August 01, 2008
He was a legendary guitarist long before his success producing Buena Vista Social Club. His new record I, Flathead is the third in his trilogy about Southern California. It tells the story of drag racers and engine tinkerers in the desert in the 1950s. One of the songs riffs off of Johnny Cash's "Hey, Porter" -– a tune that got Cooder into trouble when he was a kid.
From Ry Cooder's new album, I, Flathead (Nonesuch).
South African Oscar Pistorius runner failed to qualify for the Olympic games by just 7/10 of a second. Pretty good -– especially for a man without legs. But his state-of-the-art prosthetics, called "Cheetah legs," have caused controversy in the world of sports: for some, they raise questions about what it means to be human. Produced by Ave Carrillo.
Cheetah Legs in Motion:
(Video courtesy of Rice University)
If you're heading outside for a picnic this weekend, don't forget your box of wine. That's right, box. It may call to mind sorority parties and bad hangovers, but design curator Ellen Lupton thinks that boxed wine deserves a second look. Produced by Katie Rolnick.
The "Birds' Nest" Olympic stadium isn’t even the most incredible new structure in Beijing. Kurt was there recently, and reports on some of the amazing structures taking shape. From the look of things, the 21st century may belong to China.
Studio 360 is a co-production of
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WNYC New York Public Radio, and is funded in part by
Ken and Lucy Lehman, the
National Endowment for the Arts, and the Lily Auchincloss Foundation. Studio 360's American Icons series is supported in part by the
National Endowment for the Humanities. Our series on creativity and science is supported in part by the
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Our series on Underground Heroes is supported in part by the New York State Music Fund, established by the New York State Attorney General at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. 
