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CRISPR Cows

Guest: Alison Van Eenennaam, Extension Specialist, Animal Biotechnology and Genomics, University of California, Davis

Gene editing used to be the stuff of science fiction, but recently, animal scientists have figured out how to engineer animals for human benefit.  Should they?

 

Honeybees Protect African Villages from Humans

Guest: Lucy King, Head, Human-Elephant Co-Existence Program, Save the Elephants, and Research Affiliate, University of Oxford

Although the poaching industry has declined in recent years, elephant-human conflict is on the rise in both Africa and Asia. Foraging for food, elephants often battle against farmers trying to preserve their crop. Lucy King of Save the Elephants weighs in on how honey bees may be a natural and potentially life-saving solution. 

 

The Tangled History of Opium (originally aired August 15, 2019)

Guest: David Blistein, co-author with John H. Halpern, "Opium: How an Ancient Flower Shaped and Poisoned our World"

Our opiod epidemic is nothing new, as the Chinese could tell you--they fought for years to keep British opium out of their country, to no avail. So many cultures have tackled the double-edged sword of opium use. It's relieved more pain than it's caused, according to Blistein, but it certainly has caused a great deal of pain. What can be done about addiction today?

 

The Voice and Heart Behind Sesame Street's Autistic Puppet, Julia  (originally aired August 15, 2019)

Guest: Stacey Gordon, autism advocate and puppeteer on Sesame Street

Sesame Street has always led the way when it comes to teaching children to be respectful, kind, and compassionate towards others who might be different. That's especially true of their puppet Julia, who teaches kids how to interact with children who have autism. The voice, and heart, behind Julia has herself a long history in the worlds of puppetry and autism advocacy.