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Helen Phillips is one of the most interesting and original writers working today. In her latest novel, “Hum,” she turns her eye to marriage, motherhood, and selfhood in a world compromised by global warming and artificial intelligence.

Michael Novak, artistic director of the Paul Taylor Dance Company, captures his aesthetic perfectly: "The curtain goes up, 20 minutes happen, and it’s transformative." This ambitious vision is brought to life with every performance. From the legendary Paul Taylor to the cultural richness of Iona, Scotland, dance and storytelling intersect. Alongside it, the rock-musical “Catch My Soul” brings an electrifying Othello to the stage, adding a modern twist to Shakespeare's timeless tragedy.

(Airs 06/13/25 @ 10 p.m.) The Legislative Gazette is a weekly program about New York State Government and politics. On this week’s Gazette: Republicans in Congress say New York Governor Kathy Hochul isn’t doing enough to enforce immigration laws, New York Congressman Mike Lawler defended his vote for President Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” at a recent town hall, and Wastewater treatment plants are taking sewage sludge from states like Massachusetts and turning it into cheap fertilizer for application here in New York.

Photographer Mitchell Epstein has worked everywhere from Hanoi to Berlin to America’s old-growth forests. “As a photographer, it’s only in getting lost that you move forward,” he says. This piece was produced with the National Academy of Design and features music by Stephanie Jenkins. Person: Mikio Shinigawa. Place: Hanoi, 1994. Thing: a hydrangea.

This week look for the Moon—and just to its left, you'll spot a bright, orange-red star: Antares. While most reddish stars in the universe are small and dim (like Proxima Centauri, our nearest stellar neighbor), Antares stands out as a red supergiant—huge and luminous. In fact, it's in a long-running rivalry with Betelgeuse over which is the biggest red star in the sky. We’re not exactly sure which one wins, but we do know Antares has a great name—meaning “rival of Mars” for its Mars-like glow. So step outside, take a look, and decide for yourself.

The Best of Our Knowledge explores topics on learning, education and research.We’ll speak with one of a handful of winners of this year’s Dan David Prize. Hamilton College professor Mackenzie Cooley received the world’s largest history prize for her study of “bioprospecting.”And we’ll speak with school administrators in New York about the state’s new ban on cell phones in schools.

There are two universes—the one we see, and the one we never will. The visible universe, just a sliver of the cosmos, ends where light can no longer reach us. Beyond that lies a possibly infinite realm—endless galaxies, stars, and mysteries forever out of reach. A groundbreaking study of 900,000 galaxies hints at this staggering vastness, suggesting that what we observe is zero percent of everything. An infinite universe could mean whole regions governed by unknown laws of physics. And if our view is that limited, can we trust the conclusions we’ve drawn? While science gives us solid facts, like the rotation of Mars, infinity challenges our grasp of the cosmos—and maybe that’s why it rarely makes the headlines.

(Airs 06/20/25 @ 10 p.m.) The Legislative Gazette is a weekly program about New York State Government and politics. On this week’s Gazette: New York residents will now have to pay for natural gas hookups even if their house is close to a gas line, between tariff uncertainties and a decline in Canadian tourism, many upstate businesses are bracing for a slow summer, and with the Trump administration renaming the Louisiana fort that honored Albany World War I hero Henry Johnson, local officials want to rename an Albany landmark in Johnson’s honor.

On this week’s 51%, we chat with psychologist Dr. Samantha Sweeney about why teaching your kids to celebrate diversity is important to their success as adults – and how to do it. Sweeney lays out a guide for parents in her new book Culturally Competent Kids: Raising Children to Thrive in a Diverse World.

(Airs 06/19/25 @ 3 p.m.) WAMC’s David Guistina in conversation with Blair Horner, Senior Policy Director for the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG). David and Blair talk about cuts by the federal government and the potential impact on New York.