When Alice Waters opened restaurant Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California, in 1971, no one ever anticipated the indelible mark it would leave on the culinary landscape. Tonight, Waters talks about her evolution from follower to activist who effects change on a global level through the common bond of food.

Thursday, October 26, 2017 - 6:45 p.m.

In the earliest days of our nation, a handful of unsung heroes—including women, slaves, and an Iroquois chief—pioneered the ideas that led to the Bill of Rights, the separation of powers, and the eventual abolition of slavery. Their largely forgotten stories are given a deserved airing by Utah Sen. Mike Lee.

Wednesday, November 1, 2017 - 6:45 p.m.

If you were unlucky enough to need surgery in the early 19th-century, you had more to fear than your malady: The procedure itself could kill you. Medical historian Lindsey Fitzharris leads a fascinating Halloween-night excursion into the germ-ridden, dirty, and often-deadly Victorian operating room, where your surgeon made up for his lack of skill by some fairly gruesome means.

Tuesday, October 31, 2017 - 6:45 p.m.

What led Aaron Burr to be tried for treason in 1807? Historian James E. Lewis Jr. examines how partisan politics, biased newspapers, Thomas Jefferson—and Burr’s rumored plan to establish a new empire ruled by his daughter—all played a role in the former vice president’s public depiction as “the chief villain of the Founding Fathers.”

Monday, November 6, 2017 - 6:45 p.m.

The veteran of four space flights, astronaut Scott Kelly discusses the dangers, achievements, and physical and emotional challenges he encountered during his record-breaking year aboard the International Space Station.

Friday, November 3, 2017 - 7:00 p.m.