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February 2002 Shows
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FRIDAY FEBRUARY
1ST
THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE TOWER COMPETITION
In his recent volume 'Why Architecture Matters,' Chicago Tribune architecture
critic BLAIR KAMIN detailed the social and political importance of architecture.
The very building from which this program originates highlights the point:
in the 1920s, the Chicago Tribune held a design contest for its new office
building, a competition that not only changed the landscape of Chicago
architecture, but reflected the broader post-World War I social, political,
and economic processes that shaped American life. KATHERINE SOLOMONSON
of the University of Minnesota has published a volume that details the
architectural atmosphere of that era:  The
Chicago Tribune Tower Competition: Skyscraper Design and Cultural Change
in the 1920's. She, Kamin, and BOB BRUEGMANN of the University of
Illinois at Chicago join us for a look at the architectural evolution
of the twentieth century and beyond, beginning at 9:00pm.
MONDAY FEBRUARY 4TH
A NIGHT AT THE OPERA
Tonight, we continue our musical journey with a visit from the Lyric Opera
of Chicago. Although Ed Gardener once described opera as "when a guy gets
stabbed in the back and instead of bleeding he sings," we'll delve a little
deeper into one of the world's great cultural venues. Sir ANDREW DAVIS,
music director at the LOC and an internationally renowned operatic conductor,
joins us along with CATHERINE MALFITANO and MARK DELAVAN, the lead performers
in the current production of 'Parsifal,' with many musical selections
as we go. Inside the opera at 9:00pm.
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 5TH
A NEW ERA IN STRATEGIC DEFENSE
 Prior
to September 11, missile defense was perhaps the most tense foreign policy
issue facing the Bush administration. The last several months have not
changed the administration's commitment to erecting a missile shield (or
trying to) but they have altered U.S.-Russian relations, previously the
main obstacle to such plans. Now, missile levels (on paper) have been
slashed, the United States has announced its impending withdrawal from
the ABM Treaty, and the strategic landscape appears to be changing. But
how will the new plan work? Is missile defense feasible? Tonight, we'll
look at the new age in strategic defense, addressing not only the NMD
plan, but the looming threats from smaller (or aspiring) nuclear powers
and how strategic defense has become merely a subsection of 'Homeland
Security.' Our guests will be GERALD MARSH, a nuclear physicist at the
Argonne National Laboratory, and MELVIN GOODMAN, former top CIA analyst
on the Soviet Union. The two have co-authored  The
Phantom Defense: America's Pursuit of the Star Wars Illusion.
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 6TH
THE CHICAGO AIRPORT CONTROVERSY, CONTINUED
The recent agreement to expand O'Hare has not ended the controversy surrounding
the airport issue in Chicagoland. If anything, it has only intensified
the debate. The suburbs have now enlisted the aid of government watchdog
TERRY BRUNNER to form the Aviation Integrity Project, and investigate
the Daley-Ryan deal. Brunner will join us this evening, along with JERRY
ROPER, president of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, and transportation
expert JOE SCHWIETERMAN of Depaul University, as we re-examine Chicago's
airport situation following Northwestern basketball.
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 7TH
INSIDE THE ENRON AFFAIR
The collapse of Enron in December was the worst financial collapse in
the history of the American corporation. Rumors of political backdealings
and favors have only worsened the already toxic atmosphere created by
monetary and job loss. Once again, the scandal mongers in Washington are
smelling blood. But do they have a case? Apparently, some 3/4 of the U.S.
Senate has received contributions from Enron. The trail toward the White
House remains murky. We'll shed light on the whole affair, from its origins
to now, with a panel of experts. Our guests are LYNNE KIESLING of Northwestern
University, PHILIP HABLUTZEL of the Chicago-Kent College of Law, and FLYNN
McROBERTS of The Chicago Tribune.
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 8TH
This program remains under construction. Check back to wgnradio.com for
details.
MONDAY FEBRUARY 11TH
BLACK AMERICA
 James
Baldwin remarked in the 1960s that "to be black and conscious in America
is to be in a constant state of rage." Over the last four decades, much
progress has seemingly been made: a large black middle class has emerged,
education standards have been raised, incomes improved, and many blacks
now hold important positions in government, business, and academia. Yet
relative to the white population, the outlook for black Americans remains
cloudy. ELLIS COSE, author of  The
Envy of the World: On Being a Black Man in America, is among our guests
tonight as we examine Black America in the 21st century.
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 12TH
 THE
EVOLUTION OF MODERN CATHOLICISM
In 1958, Angleo Giuseppe Roncalli rose to become Pope John XXIII, inaugurating
a crucial five year period in the history of the Catholic Church. His
oversight of the Second Vatican Council in 1962 marked a crucial shift
in the outlook of the Church, a shift that has continued to this day.
