12:00: What can we learn from Dolly Parton?
1:00: 'Connections Summer Sessions': Is human intelligence unique in the universe
This hour, we remember Dolly Parton. The music superstar, actress, businesswoman, and philanthropist died Tuesday. Parton was beloved by many — perhaps almost universally so. How was she able to transcend the division and polarization of today's society? We discuss her life and legacy, and the lessons we can learn. Our guests:
- Hannah Davis, Dolly Parton fan and executive director of Flower City Folk
- Hannah Maier, music director of The Route and lead singer and guitarist of the country band, Candy
- Matt Present, M.D., founder emeritus of the Rochester chapter of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and assistant professor of pediatrics at UR Medicine
Then in our second hour, we wrap up this week of "Connections Summer Sessions" conversations featuring astrophysicist Adam Frank. In this special rebroadcast, he explains why we may not be not the universe's first advanced civilization. In a paper that puts some numbers on how likely it is that humans are unique, Frank concludes that other intelligent life has very likely come before us. How often? We discuss how Frank modified the famous "Drake Equation" of 1961, and why it's so likely that other intelligent life is either out there — or has been out there — at one time or another. Our guest:
- Adam Frank, Ph.D., author and Helen F. and Fred H. Gowen Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Rochester
"Connections" is livestreamed each day on the WXXI News YouTube channel. Watch here.
