Ever since the days of Puritan New England, American governments have struggled to define the relationship between religion and a secular nation. In recent years, that struggle has become increasingly strident with the rise of the Christina Right. What is the relationship between the Christian Right and traditional evangelicals? At what point did the Christian Right become an influence in US presidential elections? And who were the key players in that development? Historian Dan Hummel will take us into the world of the Christian Right and its influence in American politics ..read more

Explore the increasing battles over academic freedom, tenure, and faculty governance at public universities today ..read more

Explore how Wisconsin's Ho-Chunk people fought back against devastating attacks on their land and culture ..read more

We delve into our archives for a conversation about one of Ireland’s celebrated writer James Joyce. We decode some of the more obscure meanings behind Joyce’s often ambiguous prose and wry humor, and explore what made Joyce so innovative and so controversial ..read more

We can't exist without phosphorus. Until recently, there was a steady supply because it moved through a cycle, but now that cycle has been broken and what was life-sustaining is becoming scarce and dangerous ..read more

In the years following World War I, the Catholic Church was intent upon regaining lost ground and entered into a variety of political alliances to do so--some of them with unexpected outcomes ..read more

Explore why acclaimed African American singer, actor, and activist Paul Robeson became embroiled in controversy and denied a passport ..read more

Computers are dangerous enough for individuals. When nations are involved, the stakes are even bigger ..read more

Who decides which words make it into dictionaries and how to define them in non-biased ways? Professor Emeritus Marshall Cook looks behind the scenes at lexicographers such as Kory Stamper (author of Word by Word), and Derrick Allen (graduate of the UW Odyssey Project www.odyssey.wisc.edu) adds readings of “I Love Webster’s” by Tosumba Welch and ..read more

Psychiatrists and insurance companies use the 300+ mental health disorders listed in the DSM to diagnose patients, but what if many of those labels are harmful and misleading? Psychiatrists and insurance companies use the 300+ mental health disorders listed in the DSM to diagnose patients, but what if many of those labels are harmful and ..read more