Dr. Kenneth Doka, Hospice Foundation of America; Dr. Robert Neimeyer, Professor of Psychology, University of Memphis; and, poet and undertaker Thomas Lynch. 

Groups Do groups really have their own personality and behavior? Are there really such things as "mass hysteria" and "mass hallucination?" The latest research on why people in groups behave the way they do, and how some are turning these theories to their advantage. Featured guests: Lt. Pete Durham, a crowd-control specialist with the Los Angeles Police Department; Dr. Donelson Forsyth, Professor of Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University and the author of seven books on social and group processes; Dr. Ervin Staub, Professor of Psychology at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst; Dr. Daniel Goldhagen, Associate Professor in Government and Social Studies at Harvard University; and, TV producer Mark Burnett, creator of the upcoming CBS game show, “Survivor!” 

Habit  Why do we do the things we do - over and over and over again? In this show, we explore habit. Guests include: Dr. Ann Graybiel, Professor of Neuroanatomy in the department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Dr. Kurt Fischer, Director of the Mind, Brain and Education program at Harvard University Graduate School of Education; Dr. Bruce Masek, the Clinical Director of Child Psychology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School; and, stand-up comedian Sean Conroy. Commentary by John Hockenberry.

Handedness What do Leonardo da Vinci, Oprah Winfrey, and The Infinite Mind's host all have in common? They're all left-handed. This show explores what handedness reveals about how the brain works. Boxers Mike Smith and Christina Beccles from Gleason's Boxing Gym eflect on why it is that "southpaws are like a plague in boxing." Dr. Stanley Coren, Professor of Psychology at the University of British Columbia, discusses pathological left-handedness and what he calls "the left-handed syndrome." Dr. Daniel Geschwind, Director of Neurogenetics at the University of California, Los Angeles, explores the link between handedness and language. Richard Lederer , a.k.a. "Attila the Hun," comments on "when you're right, you're right" and other gauche assumptions. And Dr. Stephen Christman, Professor of Psychology at the University of Toledo in Ohio, talks about why what hand you rely on may be less significant than how strongly you rely on it... and the surprising links between handedness and memory. 

Happiness Happiness is an elusive state of mind. Yet, it may be as natural as breathing, and simply paying attention to our daily lifestyle choices may make us feel better.  Featured guests: Dr. David Myers, Professor of Psychology, Hope College; Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Professor of Psychology, University of Chicago; Annie Murphy Paul, News Editor, Psychology Today; Evy McDonald, non-profit activist; and, Ron Simmons, actor. 

Hearing In this hour, we explore the sense of hearing. Guests include Dr. Brenda Ryals, a professor and hearing researcher at James Madison University; Dr. Albert Bregman, a professor of psychology and hearing researcher at McGill University in Montreal, Canada; Dr. Sarah Woolley, a postdoctoral fellow in Behavioral Neurobiology at The University of California at Berkeley; Dr. Natan Bauman, the founder and director of The Hearing, Balance and Speech Center in Connecticut; Ms. Kathy Peck, the founder of the grassroots organization H.E.A.R - Hearing Education and Awareness for Rockers; Dr. David Silbersweig, a neurologist and psychiatrist who directs the neuropsychiatry program at Cornell University; and Mr. Randy Thom, a re-recording mixer and sound designer for Skywalker Sound, a division of Lucas Digital. 

Hidden Costs of Mental Health What are the hidden costs of mental illness? In recent weeks, the White House and Capitol Hill have weighed the potential benefits and costs of requiring health insurers to provide treatment for psychiatric disorders. This week on "The Infinite Mind," we turn to the cost of not treating them. Dr. Peter Kramer guest hosts this program for the vacationing Dr. Fred Goodwin. Guests include: Dr. Ronald Kessler, a sociologist at the Harvard Medical School Department of Health Care Policy; Paul Greenberg, an economist at the Analysis Group in Cambridge, Massachusetts; and, Dr. Greg Simon of Seattle's pioneering Group Health Cooperative. Sharing a front-line view of the frequent intersections between untreated psychiatric illnesses and hospital emergency rooms are Dr. Herbert Pardes, President and Chief Executive Officer of the New York Presbyterian Hospital and Dr. David Goldschmitt, who runs the emergency room at New York University Downtown Hospital. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

HIV/AIDS and the Mind It has been twenty years since the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported the first cases of the illness that is now known as AIDS. And it has been years since we have understood how HIV - the virus that causes AIDS - spreads. So why are there 40,000 new cases of HIV every year in the United States alone? This show features a discussion about the psychology of HIV transmission and prevention. Dr. Susan Kegeles, Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California at San Francisco; Mr. Terje Anderson, Executive Director of the National Association of People with AIDS; and Dr. Gail Wyatt, University of California in Los Angeles, probe psychological and pragmatic factors that fuel the AIDS epidemic in the USA and overseas. Panel members discuss best practice approaches to intervention - what works, what doesn't, and why. Host Michael Shernoff, MSW, fields calls from listeners who are living with HIV and talks about the mental health challenges associated with living with HIV. Dr. Francine Cournos, Columbia University; and Dr. Igor Grant, University of California at San Diego, explain what HIV does to the brain. We also hear from Drew De Los Reyes, a counselor at the New York AIDS service and advocacy organization Gay Men's Health Crisis, plus a young man who is trying to come to terms with his HIV diagnosis. The show concludes with a commentary from acclaimed writer Emily Carter, who recalls the years in which "the shining, subconscious stratagem of denial" was her defense against the fear she had kept away for years after testing positive to HIV. 

Hoarding & Clutter When does enough become too much? And why is it so hard for compulsive savers to know the difference? This show looks at hoarding, which involves the accumulation and inability to throw away unneeded possessions, to the point that a home may become so filled with stuff that furniture and rooms can no longer be used for their intended purposes. Guests include Dr. Randy Frost, a pioneer researcher in the study of clinical hoarding and Dr. Sanjaya Saxena, a neurobiologist who is pinpointing where in the brain the problem seems to originate. Author Denise Linn, addresses non-clinical forms of hoarding with tips on how to recognize -- and get rid of -- clutter. Plus commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Hormones and the Mind People often talk about being controlled by their hormones, but how do these chemicals really affect behavior? This week, we look at Hormones and the Mind. Guests include: Dr. James McBride Dabbs, a Professor of Psychology in a discussion on testosterone and personality; Drs. Peter Schmidt and Catherine Roca from the National Institute of Mental Health, who explain the latest research on PMS; and, Dr. Jeffrey Flier, an endocrinologist at Harvard Medical School, who explores the link between hormones and weight. 

How to Choose a Therapist In this hour, we explore How to Choose a Therapist. As tensions rise at home and abroad, more people than ever are seeking professional help. We hear from the nation's top mental health officials, including: Dr. Steven Hyman, Director of the National Institute of Mental Health and Dr. Bernard Arons, Director of the national Center for Mental Health Services. We also speak with Dr. Susan Vaughan, Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University medical school and the author of "The Talking Cure: The Science Behind Psychotherapy." 

How We Learn What happens in the brain when we learn? What do we know about learning and how can it be applied in practical situations, such as schools? In this hour, we talk to scientists and educators about applying research to learning. Guests include: Dr. Kurt Fischer, Director of the Mind, Brain and Education program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education; Dr. William Greenough, Chair of the Neuroscience Program at the University of Illinois; Dr. Ted Sizer, Founder of the Coalition of Essential Schools; and, Patmore Lewis, violinist with the New York Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. 

How We Think In this hour, we explore How We Think. We ponder life and death; we write love poems and compose symphonies. What makes human beings so special? Guests include Dr. Mark Turner, who teaches both English and cognitive science at the University of Maryland and is the co-author of The Way We Think;. Dr. Kevin Dunbar of Dartmouth, who studies how people think, reason, and solve problems; and writer and poet Floyd Skloot, author of In the Shadow of Memory. We also examine how we make decisions and visit a small school in Wisconsin where students are being challenged to think like scientists. WIth commentary by John Hockenberry 

Human Genome Project & the Brain The Human Genome project has been working to map every gene in the human body.  Scientists believe that more than half of those genes relate to the mind.  So what will all this information tell us about the way our brains work?  Can we know who will become mentally ill and how to prevent it?  And what will we do with this information?  Featured guests: Dr. Steven Moldin, Director of the Genetics Research branch of the National Institute of Mental Health; Dr. Geoffrey Duyk, head of Research and Development at Exelixis Pharmaceuticals in the San Francisco Bay area, and a member of several committees overseeing the Human Genome project at the National Institutes of Health; bioethicist Dr. Nigel Cameron, Chair of the Board for the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity at Trinity International University in Deerfield, Illinois; Dr. Robert Sapolsky, Professor of Neuroscience at Stanford University and the author of "The Trouble with Testosterone, and Other Essays on the Biology of the Human Predicament;" and, comedienne comedian Reno. 

Humor What makes funny, well - funny?  And exactly where does funny “live” in your brain?  We will visit with top comics as well as serious researchers, who, strangely enough, have studied these issues.  Featured guests:  Dr. Bill Fry, Psychiatrist and Professor Emeritus, Stanford University Medical School; Dr. Don Nilsen, Professor of Linguistics, Arizona State University; Dr. Katherine MacDonald; Robert Klein, comedian; Margaret Cho, comedian; Anne Beatts, comic writer; and, Phil Proctor and Peter Bergman, members of the Firesign Theater. 

Huntington’s Disease is a fatal genetic neurological illness that strikes in mid-life and affects mind, body and behavior.  It is the disease that took Woody Guthrie’s life.  Recent advances in gene science are encouraging, but as the information hasn’t yet brought an effective cure or treatment, the knowledge poses more questions than answers at this point.  There is now a test that can tell you if you’ll develop the disease, but there is little doctors can do for you if you test positive.  In this program, we learn about the discovery of the gene mutation that causes the disease, and about exciting progress toward better treatment.  We also talk to people who have agonized over whether or not to be tested for the disease that claimed their parent.  Featured Guests: Dr. Christopher Ross, the Director of the Baltimore Huntington’s Disease Center at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; and Dr. Adam Rosenblatt, the clinical director of the Baltimore Huntington’s Disease Center at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. 

Hypersexuality Mary Kay Letourneau’s doctor and lawyer say that hypersexuality, a condition often related to manic depression, was a major factor in the 36-year-old school teacher’s relationship with a 13-year-old boy.  Featured guests: Dr. Julia Tybor Moore, Letourneau’s doctor; David Gehrke, Letourneau’s lawyer; Jim Willwerth, reporter, Time magazine; Jackie Lyden, author, Senior Correspondent, National Public Radio; and, Mary Ellen Copeland, author. 

Hypnosis You are growing verrrr-yyyyy sleeee-ppy. You may have heard Hollywood's version of hypnosis. This week, "The Infinite Mind" explores the science behind hypnosis and how it really works. We look at how and why medical doctors, dentists, therapists, and police investigators use this powerful tool to soothe pain, lose bad habits, reconstruct memories, and even solve crimes. Experts in hypnosis separate science fact from science fiction, answering questions like "Could a hypnotist make someone fall in love through hypnosis?" and "Could an unscrupulous person use hypnosis to make someone commit a crime?" Guests include Dr. David Spiegel, Professor and Associate Chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine; Jane Parsons-Fein, Director of the Parsons-Fein Institute for Hypnosis and Psychotherapy; Alan Scheflin, Professor of Law at Santa Clara University; and forensic psychologist Dr. Melvin Gravitz. Plus commentary - with a nod to Dick van Dyke - from John Hockenberry, 

Hypochondria In this hour: Hypochondria. It's the butt of jokes and the bane of the medical community, but hypochondria is a real illness, and people with it suffer real pain. We'll explore everything from the history of the disorder to the latest treatments. Guests include: Dr. Arthur Barsky, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and the director of psychosomatic research at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston; Carla Cantor, the author of Phantom Illness: Recognizing, Understanding, and Overcoming Hypochondria; Dr. Susan Baur, the author of Hypochondria: Woeful Imaginings; and Gene Weingarten, a humor columnist for The Washington Post and the author of The Hypochondriac's Guide to Life. And Death. 

