This is what Kurt Andersen considers a holiday tale... melting ice caps and extraterrestrial spies? Kurt's story, "Human Intelligence," was produced for radio by Jonathan Mitchell, and stars Melanie Hoopes, John Ottavino, and Ed Herbstman.

In 1928 the Scottish biologist Alexander Fleming discovered the fungus from which penicillin is derived. Fleming made the discovery while trying an unusual experiment: painting with strains of bacteria. Lindsay Patterson talked with a team that’s taking bacterial painting to a new level.

Regina Spektor has emerged as one of the great songwriters in indie music. Her new album and concert film is called Live in London. Last year, when her studio album Far was released, Spektor visited Studio 360 and performed for us.

Every year the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress selects 25 recordings to be preserved for all time. One song chosen this year is R.E.M.'s "Radio Free Europe." It was the band's first single and a breakthrough moment in indie rock.

Another pick by the National Recording Registry this year is Morton Subotnick's Silver Apples of the Moon, the first album of all-electronic music. Released in 1967, it found favor with electronics geeks, as well as legions of stoners who soaked in its mind-blowing sounds.