Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda
Episodes
They've Filled Our Lives with Laughter - Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner
14 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Your host, Alan Alda, has been friends with Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks for over forty years. Carl and Mel have been friends with each other for sevent...
Why Everyday Should be Science Friday
07 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Clear+Vivid, Alan Alda, welcomes his friend Ira Flatow to the show. Ira hosts the wildly popular Science Friday series for public r...
How to Interview an Octopus and Other Creatures
31 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How do you interview an octopus for a podcast? We're pretty sure that Alan Alda's interview with Ruddy, a giant pacific octopus, who lives at the New ...
Betty White and Alan Alda Fall Desperately in Love
24 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
She's a Golden Girl, a national treasure, and a true character of great character. The one and only Betty White joins Alan Alda this week as our speci...
On Modern Manhood in the #MeToo Generation
17 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Cleo Stiller had 75 interesting conversations with men about the #MeToo movement and she's written a book about what they had to say. Her book, "Moder...
The Science Guy on Science and Uncertainty
10 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the five years it was on the air, his television show, "Bill Nye the Science Guy," won 18 Emmys and entertained and educated millions of young peop...
Direct from the NIH: Dr. Anthony Fauci on the Coronavirus - what we face and what we can do
06 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode of Clear+Vivid, Dr. Anthony Fauci talks with Alan Alda from the campus of the National Institutes of Health. Recorded on March...
Paul McCartney: On the Magic of Music - From the Magician Himself
03 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How does Paul McCartney write a song? What goes through his mind when he's at the piano? What's an "oobley" chord? Where do the lyrics come from when ...
Tom Hanks and Alan Alda on the Human Element
25 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Tom Hanks, aside from being a legendary two-time Oscar Award winner, is also a deeply fascinating person with some really fun and eclectic interests. ...
Welcome to a Preview of Season 7 of Clear+Vivid
18 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Alan Alda and our production team sit down for an impromptu "Table Talk" about our upcoming season's highlights. We'll discuss and play clips from Ala...
Conan O’Brien: Still Curious after 10,000 Interviews
11 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
From Saturday Night Live, to Late Night, from The Simpsons to Conan Needs a Friend - Conan O'Brien is an unstoppable force of comedy. In this happy ba...
Carl Safina on the Thoughts and Feelings of the Other Animals
04 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Do animals – other than we humans – have thoughts, feelings? Are their emotions similar to ours? Carl Safina is an ecologist who explores our rela...
Siddhartha Mukherjee on Getting Personal with Our Genes
28 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee is the author of the best-selling book, “The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer." The book won a Pulitzer Prize...
Lisa Kaltenegger: Looking for Life on Other Earths
21 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Is there life in the universe beyond planet Earth? It's the question everyone, including Alan Alda, wants to understand. In this episode, Alan asks Dr...
Jo Handelsman on the Surprising News That the Earth is Running Out of Dirt
14 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What do microbes, the soil, and climate change all have in common? Dr. Jo Handelsman studies microbes at the University of Wisconsin. She researches t...
All Shook Up: Dr. Lucy Jones on How to Tell People the Big One is Coming
07 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Lucy Jones is a seismologist, who has a talent for translating the scary uncertainties of earthquakes into a language the rest of us can relate to...
Human Connection Through Nature: Discussing Seven Worlds, One Planet
23 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this special bonus episode of Clear+Vivid, BBC America’s Executive Director Courtney Thomasma and Executive Producer of Seven Worlds, One Planet’...
Jamil Zaki on Empathy and How to Hack It
17 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Jamil Zaki is a Stanford scientist who has a way for you to sharpen you empathy skills. It’s a little like going to the gym to strengthen your m...
Ben Stiller on Directing and His Escape at Dannemora
10 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
How does an actor adapt to becoming a director? In this episode, Alan Alda and Ben Stiller compare notes about the delicate art of communicating direc...
Noah Baumbach: The Acclaimed Film Director on Giving Directions
03 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What does a director look for in actor? How does a director create a sense of family and community on a set? How does a director get an actor to relat...
