Focus

Focus, or Focus 580, was WILL Radio's flagship talk program from 1981 until 2014. David Inge was the host from 1981 until his retirement in 2012. Always engaging, the program acted as a resource for citizens to directly question politicians and candidates as well as keep up on the arts, science, health, and even the latest from well-known novelists.

The Focus archive below offers thousands of great interviews and serves as a time capsule and a great resource for researchers and those just curious about how influential people spoke of important topics as they were happening.

The Mummy Congress: Science, Obsession, and the Everlasting Dead

Guest: Heather Pringle.

We most often associate mummies with ancient Egypt, but they can be found in a surprising number of places. They have much to tell us, says science journalist Heather Pringle, about medicine, religion, beauty, and even politics. The author of The Mummy Congress joins us today on Focus to talk about her worldwide travels to talk with a number of scientists who have devoted their lives to the study of mummies.

Listen

The Evolution Explosion: How Humans Cause Rapid Environmental Change

Guest: Stephen Palumbi.

Evolution is generally thought of as a slow process, one that takes millions of years. In fact, evolution can occur very quickly, and our own has been dramatically influenced by our efforts to improve our quality of life. Today on Focus we'll talk with biologist Stephen Palumbi about his book The Evolution Explosion. He says that humans have accelerated the evolutionary game, especially with the species closest to us: the food we eat, the pests that share the food, and the diseases that plague us. All of this raising the question: can we survive our own power to reshape the Earth?

Listen