THIS
WEEK'S PROGRAM:
SURVIVING
SUICIDE
Week
of December 7, 2002
Listen to this program now
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, cofounders of Suicide
Awareness: Voices of Education; and poet Stanley
Kunitz, named United States Poet Laureate in 2000.
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THE
INFINITE MIND PROGRAMS
PEACE
Week of November 29, 2002
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This
week on The Infinite Mind: 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.
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MARRIAGE
Week of November 22, 2002
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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.
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ONE POTATO, TWO POTATO: NUMBERS AND THE MIND
Week of November 15, 2002
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This
week on The Infinite Mind: One Potato, Two Potato: 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. Commentary by
John Hockenberry.
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WEATHER AND THE MIND
Week of November 8, 2002
(Originally aired week
of December 19, 2001)
Listen to this program now
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?
The
show includes an interview with Dr. Norman Rosenthal, the
author of "Winter Blues" and the developer of "the
light box" as a treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Anthropologist Dr. Benjamin Orlove discusses how people
around the world relate to their local weather. Dave Thurlow,
the long time host of public radio's "Weather Notebook,"
speculates on the link between weather lore and optimism. Writer
Jan de Blieu discusses and reads from her award-winning
book "Wind: How the Flow of Air Has Shaped Life, Myth, and
the Land." And we ride along with a tornado-chasing tour
guide, whose itinerary across the Mid-West gives a whole new meaning
to "whirlwind tour." Jungian analyst Dr. Beverley
Zabriskie offers insight into our fascination with extreme
weather. Commentary by John Hockenberry.
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ALZHEIMER'S: RESEARCH SUCCESS STORIES
Broadcast beginning
October 30, 2002
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In this
hour, 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.
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SENSE
OF TOUCH
Broadcast beginning October 25, 2002
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This
week on The Infinite Mind: Sense of Touch. The program explores
how we use sense of touch to learn, why infants fail to thrive
without touch, and the mind/body connection behind the therapeutic
use of massage. Plus, how touch can make you more charismatic
and from "Don't touch" to "Please touch" - tactile art you're
meant to feel.
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.
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SIBLING
RELATIONSHIPS
Broadcast beginning
October 16, 2002
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In this hour,
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. Guests include: psychologists
Dr. Judy Dunn, Dr. Laurie Kramer,
and Dr. Peter Goldenthal; brothers Matt
Lee and Ted Lee, who share a byline
in The New York Times; and the brother and sister who lead the
musical group the Cowboy Junkies.
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CHRONIC
FATIGUE SYNDROME
Broadcast beginning October 9, 2002
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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 singer-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.
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TELEVISION
AND THE MIND
Broadcast beginning October 2, 2002
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In
this hour, we explore Television and the Mind. Nearly 99% of American
households own a television. Is it a "boob tube" or a postivie
influence? Guests include psychologists Dr. Daniel Anderson,
Dr. Robert Kubey, and Dr. Jane Healy; Norman
Lear, the creator of groundbreaking 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.
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VOICES
OF EXPERIENCE: CAMBODIAN TRAUMA IN AMERICA
Broadcast beginning September 25, 2002
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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.
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WORK
Broadcast
beginning September 18, 2002
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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. With commentary
by John Hockenberry.
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ETHICS:
A NATIONAL CRISIS OF CONSCIENCE?
Broadcast
beginning September 11, 2002
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Ethics:
A National Crisis of Conscience? is the second program
in our three-part series Mental Health in Troubled Times: One
Year After.
In
the days and weeks following the terrorist attacks of last year,
Americans around the country joined together in grief, righteous
anger, and patriotism. But over the past 12 months, we have witnessed
one scandal after another -- Arthur Anderson, Enron, the Catholic
Church, Martha Stewart, WorldCom -- capturing public attention
and eroding public trust. This week we look at what it means to
behave ethically and where some church and corporate leaders have
gone wrong.
Correspondent
Phillip Martin reports on an "ethical fitness"
seminar at the Institute for Global Ethics,
where Americans from around the country gather to talk about ethics.
Dr. Goodwin's guests include Kim
Clark, Dean
of the Harvard Business School; Steven Pinker, professor of psychology in the
department of brain and cognitive sciences at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology; Father Robert Drinan,
Professor of Ethics and Law, Georgetown University Law Center,
Jed Emerson, a fellow at the
Hewlett Foundation and a leading proponent of social responsibility
in business; Mary Flood, a reporter
for the Houston Chronicle who broke much of the Enron story;
and singer-songwriters Suzzy and Maggie Roche
perform their song "Anyway."
Commentary by John Hockenberry.
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TERROR,
TRAUMA AND HEALING: ONE YEAR LATER
Broadcast
beginning September 4, 2002
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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.
In
this hour, we look at the mental health of the nation. Guests
include: world-leading trauma specialists Dr. Robert Pynoos,
who is a professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine
and Co-Director of the National Center for Child Traumatic Stress,
and Dr. Randall Marshall, who is a professor of Psychiatry
at Columbia University's medical school and Director of Trauma
Studies for the New York State Office of Mental Health at the
New York State Psychiatric Institute; The New York Times
Op-Ed columnist Frank Rich; former first-lady and leading
mental health advocate Rosalynn Carter; and documentary
filmmaker Ric Burns, who is now adding a new episode to
his already-completed mini-series about New York - a history of
the World Trade Center. Commentary by John Hockenberry.
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MOVING
Broadcast
beginning August 28, 2002
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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, explore the psychological
stresses of moving and what parents can do to make a move easier
on their children. Cultural psychologist Dr. David Matsumoto
shares his findings on culture shock and offers tips on 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, including a former New Yorker who
now makes his home in North Carolina, 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 extension
cords and a can opener.
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IMAGINATION
Broadcast
beginning August 21, 2002
(Broadcast originally November 21, 2001)
Listen to this program now
In
this hour, we explore 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,
a 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.
Plus commentary by John Hockenberry.
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ANIMAL
COMPANIONS
Broadcast
beginning August 14, 2002
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In
this hour, we explore Animal Companions. Can having 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 MIT 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.
Originally aired January 30, 2002.
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LAUGHTER
Broadcast
beginning August 7, 2002
Listen to this program now
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, why does Hollywood still love the laugh track
in a special report featuring writer/producer Larry Gelbart
and Bill Lawrence and professional laugh-track sweetener
David Maitland. Concluding the show, commentator John
Hockenberry answers the age-old riddle "Why did the caterpillar
cross the roadway?"
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HOARDING
Listen to this program now
Broadcast beginning July
31, 2002
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.
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HIV/AIDS
AND THE MIND
Listen to this program now
Broadcast beginning July
24, 2002
It's
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. Its been years since we've 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 panel 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. 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.
And we hear from Drew De Los Reyes, a counselor at the
New York AIDS service and advocacy organization Gay Men's Health
Crisis, and 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'd kept at bay for years after testing positive
to HIV.
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GAMBLING
Listen to this program now
Broadcast beginning July
17, 2002
In
this hour, we explore Gambling.
Why
can some people walk away from the casino, and 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.
Plus,
commentary by John Hockenberry.
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NATIVE
AMERICANS AND SUICIDE
Listen to this program now
Broadcast beginning July
10, 2002
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 on preparation 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 . Plus commentary by John
Hockenberry.