Hypomania This hour on The Infinite Mind, with host Dr. Peter Kramer, we’re exploring hypomania, a symptom of bipolar disorder that starts out as exhilaration but can spiral out of control. On the plus side, it’s characterized by quickness of thought, high energy, and grand ambitions. But it’s also accompanied by irritability and an inflated ego. Broadcast journalist Jane Pauley tells us how hypomania made her motivated and vivacious, but so impulsive that she bought a cottage on a whim. Psychiatrists Dr. Sheri Johnson and Dr. Ronald Kessler discuss hypomania and bipolar disorder, and why people who experience hypomania can seem like creative visionaries. Ben Bardy describes his high-flying hypomanic dream of building an amusement park. Best-selling author and psychologist Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison tells us about hypomania and exuberance in her own life, as well as the lives of some of America’s most beloved historical figures. Also offering a personal testament is Chris Louviere, a bipolar folk singer and guitarist who performs his song “Benzo Train.” Andy Behrman, author of “Electroboy: A Memoir of Mania,” reminisces about his years in New York City, America’s mecca of hypomania. And psychologist Dr. John Gartner and psychiatrist Dr. Peter Whybrow ponder the idea that hypomania is a natural way of life for Americans, and discuss whether its dominance in our culture is making us more productive or burning us out. With commentary from John Hockenberry.  

Imagination A great new job, a bigger home, a romantic evening. We all conjure up possibilities in our minds. But just what is imagination? Guests include: Dr. Jerome Singer, Professor of Psychology at Yale University and one of the pioneers in the study of imagination; Dr. Alan Leslie, Professor of Psychology and Director of the Cognitive Development Laboratory at Rutgers University; Dr. Paul Harris, developmental psychologist and professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and author of The Work of the Imagination; Dr. Marjorie Taylor, Professor of Psychology at the University of Oregon, and author of "Imaginary Companions and, the Children Who Create Them"; and children's book writer and artist, Maira Kalman. 

In Any Language: Mental Health Care for Immigrants We explore Mental Health Care for Immigrants, with guest host Dr. Peter Kramer. Guests include Dr. Arthur Kleinman, professor of medical anthropology and psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and one of the world's leading experts in medical anthropology and cross-cultural psychiatry; Dr. Jane Delgado, a clinical psychologist and the president and CEO of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health; Dr. Mohamed Farrag, a psychologist and the clinical director of ACCESS: the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services in Dearborn, Michigan; and Dr. Yinka Akinsulure-Smith, a psychologist from Sierra Leone who works at the Bellevue /NYU Program for Survivors of Torture. 

Infinite Mind: Updates In this hour, we do something a little different. Since the pace of progress in neuroscience and psychiatry is staggering, we revisit some of our past topics and fill you in on the latest discoveries. We'll hear about the latest in autism research with Dr. Fred Volkmar of Yale University, and we'll take another look at the deadly interaction between chemical dependence and mental illness with Charles Curie, who leads SAMHSA, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Turning to mood disorders - which, over a lifetime, affect one in five Americans - we'll speak with Dr. Andrew Leuchter of UCLA about a simple technique that could provide us with an early test for the effectiveness of antidepressants. We'll also discuss encouraging research into suicide prevention with Dr. Ross Baldessarini of Harvard University, and visit a small school in Texas designed specifically for children with bipolar disorder. 

Insanity Defense Everyone knows about the insanity defense, but not everyone realizes how uncommon this verdict is. Nor do they understand the scrupulous and lengthy process that follows most acquittals by reason of insanity. This show explores the legal components of the rare insanity defense. Guests include law professor Richard Bonnie and forensic psychiatrist Dr. Philip Resnick. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Insomnia One-third of Americans, in a recent survey, reported experiencing a bout of insomnia in the past year. One-sixth of Americans rated their insomnia as "serious." This program looks at the role of sleep and the causes and treatments of insomnia, including a new Harvard program that attacks insomnia through behavior modification. We will travel to the Amazon Rain Forest to learn about "dream-change" with native shamans. Also, author John Updike reads a poem on his own sleeplessness. Featured guests:  Dr. Neil Kavey, Director of the Sleep Disorders Clinic at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City; Dr. J. Christian Gillin, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego; Dr. Gregg Jacobs, Clinical Psychologist and Insomnia Specialist at the Sleep Disorder Center of Beth Israel-Deaconess Medical Center; and reporter Denise Lanctot. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Instincts Instincts are among the very earliest influences on human behavior.  These primitive motivations that we share with animals are being unlocked by modern neuroscience.  To find out more, we visit with a Harvard University researcher who studies animal instincts in order to advance our knowledge of human instincts and the researcher who found the location of the maternal instinct in the brain.  We also hear from a geographer, whose life work has focused on how we move through the world, and was challenged by sudden blindness.  Plus - the latest from Nature Neuroscience magazine as we ask the familiar question: "Why won't men ask for directions?"  Featured Guests: Dr. Marc Hauser, Professor of Psychology at Harvard University where he heads an animal research program, he is also the author of "Wild Minds"; Professor Reginald Golledge, a geographer at the University of California, Santa Barbara; Dr. Mark George, a psychiatrist and researcher at the Medical University of South Carolina; and, Dr. Charles Jennings, editor of the scientific journal Nature Neuroscience. 

Intelligence Intelligence is a word we use everyday. But what does it really mean? Is it a single, measurable factor, or a combination of factors? In this hour, Dr. Fred Goodwin and experts discuss what we mean when we talk about intelligence, how we measure it and how it relates to performance in school, work and life. Featured guests:  Dr. Jay McLelland, Co-Director of the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and author Dr. Daniel Goleman. We also hear a special report from the White House Conference on Mental Health. We hear from President Clinton, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, Al and Tipper Gore and others at this summit meeting on care for people with mental illneses. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

It IS Brain Surgery The Infinite Mind explores the latest developments in brain surgery, that most delicate of arts.  Learn about the history of brain surgery from the Renaissance to the present day as Dr. Fred Goodwin hosts top surgeons and a pioneer in "split-brain" studies who explains what "left-brained" and "right-brained" really mean.  Plus we go inside the operating room, hearing the sound of neurons firing in the brain, and also from both doctor and patient during surgery.  Featured guests: Dr. Elizabeth Tancred, Senior Lecturer in the School of Anatomy at the University of New South Wales; Dr. Leonard Cerullo, Founder and Medical Director of the Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch, based at Columbus Hospital in Chicago; Dr. Eugene Flamm, Co-Chair of the department of Neurosurgery at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City; Dr. Michael Gazzaniga, head of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at Dartmouth College and editor of the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. Commentary by John Hockenberry.

Job for You Looking for a new job? Wish you were? Afraid you will be? This week on The Infinite Mind, we focus on how to find "The Job For You." Dr, Fred Goodwin’s guests include Richard Bolles, author of the biggest-selling career book ever (seven million copies), "What Color Is Your Parachute?"; Dr. Ann Marie Ryan, president of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology; Dr. Steffanie Wilk, professor of Management at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania; and career coach Sharon Jordan-Evans. Also featured are a slew of career changers including oboist Blair Tindall, currently in the orchestra pit on Broadway in Man of La Mancha, but whose decision to trade the concert hall for the newsroom had some surprising consequences; management consultant Richard Cuff; teacher turned web designer Robert Boyle; and Elizabeth Betts, formerly homeless and crack-addicted, who at the age of 43 is holding down her very first full-time job... and loving it. The show also features a report on an organization called Career Transition for Dancers and how it’s helping some dancers stretch themselves in new ways. John Hockenberry offers thoughts on what constitutes the perfect job: volunteering 

Katrina: In the Wake of the Storm: A Special Report It's the story of the hurricane that’s as yet untold. When one million people evacuated the Gulf Coast, they left behind the regions most vulnerable residents, poor people, and people with multiple physical and mental disabilities. They are finally escaping... but to what? And of the one million people who fled, experts say we can also expect to see increased long-term rates of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. Particularly damaged by these budget cuts is the state of Texas, now the new home to hundreds of thousands of refugees suffering from severe trauma reactions as well as a whole range of severe and persistent mental illnesses. How will states cope? Can we expect that mental health disaster relief will receive the same attention and funding as housing, food and other medical needs?

Katrina: The Road to Recovery With thousands dead, tens of thousands homeless and a mass exodus from the Gulf Coast, what can we expect the impact will be over the next few months. What will it take for the nation to heal? 

Kids and Fires Kids are often fascinated with fire, but how do you know when childish curiosity is crossing the line into problem behavior? This program explores children’s sometimes deadly attraction to fire, and some innovative ways that psychologists are working to keep them safe. Award-winning public radio science reporter Michelle Trudeau is our guest host. Guests include Dr. David Wilcox, mythologist Dr. Eva Thury, storyteller Laura Simms, stories from children who have set fires and commentary from John Hockenberry. 

Language in Pop Culture Language is our most powerful tool we use it to communicate our thoughts, fears, emotions and ideas. This hour of "The Infinite Mind" explores the art and science of language in contemporary culture. We hear slang from the streets of New York City and from researchers who study slang among college students. A spoken word artist and a team of slam poets talk about how they use and manipulate language to examine their own lives. We also have a report on how and why minority communities take derogatory words aimed at them and embrace them for their own use. Guests include: Spalding Gray, spoken word artist; Dr. Connie Eble, professor of English and Linguist at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; the Urbana Slam Poetry Team, the current National Slam Poetry Team Champions; and, Dr. Ronald Butters, Professor of English and Cultural Anthropology at Duke University. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Laughter We all do it. It's fun. It feels good. And many scientists say there's evidence it's good for you. This week on "The Infinite Mind," we look at laughter, comedy, laugh-tracks, and laughter as therapy. Guests include: stand-up comedian Eddie Izzard; Dr. Jo-Anne Bachorowski, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Vanderbilt University; and, Dr. Robert R. Provine, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Maryland, Baltimore County. We examine the pros and cons of recent research looking at laughter as therapy and hear from scientists, therapists, and patients. Plus, a special report featuring writer/producer Larry Gelbart and Bill Lawrence and professional laugh-track sweetener David Maitland, why does Hollywood still love the laugh track? Concluding the show, commentator John Hockenberry answers the age-old riddle, "Why did the caterpillar cross the roadway?" 

Lies, Lies, Lies In this program, "The Infinite Mind" takes a look at lying; from the vague lies of politeness (for instance, "Fine, thank you" or "You look wonderful") to serious lies ("I didn't do it," for example). This show starts off with a look at a character from the children's animated show "Rugrats" and follows up with a look at real children, with child psychiatrist Dr. Elizabeth Berger. Dr. Paul Ekman, University of California at San Francisco, clues us into what he has found in over thirty years of researching why and how people lie. J.J. Newberry, from the Institute of Analytic Interviewing, tells us how he puts Dr. Ekman's findings into action in training police. Plus is lying in therapy necessarily bad? According to some psychiatrists, lies, fantasy, dreams, and the truth itself are all grist for the mill. We also hear from filmmaker Pola Rapaport about her recent documentary, "Family Secrets." Plus, John Hockenberry recalls the Rodney King case, in which the adage "the camera never lies" was around. 

