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When drummer Bobby Sanabria was a kid, his father introduced him to an array of music, from Tito Puente to Dobie Gray. “He bought himself a La-Z-Boy chair. He would sit there after dinner, smoke a cigarette, and zone out listening to music.” Bad for the lungs, great for the soul. The making of a musician. Presented with the Bronx Music Hall.

This week marks the statistically hottest time of the year—a fitting moment to reflect on the nature of heat. At its core, heat is just atomic motion: room temperature atoms zip around at 1,000 mph, and even freezer-chilled ones aren't far behind. Combustion happens when atoms move fast enough to sustain a reaction, with ignition temperatures varying by substance—wood around 400°F, gasoline at 495°F, and paper at the symbolic 451°F. Pyrophoric materials like sodium don’t even need a spark to ignite. Ultimately, heat is motion—your feverish 102°F body is just your molecules moving faster than usual. Tune in this week to hear more about atomic speed.

The Best of Our Knowledge explores topics on learning, education and research.On this episode, we’ll speak with investigative journalist Mariah Blake.Blake’s new book “They Poisoned the World: Life and Death in the Age of Forever Chemicals” chronicles the decade-long fight for clean drinking water in the small community of Hoosick Falls, New York.

Gary Shteyngart’s latest novel, “Vera, or Faith,” is set in a near-future America wrestling with authoritarian politics and cultural anxiety. The story is told through the eyes of 10-year-old Vera - a sharp, observant child navigating a fractured family and a society teetering on the edge.

In his latest biography, “Mark Twain,” Ron Chernow brings to life the man known as the father of American literature, Mark Twain. Chernow peels back the layers of this complex figure, showing us the man behind classics like “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and “The Innocents Abroad.”

(Airs 07/17/25 @ 3 p.m.) WAMC’s David Guistina in conversation with Susan Lerner, Executive Director of Common Cause New York, about legislation that authorizes the state to join ERIC, the Electronic Registration Information Center, ethics reform proposals, ranked choice voting, and much more.

(Airs 07/10/25 @ 3 p.m.) WAMC’s David Guistina in conversation with Dan Clark, Times Union Capitol Bureau reporter and author of Capitol Confidential about how federal cuts to Medicaid will impact the state legislature and the coming governor’s race in New York, whether Governor Hochul will sign medical aid in dying legislation, and much more.

Playlist for Saturday, July 12th, 2025

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.