Craft: Exploring Creativity

The universe is endlessly vast and can seem incomprehensible. However, it’s not as incomprehensible as you might think. In his book Your Place in the Universe: Understanding Our Big, Messy Existence, astrophysicist Paul M. Sutter explains a lot about what we know of the universe. In my interview with him, we discuss the Big Bang, the Singularity, the Cosmic Web, dark matter and dark energy, and what the end of the universe might be like. So take a listen, and I hope your mind will be as blown as mine was.

-David Perfect

I find dystopian novels one of the most interesting forms of science fiction. From 1984 to Fahrenheit 451, authors have created futures that we fear may come to pass (if they haven’t already). Margaret Peterson Haddix is known for her juvenile and young adult series. In the Children of Exile series, she envisions a dystopian future that is still suitable for children. Join us for a discussion of Children of Jubilee, the final book in the series; her inspirations and writing process in making believable child characters; and why even children are interested in dystopian fiction. Just make sure that Big Brother isn’t listening as well.

Almost everyone has seen the hilarious comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail. From the Black Knight, the Taunting Frenchman, and the importance of knowing the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow, the film’s many funny moments have a place in the hearts of multiple generations. Eric Idle’s musical comedy Spamalot adapts the movie for the stage and plays Columbus this month.

Troy Bruchwalski plays The Black Knight and Sir Dennis Galahad, The Dashingly Handsome among others. We discuss some of differences between the play and film, how he prepared for his role, and what it is like to be in a traveling production of a Broadway musical.

“I never learned to do taxes at school but I know the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell.” The phrase “the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell” has become a common punchline in a lot of jokes online, but how much do people really know about mitochondria? Michael W. Gray gives Craft the chance to learn about some of the theories surrounding this organelle, particularly the fact that the mitochondria very likely started off as a separate bacteria that was absorbed by cells a long time ago. He will be giving a talk at Science Sundays on November 18th on the different theories surrounding mitochondria from 3-5 at the Ohio Union Bank Conference Theatre.

Ohio author Celeste Ng is the 2018 Ohioana Fiction Award winner for her book Little Fires Everywhere. Listen in as we discuss what it’s like to win an Ohioana award; how she ensured that she got the details right about the setting for her novel, Shaker Heights, Ohio; and how she deals with seeing her own books or those of her friends in a bookstore.

Did your school have mandatory square dancing lesson? Mine did, which may be why I’ll never wear western plaid again.

Humorist and participatory journalist Henry Alford has not only written for The New York Times, The New Yorker, McSweeney’s, Vanity Fair, and the Paris Review but also survived elementary school square dancing lessons. His most recent book, And Then We Danced, details his recent experiences to recover from enjoy dancing lessons. Listen in while he describes the process, including his now-signature move while doing contact improv.

Alford won a Thurber Prize for his book Big Kiss, which detailed his acting career. Other books include How To Live: A Search For Wisdom From Old People (While They Are Still On This Earth) and Would It Kill You To Stop Doing That?: A Modern Guide To Manners.

While Ant-Man floats in the endless expanse of the Marvel Universe Quantum Realm, scientists like Professor Nadya Mason at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign work diligently to discover what the rules of quantum mechanics really are.