What We Learned From the Crack Crisis in America (0:36)

Guest: David Farber, Roy A. Roberts Distinguished Professor of History, University of Kansas, Author of “Crack: Rock Cocaine, Street Capitalism, and the Decade of Greed”

Many states are reporting a jump in opioid overdose deaths since the pandemic started. Health experts say extra stress may be driving increased drug use. Also, COVID-19 restrictions are making it harder to see addiction treatment. The latest overdose numbers are a grim reminder that America is still in the midst of a drug crisis. Before the opioid epidemic, there was the crack epidemic. But America responded very differently to that drug crisis. Historian David Farber says the comparison is worth looking into, for what it tells us about race, poverty and our “collective inability to treat each other with decency and mercy.” (Originally aired 11/21/19)

 

The Future Is Peat (35:43)

Guest: Jonathan E Nichols, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University

Let’s talk about peat.  It’s a strange, miraculous thing. Bodies buried in peat bogs end up so well-preserved their faces and clothing are completely intact. Google “Bog Bodies” and you’ll see what I mean. It’s wild stuff. But peatlands are more than just ancient burial grounds. They’re also a really important part of the Earth’s system for keeping carbon dioxide levels in balance.  In fact, they’re way more important than previously thought, based on calculations published recently in the journal Nature. (Originally aired 11/14/2019)

 

US Immigration Policy Is Outdated. Here’s a New Perspective (52:58)

Guest: Justin Gest, PhD, Professor of Policy and Government, George Mason University, Author of "Crossroads: Comparative Immigration Regimes in a World of Demographic Change”

The US immigration system is unusual among developed countries. Since the 1950s, America has prioritized family connections in deciding who gets a visa. By contrast, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China and the UK all use a points system to determine who gets a visa. Immigrants get points based on things like skills, education or income level.  President Trump has proposed something similar in the US. The question is just how points will be allotted to immigrants hoping for a US visa. (Originally aired 12/5/19)

 

Measles Erases the Immune System’s Memory (1:10:50)

Guest: Michael Mina, MD, PhD an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health

One positive side-effect of the COVID-19 pandemic is there have been far fewer cases of measles. Last year, when we weren’t all quarantined and school was still in session, the US had its highest number of measles cases in decades. Most of the people who caught it were unvaccinated children and, gratefully, none of them died. So that fuels a perception among vaccine-hesitant parents that measles really isn’t that serious. (Originally aired 11/11/19)

 

Precrastination Is the Opposite of Procrastination (1:27:47)

Guest: David A. Rosenbaum, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Psychology at University of California Riverside

Many of us are guilty of procrastination or putting things off until the last minute, but what about precrastination? That’s when you get something done the moment it occurs to you – which doesn’t sound like a problem at all. But precrastination (which is a word he invented) can actually lead to wasted effort and wear a person down. (Originally aired 11/13/2019)