Blogs

With the holiday season in full swing, we've got two holiday-themed shows on the schedule tonight.

First at 6:00 is this month's edition of Jukebox Graduates, a show produced by the students in Githens Middle School's Bruce Springsteen fan club. On this episode, the kids play Christmas songs from Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band and a few other artists as they share background information and anecdotes about the Boss's career.

After the Jukebox Graduates at 7:00, we'll air this year's Moth Radio Hour holiday special. This episode, titled Holiday Special 2014: Monkeys, Megachurches, and First Elves, includes the stories of a decorator's challenge dressing the White House for Christmas, a non-profit director's realization that generosity comes in many forms, a Jewish girl's desperate wish to meet Santa, and a 12-year-old boy's wild Christmas with a new pet and a brush with death by hippie.

First at 6:00 tonight, we have The Endless Frontier, WXDU’s science show. On tonight’s episode, the hosts will discuss the latest in science news and developments. They will have a look at advances in and challenges of genome editing, recent research by a team of Duke University Scientists on a novel way of reducing infection in a fish model for tuberculosis, and Science Magazine’s nominees for the top scientific breakthroughs of 2014.

Then at 6:30: Today is December 7th, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. It is the 73rd anniversary of the Imperial Japanese Navy’s attack on the U.S. naval base. It is “a date,” as then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt famously proclaimed, “which will live in infamy.” But as time passes and the number of those still living who experienced this moment in U.S. history steadily declines, does the seventh of December begin to become merely another square on the calendar? In this episode of Yesterday, Today, & Tomorrow called Pearl Harbor…Generational Perspectives, we will hear the viewpoints of three different generations: a 92-year-old veteran who was at Pearl Harbor on the day of the attack, a maritime museum director and a undergraduate history student.

Tonight from 6:00-8:00 on WXDU, we'll delve deeper into the careers of two music acts: De La Soul and TOW3RS.

First up at 6:00, DJ Goatt will  have an hour-long look at hip hop trio De La Soul on Hip Hop Historics. He'll follow the group from their formation in the late 1980s through the present, as he explores, song by song, their influences--and influence on the hip hop world.

Then at 7:00, I Liked You Better Before You Sold Out will be talking to Raleigh artist Derek Torres, better known as TOW3RS, about his latest release, TL;DR. They'll be playing some tracks from the new record, which came out earlier this month on Phuzz Records.

 I Liked You Better Before You Sold Out is proud to host T0W3RS, aka Derek Torres, this Sunday, November 30th, in honor of the release of TL;DR, T0W3RS' new LP! We'll be chatting it up and playing tracks from the new record - so break out the leftover turkey and tune in at 7 pm!

With Turkey (or Tofurky, for us vegans) Day just around the corner, we've got a Thanksgiving-themed smorgasbord of programming for you tonight on WXDU, with a look at the treaty between the Wampanoag Confederacy and British settlers, Native American indigenous foods, and a more recent Thanksgiving tradition: football.

Up first at 6:00: Every school child learns about the first Thanksgiving around this time of year, but the lesson usually includes depictions of Pilgrims and Native Americans feasting on turkey and other local foods as they cemented their new friendly bond, followed, of course, by a handprint-Turkey-making session. But the first Thanksgiving wasn't that simple, and neither was the treaty entered into by Massasoit, the leader of the Wampanoag Confederacy, and early British colonists in the 1600s. Although the treaty began a 40-year period of peace between the two groups, there's more to the story. In this episode of Peace Talks Radio called Massasoit's Peace Pact with the Pilgrims, we'll learn more from Native American scholars on what really happened, and what it meant.

Up first tonight at 6:00 is The Endless Frontier, WXDU's science show. On tonight's episode, the hosts take a look at interdisciplinary research in the sciences. They'll explore the application of chemistry and mathematics in biology and speak with Dr. Amanda Hargrove, a Duke University Biochemistry faculty member and Victoria Deneke, a graduate student studying cell and molecular biology.