Lupus: The Great Prtender This hour on The Infinite Mind, a woman travels from doctor to doctor complaining of aches and pains, confusion and depression, and is told repeatedly that there’s nothing wrong with her. But there’s something seriously wrong. It’s Lupus, an autoimmune disorder that attacks the body’s soft tissue and can dramatically affect the brain and behavior as well. Guest host Dr. Fred Goodwin explores a disease known as “The Great Pretender,” a disease with an array of baffling symptoms that make accurate and timely diagnosis difficult. Lupus is one of many autoimmune disorders including Multiple Sclerosis and Rheumatoid arthritis which affect more than 8.5 million people in the United States. Dr. Goodwin’s guests include Amy Butler Greenfield, a Massachusetts-based writer with Lupus, and Virginia Ladd, president of the Autoimmune Disease Association. Lupus expert Dr. Daniel Wallace discusses the effects of Lupus on the brain and behavior as well as potential new therapies. We hear from actress Kellie Martin whose younger sister, Heather, died in 1998 of complications from Lupus. We also speak with Gail Bruner and Dr. Robert Scofield of the National Native American Lupus Project, about the impact that Lupus has on Native Americans and John Hunter Bear Gray, a Native American civil rights activist who is living with Lupus. Dr. Ann Traynor of the University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center talks about the exciting results from stem cell transplants in people with severe Lupus symptoms. And finally, we hear commentary from Eugenie Seifer Olson, a Boston- based writer whose real-life experiences with Lupus turn up in the pages of her novel, The Pajama Game. 

Lyme Disease Lyme disease is usually considered a relatively benign illness, causing a rash and flu-like symptoms. But if left untreated, this tick-borne illness can become serious, causing neurological and psychological symptoms, including facial paralysis, memory loss and mood changes. We talk to Dr. Patricia Coyle, Professor of Neurology at the School of Medicine at the State University, Stony Brook, and Dr. Brian Fallon, Director of the Lyme Disease Research program at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center. This program also includes a first person account of living with chronic Lyme Disease, and an update on the West Nile Virus, which sickened dozens of New Yorkers last year - some with deadly encephalitis.  Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Managing Madness In this hour, we look at how managed care is managing mental illness.  We talk to doctors and therapists, and investigate managed care decision-making and its sometimes-fatal consequences.  We also visit a unique health care program in Minnesota that bypasses insurance companies altogether.  Featured guests: Connie Masters and her attorney Bryant Welch, who successfully sued a local hospital and mental health program over the death of her son (Bryant Welch is both a lawyer and a psychologist); Dr. Jerome Vaccaro, President and Corporate Medical director of Pacificare Behavioral Health, Chairman of the American Managed Behavioral Care Association and a clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA's School of Medicine; J.D. Kleinke, medical economist and author of "Bleeding Edge"; Erma Globerman, clinical social worker and therapist; plus, a featured report on the Buyers Health Action Group.  

Manic Depression With an untreated suicide rate of 20 to 25 percent, manic-depressive illness (also called bipolar disorder) ranks among the most fatal diseases in medicine.  Why is it such a killer?  For one thing, it is a long way down for a person falling from the heights of mania to the depths of depression.  We will talk to top experts about this condition and about new research that could narrow the gap between "average" and "optimal" treatments.  Plus, cutting-edge research into the effectiveness of omega-3 fatty acids in treating manic depression and a whole range of brand-new diagnoses that may leave you wondering if everyone is a bit bipolar.  Featured guests:  Congresswoman Lynn Rivers; Dr. Joseph Hibbeln, Lipid Biochemist, National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse; and, Dr. J. Raymond DePaulo, Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Affective Disorders Clinic, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. 

Marriage In this hour, we explore Marriage. Guests include Dr. Howard Markman, a professor of psychology at the University of Denver, whose books include the bestseller Fighting for Your Marriage; psychologist Dr. Shirley Glass, a marital and family therapist and a leading expert on infidelity; Dr. James Coyne, a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, who researches the differing effects of good and bad marriages on health and mental health; historian Dr. Nancy Cott of Harvard University who is the author of Public Vows: A History of Marriage and the Nation; Pamela Holm, author of The Toaster Broke, So We're Getting Married; and novelist Anne Bernays and her husband of forty-eight years, Pulitzer-Prize winning biographer Justin Kaplan. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Meditation Why are many turning to the ancient practice of meditation, and how does it affect the brain? The Dalai Lama meets with brain scientists, Philip Glass performs, and the latest news from  Psychology Today magazine.  Featured Guests: Dr. Andrew Newberg, Researcher, University of Pennsylvania; Lama Surya Das, Dzogchen Foundation; Annie Murphy Paul, editor, Psychology Today; Helen Tworkov, founding editor, Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. 

Memory New memory research is teaching scientists how the brain remembers, why it forgets and, potentially, how to improve memory.  In this hour, we talk about the new research.  We also dispel some common memory myths, talk to kids about memory and visit a memory enhancement class.  Plus, singer/songwriter Dar Williams remembers her childhood in song.  Featured guests: Dr. Barry Gordon, the head of the division of Cognitive Neurology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, and director of their Memory Disorders Clinic; singer/songwriter Dar Williams; Dr. Eric Kandel, Professor and Founder of the Center for Neurobiology and Behavior at Columbia University and Senior Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Laboratories, and the co-author of "Memory;" Dr. Daniel Schacter, Professor and Chair of Psychology at Harvard University and the author of "Searching for Memory: The Mind, The Brain, and the Past"; and, clinical psychologist Cynthia Green, author of "The Total Memory Workout: 8 Easy Steps to Maximum Memory Fitness." 

Men & Depression (Suicide) Is our nation’s health care system able to help people suffering from depression?  Tim Hogan, a Massachusetts newspaper publisher, repeatedly sought help but found none, and committed suicide.  In an exclusive interview, his family speaks publicly for the first time.  Experts and advocates say Hogan’s experience is common and unacceptable.  Featured Guests: Dr. Gary Brooks, Chief of the Psychology Service, Central Texas Veteran’s Health Care System; Dr. Joseph Goldberg, Director of the Bipolar Disorders Research Clinic, Payne-Whitney Clinic of New York Hospital; Chris Koyanagi, Director of Legislative Policy, Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law; Shelly Stewart, Chair, Coalition for Fairness in Mental Illness Coverage; Althea Davis, sister of suicide victim Tim Hogan. 

Menopause and the Mind As thousands of boomers approach 50, we explore what happens to a woman's mind during menopause. Mood swings and memory loss are common complaints. With the latest science and menopause poetry.  Featured Guests:  Dr. Christiane Northrup, a professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and author of the best-selling book "Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom;" Dr. Sally Shaywitz professor of Pediatrics at Yale University School of Medicine and co-director of Yale University Center for the Study of Learning and Attention; Dr. Frederick Naftolin professor and chair in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Yale University School of Medicine and president of the North American Menopause Society; singer/songwriter Sloan; Marie Evans and Ann Shakeshaft authors of "Red Hot Mamas Do Menopause with Style;" and poet Lucille Clifton. 

Mental Health and Primary Care In this hour, we explore the connections and misconnections between Mental Health and Primary Care. Guests include Dr. Harold Pincus, executive vice chairman of the department of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and national director of the Robert Wood Johnson Depression in Primary Care program; Dr. Allen Dietrich, a family physician and professor in the department of community and family medicine at Dartmouth College and co-chair of the MacArthur Initiative on Depression and Primary Care; Dr. Barbara Yawn, director of research at the Olmsted Medical Center, a multi-specialty medical clinic in Rochester, Minnesota; and Dr. Michael Jellinek, professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at Harvard Medical school, chief of the child psychiatry service at Massachusetts General Hospital and president of Newton Wellesley Hospital. 

Mental Health in Troubled Times This program explores "Mental Health in Troubled Times" with a compilation of common sense, science and psychology on topics such as courage, altruism, trauma, grieving, group psychology, and anxiety from some of "The Infinite Mind's" best programs. According to a recent study by the Pew Research Center, 7 out of 10 Americans feel depressed, nearly half have trouble concentrating, and nearly one-third report having trouble sleeping at night. We offer insight into these reactions and perspective on a range of psychological issues affecting all of our lives now. Guests include: members of Rescue Company One, the New York City Fire Department’s oldest rescue team; noted anxiety researcher Dr. Michael Davis of Emory University; Dr. Matthew Friedman, Director of the National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; Dr. Daniel Goldhagen, author of "Hitler's Willing Executioners"; Plus, we have a discussion about altruism with a Buddhist lama, an Episcopal priest, a Muslim imam and a Jewish rabbi. 

Mental Illness and the Family In this hour, we explore "Mental Illness in the Family."  Anger. Frustration. Resentment. Helplessness. If someone in your family has mental illness, you may be feeling all of these emotions. What can you do to help your loved one and yourself? Guests include: Dr. David Miklowitz, a Professor of Psychology at the University of Colorado-Boulder and author of "The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide: What You and Your Family Need to Know;" Dr. Lisa Dixon, an Associate Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry at the University of Maryland, where her research focuses on schizophrenia and family treatment; Dr. William Beardslee, a Professor of Child Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, Psychiatrist-in-Chief at Children's Hospital in Boston, and author of "Out of the Darkened Room: Protecting the Children and Strengthening the Family When a Parent is Depressed;" Julie Totten, founder of Families for Depression Awareness; and, Rose Styron, wife of writer William Styron, who suffers from major depression. Sharon Lerner has a special report on parents who had to give up custody of their ill children to foster care when their mental health insurance ran out. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Mental Illness and the Media Does the media's portrayal of people with mental illnesses present the public with an accurate picture? In today's program, we explore the links between the mainly negative portrayals of people with mental illnesses in the media and widespread discrimination against those affected by these illnesses. We probe behind the headlines to what really goes on in a newsroom. Finally, we explore how stories about people with mental illnesses can make for "must watch" television that's dramatically compelling and accurate. Guests include Dr. Bernice Pescosolido, director of the Indiana Consortium for Mental Health Services Research at Indiana University; Dr. Otto Wahl, professor of psychology at George Mason University; David Gonzalez, an advocate for people with mental illnesses; Liz Spikol, managing editor for the Philadelphia Weekly; Don Sapatkin, health and science editor for the Philadelphia Inquirer; Dr. Neal Baer, executive producer of NBC's popular television show Law and Order: Special Victims Unit and former executive producer and writer of ER; and Bill Lichtenstein, documentary filmmaker and the executive producer of The Infinite Mind. 

Midlife What do we mean when we talk about "midlife"? It depends on who you ask. Short of being that span of time between adolescence and old age, "midlife" can be the years of greatest contentment -- then again, they may be times of unrelenting stress and discomfort. From songwriters to sociologists, poets to psychologists and even to comics, midlife offers an unusually vast panorama by which to witness and explore the human experience as we begin, in singer/songwriter Loudon Wainwright III's happy phrase, "to crunch the numbers."Joining Dr. Peter Kramer this week are members of the Mid-Life Crisis Comedy tour. Dr. Ronald Kessler from the MacArthur Foundation Midlife Network tells us that midlife can be the best of times and the worst of times -- it just depends on the gender, the class, and the age of the person you're talking with. Dr. Margie Lachman, a psychologist at the Lifespan Lab at Brandeis University explains that even as mid-lifers start to experience some loss in "the mechanisms of cognition," years of knowledge make them invaluable additions to the workplace. Singer/songwriter Loudon Wainwright III offers a brand-new song touching on the "ancients" at your high school reunion. The Infinite Mind's Jackson Braider tells anxious midlifers that it's okay to worry -- the world of work is indeed fraught with change, with very little benefit to the midlife employee. Finally, centenarian and former Poet Laureate Stanley Kunitz offers a vision of midlife from the vantage point of a lifetime of experience. 

