Thomas Jefferson’s Patriotic Advice

Historian Clay Jenkinson hosts the The Thomas Jefferson Hour, in which answers questions in the character of Thomas Jefferson. He takes on the persona for us to answer modern etiquette questions with Jeffersonian reason.


Priceonomics Exposes Scams and False Assumptions

In their new book, bloggers from Priceonomics set out to use the tools of hard data analysis to puncture some of the arbitrary assumptions and outright scams built into everyday life.


Pudding of Poets, Haggis Gets Updated

During a visit to one of the only California restaurants to make haggis on a daily basis, a chef teaches Rico about the dish's heritage and how she updates it for American tastes.


Credit: Autumn de Wilde

Audra McDonald Finds the Essence of Billie Holiday

Actress and singer Audra McDonald is among the brightest Broadway stars of a generation. In "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill," she depicts a weary, addiction-addled, yet nonetheless tremendously gifted, Billie Holiday, giving one of the final performances of her life.


People Get Ready for a Party

Brooklyn band People Get Ready create electronic pop that, while it stands alone on record, is composed with choreography in mind. The playlist they provide this week may itself inspire a bit of dancing.


An Attempted Demolition of Disco

This week back in 1979, Chicago rock DJ Steve Dahl took revenge on the disco craze by holding a massive disco bash – literally.


Mood Blankets for First Class

British Airways is testing a high-tech "happiness blanket" that changes colors to indicate a passenger's in-flight mood.