Julie Andrews and Daughter Emma Walton Hamilton on the Hard Work of Home Work
26 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
She’s an icon of stage and of screen, with one of the most recognized voices in the world. And, no matter where she is in the world, Julie Andrews a...
It's Not Just You: Curiosity Daily Explains Quirks of Human Behavior
19 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Clear+Vivid returns next Tuesday, November 26th with the legendary Julie Andrews! In the meantime, check out our new favorite podcast, Curiosity Daily...
How to Live Better: Curiosity Daily Shares Scientific Life Hacks
12 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As a special treat for listeners of Clear+Vivid, we're publishing two bonus episodes of Curiosity Daily on Tuesday, November 12th and Tuesday, Novembe...
Alan Alda Speaks with Ashley Hamer and Cody Gough from Curiosity Daily
05 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What's brown fat? How do you tell when someone is lying? What's the healthiest way to cook broccoli? Ashley Hamer and Cody Gough are the hosts of the ...
Isabel Allende on the Essential Element - Passion
29 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Her 1982 novel The House of the Spirits, was a breakthrough for women writers in Latin America and today Isabel Allende has written 23 books, sold 74 ...
What Happens When an Economist Walks Into a Brothel?
22 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Allison Schrager set out to examine unusual subcultures, looking for clues that would deepen her understanding of risk and other economic realities. T...
Say It With Funny. Frank Santopadre, Alan Zweibel, and Alan Alda on Comedy
15 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What makes a good joke? Why do some fall flat while others are met with a LOL, even an ROTFL? Is a joke ever out of bounds? In this episode, we examin...
Is There a Revolution for Women In Science? Are Things Finally Changing?
08 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Despite many positive changes, women in science report continuing problems. When a colleague ignores your contribution, belittles your work, or even h...
Pat Metheny: Discovering Spontaneity in Music and Everything Else
01 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As Clear+Vivid listeners know, we love improvisation because of how important it can be to communication. In this episode Alan Alda had the opportunit...
Dr. Robert Sapolsky: What Does It Take to Really Understand Our Decisions?
24 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What can animals teach us about our own decision-making process? Every summer for 25 years, Dr. Robert Sapolsky has been studying baboons on the plain...
Brian Greene: Can the Rest of Us See the Beauty of Nature That Scientists See?
17 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
How can scientist’s better bring their complex and deep understanding of nature up to the surface? How can they help us see the marvels they see and...
Yo-Yo Ma: On Bringing the World Together - Through Listening
10 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Can music be a story? And, can that story, and the emotions it stirs in us, be something that can unite us? In this conversation, Alan Alda explores ...
Laura Brown: How Did She Become a Badass Woman? And what is it?
03 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Laura Brown is the Editor in Chief of InStyle Magazine. Recently, she had the graceful chutzpa to feature Alan Alda in her magazine as a badass. Alan ...
Melinda Gates: Can Listening Change the World?
27 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
When someone wants to make the world a better place – and actually has the means to do it – you wonder: How do they go about it? What are their gu...
Producer's Cut: Exclusive Sneak Peek at Season 5
20 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Season 5 of Clear+Vivid® with Alan Alda starts on Tuesday, August 27th! Listen to the exclusive producer's cut of the official trailer to meet some o...
Katie Couric on How to Make People Truly Care and Engage
13 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
How do you engage a national audience and bring attention to a cause? Katie Couric’s decision to allow her colonoscopy to be broadcast live on telev...
Katharine Hayhoe on How to Talk About Climate Change
06 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Is there a way to bring up the climate crisis and not lose friends and disinfluence people? Katharine Hayhoe has found ways to communicate about a top...
Henry Schleiff on How to Lead a TV Network, Have an Impact, and Still Have Fun
30 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
There's a difference between communication and communications, with an "S." The way we look at it, communicating is connecting with people; and commun...
Dr. Eric Topol on How Artificial Intelligence Can Improve the Doctor-Patient Relationship
23 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Your visit to the doctor isn’t what it used to be. Now, there are more options for doctors to consider, and much less time for them to decide on the...
