University Of The Air

Explore why acclaimed African American singer, actor, and activist Paul Robeson became embroiled in controversy and denied a passport.

During its long history minor league baseball has produced a lot of bizarre occurrences. On today's show, sports announcer Tim Hagerty will share some of the most amazing and amusing of them.

Mindfulness techniques can transform lives in prison and aid with reentry.

Counterfeiting has been used as a weapon of war, and it's still very much with us in America today. But how practical is it to apprehend and who's doing the counterfeiting? And how can game theory be used to track it?

Exploring Dave Marsh's book Kick Out the Jams provides an exciting window into 20th century music and political activism.

When all of the traditional difficulties of adolescence continue, what role do TikTok, YouTube, and other social media play in the establishment of healthy relationships?

How can teachers, counselors, and parents work together to help traumatized children succeed?

Madison Symphony Orchestra Associate Conductor Kyle Knox will provide some insights from one of Mahler's best-known works.

Preschoolers often miss the lessons we think they learn from watching Clifford, Sesame Street, and other educational programs, while teens may use TV sitcoms to broach difficult topics with their parents. We explore the media's impact on us from childhood through adulthood.

In the last few decades Wisconsin has experienced some unusual weather--lakes freezing later and thawing earlier, summer nights with the temperature never going below 70 degrees, and heavier rainfalls. Climatologists Daniel Vimont and Steve Vavrus get into the reasons for the change and discuss how we can adapt to it.

Author, theater manager, and proto-feminist, the colorful Lady Gregory played a key role in Irish history.

The life stories of five women illustrate the complexity of servitude in America at a time when laws varied from state to state.

Entrepreneur, philanthropist, and aviation teacher Diane Ballweg discusses her book Into the Wind, Above the Clouds: Love at First Flight!

Its waves of working-class immigrants, self-made millionaires, and socialist reformers have shaped Milwaukee into a city where historic places are sometime obliterated, sometimes repurposed, and sometimes restored. From the Grand […]

Learn about an autoimmune disease affecting millions with dry eyes, dry mouth, and other symptoms.

World War II and Cold War-era journalists had plenty of doubts about the goals and methods of their president. They also had very good reasons to allow distortions and lies into their reporting.

Organist Jelani Eddington will run the organ through its paces for us and demonstrate scene and character building for some classic films.

A UW Journalism professor shares her book How Journalists Engage: A Theory of Trust Building, Identities, and Care.

On September 30, 2017, Jerome Rand ventured out from Gloucester, Massachusetts, intending to sail nonstop around the world. Would he and his 32-foot boat be able to prevail against the […]

August Wilson considered Joe Turner's Come and Gone his masterpiece. Director Baron Kelly and cast members take us into the minds of some of the characters.

Explore the life, hits, and innovations of singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell.

The venerable observatory in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, is as fascinating as some of the celestial objects it has studied. From the caricatures sneaked into its walls by a disgruntled designer […]

The groundbreaking Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease (WRAP) yields new data on this devastating disease, its generational impact, and pathways to treatment.

Social media, immigration, presidential immunity--all of them are likely to come before the U.S. Supreme Court in the coming year. UW Emeritus Political Science Professor Howard Schweber sets up the cases and gives us a look inside the workings of the court.

Explore our complicated relationship with animals in the stories we tell and zoos we create.

For every 100 Americans there are 120 firearms. What factors have led to America’s gun saturation? What’s the psychology of gun ownership? And why do some parts of the country […]

Haunted houses, dungeons, and demonic villains: why did a craze for gothic novels begin in the late 18th century and persist until the present?

In a previous interview produced by PBS Wisconsin, longtime Madison Symphony conductor John DeMain traced his musical development from his Ohio childhood to his experiences conducting George Gershwin’s Porgy and […]

Meet Bill Banfield, Black music activist and acclaimed composer of jazz, symphonies, operas, songs, and chamber works.

Dietrich Buxtehude, Heinrich Schutz, Heinrich Schmelzer, Johann Herman Schein…they're not exactly household names today. But in the years before Johann Sebastian Bach, they composed music for the Christmas season—beautiful music that you may hear at Christmas time without knowing who wrote it.

A study of conversation takes us into the whole range of human interactions–criticizing, storytelling, apologizing, and joking, among many others that reveal the relationship between the participants in a conversation.

Groundbreaking work in UW’s Stereotyping and Bias Research Lab has found new, evidence-based ways to reduce bias, create inclusion, and promote equity.

Meet Bill Banfield, Black music activist and acclaimed composer of jazz, symphonies, operas, songs, and chamber works.

Accused of fatally stabbing her jailer with an ice pick, Joan Little became the first woman acquitted of murder because of her right to self-defense against sexual assault.

Wheelchair user and Sitting Pretty author Rebekah Taussig discusses her experience with disability.

During the Middle Ages, the Devil was often depicted demanding a strict adherence to the law, while the Virgin Mary sometimes represented a more merciful application of it. In surprising […]

For two hundred years, America’s political parties have manipulated voting districts to keep power. Former Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader and Secretary of Health and Human Services under Governor Tommy Thompson […]

Conjuring a dim forested land of grim castles, howling wolves, and vampires, British writer Bram Stoker created a deathless classic called Dracula. He was building on legends based on the […]

A child migrant worker who became a professor in UW’s School for Workers places his Mexican family’s journey in a broader political and economic context.

How is reading skill acquired by children? What are the causes of dyslexia and other reading impairments)? How does the science of reading contribute to improved educational performance?

What inspires a person to become a conductor? In this interview produced by PBS Wisconsin, longtime Madison Symphony conductor John DeMain traces his musical development from his Ohio childhood to […]