Interesting Things with JC

Interesting Things with JC #1696: "David Clayton-Thomas" – David Clayton-Thomas replaced Blood, Sweat & Tears' original singer just as the band's future was uncertain, and his gritty rhythm-and-blues voice transformed a brass-heavy rock experiment into one of the biggest albums of its era. Long after lineup changes and shifting musical trends, the same voice remained inseparable from songs that continue to define the band's legacy.

Interesting Things with JC #1694: "27 Distinct Emotional Categories" – Researchers analyzed 27,000 emotional responses and found that human emotions did not fit a few basic categories; instead, 27 distinct emotional states blended into one another across a continuous emotional landscape. This story was suggested by Dr. Igo

Interesting Things with JC #1692: "Frank Gardiner Wisner" – Frank Wisner watched Soviet influence replace German influence in Romania while World War II was still being fought, and the institutions he later helped build were designed to compete in the same kind of political struggle through covert influence, organizations, media, and intelligence networks long after armies stopped moving.

Interesting Things with JC #1690: "The Legendary Saab Convertible" – Saab engineers were reinforcing a convertible for winter driving while much of the company doubted anyone wanted one. Dealers and customers kept demanding the car, and what began as an unlikely experiment grew into nearly 300,000 convertibles built over twenty-five years. This episode was inspired by our friends at Superior Auto Sales.

Interesting Things with JC #1688: "A Simple Riddle 15" – A simple riddle has a simple answer, but most people still miss it. Can you solve today's riddle?

Interesting Things with JC #1686: "M.C. Escher" – An artist fills a page with shapes that fit perfectly together, then turns them into staircases, waterfalls, and worlds that appear correct while mathematically breaking the rules of reality.

Interesting Things with JC #1684: "Gene Shalit" – Gene Shalit spent more than seven decades writing for American audiences, from newspapers and magazines to radio and television. Best known for nearly forty years on NBC's Today, he built a career on curiosity, humor, and a belief that culture should be accessible to everyone.

Interesting Things with JC #1682: "Sea Otters Hold Hands when they Sleep" – A sea otter falls asleep while floating on the Pacific Ocean, but the water beneath it never stops moving; by morning, staying in the same place is a problem it somehow solves.