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MUSIC
AND THE MIND
Listen
to this program now
Broadcast beginning July
3, 2002
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.
Plus
commentator John Hockenberry talks about Hendrix, Beethoven,
and N'Sync, and plays the flute (not at the same time).
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MENTAL
ILLNESS IN THE FAMILY
Listen
to this program now
Broadcast beginning June
26, 2002
In
this hour, we explore Mental Illness in the Family. Anger. Frustration.
Resentment. Helplessness. If someone in your family has mental
illness, may be feeling all of these things. 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 Boston's Children's Hospital,
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 with a special report on
parents that have had to give up custody of their ill children
to foster care when their mental health insurance runs out. And
commentary by John Hockenberry.
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MENTAL
ILLNESS AND THE MEDIA
Listen
to this program now
Broadcast
beginning June 19, 2002
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 preponderance
of negative portrayals of people with mental illnesses in the
media and widespread discrimination against those affected with
these illnesses. Then we probe what really goes on in a newsroom,
and 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.
Plus
commentary by John Hockenberry.
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MONEY
AND THE MIND
Listen
to this program now
Broadcast
beginning June 12, 2002
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.
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THE
MUSIC OF THE INFINITE MIND
Broadcast
beginning June 5, 2002
In
this hour, a special presentation:The Music of The Infinite Mind.
From the very beginning, The Infinite Mind has set out
to explore the science AND art of the human mind. As you'll hear
today, in our four years, a number of extraordinary musicians
-- and a few moonlighting scientists -- have joined us to offer
their artistic perspective on a range of topics - from autism
to parenting to moving.
We
thought it would be fun to take the tapes off the shelf, dust
them off, and take a listen to some of these magical performances.
Guests include Suzanne Vega; Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor,
the singing scientist; Jessye Norman; psychiatrist and
pianist Dr. Richard Kogan; Laurie Berkner; Louden
Wainwright III; Dar Williams; and Judy Collins.
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THE
BROKEN TRUST: SEXUAL ABUSE OF CHILDREN
Week of May 29, 2002
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, much less 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. Commentary from John Hockenberry
concludes the program.
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THE
GOLDEN YEARS? MENTAL HEALTH AND THE ELDERLY
Week of May 22, 2002
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, herself,
been diagnosed with depression and 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.
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THE
HIDDEN COSTS OF MENTAL ILLNESS
Broadcast
beginning May 15, 2002
What
are
the hidden costs of mental illnesses? 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
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.
And 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.
...Want to read more about this program? Click here!
SURVIVING
SUICIDE
Broadcast
beginning May 8, 2002
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, cofounders of Suicide Awareness: Voices
of Education; and poet Stanley Kunitz, named United States
Poet Laureate in 2000.
...Want to read more about this program? Click here!
PSYCHOANALYSIS
Week of May 1, 2002
In
this hour, we explore Psychoanalysis, including what's new since
Freud's day, new 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. Plus, we'll 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.
...Want to read more about this program? Click here!
HYPNOSIS
Week of April 24, 2002
"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,
...Want to read more about this program? Click here!
PREJUDICE
Week of
April 17, 2002
In
this hour, we explore the topic of Prejudice. Why
do human beings so often divide the world into "us" and "them?"
Whether it's 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. And we talk to writer Esmeralda Santiago,
journalist Ellis Cose, and filmmakers Marco Williams
and Whitney Dow about the psychological effects of
prejudice.
...Want to read more about this program? Click here!
ANGER
Broadcast Week of
April 10, 2002
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
New York City's Tibet House. Commentary by John Hockenberry
focuses on what may be the world's angriest spot, the Middle East.
...Want to read more about this program? Click here!
MULTIPLE
SCLEROSIS
Week of April 3, 2002
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.
...Want to read more about this program? Click here!
MUSIC
AND THE MIND
Broadcast
beginning March 27, 2002
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. Plus commentator
John Hockenberry talks about Hendrix, Beethoven, and N'Sync,
and plays the flute (not at the same time).
...Want to read more about this program? Click here!
BEYOND
THE BABY BLUES:
POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION AND PSYCHOSIS
Broadcast beginning March 20, 2002
(An encore presentation. Winner of a 2002 National Headliner Award.)
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, who co-founded the Hestia Institute, a mental health
center for women and families; law expert Michelle Oberman,
who has written about 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;
and women who have suffered from these illnesses.
...Want to read more about this program? Click here!
ATTENTION
DEFICIT IN CHILDREN
Week of March 6, 2002
Fidgeting,
daydreaming, not paying attention to the teacher, a preoccupation
with "Gameboy"... are these characteristics of a typical American
kid or signs of an underlying neurobiological disorder? In this
show, 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 the local
Board of Education to get the help he needed in school. And commentary
by John Hockenberry.
...Want
to read more about this program? Click here!
DYSLEXIA
Broadcast
beginning week of February 20, 2002
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, with guests including 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.
...Want
to read more about this program? Click here!
STATE
OF MIND: AMERICA 2002
A
special two-hour town hall broadcast from The Infinite Mind
Order
a CD or transcript of State of Mind: America 2002.
State
of Mind: America 2002 is an unprecedented town hall gathering
of top mental health experts including Tipper Gore, Rosalynn Carter,
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 and is airing
on public radio stations across the country. The show was recorded
February 7, 2002 at The Museum of Television & Radio in New
York City and The National Press Club in Washington D.C. This
special broadcast is co-sponsored by public radio stations WNYC/New
York and WAMU 88.5FM/Washington, DC.
An
extended educational outreach campaign will accompany the broadcast,
produced in conjunction with the National Mental Health Association,
the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, the National Depressive
and Manic Depressive Association and the National Mental Health
Awareness Campaign.
...For
more about this program click here!
HANDEDNESS
Week of February 6, 2002
What
do Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Oprah Winfrey, and The
Infinite Mind's host, Dr. Fred Goodwin, have in common? They're
all left-handed. In this all-new program, we'll explore what handedness
had to do with the development of language; the connection between
left handedness and dyslexia, alcoholism, and shorter life expectancies;
and why lefties may have a creative edge.
Plus,
verbal wizard Richard Lederer on southpaws, righteousness, and
the radical turkey (it had two left wings); and commentary by
John Hockenberry.
...Want
to read more about this program? Click here!
WASTING
AWAY: ANOREXIA AND BULIMIA
Week of January 23, 2002
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.
...Want
to read more about this program? Click here!
LIES,
LIES, LIES
Week of January 9, 2002
This
week, in an encore presentation, 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).
The
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, San Francisco, clues us into
what he's found in over thirty years of researching why and how
people lie. J.J. Newberry, of the Institute of Analytic
Interviewing, tells us how he puts Dr. Ekman's findings into action
in training police. And 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 turned on its head.
...Want
to read more about this program? Click here!
ATTACHMENT
Week of January 2, 2002
It's
human to connect. Without the opportunity for consistent relationships
early in life, though, 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, the founder of the Network for the Post-Institutionalized
Child, and Joyce Peters, the adoptive mother of a child
with attachment disorder.
...Want
to read more about this program? Click here!
SHYNESS
Week of December 26, 2001
Everyone feels shy sometimes. Have you ever wondered what's going
on in our minds and bodies when we experience shyness? This week,
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, the
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 a support
group for shy people.
...Want
to read more about this program? Click here!
