1A NPR

WeWork – the shared office space company – was once hailed as a revolutionary way to work, with a $47 billion valuation to match.But earlier this month, the company filed for bankruptcy. WeWork reported more than $18 billion in debt and around $100 million in unpaid rent.And while the bankruptcy may be the final nail in WeWork's proverbial coffin, many other coworking spaces have cropped up all around the country.We discuss what the future of remote work will look like and how coworking spaces fit into that future.Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find out how to connect with us by visiting our website.

In June 2015, nine people died at Charleston's Emanuel A.M.E. Church, victims of a racist shooter's rampage.Some of the victims' relatives publicly forgave the murderer, including Chris Singleton, whose mother, Sharonda Coleman Singleton, was killed. Philosopher Myisha Cherry was struck by the story and its response. Some, she says, paid more attention to the inspirational story of forgiveness than the racial hatred behind the shooting.In her new book, Professor Cherry seeks to understand what forgiveness means and why we venerate it. Sometimes, she argues, forgiveness can do more harm than good, especially if it lets the perpetrator of wrongdoing off the hook – whether that be a person, system or anything else.We discuss forgiveness – what it means and its effect. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find out how to connect with us by visiting our website.

Marcus du Sautoy is a mathematician who loves games, travel, and, unsurprisingly, math. His new book is titled "Around the World in 80 Games: A Mathematician Unlocks the Secrets of the Greatest Games." In it, du Sautoy tours the world's games, exploring how they are built around (and can be won using) mathematics.We discuss how math and games are interwoven worldwide, and learn the history of some of our favorite games. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find out how to connect with us by visiting our website.

Whether it's high-speed rail or highway reconstruction, infrastructure projects in the U.S. are often associated with high price tags and lengthy timelines. Perhaps no project captures this better than Boston's Central Artery Tunnel project, more commonly known as the Big Dig. It's the nation's most expensive highway project. And it took more than two decades to plan and build.Ian Coss, host of GBH News' "The Big Dig" joins us to discuss the lessons we can take away from projects like Boston's.Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find out how to connect with us by visiting our website.

Dolly Parton's resume is as big as her hair. And at age 77 she's adding another title to it: "Rockstar."Her new album was released on Nov. 17. It's a mix of covers of classic rock songs, featuring collaborations with a whopping list of who's who in Rock-n-Roll. And there are almost 30 tracks – give or take a few – depending on the version of the album that you buy. With 9 new singles, "Rockstar" is Dolly's most significant foray into Rock and Roll music.While Dolly has fully embraced a new "Rockstar" persona – down to the black studded outfits – glimmers of rockstar have existed in Dolly's previous eras. Over the past fifty years, Dolly has won plenty of awards and accolades for her songwriting, becoming one of music's most prolific songwriters.Sit back and grab yourself a cup of ambition. For this edition of the 1A Record Club – Dolly Parton's new album "Rockstar" and what her latest musical evolution represents.Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find out how to connect with us by visiting our website.

The wildly popular webcomic "Strange Planet" has attracted millions of followers by pointing out absurdities in everyday life.Beings on Strange Planet live in a place very similar to Earth and behave very similarly to humans. They just talk about it differently. On Strange Planet, coffee is "jitter liquid," socks are "foot tubes," alcohol is "mild poison," kissing is "mouth pushing," and raccoons are "greyscale finger bandits."The successful webcomic is expanding to books, merchandise, and now a new show on Apple TV+, co-created by "Strange Planet" creator Nathan W. Pyle and "Rick and Morty" co-creator Dan Harmon.We talk to Pyle about the show and his inspiration. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find out how to connect with us by visiting our website.