Removing Landmines and Empowering Communities at the HALO Trust (0:34)

Guest: Chris Whatley, Executive Director, HALO USA

This last week the United Nations marked International Mine Awareness Day. Anywhere there’s been a protracted war, leftover landmines are a problem. The HALO Trust is a leading nonprofit working on this issue across Africa, Eastern Europe, Latin America, South Asia and the Middle East. (Originally aired 10/23/2019)

 

In Arid Regions, the Fog Harp Gets Water From Thin Air (16:41)

Guest: Brook Kennedy, Industrial Designer and Professor at Virginia Polytechnic Institute’s School of Architecture + Design

More than one billion people around the world live where water is scarce. Another billion face water shortages because their country doesn’t have the proper infrastructure to collect and distribute it. The United Nations predicts water will only become more scarce in the coming years. Brook Kennedy has figured out how to harvest water from fog. (Originally aired 11/6/2019)

 

The Bill Murray Stories (33:34)

Guest: Tommy Avallone, Director of the Film “The Bill Murray Stories”

I’ve noticed Groundhog Day and a bunch of other Bill Murray films on people’s top list of films to help you feel better while you’re stuck at home. I can’t disagree. Bill Murray is delightful. (Originally aired 3/4/2019)

 

The Holistic Life Foundation Teaches Schools to Replace Detention With Meditation (50:41)

Guest: Ali Smith, Executive Director of the Holistic Life Foundation

I’ve been doing a little more mindful meditation than usual to cope with the stress of things right now. I imagine I’m not the only one. Last November, we learned about an unusual use of meditation in schools. Rather than getting sent to detention for misbehavior, students in some Baltimore schools get sent to meditation rooms instead. (Originally aired 11/12/19)

 

When I Was White: A Complicated Personal Journey Across Race (1:05:13)

Guest: Sarah Valentine, Author of “When I Was White”

Sarah Valentine grew up the white daughter of white parents in suburban Pittsburgh. But not everyone seemed to agree she was white. A high school guidance counselor suggested she apply for academic scholarships for minority students. “I don’t qualify for those,” was Valentine’s reply. One time her boyfriend’s black friend asked her point blank if she was black. She said “No.” It wasn’t until Sarah Valentine was 27 and in graduate school that she learned the truth about her identity. She grew up the white daughter of white parents in suburban Pittsburgh, but she always knew there was something about her heritage her parents weren’t telling her. When she was in grad school, Sarah finally got the courage to ask. (Originally aired 9/12/19)