Frans de Waal on What Chimps Can Teach Us About Ourselves
16 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Do animals have emotions? What can we learn from them about family, friendships, and stable relationships? A surprising amount. Frans de Waal began st...
Adam Driver on How Theatre Can Help Heal Some Wounds of War
09 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
There's an "Art of War," but is there a place for the arts in the military? Adam Driver is a brilliant young actor who is taking the worlds of televis...
Hope Jahren on How It Actually Seems Possible to Have Empathy for Plants
02 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Do you ever imagine what it's like to be a plant? Do they communicate? Hope Jahren, author of the bestselling book, Lab Girl, has been fascinated by p...
Who Cares What Science Says? Chris Volpe on Why Some of Us Care and Some Don't
25 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
When you first think about science, what comes to mind first? What words do use to describe science? How does science make you feel? Asking these ques...
How Earlonne Woods and Nigel Poor Create One of the World's Most Fascinating Podcasts
18 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Earlonne Woods was recently released from San Quentin prison after 20 years inside. For the last 3 years he’s been helping inmates get their stories...
Carol Burnett: A Life of Comedy, Characters, and Connection
11 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Every Saturday night for 11 years, Carol Burnett communicated a sense of family to the entire country. She worked alongside other skilled comic actors...
Madeleine Albright on the Uses and Abuses of Empathy and Power
04 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Empathy is a powerful tool and, when mixed with politics, it can be used to help the greater good. But, it also has a dark side. In this episode, Alan...
Official Trailer: Exclusive Sneak Peak of Season 4
28 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Season 4 of Clear+Vivid® with Alan Alda starts on Tuesday, June 4th! Listen to the official trailer to meet some of Alan’s next guests — includin...
Tribalism: How we overcome the "Us" vs. "Them" Mentality
21 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
You need little more evidence these days that our country is badly divided than to toggle back and forth between Fox News and MSNBC – two perspectiv...
Empathy: What good is it anyway?
14 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Regular listeners to Clear+Vivid know that we have a thing for empathy, as do many of our guests. For our host, Alan Alda, empathy is the indispensabl...
Our Favorite Answers By Listeners to the 7 Questions
07 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We love hearing from our listeners! Through social media and email, you've been sending us your own answers to "Alan's 7 Questions" and we've been hav...
The Best Guest Answers to Alan’s 7 Questions
30 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Why doesn't Dr. Ruth talk about her sex life? What keeps Michael J. Fox optimistic? Why does Isabella Rossellini have a passion for animals? What's th...
Alan Alda and Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast
23 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda is coming back soon for a sensational season 4! In the meantime, we've been having a lot of fun behind the scenes creating ...
David Flink on How We Can All Think Differently About Learning
16 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
How do you learn? It may be different from how I learn. David Flink knows about learning differences. Dave was diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD in gra...
Pardis Sabeti on How Science Can Be Infectious
09 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
At Harvard, she's known as the "rollerblading, rockstar scientist." Pardis Sabeti mines the human genome for its secrets to eradicate deadly scourges....
Steven Johnson on the Importance of Play and the Decisions We Make
02 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
How do we come up with ideas? How do we make decisions? And how can we do both better? Steven Johnson has explored this question and written a dozen b...
Steven Strogatz Says You Can Understand Math
26 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Steven Strogatz possesses a special ability to see into the unseen. How does he do it? Steve is a world class mathematician, who sees through the wind...
Steven Strogatz Bonus - What to Do When Things Keep Changing!
26 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Alan Alda wanted to get off the island quickly. Steven Strogatz explains how an 18th century British clergyman could have helped. In this short bonus ...
Jonathan Haidt on Why We're So Divided and What to Do About It
19 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
How do we get beyond Right versus Left, "Us" versus "Them," and even "Me" versus "You"? Jonathan Haidt has a few theories about this all too-familiar ...
Michael Tomasello On the Surprising Origins of Communication and Cooperation
12 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
How do we actually learn to communicate? How is it different from how other animals learn it? Michael Tomasello explores what may be at the very heart...