WEATHER AND THE MIND
Week of December 19, 2001
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?
The
show includes an interview with Dr. Norman Rosenthal, the
author of "Winter Blues" and the developer of "the
light box" as a treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Anthropologist Dr. Benjamin Orlove discusses how people
around the world relate to their local weather. Dave Thurlow,
the long time host of public radio's "Weather Notebook,"
speculates on the link between weather lore and optimism. Writer
Jan de Blieu discusses and reads from her award-winning
book "Wind: How the Flow of Air Has Shaped Life, Myth, and
the Land." And we ride along with a tornado-chasing tour
guide, whose itinerary across the Mid-West gives a whole new meaning
to "whirlwind tour." Jungian analyst Dr. Beverley
Zabriskie offers insight into our fascination with extreme
weather. Commentary by John Hockenberry.
...Want to read more about this program? Click here!
MIGRAINE
December
12, 2001
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
isn't a valid option. As recent studies have shown, migraine is
a neurological condition, and too often it is debilitating. This
show brings together scientists and "migraineurs" to share the
latest research on migraine and talk over what's going on in the
brains and lives of people with migraine.
Guests include
neurologist Dr. Stuart Tepper, the director at the New
England Center for Headache in Stamford; 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, but perhaps less well-known as a migraine sufferer.
Commentary by
John Hockenberry.
...Want
to read more about this program? Click here!
ART
AND MADNESS
December
5 , 2001
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, a professor of clinical
psychology and comparative literature at Rutgers University; Dr.
David Schuldberg, a professor in the Department of Psychology
at the University of Montana in Missoula; Dr. Richard Kogan,
a psychiatrist and concert pianist; Linda Gray Sexton,
writer and daughter of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Anne Sexton.
With commentary by John Hockenberry.
...Want
to read more about this program? Click here!
NATIVE
AMERICANS AND SUICIDE
November
28, 2001
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 on preparation 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 .
Plus
commentary by John Hockenberry.
...Want
to read more about this program? Click here!
A
NEW "NORMAL?"
November
14, 2001
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. Special program
note: Click here
for special outreach materials that you can use to continue this
discussion in your own community.
...Want
to read more about this program? Click here!
OVEREATING
AND OBESITY
November
7, 2001
Three
out of five Americans are overweight or obese by medical standards
- it's 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. Plus commentary by John Hockenberry.
HIV/AIDS
AND THE MIND
October
31, 2001
It's
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. Its been years since we've 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. 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. And we hear from Drew De Los Reyes, a counselor
at the New York AIDS service and advocacy organization Gay
Men's Health Crisis, and 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'd kept at bay for years after
testing positive to HIV.
EXERCISE
AND THE MIND
October
24, 2001
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.
SENSE
OF SMELL
October
17, 2001
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 emotionaly 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.
HOW
TO CHOOSE A THERAPIST
October
10, 2001
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'll
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 nation's
Center for Mental Health Services. We'll also speak with Dr.
Susan Vaughan, an assistant professor of clinical psychiatry
at Columbia University medical school and the author of The Talking
Cure: The Science Behind Psychotherapy.
RESILIENCE
October
3, 2001
How
is it that adversity can defeat some people, and bring out the
best in others? In the shadow of the recent terrorist attacks
on the United States, many Americans have risen to new challenge
with courage and grace. This show explores what lets some people
not only "bounce back" from disaster, but 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 neuro-biologists, Dr. Robert Sapolsky, discusses
how stress harms us... and helps us. And storyteller Laura
Simms shares an Arabic story that reveals how even in grief
we are not alone. Plus, John Hockenberry contributes a
moving, insightful commentary on volcanos, SCUD missiles, terrorism,
and resiliency.
MENTAL
HEALTH IN TROUBLED TIMES
September
26, 2001
This
week, we explore 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 our best programs.
According
to a recent study by the Pew Research Center, 7 out of 10 Americans
feel depressed, nearly half have had 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 now affecting all of our lives.
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;
and a discussion about altruism with a Buddhist lama, an Episcopal
priest, a Muslim imam and a Jewish rabbi.
THE
INFINITE MIND SPECIAL REPORT:
TERROR: TRAUMA AND HEALING
September
19, 2001
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 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. And child psychologist Dr.
Anne Marie Albano provides practical advice
to parents and other adults in how to help children through grief
and trauma. With commentary by John Hockenberry.
THE
CLOSING OF HAVERFORD STATE: A SPECIAL REPORT
Week
of September 12, 2001
(Originally aired week of March 15, 1999)
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, exclusive to The Infinite Mind,
she follows the stories of patients and staff as they start their
new lives.
This special report has won three major journalism awards since
it was first broadcast in 1999, including a Clarion Award from
the Association of Women in Communication, an EDI Award from National
Easter Seals and a Deadline Award from Sigma Delta Chi, the Society
of Professional Journalists.
PARAPSYCHOLOGY:
SCIENCE AND PSYCHICS
Broadcast beginning September 4,
2001
Psychics,
ESP, ghosts - do these things 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.
...Want to read more about this program? Click here!
DYSTHYMIA
Broadcast beginning August 29, 2001
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.
...Want to read more about this program? Click here!
TRAUMATIC
BRAIN INJURY
Broadcast beginning August 22, 2001
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. One out
of three of those survivors will experience the onset of permanent
disability. In this show, 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 so vulnerable to this sort of injury, and what can be done
regain previous levels of functioning. Neuropsychologist Dr.
George Carnevale, of New Jersey's Kessler Institute, fields
calls from survivors and their families, and discusses the impact
of an injury on a survivor's personality, short term memory, and
thinking. He also 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. And commentator John Hockenberry muses on our
discomfort with the gray areas of gray matter.
...Want to read more about this program? Click here!
PAM'S
STORY
Broadcast
beginning July 25, 2001
Pam's Story originally aired October 11, 2000.
Since then, it was honored by the International Radio Festival
and the Gracie Awards.
We are pleased to present this encore presentation.
Pam's Story is a special one-hour The Infinite Mind
documentary which takes an in-depth look at a topic we rarely
discuss--the death of a baby in utero and how a family copes with
the loss. Producer Cindi Deutschman follows her sister Pam for
two years, as she grieves the death of her stillborn daughter
Abrianna and embarks on another pregnancy. Stillbirth accounts
for 7 out of every 1000 births. About 26,000 babies are stillborn
each year in the United States. Most of us know someone--a parent,
friend, sibling, coworker, or acquaintance--who has experienced
a pregnancy loss of some kind, and yet we never talk about it.
...Want
to read more about this program? Click here!
PERFECT PITCH
Broadcast
beginning July 18, 2001
Why
can some people name a note as soon as they hear it when others
can't tell one from another? In this hour, we'll explore the mysterious
ability known as perfect pitch. A cellist with perfect pitch will
give a guided tour through the notes and keys. We'll also hear
from a psychologist and geneticist who have different ideas about
how many people have perfect pitch and why. And a report on Williams
Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder which 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, a record producer and psychology professor
at McGill University; Dr. Peter Gregersen, Chief of the
Division of Biology and Human Genetics North Shore University
Hospital; 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 at Irvine. Commentary by John
Hockenberry
...Want
to read more about this program? Click here!