Migraine When most of us get a headache, we take aspirin and wait for it to go away. But for the 30 million Americans who suffer from migraine headaches, the "two aspirins and call me in the morning" approach is not a valid option. As recent studies have shown, migraine is a neurological condition, and too often it is debilitating. This program brings together scientists and "migraineurs" to share the latest research on migraine and discuss what is going on in the brains and lives of people with migraine. Guests include: neurologist Dr. Stuart Tepper, director at the New England Center for Headache in Stamford; Ct; Michael John Coleman, Executive Director and Founder of MAGNUM, the National Migraine Association; Dr. Stephen J. Peroutka, a geneticist who has succeeded in pinpointing several of the genes associated with migraine; and, Dr. Oliver Sacks, renowned as a neurologist and author, and perhaps less well known as a migraine sufferer.  Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Money and the Mind In this hour, we explore "Money and the Mind."Guests include: behavioral economists Dr. Eldar Shafir, Professor of Psychology and Public Affairs at Princeton University, Dr. Robert Frank, Professor of Economics, Ethics and Public Policy at Cornell University, and Dr. Andrew Oswald, Professor of Economics at the University of Warwick in England; James Cramer, co-founder of TheStreet.com and SmartMoney magazine; and writer Sandra Cisneros.

Moving Take your whole life, wrap it in bubble wrap, stuff it in a box, and watch four big guys load it onto a van and drive away. Stressful? You bet, and Americans do it, on the average, every five years.  Dr. Thomas T. Olkowski, PhD. and Ms. Audrey McCollum, MSW, on the psychological stresses of moving and what parents can do to make a move easier on their children. Cultural psychologist Dr. David Matsumoto on culture shock and how to defuse it. Singer-Songwriter Loudon Wainwright III talks about the joys of putting down roots at last, and takes us along for one of his moves in a performance of his song "Cardboard Boxes." Social historian Dr. Kenneth T. Jackson comments on the American propensity for pulling up stakes, while author Dr. Scott Sanders makes the case for staying put.  We also hear from a few recent relocators, and a family on the eve of their first night in their new home. Plus commentator John Hockenberry on rooting through cardboard boxes in search of extention cords and a can opener. 

Multiple Personality Disorder Those who have recovered from multiple personality disorder link it to childhood abuse. MPD also sheds new light on the mind-body connection. Plus, treating depression with magnets.  Featured guests:  Dr. Frank Putnam, Chief of the Dissociative Identity Disorder Unit, National Institute of Mental Health; Dr. Mark George, Medical University of South Carolina; and Jean Darby Cline, author. 

Multiple Sclerosis In this hour, we explore the chronic neurological disease Multiple Sclerosis. Guests include: Dr. Randall Schapiro, Founder and Director of the Fairview Multiple Sclerosis Center and Minneapolis Clinic Multiple Sclerosis Program; Dr. Patricia O'Looney, Director of Biomedical Research programs at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society; Barbara Paley-Israel, a writer who was diagnosed with MS in 1986 and has become an advocate for people with the disease; social worker Deborah Miller, Director of Comprehensive Care at the Mellen Center for MS Treatment and Research, part of the Cleveland Clinic; TONY award-winning director and playwright Emily Mann; and, special commentator Zoe Koplowitz, author of "Winning Spirit: Life Lessons Learned in Last Place." 

Multi-Tasking "To do two things at once - is to do neither," Roman philosopher Publilius Syrus wrote in 100 A.D., and modern science may just be proving him right. Turns out that our capacity to multitask is far more limited than most of us think, and that in some situations, this misunderstanding can be downright dangerous. We’ll also visit the control tower of a busy airport and talk to air traffic controllers who say that they’re not really multitasking at all, and talk to orchestral conductors about the challenge of directing the polymetric compositions of Charles Ives. With commentary by sociobiologist Howard Bloom. 

Music and the Mind Music can get us "amped up" or "mellowed out;" it can soothe, arouse, amuse, irritate, and delight us. Why? Why should mere sequences of musical sounds have such power over how we feel? And how do good musicians orchestrate that power? "Music and the Mind" includes a round table discussion on music and emotion, featuring: composer and performance artist Laurie Anderson; musicologist Dr. David Huron, Professor of Music and Director of the Cognitive and Systematic Musicology Laboratory at Ohio State University; and, neuroscientist Dr. Mark Jude Tramo, Assistant Professor of Neurology, Harvard University. In a special report on "Muzak and the Mind," "The Infinite Mind's" Devorah Klahr hears from Alvin Collis, Vice President of Audio Architecture at the Muzak Corporation. Reporter Eva Neuberg looks into the so-called "Mozart Effect" with Dr. Lawrence Parsons, National Science Foundation; Dr. William Thompson, Professor of Music, York University; Dr. Lori Custadero, Teachers College, Columbia University; and, Dr. Frances Rauscher, Professor of Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh. Pianist Emanuel Ax compares the joys of Mozart to the joys of procreation. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 


Narcissism Narcissists can be arrogant, self-aggrandizing, and manipulative. But what's it like to have narcissistic personality disorder? And how can it be treated? Guests include Dr. Jeffrey Young, the founder and director of the Schema Therapy Institute of New York and the Cognitive Therapy Centers of New York and Connecticut and co-author of Reinventing Your Life; Sandy Hotchkiss, a licensed clinical social worker and the author of Why is it Always About You? The Seven Deadly Sins of Narcissism; Dr. Corinne Pache, an assistant professor of classics at Yale University and a fellow at Harvard University's Center for Hellenic Studies in Washington D.C., who talks about the myth of Narcissus and Echo; poet Tony Hoagland, whose latest collection is called What Narcissism Means to Me; and Samuel Vaknin, who has been diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder and has written extensively about the topic. 

Native Americans and Suicide In this hour, we explore the high rate of suicide among American Indians and Alaska Natives. Throughout the United States, American Indians and Alaska Natives are one and a half times more likely to commit suicide than the general population. Guests include: Sharon Watson of Minnesota's Chippewa White Earth Reservation, whose son died of suicide; Dr. Spero Manson, division head at the National Center for American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research; Dr. James Thompson, Deputy Medical Director at the American Psychiatric Association; Medicine Dream, an Anchorage-based band who lost a Cheyenne friend to suicide; Diana Weber, a social worker who assists the people of the Louden Tribal Council in Alaska; Regine Attla, a tribal administrator, addresses preparations for a funeral; Dr. Denise Middlebrook, a public health advisor for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration; and, Theda New Breast, who runs wellness workshops in Montana for American Indians and Alaska Natives. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Nerves on Alert! With the country on alert and people being urged to make disaster plans and buy duct tape and plastic sheeting, anxiety levels are high. In this special presentation, Nerves on Alert, we explore the mental health consequences of living in a state of constant vigilance. In this encore presentation, we answer listeners' questions, with guests Dr. Robert Pynoos, a psychiatrist and co-director of the National Center for Child Traumatic Stress and director of the UCLA Trauma Psychiatry Service, and Dr. Rachel Yehuda, a psychologist and director of the Traumatic Stress Studies Division at Mount Sinai Hospital and the Bronx Veterans Affairs Medical Center in New York. 

Neuroethics In this hour, we explore Neuroethics. As we gain greater and greater understanding of the brain and how to manipulate it, where do we set boundaries? Guests include Dr. Arthur Caplan, director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania and chair of the school's department of medical ethics; Dr. Michael Gazzaniga, professor of cognitive neuroscience and director of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at Dartmouth College and a member of the President's Council on Bioethics; Hank Greely, professor of law at Stanford University; Dr. Turhan Canli, a psychologist at Stony Brook University; and Brian Alexander, author of Rapture: How Biotech Became the New Religion. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Neuroprosthetics We devote this hour of The Infinite Mind to Dr. John Donoghue and his ground-breaking work in an emerging field that scientists are calling neuroprosthetics. Donoghue is head of the neuroscience department at Brown University and co-founder of Cyberkinetics Neurotechnology Systems, based in Foxborough, MA. Donoghue and his team of colleagues invented a brain-interface technology that enabled a paralyzed person to operate a computer and robotic arm by thought alone. In this program we visit Donoghue’s laboratory at Brown University and ask him to describe the efforts that led to his breakthrough. We’ll talk about ethics, science, commerce and the future of this exciting new field. We’ll also hear from Richard Martin, a journalist who interviewed Matthew Nagle, the first human subject in Donoghue’s trial. Martin will talk with us about other possible medical and military applications for Donoghue’s work and the ethical implications of the innovations. With commentary from John Hockenberry. 

Numbers and the Mind Why are some people math whizzes while others are scared to do simple arithmetic without a calculator? This week we explore differences in math ability; new and old debates on math education (remember "The New Math?"); the link between autism and skills in rapid-fire calculation; and Hollywood's fascination with brilliant, troubled mathematicians. Plus a trip to AT&T's research labs and some of the best minds working in mathematics today. Guests include Brian Butterworth, Professor of Cognitive Neuropsychology in the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College in London; Keith Devlin, executive director of The Center for the Study of Language and Information at Stanford University; Jeremy Kilpatrick, professor of mathematics education at the University of Georgia;Gary Mesibov, professor of psychology at The University of North Carolina; Jerry Newport; and AT&T mathematics researchers David Applegate and Jeff Lagarius. 

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Everyone has straightened a picture frame, wondered if he has locked the door or washed his hands after touching something dirty. For people with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, or OCD, everyday worries and actions like these become insistent, anxiety-producing thoughts and rituals that must be performed to ease that anxiety. This week on "The Infinite Mind," you will hear what it is like to live with OCD; about successful new treatments for the condition; and, the surprising link between OCD in children and common strep throat.  Also, how to take a free, anonymous self-assessment test for OCD, offered by the National Institute of Mental Health.  Featured guests: Broadcaster Marc Summers, a former host of Nickelodeon's children's show "Double Dare" and currently host of "Great Day America" on PAX-TV, who has OCD; Dr. Lorrin Koran, Professor of Psychiatry at Stanford University and head of the OCD clinic; Janis McClure, the head of the Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation of Jacksonville, Florida; and Dr. Judith Rapoport and Susan Swedo of the National Institute of Mental Health.  Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Optimism Optimism is more than just a perspective it's a scientifically quantifiable way to improve your chances of living a longer, healthier and even luckier life.  This hour features the latest research in optimism, including a discussion with optimism expert Dr. Martin Seligman, a musical performance by rocker Heather Eatman, and, later in the show, a preview of the first Surgeon General's report on mental health. Featured guests: former quarterback Tim Strachen; Dr. Martin Seligman, professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, and immediate past president of the American Psychological Association; Dr. Lisa Aspinwall, associate professor of psychology at the University of Maryland; Dr. Christopher Peterson, professor of psychology at the University of Michigan; and Heather Eatman, performs "Nothing is Stopping You." Overeating and Obesity Three out of five Americans are overweight or obese by medical standards - it is an epidemic. Guests include: Dr. Barbara Rolls, Professor of Nutrition and Biobehavioral Health at Pennsylvania State University; Dr. Rudolph Leibel, Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine in the Institute of Human Nutrition at Columbia University's medical school; Dr. Michael Devlin, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University's Medical School and Clinical Co-Cirector of the Eating Disorders Research Unit at the New York State Psychiatric Institute; and, Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, author of "Holy Hunger: A Woman's Journey from Food Addiction to Spiritual Fulfillment." Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Oxycontin This hour on The Infinite Mind, with host Dr. Fred Goodwin, a special report: The Double Life of THE DOUBLE LIFE OF OXYCONTIN. Pain New findings about the nature of pain and how to make it stop.  We hear how a poet has found inspiration in her chronic pain, and the surprisingly common experience of waking from anesthesia during surgery.  Featured guests:  Dr. Jeanette Tracy, Pastoral Psychologist, and Founder of AWARE; Dr. Allan Basbaum, Professor and Chair of the department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco; Dr. Wendye Robbins, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, Director of the Pain Fellowship Program, University of California, San Francisco; Linda Martinson, poet; and, Lisa Birnbach, author. 

