John King

S05 E01 • Monday, Jan 5, 2009 • Jan 5

Stephen congratulates John King and the rest of the media on getting Obama elected.

Matt Miller

S05 E02 • Tuesday, Jan 6, 2009 • Jan 6

Matt Miller says the government must make sure we have basic securities like health care and pensions.

Benicio Del Toro

S05 E03 • Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 • Jan 7

Benicio Del Toro talks about meeting Castro to prepare for "Che."

Lawrence Lessig

S05 E04 • Thursday, Jan 8, 2009 • Jan 8

Lawrence Lessig says the outdated copyright laws have turned our kids into criminals.

Anthony Romero

S05 E05 • Monday, Jan 12, 2009 • Jan 12

Anthony Romero believes it will be a huge mistake if Barack Obama doesn't close Guantanamo immediately.

Niall Ferguson

S05 E06 • Tuesday, Jan 13, 2009 • Jan 13

Niall Ferguson explains how money is a relationship between a creditor and a debtor.

Alan Khazei

S05 E07 • Wednesday, Jan 14, 2009 • Jan 14

Barack Obama may be over-marketed, and Alan Khazei wants Americans to volunteer.

David Gregory, Shepard Fairey

S05 E08 • Thursday, Jan 15, 2009 • Jan 15

A look back on President Bush's relationship with the media -- Stephen wonders if tonight's the night they finally do it and Shepard Fairey's "Hope" poster belongs to everyone.

Frank Rich

S05 E09 • Monday, Jan 19, 2009 • Jan 19

Frank Rich says George W. Bush delivers a message of hope for mediocrity.

Jabari Asim

S05 E10 • Tuesday, Jan 20, 2009 • Jan 20

Tonight Stephen welcomes Washington Post columnist and author of The N Word: Who Can Say It, Who Shouldn't, and Why, Jabari Asim.

Elizabeth Alexander

S05 E11 • Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009 • Jan 21

Elizabeth Alexander explains to Stephen the difference between a metaphor and a lie.

Jon Meacham

S05 E12 • Thursday, Jan 22, 2009 • Jan 22

Tonight Stephen welcomes Newsweek editor and author of American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House, Jon Meacham.

Chris Mooney, Ed Young

S05 E13 • Monday, Jan 26, 2009 • Jan 26

Obama changes Bush's policy on science, and Ed Young thinks married people should have more sex.

Philippe Petit

S05 E14 • Tuesday, Jan 27, 2009 • Jan 27

Documentary, "Man on Wire"

Paul McCartney, Denis Dutton

S05 E15 • Wednesday, Jan 28, 2009 • Jan 28

John Podesta

S05 E16 • Thursday, Jan 29, 2009 • Jan 29

President and CEO, Center for American Progress

Dan Zaccagnino

S05 E17 • Monday, Feb 2, 2009 • Feb 2

The government collapses in Iceland, and Stephen gets mad at Dan Zaccagnino.

Henry Louis Gates Jr.

S05 E18 • Tuesday, Feb 3, 2009 • Feb 3

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. says Abraham Lincoln was always against slavery, but he wasn't a fan of black people.

Steve Martin

S05 E19 • Wednesday, Feb 4, 2009 • Feb 4

Actor, "The Pink Panther 2"

James Surowiecki, Jonah Lehrer

S05 E20 • Thursday, Feb 5, 2009 • Feb 5

Stephen salutes the Boy Scouts, and Jonah Lehrer discusses the neuroscience of decision-making.

TV on the Radio

S05 E21 • Monday, Feb 9, 2009 • Feb 9

Stephen welcomes musical guest TV On The Radio.

Robert Ballard

S05 E22 • Tuesday, Feb 10, 2009 • Feb 10

It's tough times for the Republican Party, and Stephen gives a shout out to a former employee.

Eleanor Holmes Norton, Steven Pinker

S05 E23 • Wednesday, Feb 11, 2009 • Feb 11

New York Times article, "My Genomic Self"

David Ross, Ed Colbert, Adam Gopnik

S05 E24 • Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 • Feb 12

Adam Gopnik claims that faith and fear no longer rule our lives because of Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin.

Father James Martin, Helen Fisher

S05 E25 • Monday, Feb 23, 2009 • Feb 23

Tonight Stephen welcomes the chief scientific advisor for chemistry.com, anthropology professor and author of Why Him? Why Her?: Finding Real Love By Understanding Your Personality Type, Helen Fisher.

Cliff Sloan

S05 E26 • Tuesday, Feb 24, 2009 • Feb 24

Cliff Sloan believes that Marbury v. Madison is significant because it established the rule of law.

John Fetterman

S05 E27 • Wednesday, Feb 25, 2009 • Feb 25

Mayor John Fetterman believes Braddock, PA is a great place to spend some of the stimulus money.