CYBERPSYCH:
MENTAL HEALTH ON THE INTERNET
Broadcast beginning July 11, 2001
In this age of cyber-everything, it's hard to imagine anything
that can't be gotten 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 John Grohol
of HelpHorizons.com; clinical psychologist and attorney Dr.
Russ Newman, executive director for the professional practice
for 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.
...Want
to read more about this program? Click here!
BORDERLINE
PERSONALITY DISORDER
Broadcast
beginning week of July 4, 2001
Statistics
on Borderline Personality Disorder can be hard to come
by. But reliable estimates indicate as many as one in fifty Americans
may suffer from the disorder. It was first recognized in the 1930s,
but therapists still argue over how to define and treat it. In
fact, many object to the name itself, since personality disorders
are often seen as less "serious" than the major mental illnesses
like schizophrenia, depression, and bipolar disorder.
This week on The Infinite Mind, we learn about the symptoms
of BPD, why it is so frustrating for therapists to treat it, and
a new form of therapy that has been effective.
...Want
to read more about this program? Click here!
COURAGE
Broadcast
beginning week of June 20, 2001
What
separates the ordinary neighbor from the heroic life-saver? The
bystander from the holocaust rescuer? We'll look at the science
and spectacle of courage.
Guests on this show include sociologist Samuel Oliner,
writer and lawyer, Harriet Johnson, psychologist 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. Commentary
by John Hockenberry.
...Want
to read more about this program? Click here!
WOMEN
AND MENTAL ILLNESS
Broadcast
beginning week of June 13, 2001
Women
are more likely 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, Rush Medical
College professor of psychiatry Nada Stotland, documentary
maker and women's studies professor, Allie Light, and Harvard
University psychiatrist Lee Cohen. Commentary by John
Hockenberry.
...Want
to read more about this program? Click here!
STUTTERING
Broadcast
beginning June 6, 2001
We all trip over words sometimes, but for three million Americans,
it's 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, 15 year old stutterer; Dr. Gerald
Maguire, psychiatrist, stutterer and director of residency
training at University of California at 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; Jeff Shames, documentary
filmmaker and stutterer. Commentary by John Hockenberry.
HABIT
Broadcast beginning May 30, 2001
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,
a professor of neuroanatomy in the Department of Brain and Cognitive
Sciences at MIT; Dr. Kurt Fischer, the director of the
Mind, Brain & Education program at the Harvard University
Graduate School of Education; Dr. Bruce Masek, the clinical
director of Child Psychology at Massachusetts General Hospital
and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School; and stand-up
comic Sean Conroy. Commentary by John Hockenberry.
TOP
10 DISCOVERIES FROM THE DECADE OF THE BRAIN
Broadcast beginning May 23, 2001
The decade of the brain, which ends this year, marked an acceleration
of neuroscience research. This show takes a lookat some of the
astounding progress we've 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 at 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.
AI:
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Week of May 9, 2001
Here
we are in the year 2001, and - despite the movie'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.
RITES
OF PASSAGE
Week of April 25, 2001
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.
THE
ELECTRIC BRAIN
Week of April 18, 2001
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.
SCHIZOPHRENIA: SECOND CHANCES
Week of April 11, 2001
Dramatic
advances in schizophrenia research are providing new hope for
people suffering from the disease. In this show, we'll 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, the State University
of New Jersey; Edith Shuttleworth, member of Fountain House;
Dr. Nancy Andreasen, the 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, the
Director of Psychology at the New York State Psychiatric Institute
and a Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry
at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons. Commentary
by John Hockenberry.
CONSCIOUSNESS
Week of March 27, 2001
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, of
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; with 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, and commentary
by John Hockenberry.
HORMONES
AND THE MIND
Week of March 20, 2001
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 who discusses 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.
DOUBLE
JEOPARDY: MENTAL ILLNESS AND ADDICTION
Week of March 13, 2001
Mental
illness and addiction: for 10 million Americans these debilitating
disorders, hard enough to cope with on their own, are a deadly
team. 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. And 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.
THE
WORLD, TRANSLATED: BILINGUALISM
Week of February 28, 2001
The
ins and outs 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, who heads a magnetic
resonance imaging (fMRI) laboratory at Memorial Sloan-Kettering
Cancer Center; Dr. Ellen Bialystok, a cognitive psychologist
who is Professor of Psychology at Toronto's York University; Lynette
Holloway, an education reporter for the New York Times and
commentary by John Hockenberry.
ALTRUISM
Week of January 31, 2001
Is
everything we do motivated by selfishness? Can a person ever act
only in the best interest of another person? And when we do 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 in Lawrence; Emily Palmer, editor of "The Chronicle
of Philanthropy;" 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.
AUTISM:
BEYOND THE SILENCE
Week of January 24, 2001
(Originally aired week of July 19, 1999)
Locked
inside the silent world of the autistic child is an unimaginable
richness of color, sensation and sound. As if an opera singer
was performing a beautiful aria in the forest -- with no audience
to hear. The brain of the autistic child becomes locked away,
unreachable by language. Until recently blamed on bad parenting,
autism is now known to be a genetic disorder, with medications
and behavioral therapies able to help many children.
As
reported cases of autism skyrocket, we hear from parents and people
living with autistic disorders including Cure Autism Now founder
and Hollywood producer Jonathan Shestack and author Temple
Grandin, and the latest scientific research. Actor Anthony
Edwards from the hit TV show ER shares his own experiences,
and Suzanne Vega performs.
THE
INSANITY DEFENSE
Week of January 17, 2001
Everyone knows about the insanity
defense, but not everyone realizes just 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 ins and outs of the rare insanity defense.
Guests include law professor Richard Bonnie and forensic
psychiatrist Dr. Philip Resnick. Commentary by John
Hockenberry.
SYNESTHESIA
Week of January 10, 2001
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.
TOURETTE'S
SYNDROME
Week of January 3, 2001
(Originally broadcast week of May 3, 2000)
The
guttural noises, the sudden jerks of the head, the neck, the arms
. . . the occasional curse word and the constant touching. We
explore what's behind the constant need for motion and the uncontrollable
urges which typify Tourette's Syndrome. Guests include Dr.
Oliver Sacks, the 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 upcoming film Gregory Hines film, The Tic
Code. Also, we'll hear about the latest genetic research and
the search for the genes that code for Tourette's Syndrome. Plus,
commentary by John Hockenberry.
COMPLEMENTARY
MEDICINE
Week of December 27, 2000
(Originally broadcast week of January 19, 2000)
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. Guests include 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;" with commentary by John Hockenberry
on Atlanta Braves pitcher John Rocker.
OPTIMISM
Week of December 20, 2000
(Originally broadcast November 24, 1999)
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 special report on the voting rights of psychiatric
patients. With commentary by John Hockenberry.
HUNTINGTON'S
DISEASE
Broadcast
beginning December 13, 2000
(Originally Broadcast March 15, 2000)
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.
Guests include 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.
SEXUAL
ATTRACTION
Broadcast
beginning December 6, 2000
(Originally broadcast January 12, 2000)
Sexual
attraction is the key to the perpetuation of the human species.
It pervades our everyday lives in numerous ways, including how
we behave, how we interact with each other, even the advertisements
we see. In this hour of The Infinite Mind, we take a look
at sexual attraction from the point of view of evolution, anthropology,
biology -- and cabaret.
