Life Slices

There are many recognizable names among the purveyors of science fiction. Andrew Gilsmith is not one of them. Yet. But with the release of his first novel, Our Lady of the Artilects, he proves his is a name to know.

Electric vehicles are no longer niche; they're becoming the norm. Reporter David Kerley, late of ABC News and the Full Throttle newsletter and YouTube channel, joins us to talk about transportation in our near future.

When Mary Whyte embarked on a mission to paint a portrait of one American in each of our 50 states, she determined that the most American of all were our veterans. Now she's teaching them to make their own art.

Do you hold on to the notion that the United States is the best country in the world? Time for some eye-opening facts as to where we are and how we got there. Historian Kathleen Frydl joins Steve to talk about the American Foundation.

If you're a dog lover, you need to hear this. Dr. Daniel Promislow and his Dog Aging Project are working to learn more about why dogs don't have longer life spans. 

Dinosaurs are not extinct. They're still with us today, in the form of birds and in full-sized animatronic recreations thanks to Dino Don Lessem. He shares how he got involved and the work going on today to keep them alive in our imagination and discovering new species.

The chat with Christina Zenato from season one was fascinating. In this reediting for season 2, it's even more illuminating. You might just find sharks cute and cuddly after listening. 

From the moment we’re born, we’re living in the shadow of death. It’s coming for all of us and there’s nothing we can do. Well yes there is. We can be prepared with what we want as our final wishes so that our survivors don't have to deal with that in their grief. As Death’s Apprentice, Christa Ovenell deals with it on a daily basis and guides others through their confusion. As all of us are, Christa is Living with Death.

You can find museums for just about everything. Bottle caps, gas pumps, old cars. There's even a museum devoted to the penis. Thordur O. Thordarson is the manager of The Icelandic Phallological Museum and shares what you'll find there ... and what you won't.

The Metaverse has entered popular culture and is making inroads into real llife. Fernando De La Peña is working hard to make the Metaverse a reality with holoportation. Learn what it's all about and how you can get involved.   

Knowing the Mountain Gorillas of Rwanda were facing extinction, Dian Fossey dedicated her life to saving them.  Sadly, her life was cut short but the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund continues her work. Tara Stoinski is the fund's president & CEO and Chief Scientific Officer and joins Lifeslices to tell us about the gorillas and the work of the organization.

At a time when London was being consumed by civil unrest, Bernadette Russell decided there wasn't enough kindness in the world. She endeavored to spend a year doing acts of kindness every day. She shares how it affected others and how it changed her.

Today's entertainment could be tomorrow's classics. Just ask Shakespeare. Better yet, listen to pop culture expert Roy Schwartz explain fairy tales, vampires and comic books on Lifeslices.

Each year, a group of academics rate the world's happiest countries. It's a science and John Helliwell is one of the founding scientists. There are ways for each of us to be happy, but does it require moving to another country. Find out in The Search for Happiness on Lifeslices!

Jamie Arty, with her husband Frantz, set out to restore a historic old mansion on New York's Long Island. She discovered a lot of things, including the challenges of restoring a home damaged by the ages. Was that challenge worth it?

Online dating doesn't work for everyone, but some get lucky. Mike Faith and Anju Tomar met online and their first date lasted 204 days. This is their story.

Matthew and Tia Raiford traded one set of roots for another and now cultivate them on the farm and in the kitchen.

There are anywhere from 10-18,000 species of birds on Planet Earth. Peter Cavanagh's mission is to photograph every one in flight. 

Douglas Wolk is a pop culture critic, teacher and writer. So he decided to mix business with pleasure, reading 27,000 Marvel superhero comic books and creating a guided tour in a book. He stopped by Lifeslices to talk about it.

When Rovy Branon was in high school, he was told that higher education was not for him. Today he's the Vice Provost for the University of Washington Continuum College. He knows the importance of never giving up on education, regardless of age and place in life.