Pam's Story Modern technology has dramatically increased the chances that a pregnancy will result in a live baby, but the fact is, not all endings are happy ones. Babies still die in utero, and often there is no reason ever found for the loss. Worse yet, no one ever talks about it. In this dramatic one-hour special report, an award-winning public radio producer follows her sister through a second pregnancy as she worries: Will it happen again? 

Parapsychology: Psychics, ESP, ghosts - do these entities have anything to do with science? This week, we look beyond the rational world to explore parapsychology - the scientific study of psychic and paranormal phenomena. Guests include: intuitive psychiatrist Dr. Judith Orloff; parapsychologists Dr. Charles Tart and Dr. Marilyn Schlitz; folklore researcher Dr. Bill Ellis, author of "Aliens, Ghosts and Cults: Legends We Live"; and, psychic Barbara Stabiner. 

Parenting We all have questions about what makes a good parent.  Theories come and go with every generation, but what concrete advice can experts give us?   Featured Guests: Dr. Marguerite Barratt, director of Michigan State University's Institute for Children, Youth and Families; Dr. Harold Koplowicz, director and founder of the New York University Child Study Center; Judith Rich Harris, author of "The Nurture Assumption;" plus, a visit to a parenting workshop by popular authors Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish; best-selling author Annie Lamott; and a performance by children's singer and songwriter Laurie Berkner.  Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Parenting: The Best of the Infinite Mind n this hour we delve into our archives to bring you some of the best of The Infinite Mind segments on Parenting. We'll find out how to deal with the toddler who won't let you talk on the phone, and the teenager who won't listen. Guests include, Dr. Stanley Greenspan, a clinical professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at George Washington University and author of The Growth of the Mind; Annie Lamott, best-selling author of Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life; Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish, authors of How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk; Debbie and Lisa Ganz, who run the website www.twinsworld.com; Dr. Harold Koplewicz, director and founder of the New York University Child Study Center and the director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at New York University Medical Center and Bellevue Hospital Center; and Laurie Berkner, children's songwriter and performer. 

Parkinson's Disease This hour geatures what is new in treatment, research and advocacy for Parkinson's Disease.  Learn about the use of tap-dancing as thearpy for Parkinson’s, dogs who help patients with their balance, and the latest research indicating that for most people Parkinson's is not a genetic disease. Featured guests: Dr. J. William Langston, Founder and Director of the Sunnyvale, CA-based Parkinson's Institute; Dr. Stanley Fahn, Professor of Neurology at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons and Director of the Movement Disorder Group in New York City; and, Joan Samuelson, a lawyer and founder of the Parkinson's Action Network, a nationwide advocacy group. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Peace It's easy to say "give peace a chance," but why is that so hard to do? In this program, we explore the art and science of resolving interpersonal conflicts peacefully, examine some common obstacles to peace, sit in on a mediation session between a landlord and his angry tenant, and probe the role of interfaith dialog in promoting peace. Guests include Robert Mnookin, director of the Harvard Negotiation Research Project; peace psychologist Dan Christie, professor of psychology at the Ohio State University; psychologist Dacher Keltner, founding director of The Berkeley Center for the Development of Peace and Well-being; storyteller Heather Forest, founding director of Story Arts; Imam Omar Abu-Namous, imam of the Islamic Cultural Center of New York; Dean James Parks Morton, president of the Interfaith Center of New York; Venerable T. Kenjitsu Nakagaki, president of the Buddhist Council of New York, and Rabbi Gerry Serotta, co-chair of Rabbis for Human Rights, North America. Plus making time for peace... commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Perfect Pitch Why can some people name a note as soon as they hear it while others cannot tell one from another? In this hour, we explore the mysterious ability known as "perfect pitch." A cellist with perfect pitch gives a guided tour through the notes and keys. We also hear from a psychologist and a geneticist who have different ideas about how many people have perfect pitch and why. There is a report on Williams Syndrome, as well, a rare genetic disorder that can cause physical and mental problems - and a sensitivity to music and pitch. Guests include: Gordon Grubb, a cellist with the Grossmont Symphony; Dr. Dan Levitin, record producer and Psychology Professor at McGill University; Dr. Peter Gregersen, Chief of the Division of Biology and Human Genetics, North Shore University Hospital, Iona Island; Dr. Ursula Bellugi, Professor and Director of the Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience at the Salk Institute; Dr. Glen Schellenberg, Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto; and; Dr. Howard Lenhoff, Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Irvine. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Persuasion Persuasion is all around us, from advertising to political campaigns to getting the kids dressed in the morning. But how does it work, and in what ways are we persuaded without even knowing it? In this hour, Dr. Fred Goodwin talks to experts on different types of persuasion about what it is, how it works and what to look out for. Commentary by John Hockenberry on persuasion and being persuaded.  Featured guests:  Communications Professor Dr. Kathy Kellerman; ad executive Ken Krimstein; persuasion researcher, Dr. Anthony Pratkanis.  We also sit in on a medical hypnosis session. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Physical Becomes Mental Sometimes psychological symptoms like depression, psychosis or mania aren't a sign of mental illness, but a sign of physical illness. Diseases like thyroid disorders, multiple sclerosis and AIDS can have symptoms that might make one questions one’s mental health, but often the symptoms are the first signs of physical illness. In this hour, we hear about these illnesses from physicians who try to diagnose them and people who suffer from them. Featured guests:  Dr. Caroline Carney-Doebbeling, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Internal Medicine at the University of Iowa College of Medicine, and an expert in the area of combined illness; Dr. Tom Wise, Chairman of the department of Psychiatry at Inova/Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Virginia and  Professor and Vice Chairman at Georgetown University;  Dr. Bradford Navia, an Associate Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry at Tufts University Medical School in Boston; and Camille Chatterjee, the News Editor of Psychology Today. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Place In this hour, we explore Place. We look at what connects us to certain places and not to others, and what happens when we lose that special relationship to our surroundings. Guests include Dr. Susan Ossman, visiting professor of anthropology at Georgetown University and an expert on media and migration; Dr. Kent Curtis, director of education at the Walden Woods Project, a land conservancy based on the environmental philosophy of writer Henry David Thoreau; and Dr. Roberta Feldman, architect, psychologist, and director of the City Design Center in Chicago. We also hear from a New York office worker whose sense of place was shattered by the World Trade Center attacks, attend a "feng shui" design session at our production facilities, and learn about life in cyberspace with reporter Ellen Horne. Plus, commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Placebo Effect The "placebo effect" is astonishingly significant. Between 35 and 75 percent of patients report feeling better from taking an inert pill during trials of new drugs. But what is the placebo effect, and how does it work. Also, if placebos can help so many people feel better, should they be used as treatment? Guests include: Dr. Jon Levine, Professor of Medicine and Director of the National Institutes of Health Pain Center at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center; Dr. Walter Brown, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Brown University School of Medicine and Tufts University School of Medicine; Dr. Fred Quitkin, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University; comedian David Brenner; New York Post columnist Gersh Kuntzman. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Play With Me Play, the silly stuff of life, turns out to be more than just a good time. This program examines the importance of play to both children and adults. We hear from a play therapist who explains how she uses play to help children, the director of a playroom at a hospital pediatric ward, plus a toy designer and toy critic who discuss the role of technology in toys. Guests include: singer/songwriter Suzanne Vega; Dr. Diane Frey, Professor of Counseling at Wright State University; Sue Bratton, Clinical Director of the Counseling Department at the University of North Texas; and, Cynthia Walter-Glickman, a member of the social work staff at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Psychological trauma can leave hidden landmines in the psyche. Dr. Goodwin speaks with Dr. Matthew Friedman, Director of the National Center for PTSD, about the impact of trauma on combat veterans and others. Later in the program, we have a discussion about a ground-breaking program treating Vietnam veterans with PTSD who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. Featured guests:  Dr. Beverly Donovan, clinical psychologist at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Brecksville, Ohio and Belleruth Naparstek, creator of the best-selling"Health Journeys" guided imagery tape series. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Postpartum Depression Texas mother Andrea Yates drowned her five children; her family says she was suffering from postpartum depression and psychosis. This week, we look beyond the headlines to explore these potentially devastating illnesses. Guests include: psychiatrist Dr. Deborah Sichel, co-founder of the Hestia Institute, a mental health center for women and families; law expert Michelle Oberman, a writer on mothers who kill their children; and Dr. Joseph Hibbeln, a psychiatrist, lipid biologist and Chief of the Outpatient Clinic at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, part of the National Institutes of Health; plus women who have suffered from these illnesses. 

Post-Polio Syndrome Forty-four years ago this April, Jonas Salk developed the Polio vaccine and the terrible epidemic was eliminated.  Or was it?  For more than 1.6 million Americans there has been no cure. Survivors of polio who believed they had put the disease behind them forever now find they are once again struggling with chronic symptoms.  Along with the debilitating physical aspects, survivors also face the emotional devastation of Post-Polio Syndrome.  A study on "contagious" emotions is also discussed.  Featured guests:  Phyllis Rubinfeld, professor, Hunter College; Dr. Richard Bruno, researcher, clinical psychophysiologist and Director of the Post-Polio Institute at Englewood Hospital in New Jersey; Dr. Lauro Halstead, physician and Director of the Post-Polio and Spinal Cord Injury programs at the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington, D.C.; and Sparkie Lujan, a polio survivor, advocate and founder of "Polio - Remember Your Strength"; and, Dr. David Almeida of the University of Arizona. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Prayer, Healing and the Mind New scientific research says prayer does heal. Medical researchers, clergy and patients provide startling new insights into these "miracles of medicine."  Guests include best-selling author Dr. Larry Dossey.  Plus, a look at the therapeutic value of humor.  Featured guests:  Father Peter McCall, House of Peace Healing Center, Bronx, NY; Dr. David Larson, National Institute for Healthcare Research;  Dr. Larry Dossey, Executive Editor, Alternative Therapies; Day Lone Wolf, medicine man; and, Dr. Ed Dunkleblau, President, American Association for Therapeutic Humor.

Pregnancy and the Mind We think about pregnancy as a time when women glow, right? Full of happy expectation for the future. But for many women, that's simply not the case. We'll break through the myths to explore the truth about pregnancy and mental illness. We'll also look at the way a baby's mind develops, and ask: just how much does a fetus pick up from the outside? 

Prejudice In this hour, we explore the topic of Prejudice. Why do human beings so often divide the world into "us" and "them?" Whether it is black or white, young or old, gay or straight, people often make irrational presumptions about others. This week, we explore the psychology of prejudice with social psychologists Dr. Mahzarin Banaji of Harvard University, Dr. Susan Fiske of Princeton University and Dr. Gregory Herek of the University of California at Davis. We also talk to writer Esmeralda Santiago, journalist Ellis Cose, and filmmakers Marco Williams and Whitney Dow about the psychological effects of prejudice. 

Psychedelics LSD, psilocybin, mescaline… they're listed as schedule one narcotics, right up there with heroin, amphetamines, and marijuana. But today, 35 years after "turn on, tune in, drop out," we explore what scientists are learning about the potential of psychedelic drugs to treat disorders ranging from obsessive compulsive disorder to addiction. Plus, seeing God... and the DEA: "Psychedelics" features a report on a religious group called the UDV that's suing the federal government for the right to drink huasca, a sacramental tea that contains DMT. 

