KQED's Forum

Since the turn of the 20th century, life expectancy in the developed world has risen from just shy of 50 years to nearly 80. But how much higher can it get? Author David Ewing Duncan's new book "When I'm 164" argues that advances in medicine and bionics will drastically increase our life expectancy in the next 30 to 50 years. What are the potential social, environmental and economic ramifications of extending our lives?

After a delay due to Tropical Storm Isaac, the 40th Republican National Convention is expected to hit full-speed Tuesday in Tampa, Florida. The anticipated 50,000 visitors and delegates will crown former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney as the party's presidential nominee.

Management Guru Jill Geisler joins us to discuss her book "Work Happy: What Great Bosses Know" and her step-by-step approach to improving work environments.

"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities. In the expert's mind there are few," wrote San Francisco Zen Center founder Shunryu Suzuki Roshi in his famous work "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind." As the center celebrates its 50th anniversary, we'll talk to three veteran teachers about Suzuki Roshi's vision, the history of the center and the possibilities for Zen in America.

We'll discuss the latest news from the Middle East, including an update on Syria where there are unconfirmed reports that 200 bodies have been discovered near the capital, Damascus.

After landing the first manned spacecraft on the moon in 1969, Neil Armstrong was propelled into celebrity. Yet he always saw himself foremost as an engineer. We'll discuss his life and achievement. Armstrong died on Saturday at the age of 82.

"Everything You've Heard About Failing Schools Is Wrong" reads the provocative headline of a recent article in Mother Jones Magazine. Thus concludes the author who spent a year observing students and teachers at Mission High in San Francisco. We'll meet the author and two school staff members to talk about how school performance is -- and how it should be -- measured.

A new study finds that the age of a mother has no bearing on the risk for autism or schizophrenia in her offspring. According to the study, the genetic risks for these disorders originate in the sperm, not the egg, and are directly linked to paternal age. How might the finding reshape our perception of male-female biological clocks?

In his new collection of essays "What Light Can Do," Robert Hass offers insights and ruminations on a diverse range of subjects. The former U.S. poet laureate draws on his vast literary knowledge in essays that examine artistic works, the relationship between literature and religion and the backstory of a UC Berkeley protest. He joins us to discuss his essays and career.

With just over a week remaining for California's legislative session, business and labor groups have started a push to pass broad reforms of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) -- a 42-year-old statute that has become the basis for numerous lawsuits against project developers. The effort has alarmed environmental groups and many legislators, who warn that change could leave the law ineffective.

It has been almost a year since California began overhauling its overcrowded prison system. The goal: to shed more than 30,000 inmates from in-state prisons and cut the prison budget. But critics in law enforcement and elsewhere fear the reforms may lead to higher crime. As part of the KQED News series "Prison Break," we'll discuss the realignment program. How has it fared so far?

Political analyst Marc Sandalow joins us to discuss the political firestorm that has ignited in response to comments that U.S. Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.) made about abortion and rape.

As English speakers, we have a plethora of epithets at our disposal available to hurl at those whom we reproach. But linguist Geoffrey Nunberg says these days, there's one word that has come to take center stage in the world of name-calling. In his new book, "Ascent of the A-Word," Nunberg traces the history of the word -- and the personality type.

Sheldon Adelson, the chief executive of the Las Vegas Sands Corp., has amassed an estimated $25 billion fortune. Formerly a donor to Newt Gingrich's failed presidential bid, he now donates large sums of money to a super PAC supporting Mitt Romney. But his business is under federal investigation for alleged bribery of Chinese officials.

Stare at a painting on the wall. No matter how long you wait, it's not going to tell you what it's about. To find meaning in the spattering of paint, you must step back and gaze from many angles. For philosopher Alva Noe, this process of interpreting art is a useful metaphor for a broader understanding of how we grasp the world around us. In his new book, "Varieties of Presence," Noe explores the many ways we use knowledge and skills to achieve a "presence" for the world in our thoughts and perceptions.