Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda

Patrick McEnroe: Calling the shots

The younger brother of tennis champion John – and himself ranked number three in the world in doubles – he shares connecting and communicating secrets, both on the court

Dame Sue Black: Science on trial

Britain’s best known expert witness tells of trials where crime scene evidence has led not only to successful prosecutions but also in too many cases to people being puni

Antonio Damasio: Consciousness starts in a surprising place

Rather than being a feature of our complex brains, he argues that consciousness begins in the feelings and emotions generated by our bodies. Hosted by Simplecast, an Ad

Lisa Margulis: Music shares our daydreams

Letting your mind wander while listening to music can open you up to rewarding daydreams. Surprisingly, there is a good chance that your musical daydream is shared by oth

Joanna Stern: A year living with bots

She spent twelve months trying out the best and the worst that AI has to offer, from the creepy (an AI boyfriend), to the helpful (an AI-powered mammogram) to the weird (

Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda: Season 35 Trailer

Alan and executive producer Graham Chedd introduce season 35 of Clear and Vivid. Topics include how music inspires daydreams, the mind games of championship tennis, a yea

Yael Schonbrun: It’s not what you say…

There is more to successful communication than picking the right words. We need to understand that our understanding of others is shaped by factors we are mostly unaware

Tom Levenson: Anti-vaxxers are living in the past

Opposition to vaccines goes back to their invention. And while doubts about vaccine safely may have been justified 300 years ago, those same doubts have lingered among th

Nicholas Epley: Talking to strangers

An encounter on his commuter train led to 20 years of research that changed his life for the better. You too can be friendlier, kinder, more open, more curious – and the

Lisa Genova: She lets us into their worlds

A neuroscientist who also writes novels –  including one that became an award-winning movie – Lisa Genova lets us experience the stories lived by people with brain diseas

Matt Kaplan: They were right after all

Vivid stories of scientists whose claims were ignored or ridiculed, from Galileo to Kati Karikó – the woman whose work was critical in developing the mRNA Covid vaccine t

Roxanne Khamsi: You are mutating – and that’s (mostly) a good thing

Mutations sound scary. But the DNA that shaped us is has been mutating since we were born. Some mutations are bad for our health while others are helping us stay alive, s

Lawrence O’Donnell: Inventing Arnie Vinick

Today an MS NOW host, in 2004 he was writer/producer on the popular NBC series The West Wing tasked with introducing a new character – a Republican Senator running for pr

Walter Isaacson: Are these truths still self-evident?

On the eve of our nation's 250th, Walter Isaacson takes a deep dive into the second sentence of the Declaration of Independence. It's what he calls "the greatest sentence

Kate Bowler: Joy is surprising

A decade on from being diagnosed with a deadly cancer – and eight years since her first visit with Clear and Vivid  – she tells of the many ways she has been taken by sur

Dhruv Khullar: The doctor has stories

As AI takes an increasing role in medical decisions, a physician employs stories to tell how the role of our doctors is changing Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz compan

Chris Duffy: How laughter connects us

Finding humor in the many absurdities of everyday life – including our own foolishness – can help us see things in new ways, foster understanding… above all, mend our abi

Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda: Season 34 Trailer

Alan and Executive Producer Graham Chedd look ahead to season 34. Episodes include one of Alan’s favorite topics – humor, and its power to connect; finding joy in unexpec

Roger Rosenblatt: Aging well

Alan revisits a conversation with his old friend to compare notes on staying happy when old, as Roger’s new book, More Rules for Aging: Making the Most of Your Ridiculous

Sonja Lyubomirsky: Lost that loving feeling?

In her new book she argues that if you want to feel more loved, you don't need to change yourself, you don't need to change the other person (which is sure to backfire!).