Talk of the Nation

What is the role of humans in climate change? "Call me a converted skeptic," physicist Richard Muller wrote in an Op-Ed in the New York Times this week, describing his analysis of data from the Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature project. Though Muller was once a notable skeptic regarding studies connecting human activity to climate change, he has now concluded that "humans are almost entirely the cause" of global warming.

If all goes according to plan, the Mars Science Laboratory rover, nicknamed 'Curiosity,' will touch down on the red planet this weekend following what NASA has called 'seven minutes of terror' during the descent. NPR science correspondent Joe Palca and John Grunsfeld, head of NASA's Science Directorate, give a preview of the mission and talk about what scientists hope to learn from the latest ambassador to Mars.

A court battle between Apple and Samsung is underway in California, with each side arguing over intricate patent and trademark claims covering how the companies' phones and tablets work, look, and feel. Robin Feldman, professor at the UC Hastings College of the Law, explains some of the key issues in the court case and how it might affect the technology industry.

In Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt, Pulitzer Prize-winner Chris Hedges examines the tensions that arise between profit, progress, technology and the pursuit of the American dream. Written with co-author Joe Sacco, the book critiques an economic system that they say abandons too many Americans.

The Aurora theater shooting has prompted Hollywood to reconsider the role of movie violence. Similar conversations are taking place among novelists, video game makers and other artists. Director Rob Cohen, crime writer Laura Lippman and video game designer Chris Hecker talk about violence and art.

The universe is being pushed apart at a faster and faster rate. And the culprit? Dark energy. Astrophysicist Adam Riess shared the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics for that discovery, and now's your chance to ask him about it--or anything else you've been wondering about the cosmos.

Bioengineers are developing microchips, about the size of a thumb, that can behave like human organs. Donald Ingber, director of the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, discusses how the "organ-on-a-chip" works and why the technology could replace the animal model for drug testing.

In their new book, Resilience, Andrew Zolli and Ann Marie Healy examine how institutions and people respond to disruptions. By studying how systems--from coral reefs to Lehman Brothers--respond to change, Zolli argues that we can be better prepared for unexpected events.

Almost 30 years ago, Sally Ride broke the NASA gender barrier and became America's first female astronaut. While aboard the Challenger shuttle Ride used a robotic arm she helped design, to deploy and receive a satellite. She died Monday of pancreatic cancer, at age 61.

In the face of a massive drought and climbing sea levels are the presidential candidates going to talk about climate change? Why is science always at the bottom of the list of campaign issues that resonate with the public? Ira Flatow and guests discuss what scientists can do to shape the national dialogue in an election year.

NPR's Kelly McEvers has looked at the lives of Syrian rebels and people in areas under their control. And Janine di Giovanni has spent time in Damascus and Homs, reporting on Syria's elite, who, until recently, have clung to many aspects of normal life, despite violence erupting around them.

A number of events got started even before the official opening, including men's and women's soccer. Already, the US women's team has claimed its first win. NPR sports correspondent Tom Goldman reports from London with a look at what to watch for at the 2012 Olympic Games.

From the sex-abuse case at Penn State and in the Catholic church to the unethical accounting practices at Enron, top officials sometimes opt to hide and obscure instead of telling the truth. Cover-ups often start small, and grow into scandals that tarnish the reputations of entire institutions.

On July 22, 2011, Anders Breivik killed 77 people and injured hundreds more when he bombed government buildings in Oslo, Norway and then went on a shooting rampage at a summer camp. GQ correspondent Sean Flynn documents the "beat-by-beat horrors of those terrifying 198 minutes" in the August issue.

Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie is a lifelong Seattle Mariners fan, and such an Ichiro Suzuki devotee he wrote a song about the outfielder. Though he wrote it years ago, he decided this week — when Suzuki was traded to the New York Yankees — was the right time to release "Ichiro's Theme."