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In the late 1960s, Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson began work on an ambitious album called Smile. It was never released. Now Wilson is touring Europe, playing a 45-minute concert version of the music to high praise from critics. Hear "Surf's Up," a song originally recorded for Smile.

A.H. Parker High School in Birmingham, Ala., is a case study in the paradox of integration. Under segregation, the school was a symbol of black pride and a citadel of excellence. Today, it's fallen on hard times, a victim of "bright flight." NPR's Michele Norris reports.

The Brood X cicadas have emerged, and residents in 15 states and Washington, D.C., are waking up in the morning to the roar of millions of insects looking for love. NPR's Melissa Block talks with experts Nathan Erwin Scott Harvey about the noisy creatures.

Genetic tests can spell out an individual's risk of certain diseases. But when there is no cure, making the decision to learn one's genetic heritage is complex. NPR's Joe Palca talks with a Columbia University scientist about the choice she made when faced with the genetic test for Huntington's disease.

One of the giants of post-World War II Italian cinema, he went on to produce in Hollywood too. De Laurentiis was behind films such as Serpico, La Strada and Day of the Condor.

Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Ken Burns returns to PBS with Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson, a profile of the world's first African-American heavyweight boxing champ.

The highlights of Cicely Tyson's life and career tell a story of personal excellence -- and interesting choices. The Oscar-nominated actress is back on the silver screen in two recent films, and talks with NPR's Ed Gordon about balancing her acting career with her active humanitarian efforts.

Phil Nohl owns about 2,000 antique homemade recordings of various strangers singing, talking, and performing. He shares samples of some of his favorites in the latest edition of 'What Are You Listening To?' from All Things Considered.

Although he died almost 80 years ago, Harry Houdini is still one of the world's best-known escape artists. This week, a new exhibition about Houdini opens in Appleton, Wis. But some modern day conjurers want part of the show to disappear. Harriet Baskas reports.

The Democratic administration wants to ensure that poverty, race and ethnic status do not lead to worse exposure to pollution and environmental harm.