According to an article found on NBC News, total student loan debt is close to reaching $1.5 trillion, and is still on the rise as colleges and universities continue increasing tuition over time. These days, earning a college degree may seem like something that is totally out of reach, unless you pull out a ton of loans or get a full ride scholarship as an athlete. On this episode, we are joined by Matthew Einsohn, Co-founder of Free Education University, an organization that teaches current and prospective students and parents how they can get their education paid for, without pulling student loans!

According to the statistics website, Statista, the National UFO Reporting Center recorded 307 UFO sightings in 1990, and a whopping 8,619 in 2014. Moreover, in a 2017 article published on the Huffington Post, a survey conducted reported that nearly half of Americans believe in Aliens! On this episode, we talk about the belief in life outside of planet Earth, UFOs, and aliens. Could there be life on other planets? Or is this all just Sci-Fi and theory?

According to a study conducted by Career Builder in 2008, 41% of employers reported saying that they were more likely to promote employees who wear professional attire. The then vice president of human resources, Rosemary Haefner stated that “how you dress plays an important role in how others perceive you at work and dressing professionally can help you project a motivated and dedicated image”. Given that today, plain t-shirts, beanies and jeans are common workplace attire, is it “fair” to develop perceptions of folks based on attire? Or do employees just need to adapt to these traditional norms?

According to a USA Today article, many large protests in D.C. history included the 500-600k protesters who demonstrated against the Vietnam War in 1969. In 1963, the Jobs and Freedom protest drew about 250,000 people to D.C., where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I have a dream" speech. Most recently, the March for our Lives, which took place on March 24th, 2018, drew a crowd of about 800,000 protesters. On this episode, we reflect on some of the social differences of previous protesters in comparison to today’s, in order to answer the question - what is unique about today’s social movements and its participants?

According to PEW, over the last 50 years, women have improved their position in the labor force, in society and in their economic position. On today’s episode, we discuss some of the progress made by women, where they stand today, according to the latest research, contemporary hindrances to progress, and what the next few decades may look like. All this to answer the question - will there ever be parity between men and women in society?

Religious fundamentalism refers to the belief of an individual or a group of individuals in the absolute authority of a sacred religious text or teachings of a particular religious leader, prophet, and/or God. Over the past several years, we have witnessed stories about extremist groups, whose actions are generally blamed on their religious beliefs. On this episode, we seek to answer the question: what are the elements that cultivates extreme groups? Is religion really to blame? Or are these groups an extension of a failed state system?

Social constructs are defined as a social mechanism, phenomenon, or category created and developed by society; a perception of an individual, group, or idea that is 'constructed' through cultural or social practice. We know that things like race, gender, government and “beauty” are all social constructs. We then got curious… is marriage also a social construct? Or would it happen naturally, without social influences?

StrengthsQuest™ (SQ) is a program that helps people learn what they do best, and then how to build our studies, careers, and lives--capitalizing on those talents. The program focuses on strengths rather than weaknesses and can help individuals benefit personally and professionally.

On this episode, we had the pleasure of being joined by Gallup Strengths and Life Coach, Rosann Santos. We talked about the program, motivation, empowerment and how the program can also help you in your professional and academic endeavors.

According to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), our ocean provides our planet with countless benefits, including climate regulation, recreation, food, medicine and of course - the awesome marine life it contains! On today’s episode, we are joined by marine biologist, Allison Santos, to talk about her experiences, the field and to discuss the importance of conservation efforts.

This weekend, the team at Ology Research Group got together for its third annual retreat! On this episode, we reflect on our experiences starting up our non-profit, highlight memorable moments, and share some of our goals for 2018.