Psychoanalysis In this hour, we explore Psychoanalysis, including new developments since Freud, fresh  theories on the unconscious, and the role of the analyst's couch in movies. Guests include: Dr. Glen Gabbard, Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Baylor Psychiatry Clinic at the Baylor College of Medicine, and author of "Love and Hate in the Analytic Setting" and "Psychiatry and the Cinema"; Dr. Susan Vaughan, author of "The Talking Cure: The Science Behind Psychotherapy"; Dr. Elisabeth Young-Bruehl, a philosopher and psychoanalyst whose books include "Cherishment: A Psychology of the Heart" and "Anna Freud: A Biography." We will also talk to writer, director and producer David Grubin about his new film, "Young Dr. Freud" and to psychoanalyst Dr. Frederick Levenson about the new matchmaking service, Theradate. 

Psycho-Oncology You've got cancer are some of the most frightening words anyone can hear.  The psychology of cancer is a relatively new field called psycho-oncology.  We talk to pioneers in the field; Plus, we have a visit to Gilda's Club, poetry from breast cancer survivors, and helping kids cope with cancer.  Featured guests: Drs. Jimmie Holland and David Payne of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.  Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Psychosis  Psychosis: It's the frightening state of mind that most of us equate with "madness": delusions, paranoia, hearing voices.  In truth, as many as 120 different conditions can cause psychosis, including drug and alcohol abuse, metabolic disorders, thyroid malfunction, head injuries, Alzheimer's and reactions to prescription medication.  In this hour, we hear from an actively psychotic person, from successful individuals who've experienced psychosis and recovered, and from experts.  Later in the program, we change directions to hear about new developments in neuroscience.  Featured Guests: political consultant and former New York Times reporter Bob Boorstin;  psychiatrist Dr. Murray Claytor; graduate student Leslie Greenblat; Dr. Wayne Fenton of the National Institute of Mental Health; Nature Neuroscience editor Dr. Charles Jennings; and singer/songwriter Dory Previn.

Relationships: The Best of the Infinite Mind The bar scene, a blind date: Does it matter where you find love? How about in an arranged marriage. Andwhat goes on in the brain when you meet someone special? In this program we delve into our archives to bring you some of the best of The Infinite Mind on Relationships.  Guests include: Dr. Charles Wysocki, a neuroscientist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia; Dr. George Preti, a chemist and a member of the Monell Chemical Senses Center and adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine; Marian Lizzi, writer and editor; Sidney Meyer, Cabaret singer; Dr. Helen Fisher is a research professor at Rutgers Center for Human Evolutionary Studies, and author of The Anatomy of Love; Lisa Skrilloff, author of, Men Are From Cyberspace: A Single Woman's Guide to Flirting, Dating, and Finding Love On-Line, and an experienced Internet dater; and Mythili Richards, who has been married for over thirty years in an arranged marriage. 

Religion: Beyond Belief Forty years ago, Time magazine posed the provocative question "Is God Dead?" on its cover. Today, Time and other leading newsmagazines and media organizations regularly report on the explosion of interest in religion and spirituality in America, and indeed, throughout the world. Polls show that nine out of 10 Americans believe in God and nearly half attend a church, synagogue, mosque or other house of worship each week. What accounts for this new interest in time-honored religious practices and beliefs? And what is it that religion or spirituality provide in the first place? 

Resilience How is it that adversity can defeat some people, yet bring out the best in others? In the shadow of the recent terrorist attacks in the United States, many Americans have risen to new challenge with courage and grace. This show explores what allows some people to "bounce back" from disaster, and even gain in strength through adversity. The show includes interviews with: psychologist Dr. Al Siebert, author of "The Survivor Personality"; and Dr. Karen Reivich, Co-Director of the Penn Resiliency Project at the University of Pennsylvania. One of the world's best known neurobiologists, Dr. Robert Sapolsky, discusses how stress harms us - and helps us. Storyteller Laura Simms shares an Arabic story that reveals how in grief we are not alone.  John Hockenberry contributes a moving, insightful commentary on volcanos, SCUD missiles, terrorism, and resiliency. 

Rewiring The Brain People recovering from stroke and traumatic brain injury demonstrate that the ability of the brain to rewire and reprogram itself is much greater than previously thought.  New methods of rehabilitation are changing lives and the way neuroscientists think about the human brain. Featured guests:  Dr. Edward Taub, Professor of Psychology, University of Alabama; Dr. Jon Mader, Head of the Hyperbaric Program, University of Texas Medical Branch; and, Kevan Corson, former Navy Seal, and, assistant to Dr. Mader. 

Rites of Passage Whether it's a birth or a bar mitzvah, a wedding or a funeral, we mark the stages of our lives with rituals and celebrations. Why are these occasions so important? This program explores the psychological and social implications of rites of passage. Guests include Dr. Ronald Grimes, a professor of religion and culture at Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Canada; Karen Karbo writer of Generation Ex: Tales From the Second Wives Club; Dr. Stephen Balfour, who teaches courses on Contemporary American Rites of Passage at Texas A & M University; and Thomas Lynch, a poet, writer and undertaker. 

Romance Science is giving us new insight into the brain science behind romance, lust and attachment, but some of the mystery still remains.  We explore approaches to romance ranging from ancient (arranged marriages) to high-tech (Internet relationships).  Featured guests:  Dr. Helen Fisher, Professor of Anthropology, Rutgers University; Lisa Skrillof, author; Mythili Richards; Lynn Johnston, cartoonist; and, Anne Beatts, comic writer. Satisfaction Turns out the Danes are the most satisfied people in the world. Who knew? We’ll look at the biology of satisfaction and its role in the human experience, and learn why too much choice can leave us DIS-satisfied. Plus, a sneak preview as jazz artist and philosopher diva Nora York performs her new single ”What I Want,” and commentary from the rarely satisfied John Hockenberry. 

Schizoaffective Disorder Hundreds of thousands of Americans have schizoaffective disorder, an overlap of schizophrenia and manic depression. The illness can cause them to have both mood swings and cognitive symptoms including mania, depression and visual or aural hallucinations, and can be at grave risk of suicide Schizophrenia Top researchers and advocates discuss the most recent developments in our understanding of schizophrenia and how to treat it.  Psychologist Fred Frese, who himself has schizophrenia, shares his experience.  Featured guests:  Dr. E. Fuller Torrey, Research Psychiatrist, and, Executive Director, Stanley Foundation Research Programs; Dr. Dolores Malaspina, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Columbia University; Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, Harvard Brain Tissue Research Center; Dr. Anthony Lehman, Professor of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine; Rosalynn Carter, former First Lady, and advocate; and, Connie Lieber, President, National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression. 

Schizophrenia: Second Chances Dramatic advances in schizophrenia research are providing new hope for people suffering from the disease. In this program, we explore recent genetic discoveries as well as new developments in medical and therapeutic treatment. Guests include: Dr. Linda Brzustowicz, Associate Professor of Genetics at Rutgers University; Edith Shuttleworth, a member of Fountain House; Dr. Nancy Andreasen, Andrew H. Woods Chair of Psychiatry at the University of Iowa College of Medicine; Dr. Herbert Meltzer, Professor in the departments of Psychology and Pharmacology at Vanderbilt Medical Center; and, Dr. Xavier Amador, Director of Psychology at the New York State Psychiatric Institute and Professor of Psychology in the department of Psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Sense of Smell You're visiting a friend for dinner. How does the simple act of sniffing the air tell you if you'll be having curry for dinner... or lasagna? This show explores the sophisticated chemical sensing system we know as sense of smell. Dr. Stuart Firestein, Professor of Biology at Columbia University, describes new breakthroughs in our understanding of how we recognize smells. Dr. Sophia Grojsman, of International Flavors and Fragrances, talks about the blend of artistry and chemistry that she brings to her work as a perfume creator. Aromatherapist Trigve Harris, owner of New York's essential oils store Enfleurage, recommends essential oils to comfort the grief-stricken and soothe the frazzled. Joseph "Jofish" Kaye, of the Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, explores new uses of scent to convey abstract information. Dr. Sarah Rachel Herz, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Brown University, shares her findings on the emotional link between sense of smell and memory. And anthropologist Dr. David Howes, of Montreal's Concordia University, offers insight into olfactory codes the world over. 

Sense of Touch This week on The Infinite Mind: Sense of Touch. Guests include Dr. Tiffany Field, director of the Touch Research Institute, University of Miami Medical School; Dr. Susan Lederman, director of the Touch Laboratory Queen's University in Ontario; Dr. Shelby Taylor, adjunct professor of psychology at the California State University, Fullerton; Ann Cunningham, a tactile artist and teacher at The Colorado Center for the Blind; Greg Wong, a student of Ann Cunningham's; and Julie Deden, director of The Colorado Center for the Blind. Also featured is a report by Devorah Klahr on an infant massage class that Stoney Brook University Hospital offers free to parents of premature infants. Plus, John Hockenberry on what he's learned about sense of touch by living with a spinal cord injury that's led to the loss of sensation through much of his body. 

Sexual Attraction Love makes the world go 'round, but sex guarantees the continuation of the human species...so what is it that attracts us to one another? In this program, we look at why we find some traits alluring, the role of pheromones in human attraction and the nature vs. nurture debate for gays and lesbians. Plus, commentary by John Hockenberry.  Featured Guests: David Buss, professor of psychology at the University of Texas and the author of "The Evolution of Desire" and "The Dangerous Passion;" Helen Fisher, anthropologist at Rutgers University and the author of "Anatomy of Love" and "The First Sex: The Natural Talents of Women and How they are Changing the World;” Dr. Charles Wysocki , neuroscientist at Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia; Dr. George Preti, Monell Center and adjunct professor in the Department of Dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania; Simon LeVay, author of a 1990 report that found differences between the size of the hypothalmus in gay and straight men; and cabaret singer Sidney Meyer performs "Ode to Pheromones." 

Shoplifting This hour on The Infinite Mind we’re talking about Shoplifting. We explore the science behind the urge to steal, and the paradox of how a petty crime and a compulsive behavior remain celebrated in our society. 

Shyness Many people feel shy at times. Have you ever wondered what is going on in our minds and bodies when we experience shyness? In this program, we look into both the social aspects and the biology of shyness. Guests include: singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega, who talks about being a shy performer; Dr. Bernardo Carducci, Director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University, Southeast; and, two preeminent developmental psychologists, Dr. Jerome Kagan and Dr. Nathan Fox, who discuss whether shyness is an inborn trait. We also visit a support group for shy people. 

Sibling Relationships We explore Sibling Relationships. Four out of five Americans have a brother or sister. Best friend? Worst enemy? One thing's for sure - nobody can push your buttons like a sibling. How do the bonds between brothers and sisters change over time? Are birth order and spacing between siblings less important than we thought? We'll have the latest research 

Sleep  In this premiere program, Dr. Fred Goodwin takes a fascinating look at sleep and our lives - why we sleep, the role of dreams, why some people cannot sleep, why some people cannot. We hear about a recent study that put people in the dark for 12 hours a day and examined their nocturnal patterns; we hear from a man who, literally and involuntarily, acts out his dreams: a narcoleptic who cannot stay awake; and, from John Updike on insomnia. We also hear about the effects of not sleeping on clinical depression. In the second half hour, new research on depression and manic depression; a novel computerized breakthrough for children with dyslexia; the latest on attention deficit disorder and Alzheimer's; and, questions from callers for Dr. Goodwin on mood disorders. 

Sports Psychology The psychology and brain science of athletic performance.  Hear about the secret mind-body techniques used by top athletes from the sports psychologist for the U.S. Olympic ski team and Ohio State’s football team; five-time American league batting champ Wade Boggs; and sportswriter extraordinaire George Plimpton.  Featured guests:  Dr. Jack Raglin, Associate Professor of Kinesiology, Indiana University; Dr. Chris Carr, Director of Psychological Services, Ohio State University Sports Medicine Center; George Plimpton, writer and editor of The Paris Review; and, Wade Boggs, Tampa Bay Devil Rays. 

