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On this week's 51%, we speak with author and playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes about her debut novel, The White Hot. Hudes is the Pulitzer-Prize winning playwright of Water by the Spoonful and the musical In the Heights, which she also adapted for the screen. The White Hot takes the form of a letter written by a mom to her 18-year-old daughter, explaining — but not apologizing for — why she suddenly abandoned her nearly a decade prior. WAMC’s Sarah LaDuke speaks with Hudes about why she decided to write the tale, an unflinching exploration of one mom’s rage and journey toward self-discovery.

The United States and China are considered to be the two superpowers vying for world dominance in the current era. Unlike the Cold War period in which military strength and then spaceflight was at the center of the competition, these days economic strength and domination of the energy future are the main focal points.

The changing climate poses a major threat to polar bear survival. But new research suggests that rising temperatures may be altering polar bear DNA in ways that help them adapt and endure in increasingly challenging environments.

This week’s show features Paola Antonelli, Curator of Architecture and Design at MoMA, who says she prefers “small provocations”—the kind that sneak up on you rather than hit you over the head. Presented with the Viñoly Foundation, the episode’s inspirations include Prince as the person, Fiorucci on Via Torino in Milan as the place, the Boeing 747 as the thing, chickpeas as Randy’s thing, and music by Ethel.

Africa’s forests were once among the world’s largest carbon sinks, absorbing roughly 20% of all the carbon dioxide captured by plants. For centuries, the continent’s rainforests and woodlands helped regulate the planet’s climate, acting as a vital buffer against global warming.

The final agreement produced at the COP30 meeting where representatives of nearly 200 countries met to address the issue of climate change makes no mention of transitioning away from fossil fuels.

Storing energy in batteries is an increasingly important aspect of the modern world. Electric cars and giant battery banks for electric utilities require high-capacity batteries. The majority of these batteries are lithium-ion batteries that come in a number of different varieties based on the other elements used to make them.

(Airs 12/12/25 @ 10 p.m.) The Legislative Gazette is a weekly program about New York State Government and politics. On this week’s Gazette: Advocates call on Governor Hochul to sign an Omnibus Prison Reform package, State Senator James Skoufis, a Democrat, asks the Attorney General James to investigate a village election, and we’ll take a look at the city of Albany using social service case workers to some 911 calls.

The Best of Our Knowledge explores topics on learning, education and research.The Rapa Nui peoples of Easter Island have sculpted statues known as Moai for centuries.These statues are likely familiar to you – giant stone heads with prominent figurative facial features.We will learn all about how the Moai statues were transported by the Rapa Nui on the island to their places of display.

Ann Packer’s newest novel, “Some Bright Nowhere,” marks a profound return after a decade: it tells the story of Eliot and Claire, married nearly forty years in a quiet Connecticut town, facing the toughest chapter of their lives when Claire’s long-running illness draws toward its end.