Tonight, leading religious historian THOMAS CAHILL, author of  Pope
John XXIII, joins us with PAUL GRIFFITHS, chair of Catholic Studies
at UIC, and others for a look at the evolution of the papacy and the future
of the Catholic Church.
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY
13TH
This post-basketball program remains under construction. Check back to
wgnradio.com for details.
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 14TH
 PUBLIC
INTELLECTUALS
Once again, we're pleased to welcome Judge RICHARD POSNER back to
the program. In his last appearance on Extension 720, Judge Posner analyzed
the 2000 election, arguing that the Supreme Court decision in favor of
George W. Bush was, legally speaking, the correct one. Now, he has yet
another new book, this one examining the world of American intellectual
life:  Public
Intellectuals: A Study of Decline.
Judge Posner joins us for a look at the few bright stars and numerous
duds among our "intellectuals"--and, more importantly, how this
class has fallen so far--beginning at 9:00pm.
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 15TH
This program remains under construction. Check back to wgnradio.com
for details.
MONDAY FEBRUARY 18TH
QUARKS UNBOUND
The study of particle physics holds the secret to the most basic life
questions: What is our physical world made of? Where did it come from?
How does it work? Tonight, we'll examine the world of particle physics
with a panel of distinguished researchers. Among our guests will be CHRIS
QUIGG, chairman of the American Physical Society's Division of Particles
and Fields at Fermi Lab, and others.
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 19TH
THE WAR ON TERRORISM
What's next? The Philippines, Iraq, Somalia, Yemen...all have been mentioned
as our next theater of operations in the war. No doubt much preliminary
groundwork has been conducted behind the scenes in these and other nations.
Yet each poses far different problems than those we faced in Afghanistan.
And what do we make of the 'evil axis' described in President Bush's State
of the Union address? Tonight, we dissect these concerns with another
stellar panel. JOHN MEARSHEIMER, Professor of Political Science at the
University of Chicago, and one of America's leading authorities in the
field of security studies, heads our lineup this evening.
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 20TH
Taped interviews will follow the 8:00pm Northwestern game.
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 21ST
This program is still in development. Please check back to wgnradio.com
for details.
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 22ND
 PATIENT'S
RIGHTS
Dr. ISADORE ROSENFELD is in town for another visit to Extension 720.
Among his many titles are Distinguished Professor of Clinical Medicine
at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and attending
physician at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. His latest book,
and the topic of our discussion tonight, is  Power
to the Patient: The Treatments to Insist on When You're Sick.
Rosenfeld visits
Rosenberg, beginning at 9:00pm.
MONDAY FEBRUARY 25TH
LIFE AFTER DNA
 In
1953, a 25-year-old scientist named JAMES WATSON published, along with
Francis Crick, the now-familiar double-helix model of DNA--a truly momentous
event in the history of biological science. But their discovery only marked
the beginning of a fascinating decade that culminated in the cracking
of the RNA code. The characters involved in Watson's journey include Linus
Pauling, Richard Feyman, and George Gamow--and Watson's own personal demons.
We are honored to be joined in-studio by the Nobel Prize-winning scientist,
author of 
Genes, Girls, and Gamow: After the Double Helix, beginning at 9:00pm.
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 26TH
 THE
INTERNET BUBBLE: WHAT HAPPENED?
While the growth of the internet helped the economy reach unprecedented
levels, the collapse of the dot.com bubble set in motion a series of events
that left hundreds of companies bankrupt and ultimately led to recession.
We'll look at what happened tonight with JOHN CASSIDY, economics reporter
for The New Yorker and author of  Dot.Con:
The Greatest Story Ever Sold, and others.
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY
27TH
HEALING YOUR BROKEN HEART
Those of you suffering from an emotionally broken heart will, unfortunately,
find little comfort here tonight. However, those looking to learn more
about the physical human heart, how it functions, and the latest research
developments should be sure to tune in. Our guests will be ADRIAN KANTROWITZ,
who performed the first heart transplant in the United States, VAL JEEVANANDAM,
a cardiac surgeon at the University of Chicago, and ALLEN ANDERSON, a
noted Chicago cardiologist. This stellar panel convenes at 9:00pm this
evening.
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 28TH
This program remains under construction. Check back to wgnradio.com for
updates.
FRIDAY MARCH
1ST
THE ART OF ACTING
"The art of acting," Ralph Richardson once said, "consists in keeping
people from coughing." If it were as simple as that, we should hardly
require a full program to investigate it-but clearly more is involved.
CINDY GOLD, a professional actor and professor in the performing arts
school at Northwestern University, will explain. She joins us with a few
of her fellow actors to discuss the art of acting, and to perform some
Shakespeare, an Edwardian-era scene, and more.
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