Sarah Vowell on Writing with Clarity (and Shenanigans)
05 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah Vowell is not short on facets. She’s writer, a historian, a satirist, a radio star and an actor. While he writing voice can be satirical, you ...
Sherry Turkle on How We're Losing Touch With One Another and What We Can Do About It
26 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Sherry Turkle is an expert on both our cultural and personal well-being. She's a professor at MIT, an author, a licensed clinical psychologist, and so...
Stephen Fry On How Our Myths Help Us Know Who We Are
19 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Stephen Fry loves words. But he does more than love them. He puts them together in ways that so delight readers, that a blog or a tweet by him can get...
Dr. Ruth on Communicating Under the Covers and Above
12 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Her name is Ruth Westheimer, but we all know her as Dr. Ruth, the helpful lady who’s spoken to us for decades about sex. She's always direct, to the...
The Actors from M*A*S*H — On How M*A*S*H Changed Our Lives
05 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
M*A*S*H is the most beloved and one of the most watched TV shows of all time. It set viewing records that have never been broken and is ranked as one ...
Sheila Nevins on Age, Sex, Love, Life, and Everything Else
29 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Sheila Nevins has explored the human condition in the thousand or so documentaries she produced for HBO. From more than 30 years of telling us stories...
Official Trailer - The Actors from M*A*S*H — On How M*A*S*H Changed Our Lives
27 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Coming Tuesday, February 5th! M*A*S*H will be back for a one-time, exclusive episode with all your familiar friends -- join Alan Alda, Loretta Swit, ...
Senator Bill Bradley on How We Can All Do Better
22 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Senator Bill Bradley has an amazing life. He was a Gold medal Olympian, a Rhodes Scholar, a legendary star with the Knicks for 10 years, a United Sate...
Christian Picciolini on Escaping the Neo-Nazi Movement and Helping Others Leave It Behind
15 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Christian Picciolini is the author of “White American Youth: My Descent Into America’s Most Violent Hate Movement – And How I Got Out.” His st...
Jaron Lanier on Why You Should Delete Your Social Media Accounts Right Now
08 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Should you shut down your social media accounts right now? Jaron Lanier thinks so, and he knows the tech world. He helped build the Internet and was o...
Rachael Ray on Communicating Through the Medium of Food
17 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Rachael Ray knows how to relate over food. When she cooks, she's always thinking about her audience and how to communicate a message through the mediu...
W. Kamau Bell on How He Communicates with Racists
11 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
W. Kamau Bell, the host of CNN's "United Shades of America,” describes his show as giving people a “microphone” and “public square to tell the...
How the Alda Center Teaches Empathy in Science, and Medicine (Part 3)
08 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The most important time in your life can be those few minutes when you're in the doctors office - this is a critical time for you to tell your story a...
Dr. Karl VanDevender: Empathy and the Doctor-Patient Relationship (Part 2)
06 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Karl VanDevender is one of the most empathic doctors you'll ever meet. In fact, he's one of the most empathic people that Alan Alda has ever met! ...
Dr. Helen Riess on Empathy and the Science of Emotion (Part 1 of 3)
04 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Relating and communicating in the doctor’s office can sometimes be a matter of life or death. Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda is devoting a special serie...
Marc Maron on What Podcasting Has Taught Him About Relating
27 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Marc Maron is a legend in both the stand-up community and also as a podcaster. His WTF Podcast broke new ground in the interview genre when he welcome...
Neil deGrasse Tyson on Communicating Science So We Actually Get It
20 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The universe has wonders that can stun us — if only someone could be clear and vivid in explaining them to us. Neil deGrasse Tyson does just that, w...
Michael J. Fox: How to Keep Going When Life Gives You Speed Bumps
13 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Michael J. Fox was diagnosed with young on-set Parkinson's Disease in 1991. He threw himself into his work and fell into moments of depression and alc...