With David Buss, a professor of psychology at the University
of Texas and the author of "The Evolution of Desire" and "The
Dangerous Passion", and Helen Fisher, an 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,"
cabaret performer Sidney Meyer, Dr. Charles Wysocki, a
neuroscientist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia,
and Dr. George Preti, a chemist at the Monell Center, and
an adjunct professor in the Department of Dermatology at the University
of Pennsylvania, Simon LeVay, whose 1990 report that he
found differences between the size of the hypothalmus in gay and
straight men sparked controversy. With commentary by John Hockenberry.
PSYCHOSIS
Broadcast
beginning November 29, 2000
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'll 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. Guests include: singer/songwriter
Dory Previn, 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 and Nature Neuroscience
editor Dr. Charles Jennings.
COMA
Broadcast beginning November 15, 2000
If we're to believe typical depictions on TV and
in the movies, when someone wakes up from a coma, they get up,
get out of bed and go straight back to their lives without missing
a beat. That's not quite accurate. In this hour, we attempt to
demystify the condition of coma:-what is it, how it's treated,
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, the 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.
PLAY
Broadcast
beginning October 25, 2000
Play, the silly stuff of life, turns out to
be more than just a good time. This hour of The Infinite Mind
looks at 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 play room at a hospital's pediatric
ward, as well as 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, of the social work staff of
Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center. Commentary by John Hockenberry.
PAM'S
STORY:
THE HIDDEN WORLD OF PERINATAL LOSS
Broadcast
beginning October 18, 2000
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?
LANGUAGE
AND
POPULAR CULTURE
Broadcast
beginning October 11, 2000
Language is our most powerful tool.
we use it to communicate our thoughts, our fears, our emotions
and our 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 explore their own lives. And 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, an English professor and Linguist at
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill; The Urbana Slam Poetry
Team, the current National Slam Poetry Team Champions; and Dr.
Ronald Butters, a professor of English and Cultural Anthropology
at Duke University. Commentary by John Hockenberry.
CELL
PHONES
Broadcast
beginning September 27, 2000
With
100 million Americans using cell phones, there's 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 on 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.
THE
BIPOLAR CHILD
Broadcast
beginning September 20, 2000
Listen to this program now
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. Guests in this special
program include Janice and Dr. Demitri Papolos, best-selling authors
of a new and ground-breaking book on bipolar children, and Martha
Hellander, director of the Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation.
The Infinite Mind's host, Dr. Fred Goodwin, one of the world's
leading authorities on bipolar disorder, leads the discussion.
WOMEN
AND MENTAL ILLNESS
Week
of September 13, 2000
Women
are more likely 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, Rush Medical
College professor of psychiatry Nada Stotland, documentary
maker and women's studies professor, Allie Light, and Harvard
University psychiatrist Lee Cohen.
STORYTELLING
Week
of September 6, 2000
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. With commentary by John Hockenberry.
COURAGE
Week
of August 30, 2000
What
separates the ordinary neighbor from the heroic life-saver? The
bystander from the holocaust rescuer? We'll look at the science
and spectacle of courage. Guests on this show include sociologist
Samuel Oliner, writer and lawyer, Harriet Johnson,
psychologist 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.
DYSLEXIA
Week
of August 23, 2000
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, with guests including 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.
TABOOS
Week
of August 16, 2000
Why
does every culture consider some behavior beyond the pale?
Taboos often seem to have some evolutionary purpose. But there's
more to the rules that govern how we eat, sleep, and have sex
- or, rather, how we don't. We'll explore emerging prohibitions
in contemporary
society as well as persistent rules that have their roots in times
past.
With Dr. Daniel Fessler of the UCLA department of anthropology
and Dr. Paul Rozin, a disgust expert at the University of Pennsylvania
department of psychology. We speak with Irvin James of the Navajo
nation and Ben Jacobson, head of user research at the on-line
consulting company, Razorfish. Also, learn about the mikvah and
Jewish taboos around menstruation.
Plus commentary from Catharine Gates, author of Deviant Desires:
Incredibly Strange Sex.
BASIC
BRAIN
Week
of August 9, 2000
If
you don't know your brain stem from your cerebellum,
this is the show for you. This clear and understandable primer
on the structure and workings of the human brain features performances
by the Brainiacs improvisational comedy troupe.
Other guests include: Dr. Norbert Myslinski, University of Maryland
professor 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.
EPILEPSY
Week
of August 2, 2000
(Originally aired week of September 20, 1999)
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'll hear about the latest in epilepsy treatment
and research. Plus, a look at cultural perceptions of epilepsy,
and commentary by John Hockenberry.
TASTE
Week
of July 26, 2000
(Originally
aired week of April 19, 2000)
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.
PSYCHO-ONCOLOGY
Broadcast beginning week of July 19, 2000
(Originally aired week of February 2, 2000)
"You've got cancer" are
some of the most frightening words anyone can hear. In this hour
of The Infinite Mind, we'll talk about the psychology of cancer,
a relatively new field called psycho-oncology. Drs. Jimmie Holland
and David Payne of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center will
talk about helping people cope with cancer diagnosis and treatment.
These pioneers in this field will also discuss whether or not
a positive attitude can help a person's prognosis. Plus, a visit
to Gilda's Club, poetry from breast cancer survivors, helping
kids cope with cancer, and commentary by John Hockenberry.
PARENTING
Broadcast beginning week of July 12, 2000
(Originally aired week of February 16, 2000)
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? In this program, we talk to Dr. Marguerite Barratt,
director of Michigan State University's Institute for Children,
Youth and Families about parenting young children, and to Dr.
Harold Koplowicz, director and founder of the New York University
Child Study Center, about raising teenagers. We'll also hear from
Judith Rich Harris, author of The Nurture Assumption, on just
how much influence parents really have. Plus, a visit to a parenting
workshop by popular authors Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish, a
discussion with best-selling author Annie Lamott, a performance
by children's singer and songwriter Laurie Berkner, and commentary
by John Hockenberry.
MENOPAUSE
AND THE MIND
Week
of June 28, 2000
(Originally aired week of September 28, 1999)
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, menopause poetry and
commentary by John Hockenberry.
THE CLOSING OF
HAVERFORD STATE:
A SPECIAL REPORT
Week
of June 21, 2000
(Originally aired week of March 15, 1999)
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, exclusive to The Infinite Mind,
she follows the stories of patients and staff as they start their
new lives.
This special report has won three major journalism awards since
it was first broadcast in 1999, including a Clarion Award from
the Association of Women in Communication, an EDI Award from National
Easter Seals and a Deadline Award from Sigma Delta Chi, the Society
of Professional Journalists.
STONES,
BONES, and BRAINS
Week
of June 14, 2000
The
skulls of early humans and our pre-human ancestors hold important
clues to human evolution. We'll look at what scientists are learning
from recent discoveries, and what the field of "paleoneurology"
can tell us about our own brains. With commentary by John Hockenberry.
AMNESIA
Week of May 31, 2000
When most of us think of amnesia, we think of soap
opera story-lines where a character returns from a long absence
with no memory of their old life or as a plot twist in Hollywood
films. But amnesia that severe, where someone forgets everything,
is very uncommon. 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." Plus, commentary
by John Hockenberry.
PLACEBO
EFFECT
Week of May 24, 2000
The "placebo effect" is astonishingly large.
