What’s Next for ISIS

Guest: John Macfarlane, Adjunct Professor of Political Science, Utah Valley University

The terror group recently released a video that claims to show their leader –a man who hasn’t been seen in five years. ISIS stands for the “Islamic State in Iraq and Syria,” but they lost their last foothold in Syria last month. So, if they no longer hold any territory in either of those two countries, what now?

 

Microplastic Pollution Spreads Worldwide

Guest: John Meeker, Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan

You’ve probably seen morbid pictures of marine animals like sea turtles trapped with a plastic bag around their mouth or caught in 6-pack rings. But that’s just the plastic we can see-what about the plastic waste we can’t see? Scientists are discovering tiny pieces of plastic everywhere from the arctic to tap water –and that could cause serious damage to animal and human health.

 

We’re Dealing with Low Back Pain All Wrong (Originally aired April 12, 2018)

Guest: Judith Turner, Clinical Psychologist, University of Washington Medical center

Low back pain is always bad news –and it’s increasingly common in the US and everywhere else in the world. But the really bad news is that the typical treatment for it –painkillers, “taking it easy,” and even shots or surgery –are not scientifically proven to be that helpful. In fact, they’re not even the first line of treatment recommended by expert groups such as the American Pain Society.

 

Navigating with Sonar Like a Bat Frees the Blind to Move Independently (Originally aired January 14, 2019)

Guest: Daniel Kish, President, World Access for the Blind

Daniel Kish went blind as a 13-month-old baby. Since then he has taught himself to see like a bat by using echolocation. Today, Kish has taught the technique to hundreds of others. Where he once encountered skepticism, a number of scientific studies have validated his technique called “Flash Sonar.”

 

Too Cute to Handle (Originally aired January 9, 2019)

Guest: Oriana Aragón, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Clemson University

Have you ever seen something so cute like a kitten or puppy that you just wanted to squeeze it? Or have you heard someone tell a baby, “You’re so cute, I could just eat you up” or “I want to smother you in kisses.” These aggressive responses to cute things are kind of weird when you think about it, but research shows they actually serve a purpose.

 

Nunchucks Are Legal in New York After 45 Year Ban Overturned (Originally aired January 25, 2019)

Guest: James M. Maloney, Maritime and Constitutional Lawyer

Depending on what state you live in it may be illegal for you to own nunchucks but some people are hoping that will change. Arizona is waiting to see if their governor will sign a bill to make them legal. Back in December, a New York lawyer nicknamed “Professor Nunchucks” by comedian Stephen Colbert, succeeded in getting the ban overturned. The ruling was that it violates the Second Amendment right to bear arms and state officials let the deadline to appeal the ruling expire. So nunchucks are back in New York