Are Measles Really that Big a Deal? (Originallay aired May 1, 2019)

Guest: Sankar Swaminathan, Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Utah School of Medicine

2019 isn’t even halfway over and already this is the worst year for measles cases in 25 years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says so far 704 people have been infected –most of them were not vaccinated. There have been no deaths reported yet from measles this year, though. So, is it really that serious? Back before the vaccine was widely available, the whole Brady Bunch came down with measles and it didn’t seem so bad. The Brady kids got to skip school and play monopoly all day. I know that’s just a 1960s TV show, but it’s been circulating online as evidence that all this concern about the measles today is overblown. 

Lessons in Inuit Parenting (Originallay aired May 1, 2019)

Guest: Michaeleen Doucleff, Global Health Correspondent, NPR

It can be so, so hard not raise your voice when your kids are misbehaving. NPR reporter Michaeleen Doucleff travelled to the northern reaches of Canada for some parenting lessons from the Inuit, who know a thing or two about keeping their cool. Puns aside, anthropologists have marveled that Inuit parents never seem to yell or get hopping mad at their young kids. 

The Debate over Supervised Injection Sites (Originallay aired May 1, 2019)

Guest: Peter Davidson, Associate Professor of Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego

A controversial technique for reducing overdose deaths is edging its way into the conversation about America’s opioid crisis. “Supervised injection sites” are places where people can inject heroin under the supervision of medical staff trained to reverse an overdose. These sites have been operating in Canada and Australia for years. Now some cities in the US are considering them.

Soda Taxes Reducing Consumption (Originallay aired March 4, 2019)

Guest: Kristine Madsen, Faculty Director, Berkeley Food Institute, University of California, Berkeley's School of Public Health

Almost half of adults in America have diabetes or are on the verge of getting it if they don’t make some changes. Maybe we could use a nudge? That’s where the soda tax comes in. Nearly 40 countries have them and seven US cities. Berkeley, California was the first to take the plunge. Five years later, there’s some evidence the tax is working.

Unexpected Discovery Illuminates Women’s Role in Creating Medieval Manuscripts (Originallay aired March 4, 2019)

Guest: Alison Beach, Professor of Medieval History, Ohio State University

In Medieval times, before the printing press was invented, books were produced by hand. Monks with outstanding penmanship would spend their lives making painstaking copies. The fanciest books were embellished with colorful designs, and usually the scribe would get no credit for his artistry because his work was done anonymously. I say, “his” because we tend to assume only men did the job in the Middle Ages.

Wood on the Rise (Originallay aired March 4, 2019)

Guest: Michael Ramage, Professor of Architecture and Engineering, Cambridge University, Director of Cambridge Center for Natural Material Innovation 

Wood makes a cozy house or cabin, but no way could you build a skyscraper out of wood, could you? It’d collapse under the weight! And what about fire? Or rain or rot? There’s a reason the world’s tallest buildings are made of steel and concrete. But don’t discount timber. Some tall buildings are starting to pop up around the world made of high-tech plywood –they’re sometimes called “plyscrapers.”