Iran, North Korea and Nuclear Weapons

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

Iran has now exceeded the nuclear material limit set in the 2015 nuclear agreement –but the country says it’s only done so because the US broke the agreement to begin with. And a week and a half ago, President Trump called off a military strike on Iran at the last minute.

 

Across America On A 100-Year-Old Motorcycle 

Guest: Mark Hunnibell, Author of “Across America by Motor-Cycle: Fully Annotated Centennial Edition” (https://acrossamericabymotorcycle.com/)

In 1919, a British World War One officer, Captain C.K. Shepherd, set out to explore America on his motorcycle named Lizzie. He drove from New York all the way over to California over the course of a couple months. Now a century later, another man is attempting the same journey. And I say when I “the same,” I mean the exact same. C.K. Shepherd rode a Hendersen motorcycle built in 1919, and so will Mark Hunnibel when he begins his voyage tomorrow.

 

Brown University Is Seeking to Teach its Medical Students a Better Way to Treat Opioid Addiction

Guest: Paul George, Associate Dean for Medical Education at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

One distinct aspect of the opioid epidemic in America is that it often starts and ends in a doctor’s office. Over-prescription of pain killers like Oxycontin fuels the epidemic. And on the other end of the spectrum, the most effective treatment for opioid addiction is with prescription medication that dulls craving and prevents withdrawal symptoms.  So medical schools have a big job in making sure new doctors are equipped to treat opioid addiction without contributing to the problem.

 

Good or Bad? Researchers Join Together to Shift Public Perception of Genetically Modified Foods

Guest: Stacey Stearns, GMO Project Coordinator, University of Connecticut

About half of Americans say they avoid eating food that’s been genetically modified. But what that really means is that they don’t realize what they’re eating. Virtually everything on the grocery store shelf contains genetically modified ingredients. Corn oil, corn syrup, soy protein –all comes from crops with DNA engineered to grow better or resist certain pests. The fact that so many people think they’re steering clear of GMOS when they’re not, underscores how poorly the public understands the facts about genetic modification and food.

 

Why your Dog May Be Anxious

Guest: Michael Shikashio, Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, One of Less than 200 Certified Dog Behavior Consultants in the World

The Fourth of July isn’t so fun for furry friends. Most dog owners I know dread the way fireworks displays freak out their pets. I’m not a big fan of all that booming and crackling either, so I totally get it. Plus, summer can be generally kind of stressful for pets, what with the heat and the long family vacations that leave them home alone or boarding with strangers.

 

Music Composition and Video Game Design

Guest: Winifred Phillips, Composer of Music for Video Games, Author of “A Composer’s Guide to Game Music”

Composers of movie scores win Oscars for their brilliance. But if you want to know the truth, it’s a lot harder to compose the score to a video game, because it’s like a choose-your-own-soundtrack that responds to what the player does, while still setting the mood and sounding great.