We Flattened the Curve (Or Did We?) So Now What? (0:30)

Guest: Drew A. Harris, DPM, MPH, Assistant Professor of Population Health, Thomas Jefferson University

As states have begun to reopen from pandemic restrictions over the last two weeks, a third of them have seen a rise in new COVID-19 cases. The rest have had their cases of COVID-19 remain steady or decline. What’s making the difference? Drew Harris is a pandemic and population health researcher at Thomas Jefferson University.

 

The Return of the Cicadas (22:14)

Guest: Eric Day, Entomologist at Virginia Tech

A loud screeching hum fills the air in parts of West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina right now. It’s the mating call of male cicadas. Hordes of them emerging from the ground all at once every decade and a half or so. This summer happens to be the lucky year for a population of cicadas on a 17-year cycle. What have they been up to for all those years?

 

Historical Context for George Orwell’s 1984 (36:01)

Guest: Dorian Lynskey, Journalist, Author of "The Ministry of Truth: The Biography of George Orwell’s 1984"

Big Brother, doublethink, 2+2=5. These are all terms that came from George Orwell’s novel 1984. Even if you’ve never read the book, you’ve probably heard some of this terminology in mainstream speech. That’s how much of an impact the story has had. It’s a little eerie how the plot reflects the surveillance, paranoia, and spread of misinformation that’s happening today. How did Orwell come up with this story when it was published 71 years ago?

 

Special Series: Navigating Disagreements as Communities Reopen (52:18)

Today we wrap up a series of conversations with listeners about how they’re making tough decisions during this uncertain reopening period of the pandemic. Things like, how often should I wear a mask? Should I let my kids play sports and hang out with friends? A lot of it has been left up to us, and that’s causing conflict in communities, families, and workplaces. 

Listener Story:  Should We Finally Have a Wedding Reception? (53:30)

Listener Story:  A Profession Based on Touch. (1:05:26)

 

New Theory on Mysterious Space Object From 2017 (1:16:01)

Guest: Darryl Seligman, TC Chamberlin Fellow, Department of the Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago

A couple of years ago, astronomers caught a glimpse of a giant, cigar-shaped thing from outer space jaywalking through our solar system. It was the first interstellar object ever seen passing through our own solar system. Some speculated it was an alien spaceship. Astrophysicist Darryl Seligman has developed a more plausible theory.

 

Twitter Bots Are Responsible for Most Tweets About COVID-19 (1:32:29)

Guest: Kathleen Carley, Professor of Societal Computing at Carnegie Mellon University, Director of the Center for Computational Analysis of Social and Organizational Systems and Center for Informed Democracy & Social - Cybersecurity.

Of all the information floating around on social media since January about the COVID-19 pandemic, how much of it came from actual humans – that could be companies, news outlets, political campaigns or just your Aunt Lois? Probably all of it, right? What other choice is there – robots? Actually, yes, automated social media accounts – called bots - are very common on Twitter, especially. And get this – half of all the Twitter accounts discussing the COVID-19 pandemic appear to be bots.