Even 50 Years On, the Moon Landing of Apollo 11 Feels Extraordinary

Guest: Mike Joner, Research Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, BYU

50 years ago, at this very moment, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Mike Collins were speeding toward the moon aboard Apollo 11. In fact, as we speak on the afternoon of July 17, the spacecraft was 126,000 miles from Earth. Just past halfway to the moon where, if all went according to plan, Armstrong and Aldrin would become the first humans to set foot on the moon. We’re all familiar with the big moment that came on July 20, 1969. That incredible feat was by no means a guarantee when Apollo 11 got underway. So many things had to go exactly right. So many things nearly didn’t.

 

A College Acceptance Letter is Not a Guarantee

Guest: Anna Ivey, Founder of Ivey Consulting, Former Dean of Admissions, University of Chicago’s Law School, and Co-author of “How to Prepare a Standout College Application”

Your kid gets accepted to the college of his choice. He’s got the letter in hand. But then some bad behavior surfaces from his past. The college gets wind and rescinds the acceptance. By all accounts this kind of thing is rare, but a high-profile case last month involving Parkland Shooting survivor and conservative activist, Kyle Kashuv, got us thinking about how colleges make these decisions –and how they decide who is a good fit in the first place. For Kashuv, the college was Harvard and the bad behavior involved racist comments made in text messages and a private online document shared with some classmates when he was 16. Kashuv apologized, but that didn’t change Harvard’s decision to rescind his acceptance. 

 

The Way We Talk about Science Influences Students’ Interest and Confidence in Becoming a Scientist

Guest: Marjorie Rhodes, Associate Professor of Psychology, New York University

There was a time in my childhood when I thought I was going to be a scientist. But at some point, I became less confident that I could actually do that –not related to any specific skills really. Just that I saw wacky Bill Nye and his kid science helpers on TV and didn’t really see myself as that. This happens a lot –especially with girls and minority students –according to research by New York University psychology professor Marjorie Rhodes. How we talk about science with kids can make a difference. (Check out the Princeton and NYU Discoveries In Action lab.)

 

Apple Seed: Connecting Incredible Accomplishments Through Time

Guest: Sam Payne of the Apple Seed

Sam Payne shares a story connection between the transcontinental railroad and the moon landing, both celebrating monumental anniversaries this summer.

 

Ebola Outbreak Is Now an International Emergency

Guest: Chiara Altare, Assistant Scientist in the Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins

The World Health Organization has just declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo a public health emergency of international concern. So far there have been 2500 cases, and more than half of them have died. 

 

What to Know About Shark Attacks

Guest: Greg Skomal, Shark Biologist, Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries

A yearly ritual of summer TV is nearly upon us. Discovery Channel’s annual Shark Week (starting July 28) carries on along tradition that began with Jaws in 1975. While that movie made a lot of people wary of the beach, Greg Skomal says it’s what convinced him to study sharks. A lot of what you think you know about sharks is probably wrong.