Connections Podcast

Early Monday morning, in the pre-dawn hours, a fiery meteor was seen streaking across the sky in the Midwest. No one was hurt and it was largely harmless, but it was so large that it could be seen as far away as Nebraska and New York. The sighting left many people asking where it came from. NASA researchers study meteors and other Near-Earth Objects, as well as the possibility of these objects hitting the Earth and causing larger scale disasters. However, funding for this research may be in

Is it time to move back school start times? Science and research makes a pretty good argument that the answer is yes; kids have a harder time focusing in the early hours, and need more sleep. The problem is that districts are under a lot of pressure to provide a wide range of after-school programs, and starting later could complicate that. But several local districts are taking a hard look at later start times. We discuss what's ideal, and how to achieve it. Our guests: Dr. Heidi Connolly ,

Trauma care has improved tremendously , which means we're seeing fewer deaths from gunshot wounds. The roots of progress trace back to Fallujah, Iraq, in 2004, and are now seen on the streets of Rochester. That means gun violence results in fewer deaths; it doesn't mean that guns are not a deadly problem. But the advances have produced remarkable and life-saving changes, and we examine how it has happened. Our guests: Sean Lahman , watchdog reporter for the Democrat and Chronicle Dr. Mark

Here's a strange and fascinating question: is altruism even possible? In other words, is it possible to ever do something solely for the benefit of others, or is there always some consideration that benefits the self? A man named George Price became so obsessed with this question that he devoted his life to doing good for others. He let people who were homeless live with him. He gave away his possessions. But unable to prove his ideas right or wrong, he became depressed and died by suicide. Our

Former journalist Rachel Barnhart has joined the Rochester mayoral race. We sit down with Barnhart to discuss her plans for Rochester, which include a 50-percent property tax cut. She says she's entering the race with the most detailed plans and ideas, along with a lifetime of experience in the city. She's the second official contender, alongside county legislator James Sheppard.

The circus is shutting down for good in May. Ticket sales have been declining, especially since the circus buckled to public pressure to remove elephants from the show. We have a conversation about what the future holds for animals in the spotlight -- from the circus, to zoos, to marine parks. And what do we know about how the animals respond to their work in captivity? Our guests: Dr. Lawrence Torcello , associate professor in the Department of Philosophy at RIT Dr. Dawn Rager , associate

The Little Theatre is getting ready to show a powerful film called I Am Not Your Negro . Here's how the filmmakers describe it: "In 1979, James Baldwin wrote a letter to his literary agent describing his new endeavor: the writing of his final book, Remember This House, recounting the lives and successive assassinations of his friends Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Baldwin was not able to complete the book before his death, and the unfinished manuscript was entrusted to

Weekend Connections is a collection of some of the most noteworthy moments from the week on Connections with Evan Dawson. This episode includes conversations about: The March for Life in Washington, D.C.; A banker-turned-journalist, and his work with "forgotten communities;" How journalists cover Donald Trump; "Inspiration porn."

Can we talk about plagiarism for a moment? It cost Monica Crowley her job in the Trump administration, and this week, Slate online published a piece detailing the many ways the Trump administration has copied, borrowed, or outright lifted from other sources. Foreign policy writer and professor Dan Drezner says there is a danger that students are going to think that plagiarism doesn't matter anymore. We talk about why it does -- and how teachers and professors are getting better at sniffing it

It seems President Trump does not know much, if anything, about Frederick Douglass. We have some questions. First of all, African Americans have suffered erasure and exclusion in many ways; does the President's ignorance have an impact? Second, it's Frederick Douglass. What exactly are we teaching in schools, and what should we be teaching? How can Trump have such limited knowledge of Douglass? Third, Trump promised during the campaign to offer real outreach to communities of color. What would