On Being

Program Details

• » Particulars ¦ an annotated guide to the radio program with readings, images, and links
• » Resources
• » Books + Music
• » Krista's Journal
• » Transcript
• » Credits

Hear the Music

» On Being Playlist ¦ hear full-length tracks of each musical segment in the radio program

About the Image

Located in the Bolivian Andes, Salar de Uyuni is the world's largest salt flat. The irregular, hexagonal cells are naturally occurring phenomena called Bénard cells. Scientists are trying to understand why these convective cells adhere to deterministic laws at the microscopic level but result in a non-deterministic arrangement, as you see here.
(photo: Cristian V/Flickr)

Unheard Cuts

We knew as soon as the interview with Janna Levin was finished that it was definitely a show. The issue was "Where do we cut it?" After a series of expansions and contractions, we produced a finely honed hour of audio. Download the entire, unedited conversation and let us know what you think.

SoundSeen

"Dust and Stars"

Krista's interview with astrophysicist Howard Smith paired with images of the cosmos, a source of wonder and inspiration for Levin.

Spread the Word

Voice on the Radio

Levin is an assistant professor of Astrophysics at Columbia University's Barnard College. She's also the author of two books, including A Madman Dreams of Turing Machines.