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. And if placebos can help
so many people feel better, should they be used as treatment?
Guests include Dr. Jon Levine , professor of medicine and the
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;
and commentator John Hockenberry.
DREAMS
Week of May 17, 2000
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, with guests Rita Dwyer, Dr. Alan Siegel,
lucid dream expert Dr. Stephen LaBerge, author Spalding Gray and
musical guest Carrie Newcomer. With commentary by John Hockenberry.
EMOTIONS
Week of May 10, 2000
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;
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.
HOW WE LEARN
Week of April 26, 2000
What
happens in the brain when we learn? What do we know about learning,
and how can it be applied in practical situations, like schools?
In this hour, we talk to scientists and educators about applying
research to learning. Guests include Dr. Kurt Fischer, the 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.
LYME DISEASE
Week of April 12, 2000
Lyme disease is usually thought of as a relatively benign illness,
causing a rash and flu-like symptoms. But when left untreated,
this tick-borne illness can become serious, and can cause neurological
and psychological symptoms, including facial paralysis, memory
loss, and mood changes. We'll talk to Dr. Patricia Coyle, professor
of neurology at the School of Medicine at the State University
of New York at Stony Brook, and Dr. Brian Fallon, the Director
of the Lyme Disease Research program at the New York State Psychiatric
Institute at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center. Plus, a first
person account of living with chronic Lyme Disease, an update
on the West Nile Virus which sickened dozens of New Yorkers last
year, some with deadly encephalitis, and commentary from John
Hockenberry.
MEMORY
Week of April 5, 2000
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, and commentary from John Hockenberry.
GRIEF
Week of March 29, 2000
Grief is a natural dimension of human life. As poet (and undertaker)
Thomas Lynch puts it, "Grief is a sign of our humanity. It's the
tax we pay on our attachments." Although grief that evolves into
clinical depression may demand medical treatment, too often American
culture unnecessarily pathologizes grief, or tries to fit the
most individual of processes into simplistic "stage" models. This
week we speak with leading experts on grief, visit the Day of
the Dead celebration in Oaxaca, Mexico, and hear from teenagers
in East Harlem who have experienced the death of family and friends.
With commentary by John Hockenberry.
INSTINCTS
Week
beginning March 22, 2000
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 looks at animal instincts in order to
advance our knowledge of human instincts. Plus the researcher
who found the location of the maternal instinct in the brain.
We'll also hear from a geographer, whose life work has focused
how we move through the world, was challenged . by sudden blindness.
Plus - the latest from Nature Neuroscience magazine as we ask
the age-old question: "Why won't men ask for directions?"
STRESS
Broadcast beginning March 1, 2000
We
all experience stress, but where does it come from, and how does
it affect us? In this program, we'll hear from Dr. Robert Sapolsky
of Stanford University, author of "Why Zebras Don't Get Stress"
and Boston University stress expert Dr. David Barlow about how
stress affects our minds and bodies, and what we can do it about.
We'll also go through a guided meditation with Sharon Gannon of
Jivamukti Yoga Center, and hear first-hand from Tony Calvano about
the stress of dropping the New Year's Millenium Ball in Times
Square. Plus, John Hockenberry on his own "stress addiction."
TWINS
Broadcast beginning February 9, 2000
Nature? Or nurture? Twins may hold the answer. Identical twins
raised apart report eerie similarities in lifestyle and preferences.
Host Dr. Fred Goodwin, himself a twin, leads this exploration
of the world of twin-ness. Guests include Dr. Nancy Segal, author
of "Entwined Lives;" Dr. Thomas Bouchard, who directs
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. With commentary by John Hockenberry, father
of twins Zoe and Olivia.
THE
HUMAN GENOME PROJECT AND THE BRAIN
Week
of January 4, 2000 (Originally aired the Week of July 12, 1999)
The Human
Genome project has been working to map every gene in the human
body. Scientists believe more than half of those genes relate
to the mind. So what will all this information tell us about the
way our brains work? Will we know who will become mentally ill
and how to prevent that? And what will we do with that information?
HUMOR
Week of December 29, 1999 (Originally aired Week
of October 19, 1998)
This week,
The Infinite Mind looks at humor. What's involved in humor? What
makes things funny? Where does funny live in our brains? Things
are funny when they don't quite fit--when they're divorced from
their normal context, or when they violate a pattern. There's
often an element of discomfort in humor--maybe because we sense
that violation. Humor can relieve anxiety, dissolve conflict,
and be used as a tool for teaching. Dr. Fred Goodwin talks about
humor with some of America's top comedians--including Margaret
Cho, Peter Bergman and Phil Proctor of the Firesign Theater, Robert
Klein, and Anne Beatts, an original writer for Saturday Night
Live. They reveal how they generate their material, talk about
secrets of comic timing, and discuss the relationship between
humor and social commentary. Dr. Goodwin also interviews scientists
who've researched humor in different cultures and found a spot
in the brain that when stimulated generates laughter and feelings
of amusement.
GENERATIONS
Week of December
22, 1999 (Originally aired Week of June 28, 1999)
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 away to work and older people
live in nursing homes or in Florida. This program looks at how
our mobile, urban, technological world has segregated the generations,
the consequences, and what some are doing to bridge this ever-widening
generation gap.
POST
TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER: MEMORIES OF WAR
Week of December 15, 1999 (Originally aired Week
of June 14, 1999)
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, a discussion about a ground-breaking program
treating Vietnam veterans with PTSD who are addicted to drugs
and alcohol. Dr. Goodwin talks with Dr. Beverly Donovan, who directs
the program, and to Belleruth Naparstek, creator of the best-selling
Health Journeys guided imagery tape series. Commentary by John
Hockenberry.
THE
ART AND SCIENCE OF PERSUASION
Week of December
8, 1999 (Originally aired Week of May 24, 1999)
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. Goodwin talks to experts on different types of persuasion
about what it is, how it works, and what to look out for. His
guests are communications professor Dr. Kathy Kellerman, ad executive
Ken Krimstein and persuasion researcher Dr. Anthony Pratkanis.
Additionally, we sit in on a medical hypnosis session.
ALZHEIMER'S
Week of December 1, 1999 (Originally aired Week
of June 1, 1999)
It's 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. Guests include: 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.
GROUPS
Week of November 10, 1999
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. With commentary
by John Hockenberry.
STONES,
BONES, and BRAINS
Week of November
3, 1999
The skulls
of early humans and our pre-human ancestors hold important clues
to human evolution. We'll look at what scientists are learning
from recent discoveries, and what the field of "paleoneurology"
can tell us about our own brains. With commentary by John Hockenberry.
TEEN
SUICIDE
Week of October 27, 1999
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'll look at the risk factors, warning signs, and
ways to prevent suicide among young people, and talk to the U.S.
Surgeon General about his Call To Action to Prevent Suicide.
MANAGING MADNESS
Week of October 20, 1999
In this
hour, we look at how managed care is managing mental illness,
with the suggestion that perhaps it isn't managing very well at
all. 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. With commentary by John Hockenberry.
OUTBREAK:
The Search for the Encephalitis Bug
Week of October
6, 1999
This special
report of The Infinite Mind focuses on the mosquito-borne virus
that's sickened dozens of New Yorkers with symptoms ranging from
headache and fever to encephalitis and death. In this hour, we
hear from residents of affected neighborhoods, from the scientific
detectives on the front lines, from a physician who specializes
in infectious diseases, and from experts on the chemicals used
to kill infected mosquitoes. We also look at the likelihood of
the disease spreading to other parts of the U.S.
