For the next two weeks, the WHFR Journal will look into the big picture of all-things science with the PRX program aptly titled, Big Picture Science. This Friday, we’ll air the episode called, “The Wrong Stuff”. As you do some spring cleaning this holiday weekend, consider that by one estimate, the average American home has 300,000 objects. Yet our ancient ancestors had no more than what they could carry with them. How did we go from being self-sufficient primates to nonstop shoppers? Host Seth Shostak examines the evolutionary history of stuff through the lens of archeology beginning with the ancestor who first picked up a palm-sized rock and made it into a tool.

On next week’s show, May 30, we’ll celebrate the Detroit Grand Prix with the Big Picture Science episode titled “Vroom”. Self-driving cars, once a thing of science fiction, have become a reality in a handful of cities across the country. As our vehicles gain autonomy, they may provoke a profound shift not unlike the introduction of the first car in the late 1800s. For a glimpse into the future of self-driving cars, we take a spin through the history of the automobile, from the Model T to the driverless taxicab. Along the way, we explore the rise of American manufacturing and the unmistakable but unexpected way in which we have bonded to our four-wheeled companions.

Join us for these special episodes from PRX on the WHFR Journal, Fridays from 1pm-2pm only on WHFR.