October 28, 2009

Today on Word of Mouth, scanning for criminals: the FBI is teaming up with the DMV to use biometrics to scan drivers licenses in North Carolina. The agency says this is an important tool to track down suspects, but privacy advocates aren’t so sure. We hear both sides of the story. Then the diva of ambient cello: cellist Rena Jones weaves a tangled web of classical music and electronic beats that gamers love. If you’ve ever played Dance, Dance Revolution, you’ve heard her pulsing, rhythmic tracks. We learn how she loops her beautifully complex music. Then girl drive: two young women take to America’s highways to redefine feminism for the next generation. From the gritty streets of Detroit to the testosterone-steeped South, they explore the changing definition of feminism. And finally, the marketing of desire: a filmmaker spends nine years alongside a pharmaceutical company as they search for a female equivalent of Viagra. She asks if female sexual dysfunction is a true disorder or just a boon for the pharmaceutical industry.

(Photo by Jay Morrison via Flickr/Creative Commons)