State of Mind - 2002:  "State of Mind: America 2002" is an unprecedented town hall gathering of top mental health experts including: Tipper Gore, Rosalynn Carter and U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher, along with performers Jessye Norman, Judy Collins, and Al Franken, and 500 people from across the country. The program is co-hosted by Dr. Fred Goodwin and John Hockenberry at the Museum of Television and Radio in New York City and the National Press Club in Washington D.C.

State of Mind - 2003:  Dramatic cutbacks in public mental health care in states throughout the country are dumping people with serious mental illness into jails, homeless shelters and on the street at a rate eerily reminiscent of the deinstitutionalization of the 1960s and 70s. This special broadcast event, taped live at The Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia, examines the impact of those cuts and the threat they pose to the well-being of some of the most vulnerable and fragile Americans, as well as the real cost to society. Host Dr. Fred Goodwin's line-up includes: former First Lady Rosalynn Carter; former Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher, a performance by Academy Award nominee and three-time Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Aimee Mann and a reading by acclaimed author Meri Nana-Ama Danquah from her memoir Willow Weep for Me: A Black Woman's Journey Through Depression.

State of Mind - 2004: This special broadcast event is The Infinite Mind's third annual examination of the state of the nation's mental health care system, taped before a live audience. Join host Dr. Fred Goodwin and guests actress Carrie Fisher ("Star Wars," "When Harry Met Sally," "Hannah and her Sisters"), who reads from and discusses her new novel, "The Best Awful," a sequel to "Postcards from the Edge; and the casts of the smash Broadway hits Avenue Q (2004 Tony Award for "Best Musical") and Wicked (10 Tony nominations) perform as part of "The Musical Mind on Broadway. John Hockenberry offers a live commentary.  The program also features leading mental health policymakers and scientists on new federal efforts to transform the nation's mental health care system and cutting-edge research on bipolar disorder. Guests include A. Kathryn Power, the newly-appointed Director of the U.S. Center for Mental Health Services, Robert Post, M.D., Director of the Biological Psychiatry Branch of the National Institute of Mental Health; Dominic Lam, Ph.D., of the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College, London, who has pioneered research into the use of cognitive techniques to assist patients in identifying the early signs of bipolar disorder; and Stephan Heckers, M.D., director of the Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Program at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts.

Stigma Negative perceptions of people with mental illness can affect everything from employment to housing to treatment. We'll discuss the latest research on what's behind these attitudes and what can be done to change them. Guests include Isaac Brown, director of advocacy and housing services for Baltic Street Mental Health Services; Dr. Patrick Corrigan, principal investigator for the Chicago Consortium for Stigma Research and the executive director of the University of Chicago Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation; Dr. Michael Hogan, chair of the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health and director of the Ohio Department of Mental Health; Tom Johnson, the former president and CEO of CNN; and Bill Lichtenstein and June Peoples, the senior executive producer and executive producer of The Infinite Mind and the co-producers and co-directors of a new documentary film about mental illness called West 47th Street. 

Stones, Bones, and Brains The skulls of early humans and our pre-human ancestors hold important clues to human evolution.  We look at what scientists are learning from recent discoveries, and what the field of "paleoneurology" can tell us about our own brains.  Featured guests: Dr. Dean Falk of the University of Albany and Dr. Rodolpho Llinas, Chairman of the Department of Physiology. 

Storytelling The magic words "once upon a time" transport us to other worlds and other times. Storytelling is the primary technology of a preliterate age and has traveled through time to make its mark on history. Our brain constructs images and puts them into a narrative flow; our body projects those images onto an audience in front of the hearth, around a fire, sitting in the kitchen or on a stage. Guests include: Diane Wolkstein, a master storyteller from New York City; Dr. Joseph Sobol, director of the Storytelling Graduate Program at East Tennessee State University and author of "The Storytellers' Journey: An American Revival;" Donald Davis, one of the nation's foremost storytellers; and Linda Blackman, Founder and Director of the Mothers' Living Stories Project. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Stress We all experience stress, but where does it come from, and how does it affect us?  We explore what stress is, how it affects the brain and the body, the neurology and psychology of stress, the latest research on its chemistry and ways to deal with stressful situations.  Featured guests: Dr. Robert Sapolsky of Stanford University, author of "Why Zebras Don't Get Stress;" Boston University stress expert Dr. David Barlow;  Sharon Gannon of Jivamukti Yoga Center; and, Tony Calvano, who discusses the stress of dropping the New Year's Millenium Ball in Times Square.  Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Stuttering We all trip over words sometimes, but for three million Americans, it is a constant struggle. This hour of  "The Infinite Mind" explores the underlying neural mechanisms of stuttering, its genetic implications and the social and psychological effects on stutterers. Guests include: Michael Liben, a 15-year old stutterer; Dr. Gerald Maguire, psychiatrist, stutterer and Director of Residency Training at the University of California, Irvine; Dr. Ben Watson, speech physiologist and Director of the Master of Science program in Speech-Language Pathology at New York Medical College; Catherine Montgomery, speech language pathologist; and, Jeff Shames, documentary filmmaker and stutterer. Commentary by John Hockenberry.

Suicide: Who is at Risk Leading researchers explain how breakthroughs in biochemistry help predict the risk of suicide.  Singer/songwriter Suzanne Vega performs and we talk with those who have come back from the brink of suicide.  Featured Guests:  Dr. Jan Fawcett, Rush Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center, Chicago; Dr. David Clark, psychologist, Rush Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center, Chicago; Dr. Phillip Sheridan, Chief of the Epilepsy Branch, National Institute on Neurological Disorders and Stroke; Suzanne Vega, singer/songwriter. 

Surviving Suicide For people who have lost a family member or friend to suicide, grief is often complicated by feelings of anger, shame, fear and guilt. Guests include Dr. Donna Barnes, president and founder of the National Organization for People of Color Against Suicide; Dr. David Clark, Director of the Center for Suicide Research and Prevention at Rush Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago; Dr. David Brent, professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; Mary Kluesner and Al Kluesner, co-founders of Suicide Awareness: Voices of Education; and poet Stanley Kunitz, named United States Poet Laureate in 2000. 

Synesthesia To some people, sounds are visual, numbers are colored and tastes have shapes. Listen to - perhaps even glimpse - the world of synesthesia, where the senses merge in ways that are just beginning to be understood. Includes interviews with Vladimir Nabokov's synesthetic son, Dimitri, and synesthesia researcher Peter Grossenbacher. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Taboos Taboos often seem to have some evolutionary purpose, but there is more to the rules that govern how we eat, sleep, and have sex - or, rather, how we don't. We explore emerging prohibitions in contemporary society as well as persistent rules that have their roots in times past.  Guests include: Dr. Daniel Fessler of the UCLA Department of Anthropology; and, Dr. Paul Rozin, a disgust expert in the psychology department at the University of Pennsylvania; Irvin James of the Navajo nation and Ben Jacobson, head of user research at the on-line consulting company, Razorfish. Also, learn about the Jewish ritual "mikvah." Commentary by Catharine Gates, author of "Deviant Desires: Incredibly Strange Sex." 

Taste Good taste? Tastes good? Our sense of taste helps us to navigate the world of food and the world of culture. We'll hear about what tastes good...and bad...and why. For instance, babies have a sweet-tooth at birth, and the taste for salt may be shaped by early dietary experiences. We talk to Jane and Michael Stern about their travels across the country in search of good food. Dr. Marcia Pelchat, from the Monell Taste and Smell Center demonstrates the link between taste and smell. We learn how Ben Cohen, of Ben and Jerry's fame, and his weak taste buds revolutionized the ice cream industry. We hear about the interaction between our brains and our taste buds, and the discovery of the newest taste: umami from Dr. Nirupa Chaudhari, a neurobiologist from the University of Miami. With the latest news on Huntington's Disease from the editor of the scientific journal Nature Neuroscience, plus commentary from John Hockenberry. 

Teen Suicide Teen suicide has increased three-fold since the 1950s, while overall suicide rates have leveled off in recent years.  There are some 4,000 teen suicides each year and an estimated 80,000 attempted suicides.  In this hour, we look at the risk factors, warning signs and ways to prevent suicide among young people. We also talk to U.S. Surgeon General about his Call To Action to Prevent Suicide. Featured guests: U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher; Dr. Madelyn Gould, Professor of Public Health in the division of Child Psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons; Dr. David Clark, Professor of Psychiatry and the Director of the Center for Suicide Research and Prevention at Rush Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center; Jerry Weyrauck, Founder of Suicide Prevention Advocacy Network, (SPAN), and Kirsten Kingdon, Executive Director of the national organization, Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. 

Television and the Mind Nearly 99% of American households own a television. Is it a "boob tube" or a postivie influence? Featured guests: psychologists Dr. Daniel Anderson, Dr. Robert Kubey, and Dr. Jane Healy; Norman Lear, the creator of groundbreaking TV shows including All in the Family and Sanford and Son; Anthony Zuiker, the creator of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation -- the top-rated drama in America; and public-television documentary filmmaker Ric Burns. With commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Terror, Trauma and Healing The United States has just witnessed the worst terrorist attacks in our nation's history. How can we begin to cope? How can we come to terms with the unthinkable? And how can we help our children through this difficult time? We hear from Ms. Akiko Mitsui, who worked for Fuji Bank in the World Trade Center for fifteen years. Ms. Mitsui shares her experience and her plea against rebuilding the towers where so many people's lives ended in the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001. Dr. Carol North, a psychiatrist who has studied survivors of the Oklahoma City bombing, and psychologist Dr. Doris Brothers offer listeners insight into short-term and long-term reactions to trauma. Senator Pete Domenici, Republican from New Mexico, assesses the government's readiness to respond to what may become a far-reaching crisis in mental health. Child psychologist Dr. Anne Marie Albano provides practical advice to parents and other adults on how to help children through grief and trauma. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Terror, Trauma and Healing: One Year Later Terror, Trauma and Healing: One Year Later is the first in our three-part "Mental Health in Troubled Times," series examining how America is coping one year after September 11th

The Infant Mind How important is a child's environment to the critical first year of life? What are the respective roles of genes and the way we treat an infant in defining the type of person he becomes? Researchers report how babies respond to nurturing and learn languages. We explore the trials of a child prodigy.  Featured guests: Peter and Ann Marie Jusczyk, Johns Hopkins Infant Language Research Laboratory; Dr. Stanley Greenspan, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, George Washington University; Professor Lila Gleitman, Co-Director, University of Pennsylvania Institute for Research in Cognitive Science; David Rakoff, writer and performer; Dr. Steve Suomi, Chief of the Laboratory of Comparative Ethology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; and, Dr. Harry Chugani, Professor of Pediatrics, Neurology and Radiology, Wayne State University. 

