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"The Mothers of Invention."

Ethlie Ann Vare and Greg Ptacek, authors of the book Mothers of Invention, a compilation of inventions by women. Some have been rather mundane, like Liquid Paper and drip coffee. But others include radium, the computer language COBOL and the first computer compiler. The authors are better known for their writing about rock and roll. (Interview by Faith Middleton)

09:50
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Other segments from the episode on March 29, 1988

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, March 29, 1988: Interview with Andrew Weil; Commentary on "bad" music; Interview with Ethlie Ann Vare and Greg Ptacek; Review of Kobo Abe's novel "The Ark Sakura."
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03:42

Japan's Magical Realist.

Book critic John Leonard reviews The Ark Sakura, a new novel by Japanese writer Kobo Abe (Koe-boe Ah-bay). Abe's other books include The Woman in the Dunes and The Ruined Map. The Ark Sakura is a surreal vision of contemporary social and environmental problems.

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03:28

"Mothers of Invention" is Basic, but Necessary.

Book critic John Leonard reviews Mothers of Invention, a book about the the unrecognized role women had in the technological breakthroughs of the modern era. The authors are Ethlie Ann Vare and Greg Ptacek.

Review
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42:00

Cave Diver Risks All To Explore Places 'Where Nobody Has Ever Been'

Underwater explorer and photographer Jill Heinerth has dived into unmapped caves deep in the earth, and beneath a giant iceberg. She's seen hidden creatures old as dinosaurs, and witnessed scenes of surreal beauty. Her work is so dangerous, over a hundred of her friends and colleagues have died in caves. She talks about the risks and rewards of her work.

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52:30

Daughter of Warhol star looks back on a bohemian childhood in the Chelsea Hotel

Alexandra Auder's mother, Viva, was one of Andy Warhol's muses. Growing up in Warhol's orbit meant Auder's childhood was an unusual one. For several years, Viva, Auder and Auder's younger half-sister, Gaby Hoffmann, lived in the Chelsea Hotel in Manhattan. It was was famous for having been home to Leonard Cohen, Dylan Thomas, Virgil Thomson, and Bob Dylan, among others.

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43:04

This fake 'Jury Duty' really put James Marsden's improv chops on trial

In the series Jury Duty, a solar contractor named Ronald Gladden has agreed to participate in what he believes is a documentary about the experience of being a juror--but what Ronald doesn't know is that the whole thing is fake.

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