Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda

As a special treat for listeners of Clear+Vivid, we're publishing two bonus episodes of Curiosity Daily on Tuesday, November 12th and Tuesday, November 19th, so you can discover this great podcast for yourself! The Curiosity Daily podcast taps the latest scientific research to make you smarter about the world. In this special presentation from hosts Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer, you'll hear some of...

What's brown fat? How do you tell when someone is lying? What's the healthiest way to cook broccoli? Ashley Hamer and Cody Gough are the hosts of the wildly popular podcast, Curiosity Daily. They've been helping listeners learn about our minds and bodies, outer space, the depths of the sea, and how history shaped the world into what it is today. In this episode of Clear+Vivd, Alan Alda, who, himse...

Her 1982 novel The House of the Spirits , was a breakthrough for women writers in Latin America and today Isabel Allende has written 23 books, sold 74 million copies, and had her work turned into 2 major motion pictures. Alan Alda talks with Isabel about her lifelong advocacy for women’s reproductive rights, economic independence and freedom from violence. In this spirited conversation, Alan asks...

Allison Schrager set out to examine unusual subcultures, looking for clues that would deepen her understanding of risk and other economic realities. The result of her curious adventures is a book with the wonderfully provocative title, An Economist Walks Into a Brothel . In this episode, Allison offers her sage advice to Alan Alda on topics as varied as how to take risks and how hearing the word “...

What makes a good joke? Why do some fall flat while others are met with a LOL, even an ROTFL? Is a joke ever out of bounds? In this episode, we examine the art of communicating with humor. Alan Alda talks with writers Frank Santopadre and Alan Zweibel, who have spent their lives finding the funny in the meaningful and the meaningful in the funny. Join them as they explore the heart of "ha." Suppor...

Despite many positive changes, women in science report continuing problems. When a colleague ignores your contribution, belittles your work, or even harasses you, what do you do? Women have been leading a revolution in science for many years, and their voices are now being heard like never before. In this special episode of Clear+Vivid, Alan Alda and his producers speak with pioneers in the revolu...

As Clear+Vivid listeners know, we love improvisation because of how important it can be to communication. In this episode Alan Alda had the opportunity to speak with someone who is at the forefront of combining improv and music. Alan's guest this week is legendary jazz guitarist Pat Metheny. As it happens, Pat lives close to Alan's apartment in Manhattan, so we asked him to drop by. Pat and Alan p...

What can animals teach us about our own decision-making process? Every summer for 25 years, Dr. Robert Sapolsky has been studying baboons on the plains of Africa, where he's learned a surprising amount about why we behave the way we do. In this episode Alan Alda speaks with Dr. Sapolsky about his experiences with animals (both human and baboon) and learns about the fascinating similarities in our...

How can scientist’s better bring their complex and deep understanding of nature up to the surface? How can they help us see the marvels they see and revel in the hidden beauty of nature? Brian Greene is not only a brilliant theoretical physicist, but he's also someone who's completely dedicated to bringing the wonder of science to the rest of us. Alan Alda has always been curious about how the wor...

Can music be a story? And, can that story, and the emotions it stirs in us, be something that can unite us? In this conversation, Alan Alda explores this idea with his friend Yo-Yo Ma. Alan has just heard Yo-Yo play all six of the Bach Cello Suites in a concert. An amazingly moving performance – and just one of the performances of the cello suites that he'll be doing in 36 different locations arou...

Laura Brown is the Editor in Chief of InStyle Magazine. Recently, she had the graceful chutzpa to feature Alan Alda in her magazine as a badass. Alan had no idea what that meant, so he couldn’t let it go unexplored. It turns out, being called a badass can be a really good compliment, and this led Alan and Laura to an interesting discussion of what style is, what it communicates, and how it spreads...

When someone wants to make the world a better place – and actually has the means to do it – you wonder: How do they go about it? What are their guiding principles? What works and what doesn’t? In this candid and inspiring interview, Alan Alda asks Melinda Gates about her work as a philanthropist and her lifelong dedication to social change. They discuss her book, "The Moment of Lift: How Empowerin...

