This week people reach out in all kinds of ways to try to get their point across. And the recipients of those messages try to decipher what they mean. Messages in code, over the phone, and from beyond the grave.
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Prologue
Reporter Josh Bearman tells Ira a story about two coded messages that Galileo sent to fellow scientist Johannes Kepler back in the 17th century. Galileo was trying to tell Kepler about some of the amazing discoveries he made with his new telescope. And after months of mind-bending work, Kepler finally decoded the messages. Eureka! There was only one catch. Kepler was wrong. But he was also kind of right. But also, still, kind of wrong.
(8 mins)
Act One
The Motherhood of the Traveling Pants
For generations, the gender of babies born into one family have all been
determined in advance. The pregnant mothers receive a package in the mail,
and if a little pink dress is inside, it's a girl. If there is a pair of
brown polyester old-man pants, it's a boy. Producer Brian Reed reports the
story.
(17 minutes)
Act Two
Message in a Bottle
Comedian, performer and author Dave Hill gets the message, loud and clear, from a Gatorade bottle on a subway platform. Dave is the author of Tasteful Nudes ... and Other Misguided Attempts at Personal Growth and Validation. His story was recorded live at Cameo Gallery in Brooklyn. (9 minutes)
Act Three
Soul Sister
Sonari Glinton tells the story of how a Catholic nun teaches an entire school on Chicago's South Side that we are all truly made in God's image. Sonari is a reporter for NPR News. (8 minutes)
Act Four
Not My First Time at the Rodeo
A man has a very clear vision of how he always stood up to his father,
protected his mother and fought hard for the truth. Until one day he
discovers actual raw data — secretly recorded conversations — that
threaten to change his picture of everything. Producer Nancy Updike tells
the story.
(12 minutes)
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