2020 Election Cybersecurity (0:33)

Guest: Eric Jensen, JD, Professor of International Law, BYU J. Reuben Clark Law School

A year from now, President Trump will be celebrating a second term, or someone else will have been elected to replace him. Will Russia attempt to meddle in the 2020 election like it did in 2016? How secure will our electronic voting machines be?

 

E-bikes in National Parks (20:50)

Guest: Kristen Brengel, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, National Parks Conservation Association

The fastest growing bicycle type in the US right now is the electric bicycle. I actually didn’t know this was a widespread thing, but apparently Boomers, in particular, are buying them at a fast clip. E-bikes are not scooters or motorcycles. Usually you have to pedal to engage the motor, which gives you a boost so you can go further or tackle trails that’d be impossible for you, otherwise. And speaking of trails, e-bikes are officially allowed in National Parks wherever regular bikes are. That’s a new change in the last few months, as a result of an order from the Secretary of the Interior. Conservation groups have come concerns.

 

Screen Time Doesn’t Account for the Rises in Depression and Anxiety in Teenagers (38:08)

Guest: Sarah Coyne, Professor of Family Life, Brigham Young University

You may have heard that spending so much time on social media is making teenagers anxious and depressed. If you’re the parent of a “screenager” addicted to a smart phone, I’m sure you’ve worried about this. Well, maybe worry a bit less. An eight-year study of teenagers led by BYU family life professor Sarah Coyne finds no evidence that time spent on social media is “destroying a generation.”

 

Replacing Detention with Meditation (51:09)

Guest: Ali Smith, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Holistic Life Foundation

Students who disrupt class or get into fights are usually sent to detention, but some schools in Baltimore are using a different technique--meditation. They’ve teamed up with a non-profit called the Holistic Life Foundation that runs mindfulness programs to help bring calmness into the classroom. And it seems to be working—these schools have lower suspensions and higher grades.

 

Caring Moms May Prevent Teen Dating Abuse (1:05:32)

Guest: Jennifer Livingston, PhD, Associate Professor in the School of Nursing, University at Buffalo

There’s a cycle of conflict that’s pretty well documented –if a teenager grows up in a house where parents fight a lot, that teen is more likely to experience abuse in their own dating relationships. But some young people manage to break the cycle. How? University at Buffalo researcher Jennifer Livingston has found that the relationship a teenager has with his or her mom is a particularly important buffer against household conflict.