Then at 6:30: The spread of Ebola outside of Africa means that the disease has become the topic of international discussion. In Plague After War, With Good Reason's Sarah McConnell discusses what Ebola means for the future of Africa and how disease spreads in impoverished nations. Later in the show, McConnell explores the development of public relations in the 20th Century.

WXDU News is next at 7:00. On tonight's show, we'll look at the issue of gender bias on Wikipedia and how one group is trying to correct the problem. And you are probably aware of the use of drones in government and commercial operations, but many artists are joining the conversation as they incorporate the technology into their work. Artists often use utilitarian items like drones in their artwork, but we'll share how one California artist uses trashcan mosaics to help his commnity. Finally on tonight's program, we'll have the week's weather.

Up first tonight at 6:00, we have the latest edition of Jukebox Graduates, a Bruce Springsteen-themed show produced by students at Githens Middle School in Durham. Tonight Laura and Anna join us to share Springsteen's music along with trivia, anecdotes, and background information.

Up next at 7:00: Tuesday is Veterans Day, and this hour we'll hear the stories of four different veterans on the Moth Radio Hour. In Veterans Day Special 2014, the producers talk to a marine struggling to adapt after serving in the Middle East, a 97-year-old WASP veteran who trained male pilots in World War II, a father dealing with leaving his children for deployment, and a veteran of the segregated 93rd Infantry Division in the South Pacific. Please be aware that the first portion of this program contains graphic descriptions of combat that may not be suitable for younger listeners.

First at 6:00 tonight is the latest edition of The Endless Frontier, WXDU's own science show. On tonight's program, the hosts have a spooky show planned with a special post-Halloween-themed science news discussion. They'll talk about weird biology, including viruses that affect human cognition, zombie ants, and eyeless fish.

Then at 6:30: With Election Day coming up, we'll join BackStory with the American History Guys for a look at the history of elections in the United States. This episode, called Pulling the Curtain: Voting in America, which aired around the time of the 2012 presidential election, explores voter fraud in the Gilded Age, voting rights of non-citizens, and the "Southern Advantage" of the Electoral College.

And WXDU Sports is next at 7:30. On tonight's show, we'll air a documentary from Making Contact titled Concussions: Your Brain or the Game? that examines concussions in sports. The recent brain injury lawsuits by NFL players and growing scientific information about brain health has brought concussions in sports into the public discourse. This episode explores the growing focus on concussions in England's rugby players.

Schedule update: We're staying with the party until 7:30. Hip Hop Historics will follow, and The Making of the War of the Worlds Broadcast will be on at 8:00. Stay tuned to WXDU!

The 6:00 hour of tonight's News, Sports, and Information block will feature the last hour of our simulcast of the Know Your Poll party, an event we're cosponsoring with the Pinhook and Democracy North Carolina. Early voting runs through next Saturday, November 1, in North Carolina, and Election Day is Tuesday, November 4. In North Carolina, you can check your voter registration, find your polling place, and learn where and when to vote early on the NC State Board of Elections website. If you're in another state, check out your state's board of elections site for more voting information.

After the party at 7:00, we've got the debut of Hip Hop Historics with Goatt. DJ Goatt will be exploring some of hip hop's biggest players as he takes a closer look at their impact on the music world and social movements by focusing on the collaborations and events that fuel the genre. Tonight, he focuses on hip hop trio De La Soul.

We've got a full schedule tonight on WXDU News, Sports, and Information.

First at 6:00, The Endless Frontier, WXDU's own science show, takes a look at transitions. The hosts will discuss academic and career transitions as they interview people in different stages of their scientific careers about their goals and the challenges they face.

Then at 6:30: With election day coming up November 4 and early voting starting Thursday in North Carolina, WXDU is co-sponsoring a free get-out-the-vote rally next Sunday with the Pinhook and Democracy North Carolina. Caitlin Haran will be talking with Reid Johnson, event organizer and member of Schooner and Organos. Know Your Poll happens Sunday, October 26 from 2:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Pinhook, with performances inside the venue and on an outside stage on Main Street. The lineup includes PIPE, Shirlette Ammons, Daniel Bachman, Hammer No More the Fingers, Some Army, Midnight Plus One, SOON, and DJ Direwolf.