Look at the world in a whole new light: Hear about a view that's "out of this world" as astronaut Commander Chris Hadfield describes the photos he took of Mother Earth from 250 miles away, and what they revealed. We also explore how the Roman and pre-historic worlds are within reach when you dig a little beneath the surface in Britain.  And listeners share the highlights of their travels in the Holy Land. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Digging England; Astronaut's View of Earth; Holy Land Travels - Travel with Rick Steves

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Actor Alan Alda created the “Flame Challenge” in 2012 to promote better science communication. Each year, he asks scientists to explain a question that keeps them up at night to 11-year-olds around the world, who choose the winning entry. This year’s question: What is sleep?

Alan Alda Challenges Scientists to Answer: What Is Sleep?

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Scientists estimate that Mars has been an arid and dusty planet for at least the last two billion years. But this week, NASA’s Curiosity rover uncovered more evidence that a gigantic lake—possibly the size of Utah’s Great Salt Lake—could have once existed in Gale Crater. Ashwin Vasavada, deputy project scientist for the Curiosity Mission, discusses the clues that are leading scientists to believe that this lake, or series of lakes, may have been on the Martian surface for millions of years.

Evidence Mounts for Liquid Water on Mars

Meteorologist Frank Lombardo from WeatherWorks joined us this morning to break down the blizzard that is slamming the northeast.

Blizzard shuts down New York City, much of U.S. Northeast

Local artist Jack Nixon has been building his portfolio for nearly 30 years. His detailed graphite drawings showcase some of Chicago’s most famous landmarks and buildings: the Civic Opera House, the art institute and the Tribune building, just to name a few. His artwork is photo-realistic, but almost goes beyond reality.  He joins us to explain his work.

Chicago landmarks captured in pencil

The Afternoon Shift was a live WBEZ show featuring in-depth interviews and conversations with newsmakers and innovators. Its last show was June 5, 2015.

Chicago landmarks captured in pencil

WBEZ's Afternoon Shift

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