Kris Kristofferson

S05 E28 • Thursday, Feb 26, 2009 • Feb 26

Stephen wants to know how Kris Kristofferson can be a country musician and a liberal at the same time.

David Byrne

S05 E29 • Monday, Mar 2, 2009 • Mar 2

Late at night, who does David Byrne fear David Byrne is?

Mark Bittman

S05 E30 • Tuesday, Mar 3, 2009 • Mar 3

President Obama taxes the rich to pay for universal health care, and South Carolina may finally end gun prostitution.

Carl Wilson

S05 E31 • Wednesday, Mar 4, 2009 • Mar 4

Carl Wilson tries to understand the popularity of Celine Dion in "Let's Talk About Love" and will NASA name part of the space station after Stephen if he changes his name to Stephen Urine Filtration System?

Steven Johnson

S05 E32 • Thursday, Mar 5, 2009 • Mar 5

Steven Johnson talks about Joseph Priestley, the man who first realized that plants actually create the oxygen we breathe.

Lisa Hannigan

S05 E33 • Monday, Mar 9, 2009 • Mar 9

Lisa Hannigan sewed the cover, liner notes and lyrics of her album "Sea Sew."

William Gerstenmaier, Dr. Jay Keasling

S05 E34 • Tuesday, Mar 10, 2009 • Mar 10

Tonight Stephen welcomes microbiologist and member of the Joint BioEnergy Institute, Dr. Jay Keasling. Also Stephen talks with NASA's associate administrator for space operations Bill Gerstenmaier about the Kepler Probe and other space exploration.

Howard Fineman

S05 E35 • Wednesday, Mar 11, 2009 • Mar 11

Tonight Stephen welcomes Newsweek correspondent and author of 'The Thirteen American Arguments: Enduring Debates that Define and Inspire Our Country', Howard Fineman.

Simon Johnson, Peter Singer

S05 E36 • Thursday, Mar 12, 2009 • Mar 12

Peter Singer urges Stephen to give money to poor people rather than enjoying it himself.

Jonathan Chait, Neil Gaiman

S05 E37 • Monday, Mar 16, 2009 • Mar 16

Tonight Stephen welcomes the author of 'The Graveyard Book'.

David Grann

S05 E38 • Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 • Mar 17

Tonight Stephen welcomes the author of 'The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon'.

Juan Cole

S05 E39 • Wednesday, Mar 18, 2009 • Mar 18

Tonight Stephen welcomes the author of 'Engaging the Muslim World'.

John McCardell

S05 E40 • Thursday, Mar 19, 2009 • Mar 19

Tonight Stephen welcomes the president of Choose Responsibility.

Derrick Pitts

S05 E41 • Monday, Mar 30, 2009 • Mar 30

The guest tonight is Derrick Pitts, Chief Astronomer at The Franklin Institute.

David Plotz

S05 E42 • Tuesday, Mar 31, 2009 • Mar 31

David Plotz, Author of 'Good Book LP' talks to Stephen tonight.

Dambisa Moyo

S05 E43 • Wednesday, Apr 1, 2009 • Apr 1

Author of "Dead Aid", Dambisa Moyo is the guest on tonight's show.

Biz Stone

S05 E44 • Thursday, Apr 2, 2009 • Apr 2

One of the co-founders of Twitter is the guest for tonight's show.

Tom Brokaw, Rich Lowry

S05 E45 • Monday, Apr 6, 2009 • Apr 6

Tonight Stephen welcomes the co-author of Banquo's Ghosts, Rich Lowry.

Queen Noor

S05 E46 • Tuesday, Apr 7, 2009 • Apr 7

Tonight Stephen welcomes Jordan's Queen Noor.

Phil Bronstein

S05 E47 • Wednesday, Apr 8, 2009 • Apr 8

Tonight Stephen welcomes the editor at large for the San Francisco Chronicle, Phil Bronstein.

Bart Ehrman

S05 E48 • Thursday, Apr 9, 2009 • Apr 9

Tonight Stephen welcomes Bible expert and author of Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (And Why We Don't Know About Them), Bart Ehrman.

Sunita L. Williams, Susie Orbach

S05 E49 • Tuesday, Apr 14, 2009 • Apr 14

Tonight Stephen welcomes psychotherapist and author of Bodies, Susie Orbach. Also, Stephen talks with NASA's Deputy Chief, Astronaut Office at the Johnson Space Center, Sunita Williams about the naming of the new node on the International Space Station.

Jim Lehrer

S05 E50 • Wednesday, Apr 15, 2009 • Apr 15

Tonight Stephen welcomes the anchor of PBS' NewsHour and author of Oh, Jonny, Jim Lehrer.