SPORTS-MINDED:
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE
Week of September 13, 1999 (Originally aired the
week of October 5, 1998)
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
extraordinare George Plimpton.
POST-POLIO
SYNDROME
Week of September
6, 1999 (Originally aired the week of March 8, 1999)
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 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. Later in the program, a study
on "contagious" emotions is discussed, with commentary by John
Hockenberry..
FEARS & PHOBIAS
Week of September 1, 1999 (Originally aired week
of May 3, 1999)
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.
BODY
IMAGE
Week of August
23, 1999 (Originally aired the week of March 22, 1999)
For many
people, looking in the mirror can be an unpleasant experience.
For others, however, it can be devastating. From gay men on a
quest to build Adonis-like bodies to ballet dancers who slowly
starve themselves, thousands of Americans suffer from a distorted
body image. This week's The Infinite Mind looks at eating disorders
as well as a lesser-known condition called body dysmorphic disorder,
or BDD. (The summary contains a link to a BDD self-test.) Also
in this show, Suzanne Vega reads one of her short stories and
commentator John Hockenberry spins a tale about men, old suits
and a magical seamstress named Mrs. Zotta.
ADDICTION
Week of August 16, 1999 (Originally aired the week
of July 6, 1998)
Drugs, alcohol
and cigarettes: Top experts reveal the latest research on the
sometimes fatal attraction of substance use and abuse. And we'll
learn why it's so hard for depressed people to give up smoking.
With commentary by John Hockenberry.
PAIN
Week of August 9, 1999 (Originally aired the week
of September 28, 1998)
What is pain?
Stories from people who've learned to live with it, the latest
research, and some unconventional methods anyone can use for controlling
pain. Plus, people who've awakened during painful surgery campaign
for better anesthesia practices.
MANIC
DEPRESSIVE ILLNESS
Week of August 2, 1999 (Originally aired week of
October 12, 1998)
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's a long
way down for a person falling from the HEIGHTs of mania to the
depths of depression. We'll talk to top experts about this, and
about new research that could narrow the gap between "average"
and "optimal" treatments. Plus, a whole range of brand-new diagnoses
that may leave you wondering whether everybody isn't a little
bit bipolar.
ANIMAL
INTELLIGENCE
Week of July
26, 1999 (Originally aired week of October 26, 1998)
We tend to
think our pets are smart. But is this is wishful thinking? Without
a common language, how can we access whatever intelligence animals
possess? We speak with leading animal researchers who explain
how dolphins, birds, and chimpanzees demonstrate impressive problem-solving
skills and evidence of abstract thought. We hear from Alex, the
world's most famous African Grey parrot, who does a lot more than
imitate human speech. We take a look at orang utans in the National
Zoo who 'commute' to an 'office' complete with keyboards and coffee
cups, and hear from the nation's leading pet therapist, who offers
helpful tips for callers with pet problems. With commentary on
animal intelligence (and human stupidity) from John Hockenberry.
YOUTH
VIOLENCE
Week of July
5, 1999
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'll hear what they've
learned, what biology can tell us about violence and what kids
have to say on the subject. Guests include Dr. Carl Bell, Dr.
John Coie, Michael English and Dr. Debra Neihoff
PHYSICAL
BECOMES MENTAL
Week of June
21, 1999
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 you questions your mental health, and often these
symptoms are the first signs of physical illness. In this hour,
we hear about such illnesses from physicians who try to spot them
and people who suffer from them. The guests are 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.
INTELLIGENCE
Week of June
7, 1999
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. Goodwin talks to experts about what we mean when we
talk about intelligence, how we measure it, and how it relates
to performance in school, work and life. Plus, 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.
WHERE
IS THE MIND?
Week of May
10, 1999
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. Goodwin talks to scientists who argue that the mind is not
limited to the brain. You'll hear about the mind of the gut, the
mind as property of the body, and the mind of the heart.
IT
IS BRAIN SURGERY
Week of April 26, 1999 (Originally aired week of
February 1, 1999)
This week
we explore 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. 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, hear the sound of neurons firing in the brain, and hear
from both doctor and patient during surgery. Also, commentary
from John Hockenberry.
VISION
Week of April
19, 1999 (Originally aired week of January 25, 1999)
Did you know
that a quarter of your brain is devoted to vision? This week on
The Infinite Mind, Dr. Goodwin speaks with Nobel Prize-winning
vision researcher Dr. David Hubel, who takes listener calls. You'll
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. With commentary by John Hockenberry.
FREUD'S
FRIENDS
Week of April 12, 1999 (Originally aired week of
January 18, 1999)
It's been
nearly 100 years since Sigmund Freud published his first work
on psychoanalysis. Since then, he's become a household name--overshadowing
other pioneering investigators of the mind. We hear Freud's own
words, as read by 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, the lastest
news from Psychology Today, and commentary on rage and impulse
control from John Hockenberry.
OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE
DISORDER
Week of April
5, 1999 (Originally aired week of January 11, 1999)
Everyone
has straightened a picture frame, wondered if they locked the
door, or washed their 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'll hear what it's like to live
with OCD; about successful new treatments for the condition; and
about the surprising link between OCD in children and common strep
throat. With commentary from John Hockenberry.
INSOMNIA
Week of March 31, 1999
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 and John Hockenberry speculates about the
two kinds of sleepers.
CREATIVITY
Week of March
1, 1999
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. Plus, creativity and mental illness, and John Hockenberry
explains why "creative" is not always a compliment.
CHARACTER
Week of February 22, 1999
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. 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.
Also commentary on character by John Hockenberry. And on another
topic, we hear about a disturbing report on psychiatric patients
dying while in restraints.
PARKINSON'S
DISEASE
Week of February
15, 1999
Join Dr.
Goodwin as we explore what's new in treatment, research, and advocacy
for Parkinson's Disease. Learn about tap-dancing to strengthen
Parkinsonian's muscles, 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 include Dr. J. William
Langston of the Parkinson's Institute and Jean Samuelson, founder
of the Parkinson's Action Network. With commentary from John Hockenberry.
ROMANCE
Week of February
8, 1999 (Originally aired November 23, 1998)
Is there
one true love for everyone, a soul mate waiting to be found? Or,
is true love something that develops over time? Just in time for
Valentine's Day, we repeat this program exploring approaches to
romance from differing perspectives, both ancient (arranged marriages)
and technological (Internet relationships). With commentary by
John Hockenberry and Anne Beatts, one of Saturday Night Live's
original writers.
VISION
Week of January 25, 1999
Did you know
that a quarter of your brain is devoted to vision? This week on
The Infinite Mind, Dr. Goodwin speaks with Nobel Prize-winning
vision researcher Dr. David Hubel, who takes listener calls. You'll
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. With commentary by John Hockenberry.
OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE
DISORDER
Week of January 11, 1999
Everyone
has straightened a picture frame, wondered if they locked the
door, or washed their 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'll hear what it's like to live
with OCD; about successful new treatments for the condition; and
about the surprising link between OCD in children and common strep
throat. With commentary from John Hockenberry.
