Power Outage

A decade into the 21st century, the United States is operating with an energy in the model of the second half of the 20th. Old-style power grids and power sources still keep the lights on in the U.S. And fossil fuels still keep our commerce moving on the road, rails and air.

Spencer Abraham was America's longest serving Secretary of Energy, holding the post from 2001-2005. As a cabinet member Abraham saw looming problems for the nation's energy future but also saw limited progress.

With growing industrial powers in Asia creating an increased demand for power, Abraham says that it is time to get moving on solving our long term energy needs. But the former Republican senator doesn't think there is a "silver bullet" alternative energy solution.

LISTEN: SPENCER ABRAHAM - LIGHTS OUT

Turn Your Head and Cough, Mr. President

The White House doctor spends more time around the First Patient in one day than many of us get with our family physicians over years.

While serving two Bushes and one Clinton, Dr. Connie Mariano was part of the "secure package" that would accompany the President at nearly all times outside the White House. As a result she got to see if her patients were or were not following her medical advice.

She also had to be prepared to provide trauma care at a moment's notice and, in one instance, had to facilitate the gathering of evidence for a federal prosecution.

LISTEN: DR. CONNIE MARIANO - WHITE HOUSE DOCTOR

Figuring Out What to Go in Where No Man Has Gone Before

Bound by gravity and far from the void, there is a scattered reproduction of outer space. To prepare astronauts (and their equipment) for the alien environment off the planet, NASA has created many Earthbound simulations.

Writer Mary Roach explores the world of the engineers, scientists and astronauts who prepare to send humans into space with her new book PACKING FOR MARS.

Roach talks about the college students who are paid not to bathe, the chimps who were rivals of the Mercury 7 and the unglamorous job of testing the zero-g toilet...

LISTEN: MARY ROACH - PACKING FOR MARS

The Web and Deep Thinking

Is Google making us stupid? That's the question that Nicholas Carr introduced with his Atlantic Magazine cover story in 2008.

In search of the answer, Carr looked into the science of how our brain processes information. He also looked into the history of how media has changed language and learning.

The result of his research, THE SHALLOWS: WHAT THE INTERNET IS DOING TO OUR BRAINS, makes the case that deep thinking may be on the way out as new media usage is going up.

LISTEN: NICHOLAS CARR - THE SHALLOWS

Journey to the Center of the Earth

James Tabor's bestseller FOREVER ON THE MOUNTAIN told the story of men who wished to reach great heights... at a great price. With new book, BLIND DESCENT Tabor spends some time with those who are headed in the opposite direction.

Tabor writes about "super caves," and the explorers who brave dozens of hazards to reach the deepest places of the Earth.

The process of exploring these caves, which run over four thousand feet deep, is a treacherous one. There are dozens of ways one can die on the way down... and many are unexpected. Tabor talks about this mostly-unseen world that the men who explore it refer to as the "eighth continent."

LISTEN: JAMES TABOR - BLIND DESCENT

Saddam Hussein's Breakfast Preferences

Food can play a huge role in the lives of the famous and powerful. Elvis famously loved to eat. Henry Ford had his share of food fears. In Iowa, politicians must pass a pancake flipping test.

Along with his brother Mark, Matthew Jacob has written the compendium of fame, food and history titled WHAT THE GREAT ATE.

Jacob talks about the dietary habits and influences of Elvis, President Ronald Reagan, Saddam Hussein, Joe Louis, Angelina Jolie and others.

LISTEN: MATTHEW JACOB - WHAT THE GREAT ATE

Who Wants To Live Forever?

In 1900, the average life expectancy in the developed world was to age 47. Since then, advances in health care and quality of life have added another 30 years to the average American's life...at a rate of two years per decade.

With such a drastic improvement in expected lifespan, some are asking how far can we push the boundaries of longevity. Pulitzer Prize winning science writer Jonathan Weiner takes a look at the scientists and researchers that are looking to prolong the human lifespan.... by 25 years, 50 years and beyond.

LISTEN: JONATHAN WEINER - LONG FOR THIS WORLD