Season 5 of Clear+Vivid® with Alan Alda starts on Tuesday, August 27th! Listen to the exclusive producer's cut of the official trailer to meet some of Alan’s next guests — including Melinda Gates, Yo-Yo Ma, Robert Sapolsky, and many more! New episodes are available every Tuesday. Subscribe and listen for free on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you like to enjoy podcasts. For more details and...

How do you engage a national audience and bring attention to a cause? Katie Couric’s decision to allow her colonoscopy to be broadcast live on television was but one highlight in an extraordinary career in television. As co-host of NBC’s Today show and later the first female anchor of a national nightly news program on CBS, her work has been distinguished by her ability to relate to her audience....

Is there a way to bring up the climate crisis and not lose friends and disinfluence people? Katharine Hayhoe has found ways to communicate about a topic that desperately needs good communicating – the increasingly dire crisis that’s gripping our planet. What makes her so special is that she finds a way to connect with people – even people who deny the reality of climate change – through things tha...

There's a difference between communication and communications, with an "S." The way we look at it, communicating is connecting with people; and communications with an "S" is the technical way you reach out to millions, as with broadcasting. Some people find ways to combine those two ideas in ways that have a real impact, and Henry Schleiff is one of them. With vast experience as a broadcaster, Hen...

Your visit to the doctor isn’t what it used to be. Now, there are more options for doctors to consider, and much less time for them to decide on them. Dr. Eric Topol, one of our country’s leading visionaries in the field of medicine, has a fascinating way of looking at this problem. Even though some experts on this show have talked about digital technology as a threat to our privacy, to our abilit...

Do animals have emotions? What can we learn from them about family, friendships, and stable relationships? A surprising amount. Frans de Waal began studying chimpanzees when he was a student. He's the director of the Living Links Center at the Yerkes National Primate Center in Atlanta where he studies the social lives of chimpanzees and what they can tell us about ourselves. Support the show: http...

There's an "Art of War," but is there a place for the arts in the military? Adam Driver is a brilliant young actor who is taking the worlds of television, film, and theater by storm. His own world changed in 2001, when he was just 18 and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. His experience in the military helped to shape who he is today, both as a person and as an actor. Adam is dedicated to giving b...

Do you ever imagine what it's like to be a plant? Do they communicate? Hope Jahren, author of the bestselling book, Lab Girl, has been fascinated by plants her whole life. As a scientist and author, she has dived so deep into the lives of plants that they come alive in our imaginations. This while weaving her own personal story of a life in science that allows us to share in her own experience. Ho...

When you first think about science, what comes to mind first? What words do use to describe science? How does science make you feel? Asking these questions is Chris Volpe, who heads the non-profit organization Science Counts. Through its research into how the public sees the role that science plays in their lives, Science Counts has set itself the task of discovering what is needed to strengthen A...

Earlonne Woods was recently released from San Quentin prison after 20 years inside. For the last 3 years he’s been helping inmates get their stories out in a remarkable podcast called Ear Hustle. Ear Hustle is produced in creative collaboration with Nigel Poor, who met Earlonne when she was a volunteer teacher at the prison. In this episode, Alan sits down with Earlonne and Nigel to talk about how...

Every Saturday night for 11 years, Carol Burnett communicated a sense of family to the entire country. She worked alongside other skilled comic actors. But it wasn’t just skill. There was always a sense of community among the actors and we in the audience felt we were invited in as part of the gang. It was fall-down-funny, belly laugh humor that new generations are still discovering. And they are...

Empathy is a powerful tool and, when mixed with politics, it can be used to help the greater good. But, it also has a dark side. In this episode, Alan Alda speaks with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. As Secretary of State, she brought communication skills to international relations that were not only powerful, they were inventive and game changing. They also discuss her recently publ...

Season 4 of Clear+Vivid® with Alan Alda starts on Tuesday, June 4th! Listen to the official trailer to meet some of Alan’s next guests — including Madeleine Albright, Carol Burnett, Adam Driver, Katie Couric, and many more! New episodes are available every Tuesday. Subscribe and listen for free on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you like to enjoy podcasts. For more details and to subscribe t...