THE INFANT MIND
Week of January
4, 1999 (Originally aired June 29, 1998)
How important
is a child's environment to the fateful first year of life? What
are the respective roles of genes, and the way we treat an infant,
in defining the type of person they become? Researchers report
how babies respond to nurturing and learn languages. Plus the
trials of a child prodigy, John Hockenberry, and your calls.
MEN
AND DEPRESSION: THE TRAGEDY OF J. TIMOTHY HOGAN
Week of December 28, 1998 (Originally aired September
21, 1998)
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.
MEDITATION
Week of December 21, 1998 (Originally aired June
22, 1998)
Why do so
many people do it and what are the health effects? Also, researchers
watch the brains of Tibetan monks on a brain scan and see evidence
that there's a spot in the brain that appears to be "hard-wired
for God." Includes the Dalai Lama at a health care seminar at
New York's Beth Israel Hospital.
THE
CRIMINAL MIND
Week of December
14, 1998 (Originally aired June 15, 1998)
Murderers,
stalkers, child abusers and people who shoot up their workplace
-- what makes these people act the way they do? With top experts
including criminal psychiatrist Dr. Park Dietz, consultant on
cases ranging from the Unabomber to Jeffery Dahmer to the Menendez
brothers.
MULTIPLE
PERSONALITY DISORDER
Week of December 8, 1998 (Originally aired June
8, 1998)
A controversial
diagnosis which some doctors do not believe exists. But other
experts say this disorder may give us clues about the ability
of the brain to rewire itself after injury. We talk to top researchers
and also hear from people diagnosed with MPD about the fascinating
details of their "reintegration."
HAPPINESS
Week of November
30, 1998 (Originally aired June 1, 1998)
We all wish
we could be happier, and new scientific studies show that it may
be within our own control. With happiness expert Dr. David Myers
and Professor Mihaly Csikszentmihaly, whose book, Flow, looks
at "optimum experience" and how to maximize that state of being.
SCHIZOPHRENIA
Week of November 9, 1998 (Originally aired May
25, 1998)
What is schizophrenia?
What's it like to experience its symptoms? Dr. Goodwin and several
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, explains that for the
schizophrenic, life can be dreamlike. The ability to determine
what is true, to control one's actions, to distinguish between
internal and external aspects of one's experience -- all can be
altered. The ability to communicate with people who do not have
schizophrenia may be lost.
ANXIETY
Week of November 2, 1998 (Originally aired May
4, 1998)
With Dr.
Steven Hyman, director of the National Institute of Mental Health,
Mary Guardino of the national advocacy group Freedom From Fear
and Dr. Michael Davis, a top anxiety researcher at Yale University
Medical Center. Includes discussion of anxiety and panic disorders,
post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder
and phobias, along with listener phone calls. Plus, John Hockenberry
reflects on the wonder of new life, and news from the editors
of Psychology Today magazine.
ARE
MENTALLY ILL PEOPLE MORE VIOLENT?
Week of September
14, 1998
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 on how it affects public policy.
REWIRING
THE BRAIN
Week of September 7, 1998
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.
BODY
CLOCKS
Week of September
1, 1998 (originally broadcast the week of April 27, 1998)
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. Plus
John Hockenberry trades in his alarm clock for a personal power
tool, and listener calls.
FEED
YOUR BRAIN
Week of August
24, 1998 (originally broadcast the week of April 20, 1998)
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. With John Hockenberry
and listener calls.
THE
EVOLUTION OF MIND
Week of August
17, 1998 (originally broadcast the week of April 13, 1998)
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.
FORGIVENESS
Week of August 10, 1998 (originally
broadcast the week of April 6, 1998)
"As
we forgive those who trespass against us" seems to have a
basis in fact. New scientific research indicates that people who
forgive are healthier and happier than those who hold a grudge
-- no matter how deep the wound. We'll be joined by leading forgiveness
-- including former hostage Terry Anderson. Also -- every generation
thinks their kids are the most trouble ever -- we'll examine if
today's kids are the most violent. With John Hockenberry and listener
calls.
URGENCY
ADDICTION
Week of August 3, 1998 (originally
broadcast the week of March 30, 1998)
Are you addicted to adrenaline? Living on the edge of constant
crisis? Worse yet - do you prefer life that way? Cell phones,
e-mail and the Internet are making "urgency addicts" out of all
of us. Here's the science behind your body's response to this
assault on the mind, the consequences - and what you can do about
it.
SUICIDE: WHO'S AT RISK
Week of July 27, 1998 (originally broadcast
the week of March 9, 1998)
Breakthroughs in biochemistry help predict the risk of suicide.
Plus: Adolescent Suicide: new studies provide vital information
for parents. Guests include prominent suicide researchers Dr.
Jan Fawcett, Dr. David Clark and songwriter Suzanne Vega and we
talk with those who have come back from the brink of suicide.
Plus: Why a Japanese cartoon, coming soon to the U.S., sent 700
children to the hospital.
PRAYER, HEALING, AND THE MIND
Week of July 20, 1998 (originally broadcast
the week of March 2, 1998)
New, scientific research says prayer does heal. Medical
researchers, clergy, and patients provide startling new insights
into these "miracles of medicine." Guests include Dr.
Larry Dossey, who has written six books on the subject, including
the best-selling Healing Words. In addition, "Is a
smile the best medicine?" -- The Infinite Mind's David
Furst reports from a convention of therapists who specialize in
humor.
SCHIZOPHRENIA
Week of May 25, 1998
What is schizophrenia? What's it like to experience its symptoms?
Dr. Goodwin and several 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, explains that for the schizophrenic, life can be
dreamlike. The ability to determine what is true, to control one's
actions, to distinguish between internal and external aspects
of one's experience -- all can be altered. The ability to communicate
with people who do not have schizophrenia may be lost.
BETTER LIVING THROUGH CHEMISTRY?
Week
of May 11, 1998
Should doctors prescribe pharmaceuticals for life enhancement?
From Rogaine for nicer hair to Prozac for personality to the new
anti-impotency drug Viagra, it's a question increasingly debated.
ADULT
ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER Week
of March 23, 1998
ADD affects more than children -- doctors know it's often a grown-up
disorder that can cripple smart, creative adults. But breakthroughs
in treatment offer new hope. Featuring performance artist, Reno,
star of the upcoming HBO documentary, Reno Finds Her Mom.
Plus: a national advocacy group fights for the rights of mentally
ill kids behind bars.
HYPERSEXUALITY: The Story
Behind the Story of the Mary Kay Letourneau Case
Week
of March 16, 1998
Why in her right mind would a 36-year-old school teacher have
sex with a 13-year-old boy? And when she was released from prison
on the strict condition that she never see him again, why would
she go right back to him? Her doctor and her lawyer say there
is good evidence that she was not in her right mind at all. Their
position is that a mental illness, manic depressive illness, and
a condition often related to manic depression -- called hypersexuality
-- provides an explanation for her seemingly irrational behavior.
SLEEP
Aired
in December, 1997
In the premiere program, Dr. Fred Goodwin takes a fascinating
look at sleep and our lives -- why we sleep, the role of dreams,
why some people can't sleep, why some people can't not. We hear
about a recent study that puts 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 can't stay awake, and from John Updike on insomnia. We also
hear about the effects of not sleeping on clinical depression.
·
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