Behind the Scenes Table Talk with Alan Alda and the Production Team
06 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Go behind the scenes with the Clear+Vivid team! Alan Alda sits down with his friend and long time producer, Graham Chedd, to talk about podcasting, th...
Katie Couric and Sheryl Sandberg Take Over the Pod
30 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
While Alan Alda is on vacation, he's invited his friend Katie Couric to take over the pod with some of her favorite episodes! Alan's producers intervi...
Katie Couric and Bryan Stevenson Take Over the Pod
23 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Alan is on vacation (literally). So, he asked his friend Katie Couric if she'd lend him a couple of episodes of her podcast. Alan sent in his producer...
Season 2 of Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda Starts Nov 13th - Official Trailer
02 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Season 2 of Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda starts on November 13th! Listen to the official trailer to meet some of Alan's next guests -- you're not going ...
Hostage Crisis: How to Negotiate Through the Unthinkable with Chris Voss
02 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Chris Voss is a former FBI hostage negotiator who has used communication to save lives. Alan Alda interviews Chris about his experiences and they disc...
Father Greg Boyle on Compassion, Kinship, and Real Ways to Help Others
25 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
How do you talk to a member of a deadly gang? How do you help someone leave that life, and why did they join it in the first place? The answers are su...
Isabella Rossellini on Communicating the Wonder of Nature
18 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Isabella Rossellini is a legendary actress, iconic model, filmmaker, writer, and now - if that's not enough - she's working on her master's degree in ...
The Quest to Understand Ourselves Through Art and Mind
11 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Is a work of art complete if no one experiences it? Nobel Prize winner Eric Kandel talks with Alan Alda about the vital role of the audience when we c...
Cheryl Strayed Shares Her Advice on How to Give Advice
04 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Cheryl Strayed, one of the most exciting and uplifting authors of our time, is funny, down to earth, complex, and the perfect person to offer Alan Ald...
George Mitchell on Bringing Together Enemies - Part 2 Northern Ireland
28 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
George Mitchell helped end decades of lethal violence in Northern Ireland with the historic accord known as the Good Friday Agreement. In this episode...
Tina Fey and the Transformative Power of Improv
21 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Two icons of improv and comedy together on the same podcast. Alan Alda and Tina Fey - do we need to say more? This episode was originally recorded liv...
Ann Patchett on Novelists and the Sources of Empathy in Story
14 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Ann Patchett is a best selling author with an uncanny ability to write amazing characters, who capture our imagination and hold us in their emotional ...
Bringing Together Enemies - Part 1: The Middle East
07 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Author and activist Letty Cottin Pogrebin reflects on the modern state of feminism and the #MeToo movement – and how she’s brought people together...
Is Empathy Good or Bad? A Conversation with Paul Bloom
31 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Yale Professor Paul Bloom doesn't think empathy is such a good thing. He's even written a book about it called, The Case Against Empathy. However, he ...
Renée Fleming and the Healing Power of Music
24 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Surprisingly, Renée Fleming has been using her iconic voice to help scientists discover how music heals us. Alan talks with Renée about their mutual...
Judge Judy on How to Figure Out Who’s Telling the Truth
17 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Every day, 10 million Americans watch Judge Judy on TV. Her style is direct and to the point. Her job is to know how to quickly separate fact from fic...
Kate Bowler and How to Handle the Worst News of All
13 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Alan talks with Kate about the awkward, funny, and often misguided, ways people approach the subject when they know someone is seriously ill. New York...
Itzhak Perlman on the Spontaneity and Connection of Performance
09 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this delightful and spirited conversation, Alan Alda talks with his good friend the world-renowned violinist, Itzhak Perlman. They explore the powe...
Sarah Silverman and the Joy of Enjoying People You Don't Agree With
09 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Alan Alda talks with comedian Sarah Silverman about how she befriended someone who was hateful toward her on Twitter, and how her new series on Hulu c...
Clear + Vivid™ with Alan Alda - Official Trailer
23 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Clear and Vivid is a series of Alan Alda’s spirited conversations with people who know how hard it is, and yet how good it feels, to really connect ...