Bronwen Konecky travels to tropical regions around the world gathering evidence of the geologic past. Using data from rain samples and sediment deep at the bottom of lakes, she is piecing together a story about Earth's climatic history – and what it can tell us about our planet's future.
Laura Miller and Rebecca Copeland, coeditors of "Diva Nation: Female Icons from Japanese Cultural History," discuss queens, goddesses, and the nature of diva-hood.
Kedron Thomas examines the goals and effects of intellectual property laws for the Maya people of Guatemala. Who is a fashion creator, and who is a copycat? And who gets to decide?
William Acree helps us envision and understand the lasting significance "Creole dramas," a dramatic craze that swept Uruguay and Argentina in the 19th century.
E.A. Quinn describes her fieldwork in Nepal, where she works with community partners to understand the health of mothers and infants under extreme conditions.
In the mid-twentieth century, the thriving Jewish community in modern-day Baghdad quickly came to an end. Years later, those who experienced life in Baghdad - and also the children of those exiled - turned to literature to share their memories. Revisit this episode to discover ideas and stories from Nancy Berg's recently published book, "Since 1948: Israeli Literature in the Making."
Doug Wiens describes his explorations of Antarctica, including the work he and colleagues have been doing studying the physics behind ice movement in the Antarctic.
Anthropologist John Bowen talks about the history of Islam and immigration in Europe and how Europe, and France in particular, can best move forward.
Glenn Stone describes the controversies and debates surrounding the role of genetically modified crops in the developing world.
Political scientist Matt Gabel examines how international courts work and how they can be most effective.
The volcanoes of the Cameroon Volcanic Line are something of a mystery, even to geologists - nobody knows exactly how they formed. However, Aubreya Adams' research is shedding light on the puzzle.
Carol Camp Yeakey, director of the Center on Urban Research and Public Policy, shares her perspectives on urban studies in a global context.
Graduate student Dalston Ward along with two of his classmates and political scientist Margit Tavits examine the role of globalization in how political parties have changed strategies over time.
Anthropologist Geoff Childs explains a complicated story of outmigration and cultural change in the communities in Nubri, located in the mountains of Nepal.
Revisit this episode with anthropologist Bret Gustafson, who discusses the complicated relationship between energy, politics, the environment, and indigenous rights. Gustafson's book "Bolivia in the Age of Gas" is now available through Duke University Press.
Even in the era of corporate social responsibility, tobacco companies push to sell cigarettes around the world. Anthropologist Peter Benson, author of "Tobacco Capitalism" weighs in.
Anthropologist Lewis Wall is helping one Ethiopian woman attempt to create a local, sustainable solution to the problem of adolescent girls staying away from school due to menstruation.
Robert Hegel describes how the existence of a common written language in China has affected Chinese literature across time.
Fiona Marshall shares her research into the wild ancestors of donkeys, and explains why understanding more about these animals is so important to farmers around the world.
Fiona Marshall explains how knowledge of early food production, especially in Africa, has changed over the last twenty years. Marshall's research has shed light on how changes in climate led to the domestication of animals in Africa long before the domestication of crops.
What does it mean to be 'sustainable' around the world? Anthropologist Glenn Stone describes his research into agricultural practices in Nigeria, India, and the U.S.