The United States banking system, already shaken by a string of financial upsets, is bracing for another round of potential bad news: more banks failing. Black and White reports on the nature of the bank failures, the role of the FDIC, and the new housing bill legislation designed to bolster Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and rescue millions of Americans from housing foreclosure and loss of homes.

The debate about the development and use of nuclear energy is heating up as the United States grapples with rising demand and energy costs, and the desire to reduce its reliance on foreign oil. Washington and Wall Street are included in the demographic of marketing campaigns from parties on either side of the issue. Black and White explores this active debate and takes a look at status of nuclear energy in the U.S. and abroad.

In three days, one million units have been sold, and 10 million downloads of the software have been performed from a host of 500 applications. All of this activity occurred for a product that did not even exist 14 months ago. What will this lead to?
Apple announced that in the first three days of the […]

Toi Derricotte is a writer and poet, author of five books, and co-founder of Cave Canem, a summer workshop for African American poets. She is currently a professor of English at the University of Pittsburgh. Black and White talks with the writer about her early influences as young writer, the influence of singer Billie Holiday, how her writing voice is changing, and her present work that positions her as a role model for young writers.

Social networking sites are a growing phenomenon partly due to the way in which they increase the efficiency of users’ communication. Posted for the masses are members’ personal profiles that may take the form of text, images, and music for other members to enjoy, comment on, and share. Users can be social at the time of their choosing, independent of the initiating communicator. The one-on-one communication of email, text messaging, and phone is outpaced considerably by social networking platforms.

The phrase “thinking outside the box” refers to a process in which individuals and groups disregard outside limiting parameters of the norm, and generate ideas to solve problems. Often in this process, thinking patterns are different and unconventional, almost always the participants enter in from a new or different perspective. In some instances this […]

For over a decade, University of Maryland geophysicist Dr. Dan Lathrop has been on a quest to construct and run tests on spherical models that simulate the physics of the Earth’s magnetic field. Now completing work on the fourth model, his academic group is close to their biggest feat yet: filling the rotating sphere with sodium to create a self-generating magnetic field. Black and White talks with Dr. Lathrop about his work and influences.

Andro Wekua’s installation in the 55th Carnegie International entitled “Get out of my room” is a hauntingly evocative piece. Of this work Wekua explains: “Although the work is meant to be exhibited and looked at, the figure in the installation is secluded, and resists being looked at.” John Eastman interviews the young Georgian-born artist.