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Twelve years ago, NASA's Curiosity rover journeyed to Mars with instruments that measured space radiation for the first time en route. The findings were sobering: astronauts would face radiation doses equivalent to a full-body CT scan every few days—raising cancer risks by 3–4% on the trip alone. Most of this came from galactic cosmic rays, which spacecraft walls can’t block. And this didn’t even include the added threat of solar storms. To send humans safely to Mars, solving the radiation challenge is essential.

On this week’s 51%, we speak with UC Davis law professor Mary Ziegler about her new book, Personhood, and what she sees as the future of the abortion rights debate.

Special correspondent for BBC Studios Katty Kay, a regular contributor to MSNBC, and co-host, with Anthony Scaramucci, of the podcast The Rest Is Politics, talks to us about a Welbourne farm, her Swiss passport and her mother. “People call journalists curious; I think it’s just nosiness.”

(Airs 07/18/25 @ 10 p.m.) The Legislative Gazette is a weekly program about New York State Government and politics. On this week’s Gazette: The top Democrat in the State Senate denounces funding cuts from Congress, the first National Semiconductor Technology Center open its doors in Albany, and local leaders from around the North Country gather to learn more about nuclear energy.

(Airs 07/18/25 @ 3 p.m. & 07/20/25 @ 6 p.m.) The Media Project is an inside look at media coverage of current events with former Times Union Editor, current Upstate American, Substack columnist Rex Smith, Judy Patrick, former Editor of the Daily Gazette and former Vice President for Editorial Development for the New York Press Association, Barbara Lombardo, Adjunct Professor at the University at Albany and former Editor of the Saratogian, and Daily Freeman Publisher Emeritus Ira Fusfeld. On this week’s Media Project, Rex, Judy, Barbara and Ira talk about how the impact of funding cuts to public media, whether objectivity is worth pursuing as a journalistic norm, reporters asking double barreled questions, and much more.

Set your alarm early this week and look east between 5:00 and 5:30 a.m. to catch a stunning celestial display. Brilliant Venus, the Morning Star, shines high with the bright orange star Aldebaran glowing below. Aldebaran, part of the V-shaped Hyades cluster in Taurus, has a rich astronomical legacy—its position once helped confirm Einstein’s theory of General Relativity. Nearby, you’ll also spot the shimmering Pleiades cluster. Together, these stars create a breathtaking, layered view of the cosmos worth waking up for.

This Mother’s Day weekend, the night sky offers a celestial tribute to femininity. On Sunday evening, the Moon—La Luna—shines brightly near Spica in Virgo, the zodiac’s only female figure. In the north, Cassiopeia, mother of Andromeda, forms a distinctive W-shape. Before dawn, Venus dazzles in the east, and just to her left, Andromeda adds a graceful touch to this skyward celebration of motherhood.

Obie-winning actor Andrea Patterson created the role of Helen in the Classical Theatre of Harlem’s “Memnon.” “It is definitely under-utilized. Underappreciated.” Greek mythology in modern theater? Yes, but she refers to the peanut in American cooking. She’s got range. See for yourself in Marcus Garvey Park throughout July.

(Airs 07/11/25 @ 3 p.m. & 07/13/25 @ 6 p.m.) The Media Project is an inside look at media coverage of current events with former Times Union Editor, current Upstate American, Substack columnist Rex Smith, Judy Patrick, former Editor of the Daily Gazette and former Vice President for Editorial Development for the New York Press Association, and Barbara Lombardo, Adjunct Professor at the University at Albany and former Editor of the Saratogian. On this week’s Media Project, Rex, Judy and Barbara talk about how to cover a public official who holds a grudge against your news organization, coverage of the floods in Texas, the difficulty of finding journalists, and much more.

On this episode, we’ll learn how an introduced fish population in the Adirondacks has evolved to avoid capture. New research has revealed neurons tied to binge drinking. And we’ll spend time with historians working to bring back a centuries-old barn in the Berkshires.