The World Translated: Bilingualism The ramifications of bilingual education have been hotly debated, but what is actually going on in the bilingual brain? This week we look at bilingualism and what it tells us about the human capacity for making sense of the world around us. Guests include: writer Julia Alvarez; Dr. Joy Hirsch, head of a magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) laboratory at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; Dr. Ellen Bialystok, a cognitive psychologist and Professor of Psychology at Toronto's York University; and, Lynette Holloway, an education reporter for the New York Times. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Time Time is something we’re all familiar with: we observe it, mark it, wish for more or less of it, even try to escape it. Our relationship with time is constantly changing. But what is time, and why do we measure it as we do? How does our perception of time influence our behavior? And we will look at the science of time travel - it may be closer than you think! Dr. Goodwin's guests include Dr. Anthony Aveni, professor of astronomy and anthropology at Colgate University and author of Empires of Time: Calendars, Clocks, and Cultures; Dr. Philip Zimbardo, professor of psychology at Stanford University and author of the Zimbardo Time Perception Inventory; Dr. Clifford Pickover, prolific science writer, science fiction novelist, and staff member at IBM’s T. J. Watson Research Center; and Dr. Paul Hudson, co-founder of the International Time Capsule Society and professor at Georgia Perimeter College. Plus commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Top 10 Discoveries of the Decade of the Brain  The Decade of the Brain, which ends this year, has marked an acceleration of neuroscience research. This hour focuses on some of the astounding progress we have made in that decade, highlighting the ten most important breakthroughs. Guests include: Dr. Guy McKhann, Associate Director for Clinical Research at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; Dr. Miguel Nicolelis, Associate Professor of Neurobiology at the Duke University Medical Center; Dr. Jeffrey Kordower, Director of Research at the Center for Brain Repair of the Rush Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center; and, Dr. Ronald McKay, Chief of the laboratory of molecular biology at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Tourette's Syndrome The guttural noises, the sudden jerks of the head, the neck, the arms - the occasional curse word and the constant touching.  We explore what is behind the persistent need for motion and the uncontrollable urges which typify Tourette's Syndrome.  Guests include: Dr. Oliver Sacks, internationally renowned author and neurologist; Dr. Joseph Jankovic of the Baylor College of Medicine; and, Dr. James Leckman of Yale University.  Plus, Michael Wolff, the jazz pianist with Tourette's Syndrome who was the inspiration for the film "The Tic Code" starring Gregory Hines, is also a participant.  Also we hear about the latest genetic research and the search for the genes that code for Tourette's Syndrome. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Traumatic Brain Injury According to the Center for Disease Control, 50,000 people die each year of traumatic brain injury in the United States, and another 230,000 are hospitalized for traumatic brain injury and survive. 1 out of 3 of those survivors will experience the onset of permanent disability. In this hour, traumatic brain injury survivor Richard Roe shares his story with us. We hear from neurosurgeons Dr. Ross Bullock and Dr. Randy Chesnut about why the brain is vulnerable to this sort of injury and what can be done regain previous levels of functioning. Neuropsychologist Dr. George Carnevale, from the Kessler Institute in New Jersey, fields calls from survivors and their families, and he discusses the impact of an injury on a survivor's personality, short term memory, and thinking. Dr. Carnevale also focuses on discusses the need for the survivor's family to get adequate support. Filmmaker Daniel Yoon, who survived a traumatic brain injury and went on to write, direct, and star in the autobiographical "Post Concussion," contributes a commentary on nineteenth century traumatic brain injury survivor, Phineas P. Gage. Commentary by John Hockenberry muses on our discomfort with the gray areas of gray matter. 

Twins Nature or nurture?  Twins may hold the answer.  Identical twins raised apart report eerie similarities in lifestyles and preferences.  Host Dr. Fred Goodwin, himself a twin, leads this exploration of the world of twin-ness.  Featured guests: Dr. Nancy Segal, author of "Entwined Lives;" Dr. Thomas Bouchard, Director, the Minnesota Twin Study; Dr. Goodwin's twin brother Cliff, and two sets of identical twins - including brothers separated as infants and reunited after 40 years apart, along with "twin ambassadors" Debbie and Lisa Ganz.  Commentary by John Hockenberry, the father of twins Zoe and Olivia 

Urgency Addiction Are you addicted to adrenaline? Cell phones, e-mail, and the Internet are making "urgency addicts" out us. How your body responds to this assault on the mind, the consequences - and what you can do.  Featured guests:  Dr. Gene Ondrusek, Chief Psychologist, Scripps Memorial Center for Executive Health; Dr. Marvin Zuckerman, Professor of Psychology, University of Delaware; Candace Carpenter, CEO, ivillage.com; Joe Cherner, Director, Smoke Screen Action Network; Drs. Siegfried Streufert and Usha Satish, Department of Behavioral Science, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine; and, Jill Neimark, Editor, Psychology Today. 

Vacation In this hour, we explore Vacation.  Why is it important? Guests include: Dr. Geoffrey Godbey, a professor of leisure studies at Penn State University and the co-author of "Time for Life: The Surprising Way Americans Use their Time"; Joe Robinson, the author of "Work to Live: The Guide to Getting a Life" and the founder of the Work to Live Campaign, which is lobbying for a paid vacation law covering all Americans; Dr. Cindy Aron, a professor of history at the University of Virginia and the author of "Working at Play: A History of Vacations in the United States," and award-winning writer Elliott Hester, who is more than halfway through a yearlong trip around the world. Plus, Devorah Klahr reports on the Fresh Air Fund and commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Vision   Did you know that a quarter of your brain is devoted to vision?  "The Infinite Mind’s" look at Vision features Nobel Prize-winning vision researcher Dr. David Hubel, who also takes listener’s calls.   You will also hear from best-selling author and neurologist Dr. Oliver Sacks about the real-life patient behind the new movie "At First Sight." Plus, new technology for visually impaired people and vision therapy for musicians. Featured guests: Karen Gourgey, Director of the Computer Center for Visually Impaired People at Baruch College in New York City; Nobel Prize-winning vision researcher Dr. David Hubel of Harvard Medical School; behavioral optometrist Ray Gottlieb; and author Dr. Oliver Sacks. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Voices of Experiences: Cambodian Trauma This latest in Lichtenstein Creative Media's Peabody Award-winning "Voices" series examines the mental health of Cambodian refugees living in America and the impact of trauma on the hundreds of thousands of other refugees pouring into the United States. The program, the result of a one-year investigation by reporter Karen Brown, features an in-depth documentary special report and a follow-up discussion with Dr. Patricia Shannon of the Center for Victims of Torture in Minneapolis. 

War: With John Hockenberry Everybody says they're against war, but as a species, we just don't seem to be able to shake the habit. Is there something innate in humans that draws us back to war time and again, despite the awful cost to individuals and society? This special presentation, hosted by John Hockenberry, presents an insightful and powerful vision of war and how to prevent it, as we go behind the headlines to explore the social and psychological underpinnings of war. Guests include: "just war" expert Michael Walzer; Col. Anthony Hartle, who teaches ethics to cadets at West Point; Harvard archeologist Steven LeBlanc; The New York Times war correspondent and best-selling author Chris Hedges; and William Vendley and William Tolbert of the World Conference of Religions for Peace. Tolbert, a minister whose father was assassinated during his tenure as president of Liberia, joins us via cell phone from Monrovia where he is working as a peacemaker. The program also includes a special report on paintball warfare, a performance and discussion with anarchist rockers Chumbawamba who offer a starkly different "peace song," a soldier who describes the thrill of battlefield conflict ("a part of me would certainly love to have that feeling again"); and civilians who have survived war. 

Weather and the Mind Are blue skies smiling above you? Or are you under the weather? Do you know which way the wind is blowing? We often talk about how we feel in terms of the weather, but how much does what's happening outside affect what is going on inside the human mind? 

What it Means to be a Man  The definition of manhood is changing, and many men are searching for a new understanding of masculinity suited to the post-modern age. Joining us to discuss contemporary manhood and its transformation are Robert Bly, award-winning poet and author of the seminal men's book Iron John; Terrence Real, popular psychotherapist, speaker, and author of books on gender relationships; Michael Caruso, editor-in-chief of the magazine Men's Journal; David Buss, professor of evolutionary psychology at the University of Texas-Austin; and Humphrey Taylor, chairman of The Harris Poll, which conducts surveys for marketing and research, reveals the science behind the selection of the new "Brawny paper towel man." Also on this program, reporter Gregory Warner follows a men's group in Manhattan, as they share stories about their lives and tell how bonding together has helped them rediscover what manhood means. Plus, commentator John Hockenberry recounts a harrowing and hilarious experience from high school days which started him thinking about manhood.

What's in a Name? This hour on The Infinite Mind, host Dr. Peter Kramer explores the psychology and history of names, and how they shape our identity.  We take a closer look at the curious coincidence of people whose names match their profession, and we speak with film makers Alan Berliner and Grace Lee, who both made documentaries charting their quest for the people who share their name.  We analyze how products like IPod and Viagra were named with Steve Manning, managing director of Igor, a "naming company."  William Bright, a linguist and anthropologist specializing in place names, tells us how places like Boring, Oregon and Intercourse, Pennsylvania got their names. And commentator John Hockenberry explains why names will never hurt him. 

Where is the Mind? Where is the mind? We talk about gut feelings and following our hearts, but most people would say that the mind is in the brain. Some researchers, however, disagree. This week on "The Infinite Mind," Dr. Fred Goodwin talks to scientists who argue that the mind is not limited to the brain. You will hear about the mind of the gut, the mind as property of the body and the mind of the heart. Featured guests: Dr. Michael Gershon, department Chairman and Professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City; Dr. Paul Pearsall, a psychoneuroimmunologist; Dr. Candace Pert, a research Professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, DC. Commentary by John Hockenberry. 

Women and Mental Illness Women are more likely than men to have clinical depression, anxiety and eating disorders. And their roles - particularly as mothers - can further compound their mental health problems. This program explores both the biological and social forces shaping women’s experience of mental illness. Guests include: Charlotte Willis, a mother and participant in the Thresholds Mothers Program; Nada Stotland, Professor of Psychology at Rush Medical College; Documentary film maker and Professor of Women’s Studies, Allie Light, and Harvard University psychiatrist Dr. Lee Cohen. 

Work  Work is the third program in our three-part series, "Mental Health in Troubled Times: One Year After."  Live to work, or work to live? Attitudes toward work are changing. This program examines our changing relationship with the workplace: new research; the use of consumer trends in advertising; the impact on customer service; and, a program in which retired senior citizens staff a production line. Guests include: J. Walker Smith, President of the national market research firm Yankelovitch Partners, Inc.; ArLyne Diamond, a corporate psychologist; Jess Bell, Vice Chairman of Bonne Bell cosmetics; Marketing Professor Christie Nordhielm of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and, advertising executives Rich Silverstein of Goodby-Silverstein, Dan Sutton of Fallon and Cheryl Berman of Leo Burnett. Commentary by John Hockenberry.

Writer's Block You don’t know what it is to stay a whole day with your head in your hands trying to squeeze your unfortunate brain so as to find a word.” That’s how the French novelist Gustave Flaubert put it. For those with writer’s block, it can be a painful condition which demands attention and defies treatment.  Host Dr. Peter Kramer’s guests include social satirist Fran Lebowitz, a longtime victim of writer’s block and author of "Metropolitan Diaries" and "Social Studies"; Dr. Alice Flaherty, neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA, instructor at Harvard Medical School, and author of "The Midnight Disease: The Drive to Write, Writer's Block, and the Creative Brain"; Joyce Carol Oates, the unusually prolific woman of letters; novelist and commentator Annie LaMott, author of "Bird by Bird"; and singer/songwriter Aimee Mann, whose work includes the song “Calling It Quits.” Actor Stanley Tucci, reads excerpts from authors ranging from Dante to Kafka providing a window on writer’s block over the centuries. 

Youth Violence Youth violence has been in the news and on the minds of politicians and the public since school shootings brought the topic to front pages around the country. But scientists have been studying ways to predict and prevent it for decades. In this hour, we will hear what they have learned, what biology can tell us about violence and what kids have to say on the subject.  Featured guests: Dr. Carl Bell, CEO and President of the Community Mental Health Council in Chicago, and Professor of Psychiatry and public health at the University of Illinois; Dr. John Coie, Professor of Psychology at Duke University and a project director of the Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group; Michael English, mental health official at the Center for Mental Health Services of the Department of Health and Human Services; and, Dr. Debra Neihoff, a neuroscientist and author.