Turkey; The Feeling Brain; Science Talk: Michael Shermer
Turkey
Turkey is delaying a vote that would allow American troops to operate from bases in southeastern Turkey, creating a northern front against Iraq. On the one hand, letting US troops base themselves on Turkish soil is controversial and politically difficult for the Turkish government. On the other hand, Turkey is a NATO ally and eager to become a member of the European Union. It fears the economic fallout of a war with Iraq, both in terms of trade losses and Kurdish refugees from Iraq. The government in Ankara has asked the US for $30 billion in aid. It also wants to send as many as 80,000 Turkish troops into Northern Iraq to create a buffer zone. Hakan Yavuz, Assistant Professor at the University of Utah in the Center for Middle East Studies, joins host Larry Mantle to discuss the situation.
The Feeling Brain
In his new book, Looking for Spinoza: Joy sorrow and the Feeling Brain Antonia Demasio, one of the world's leading neuroscientists, focuses on what feelings are and reveals the biology of our survival mechanisms. Through an examination of the work of the philosopher Spinoza, Dr. Demasio explores the biological underpinnings of feelings and their ramifications for human behavior.
Science Talk: Michael Shermer
Science expert Michael Shermer joins Larry Mantle to talk about the latest science stories in the news including the Columbia shuttle disaster, the death of Dolly the cloned sheep, new theories on the origin of religion, and a newly discovered winged dinosaur.