Talk of the Nation

Sam Penix and Sam Lewontin, of Everyman Espresso in New York City, and Harold McGee, author of On Food and Cooking, explain how to get the most out of your grounds. The brewmasters discuss brewing devices, from wood necks to chemex, and filter out reasons you might choose one over another.

The SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute's Jill Tarter has spent decades searching for the signals that would tell us we aren't alone in the cosmos. Tarter discusses the hunt, and what the presence of intelligent life elsewhere might tell us about our own future on Earth.

In Mission To Mars, astronaut Buzz Aldrin lays out his plans for getting Americans on Mars by 2035.

The conflict in Syria has had repercussions far beyond its borders, with refugees streaming into neighboring states and countries around the world choosing sides. NPR commentator Ted Koppel weighs in on what the ongoing upheaval in Syria could mean for the rest of the world.

A compelling television interview with Charles Ramsey, who helped save three women held in captivity in Cleveland, quickly became an online meme in the vein of Antoine Dodson and Sweet Brown. Slate's Aisha Harris and Jonathan Capehart of The Washington Post discuss what Harris has called the viral trend of the "hilarious black neighbor."

By age 38, Sarah Elizabeth Richards had spent $50,000 to freeze 70 of her own eggs. Richards, author of Motherhood, Rescheduled, wrote in The Wall Street Journal that egg freezing put an end to the sadness she was feeling "at losing my chance" to have a child.

The surviving Boston bombing suspect faces charges that could bring the death penalty. For many in Boston, a trial could be an important part of the grieving process. It could be years until he could face a jury. The marathon will have been run again but public outrage will remain.

The federal government launched a database Wednesday that shows how much hospitals charge for the 100 most common procedures. The data reveals extreme variances in hospital billing. One hospital in Dallas, Texas charges $38,000 for treating pneumonia, while another charges over $14,000.

Randy Newman never considered himself a rock star. He's best known for his work as a composer of film scores, from the Toy Story movies to Monsters, Inc. When Newman learned he would be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the news came as a complete surprise.

Iowa is home of the first electoral test for anyone seeking the White House. As 2016 contenders begin to test the waters, NPR Political Junkie Ken Rudin talks with Iowa Democratic Party chair Tyler Olson and Iowa Republican Party chair A.J. Spiker about the election ahead.

Three women who disappeared almost a decade ago in Cleveland were found Monday night not far from where they had each been taken. They were discovered by a neighbor who heard screaming. Too often, cases like this unsolved indefinitely with no known crime scene, no witnesses, and no leads.

Some are calling on President Barack Obama to intervene in Syria's civil war. Gary Bass, Princeton University professor and author of Freedom's Battle: The Origins of Humanitarian Intervention, talks about the political risks of humanitarian intervention.

Music has been key to New Orleans' recovery since Hurricane Katrina. At Jazz and Heritage Fest 2013, Troy Andrews, aka Trombone Shorty, got the coveted closing act spot. Andrews and Gwen Thompkins, host of WWNO's Music Inside Out, talk about personal transitions and changes in their hometown.

NPR's Neal Conan reads from listener comments on previous segments including, emergency response after Boston Marathon bombings, the endangered art of sign painting and the link between favoritism and minority unemployment.

The Pentagon accused the Chinese military and government of cyberattacks on U.S. computers Monday. A Chinese military official denied those accusations. Dan McWhorter, researcher with the computer security firm Mandiant, explains how the company traced multiple cyberattacks to computers in China.