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November 21, 2012 Theories are the life-blood of science; but ruling them out may be harder than you think. And letting a cherished model fall on the trash heap of history is even harder, yet. Take "supersymmetry" from the world of particle physics, for example. When might we see its demise or its vindication?

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November 21, 2012 Vampires and other creatures of the night are modern pop-culture staples — not least within the Twilight franchise — but these gothic novels show why sometimes older is better. Author John Connolly explores three of his favorite Anglo-Irish gothic thrillers.

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November 21, 2012 U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice is in the running to replace Secretary Clinton. Taylor Jones doesn't think much of the opposition from John McCain and Lindsey Graham because of her initial explanation of the attack that killed four Americans in Benghazi, while Steve Kelley saves his criticism for Obama.

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November 21, 2012 Rosie Napravnik is America's leading jockey — and a woman in a male-dominated sport. Commentator Frank Deford reflects on women's sports, competing with men, and fans.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

November 20, 2012 According to some very smart people, the odds are overwhelming that you are just self-conscious software in a giant simulation. Sorry. Take a look around; just how real does everything look? Reality, however real, may just not be what you think it is.

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November 20, 2012 The escalation of hostilities between Hamas and Israel has put post-Arab Spring Egypt's relationships to the test. Gary Varvel sees Israel getting the short end of the deal, while Paresh Nath thinks Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi faces a difficult task.

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November 19, 2012 Some members of Congress and the media are trying to show a link between Gen. David Petraeus' resignation and the controversy over the U.S. Consulate attack in Benghazi. Chip Bok is a true believer in a causal link, while Mike Luckovich sees only conspiracy-mongering.

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November 18, 2012 As diagnoses of autism have risen, so too have autistic characters in literature. Tasha Robinson explains how an "intelligent outsider's view of humanity" has led to a growing number of autistic characters in young adult fiction.

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November 18, 2012 Romney's remark that he lost the election as a result of Obama's "gifts" to African-Americans, Hispanics and young Americans has reinvigorated a meme that Romney tried to quash. John Darkow thinks the former governor was engaging in hypocrisy, while Mike Lester is in full accord with Romney's views.

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November 17, 2012 In a week in which the news has been filled with a fiscal cliff, rockets, sex and security, a restaurant review also raised a ruckus. New York Times critic Pete Wells took on Food Network star Guy Fieri's new restaurant, but his motives for doing so remain elusive.

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On Weekend Edition SaturdayPlaylist

November 17, 2012 One of the key sticking points in a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff is whether wealthy Americans will pay more taxes. Adam Zyglis thinks continuing tax cuts for the rich has no real support, while Lisa Benson feels that ending the cuts would be only a drop in the lunch bucket.

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November 16, 2012 Can fundraising actually be fun? Howard H. Stevenson debunks some of philanthropy's biggest myths — and offers five gems about the art of doing good.

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