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In our Please Explain feature, we set aside time every Friday afternoon to get to the bottom of one complex issue. Ever wonder how New York City's water system works? Or how the US became so polarized politically? We'll back up and review the basic facts and principles of complicated issues across a broad range of topics — history, politics, science, you name it.

Please Explain: Waste Management

The Leonard Lopate Show

August 29, 2008

New York City generates about fifty thousand tons of garbage every day. Find out what's in New York City’s trash, how it gets taken out of the city, and where it's dumped! Benjamin Miller is a Senior Fellow at the CUNY Institute for Urban Systems and author of Fat of the Land: The Garbage of New York – The Last Two Hundred Years. Bob Gardener is Vice Director of the Landfill Management Division of the Solid Waste Association of North America and Senior Vice President with SCS Engineers based in Virginia.

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Please Explain: Light Pollution

The Leonard Lopate Show

August 08, 2008

Most Americans can’t see the Milky Way in the night sky…and here in New York, we’re lucky if we can see any stars at all! Find out why light pollution is a growing problem, and how it may even endanger your health. Leonard talks to Pete Strasser of the International Dark-Sky Association; and Dr. Richard Stevens, cancer epidemiologist and professor at the University of Connecticut Health Center.

Does New York City light pollution bother you? What are your tips for dealing with too-bright lights from the streets or from neighbors' homes?

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Please Explain: Muscles

The Leonard Lopate Show

August 01, 2008

Please Explain is all about muscles! Find out how they function, how to strengthen them, and how they can break down. Dr. E. Todd Schroeder teaches clinical exercise physiology at the University of Southern California.

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Please Explain: BBQ

The Leonard Lopate Show

July 18, 2008

Barbecue guru Steve Raichlen, whose The Barbecue! Bible has been revised and re-released on its 10th anniversary, and world-class pitmaster Chris Lilly of Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, Alabama tell us how the best BBQ is made, and whether you can find the authentic stuff here in New York.

Where is your favorite place to get BBQ? It doesn’t have to be in NYC; you can tell us about your favorite BBQ joint anywhere in the country.

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Please Explain: Hamburgers

The Leonard Lopate Show

July 11, 2008

Please Explain is all about America's favorite sandwich - the hamburger! Find out how German hamburg steak became a classic meal all over the world. We'll also hear about the best burgers available, from fast food versions to grass-fed beef on brioche buns. George Motz has been called America's foremost hamburger expert; his 2005 documentary film is "Hamburger America"; he's also written a book called Hamburger America: One Man's Cross-Country Odyssey to Find the Best Burgers in the Nation. Josh Ozersky is the author of The Hamburger: A History.

Weigh in: Tell us about your ideal hamburger. What kind of bun, meat, and toppings do you love?

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Please Explain: Solar Power

The Leonard Lopate Show

June 27, 2008

With the price of oil going higher and higher, alternative sources of energy like solar power are becoming much more attractive! Find out how solar power works, and whether it could help solve our energy problems.

Stephen A. Hammer is Director of the Urban Energy Project at Columbia University's Center for Energy, Marine Transportation and Public Policy (CEMTPP). Richard Perez is Senior Research Associate of University at Albany's Atmospheric Sciences Research Center.

We’d like to hear from business or homeowners who have installed solar panels. Are you glad you did it? How has it affected your energy bills? Have you recouped your original investment yet?

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Please Explain: Brainwashing

The Leonard Lopate Show

June 20, 2008

Brainwashing has been used throughout history to manipulate, coerce, and torture. Dominic Streatfeild is the author of Brainwash: The Secret History of Mind Control. Oxford research scientist Dr. Kathleen Taylor is the author of Brainwashing: The Science of Thought Control.

Have you ever been brainwashed? When did you realize what was happening?

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Please Explain: Snoopology

The Leonard Lopate Show

June 06, 2008

What can you find out about a friend, a colleague, a lover, or yourself by inspecting everyday objects? Snoopology is the study of what the stuff we own reveals about our psychological truths. Sam Gosling is Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin and author of Snoop: What Your Stuff Says About You. Daniel R. Ames is Associate Professor of Leadership and Ethics at Columbia Business School.

Event: Sam Gosling will be speaking and signing books
Tuesday, June 10 at 7 pm
Borders Kips Bay
576 Second Avenue (at 32nd Street)

Weigh in: If you’re at your desk or at home, look around you. What do you see, and what do you think it reveals about who you are?

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Please Explain: Futures

The Leonard Lopate Show

May 30, 2008

Have no idea what a futures market is, and how it affects your life? Tune in to Please Explain to find out! Charles M. Jones is Associate Professor of Finance and Economics at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business.

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