Show #132 | June 25, 2016 | Mary Roach’s new book Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War tackles the science behind being a soldier. In it, Mary visits a re-purposed movie studio where amputee actors help prepare Marine Corps medics for facing combat wounds. She also samples caffeinated meat, sniffs a WWII stink bomb, and tends to the missiles on a nuclear submarine. Once you listen to this insightful interview, you’ll never see the art of war the same way again.
Guests:
Mary Roach is a funny and fascinating writer who first arrived in San Francisco in the early 1980s. She’s written six hugely popular science books including Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers (2003), Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex (2008), and Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal (2013). Clearly a common theme throughout Mary’s books is a literary treatment of the human body. When asked by NPR how she picks her topics, she replied, “Well, it’s got to have a little science, it’s got to have a little history, a little humor – and something gross.”
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