Oakland-based musical artist Esotérica Tropical performs a live in-studio concert, playing songs off her new self-titled debut album. Her music is a fusion of Afro-Puerto Rican Bomba rhythms and electronic flourishes, all accompanied by her harp. The artist calls the songs on the album love letters to her native Puerto Rico, offering “a powerful ode to healing and resistance.”

Guests:

Esotérica Tropical, Afro-Puerto Rican musical artist

The fastest moving human-built object ever, the Parker Solar Probe, will enter the sun’s atmosphere on December 24th. It’s the closest any artificial object will have gotten to the sun. We’ll talk with astronomer Andrew Fraknoi about what the solar probe hopes to learn and other exciting developments in astronomy, such as the discovery of the hungriest black hole yet found – it consumes the mass of our sun daily. And as we approach the shortest day of the year, we’ll contemplate how the ancients celebrated the winter solstice, and why we can thank a planet that crashed into Earth for our seasons.

Guests:

Andrew Fraknoi, astronomer and professor, Fromm Institute at the University of San Francisco and the OLLI Program at SF State; lead author of the most popular introductory astronomy textbook in North America; Website URL: www.fraknoi.com

For New York Times cooking columnist Eric Kim, the holidays are a time to embrace traditional dishes but have fun with the framework – like deviled eggs with seaweed or baked potatoes with caramelized kimchi. They’re also an occasion, he says, to get together with friends and make huge batches of “foldy” foods like dumplings and empanadas. We’ll talk to Kim and New York Times editor-in-chief for cooking and food Emily Weinstein about what they have cooking this holiday and hear about your go-to dishes for the season.

Guests:

Eric Kim, food and cooking columnist, The New York Times; author, "Korean American: Food That Tastes Like Home"

Emily Weinstein, editor-in-chief, New York Times Cooking and Food; author, "Easy Weeknight Dinners: 100 Fast, Flavor-Packed Meals for People Who Still Want Something Good to Eat

As the year ends, Forum looks back at some of our – and your – favorite books from 2024. What was the book you just couldn’t put down or that you’re still thinking about months later? Among this year’s top sellers were “James” by Percival Everett, a retelling of Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” as well as “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West” by Gregory Maguire that inspired a blockbuster musical and movie. Book critics and book lovers join us to talk about their favorites and what titles you might want to put on your to-read list.

Guests:

Brad Johnson, owner, East Bay Booksellers in Oakland

Anita Felicelli, editor, Alta Journal‘s California Book Club; Her most recent book is the short story collection "How We Know Our Time Travelers." She is also author of "Chimerica: A Novel" and the short story collection "Love Songs for a Lost Continent."

Ugur Dursu, arts engagement producer and reporter, KQED

Half of Americans think California is in decline, and almost half of Republicans think it’s “not really America,” according to a poll this year from the Los Angeles Times. California has long been the place out of staters love to hate, and for decades it’s been a synonym for liberalism itself. But the bashing is getting even more political — led by a president-elect who blames the state’s progressivism for everything from wildfires to the cost of groceries. This hour of Forum, we’ll show the state a little love, and hear from you: What’s your best defense of California?

Guests:

Tessa McLean, California editor, SF Gate - Her recent article is "America's obsession with California failing"

Mark Barabak, political columnist - Los Angeles Times,

Gustavo Arellano, columnist, Los Angeles Times

On the site of what is poised to be a massive housing development in Hunters Point, the U.S. Navy conducted radiation experiments on troops, lab personnel, and civilians from 1946 to 1963. In a six-part investigative series, the San Francisco Public Press uncovered how researchers injected radiation into participants, had troops crawl through mud chemically engineered to resemble nuclear fallout, and applied lax standards of care towards human life in their experiments. We talk to investigative journalist Chris Roberts, and examine this troubled legacy and its impact on current residents.

Guests:

Chris Roberts, investigative reporter, Roberts' investigative series "Exposed: The Human Radiation Experiments at Hunters Point," was published by the San Francisco Public Press

UC Davis is known as one of the best schools to study winemaking. And now it’s becoming a magnet for faculty and students drawn to the study of coffee. What started as a popular undergraduate class has turned into a full-fledged research center – the first of its kind in the U.S. We talk to the director of the UC Davis Coffee Center and its head roaster about the science of coffee, including how to brew that perfect cup. What coffee questions do you have brewing?

Guests:

Timothy Styczynski, Head Roaster, UC Davis Coffee Center

William Ristenpart, professor of chemical engineering, Director, UC Davis Coffee Center

For 45 years, the Bay Area’s vocal ensemble Kitka has entranced audiences with their complex harmonies, breathtaking vocal techniques and vast repertoire of traditional songs from Eastern Europe and Eurasia. The 10 members of Kitka join us in studio to share songs from their Wintersongs concerts, featuring music from the country of Georgia.

Guests:

Shira Cion, Executive Director, Kitka Women's Vocal Ensemble - members of the ensemble: Kelly Atkins, Kristine Barrett, Stacey Barnett, Charlotte Finegold, Erin Lashnits Herman, Janet Kutulas, Maclovia Quintana, Katya Schoenberg, Talia Young-Skeen

After president-elect Donald Trump announced his plans to nominate Fox News host Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary, Senate confirmation seemed unlikely. Other than serving in the military, Hegseth lacked experience — and reporting emerged alleging sexual misconduct, financial mismanagement and alcohol abuse. But Trump is galvanizing his base to protect Hegseth’s nomination. We’ll talk about the likelihood of Hegseth’s confirmation and what the department could look like under Hegseth.

Guests:

Tom Nichols, staff writer, The Atlantic; professor emeritus of national-security affairs, U.S. Naval War College; author, “Our Own Worst Enemy: The Assault From Within on Modern Democracy”

Joe Gould, defense reporter, Politico

Why are humans so bad at predicting the future? What exactly is college for? And does expensive wine really taste better? Those are among the many questions tackled by journalist Stephen Dubner and economist Steven Levitt over the years, since their bestselling book Freakonomics came out in 2005. We’ll talk with Dubner about the duo’s book and podcast empire which aims to reveal “the hidden side of everything” and about whether the field of behavioral economics has lived up to its promise. And we’ll dive into Freakonomics Radio’s recent series on the legal marijuana industry, and why it’s such a mess.

Guests:

Stephen Dubner, Freakonomics Radio host and best-selling author

Learning to play piano, saxophone or cello can be intimidating at any age, but adult learners face special challenges such as the time and financial commitment and possibly a fear of not being good enough. We talk about the joy and satisfaction learning an instrument can bring. Whether you’re picking up your old violin or sitting down at the piano for the first time, tell us, what makes you want to play?

Guests:

Mia Mercado, author, books include “Weird But Normal,” and “She’s Nice Though”

Amanda Schlegel, assistant professor of music education, University of South Carolina

Sarah Hotchkiss, senior associate editor, KQED Arts & Culture