Talk of the Nation

From the rocky fragments in Saturn's rings to Earth's own moon, our solar system bears signs of an ancient demolition derby. Planetary scientist Erik Asphaug describes the role of impacts in our planetary neighborhood, and looks ahead to a possible comet collision on Mars.

Elliana Grace Hentoff-Killian grew up in the circus. She mastered her first circus act at 6, when she learned the Spanish web — an aerial act performed on a rope. Now, at 20, she is currently the world's youngest female human cannonball and is touring with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey.

The much-anticipated Supreme Court arguments on California's Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act represent a historic moment in the Court's history. Legal analysts and activists are contemplating what the Court's decisions could mean for the future of United States law.

Have you ever wanted to see the view from the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania? Google is making that possible — sending employees up the world's highest peaks with digital cameras, tripods and fisheye lenses to take photos that can be stitched together for a 360 degree view.

The American South as a region has been defined by change since the Civil War. Twenty years after she left the South, Georgia native Tracy Thompson went on a four-year journey to explore what it means to be Southern in the 21st century. In The New Mind of the South, she shares her discoveries.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has consistently supported President Bashar Assad through Syria's violent crisis. Fiona Hill, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, argues that Putin's support is linked to Russia's own history.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg launched a $12 million ad campaign in 13 states this week to persuade senators to support gun control legislation. The ads promote universal background checks as a prerequisite for gun ownership.

The Italian Supreme Court ordered that Amanda Knox be retried for the 2007 murder of her British roommate Meredith Kercher. This decision overturned her acquittal from 2011. If she's found guilty this time around, she could face extradition.

The Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday on the Defense of Marriage Act, a federal law that defines marriage as the legal union between a man and a woman. David Savage, who covers the Supreme Court for the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune, provides analysis of excerpts from the arguments.

The Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday on California's ban on same-sex marriage, known as Proposition 8. David Savage, Supreme Court correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, provides analysis of extensive excerpts from the courtroom proceedings.

Anthony Lewis, former reporter and columnist for The New York Times, died Monday at the age of 85. NPR's Neal Conan remembers the Pulitzer Prize winner, and listens back to a conversation with Lewis about his career and the stories he covered, just after his retirement in 2002.

A Washington Post analysis of statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds a correlation between gun deaths, and race and geographic location. African Americans are much more likely to be victims of gun-related homicide, whereas whites are more likely to commit suicide.

The U.S. Navy estimates that by 2035 the Arctic Ocean may be ice-free for a month each year. In an op-ed for Foreign Policy, James Holmes, U.S. Naval War College, argues that in preparation for the increased activity in the Northwest Passage, the U.S. needs a Coast Guard that can fight.

Google's driverless cars have traveled more than 300,000 miles in real world conditions without any accidents. Advances in this technology raise questions about the future of U.S. transportation industries. In the Washington Times, Joshua Jacobs, Conservative Future Project, says a fight lies ahead.

There are now more than one million Syrians seeking refuge in camps and towns in neighboring Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. Many arrive without access to basic amenities, such as adequate shelter and clean water. Over two years of conflict has also left them with the mental scars of war.