US and UK Clash Over Prosecution of British ISIS Members and the Death Penalty (0:32)

Guest: Eric Jensen, Professor of International Law, Brigham Young University

The US military is currently detaining two ISIS fighters believed to have been involved in beheading Americans. Horrific video of those murders prompted the United States to enter the fight against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Now, with two men in custody for those killings, the US attorney general has pledged not to seek the death penalty. It’s a controversial move.

A Vision of Travel That Leaves the Destination Better Than You Found It (26:12)

Guest: Jonathon Day, Associate Professor, School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Purdue University

International tourism has been at a standstill during the COVID-19 pandemic. When it restarts, it’ll probably be different—like everything else. Might it change for the better? There’s a movement toward something called “regenerative travel” which is a more mindful form of tourism than “sustainable travel” which has been the buzz word for awhile.

Childhood Trauma Leads to More Rapid Aging (38:19)

Guest: Natalie Colich, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Stress & Development Lab, Harvard University

Trauma in childhood can have major psychological consequences, but what about biological? New research shows that trauma impacts the body by making kids age faster, which can cause a whole host of health problems.

Netflix is Booming During the Pandemic—When Will it Be Profitable? (52:46)

Guest: Peter Kafka, Podcast Host, “Land of Giants”, Vox Media

Netflix has been doing very well during the pandemic; subscriptions have been way up with so many people stuck at home. But did you know Netflix still isn’t profitable? How can the company that killed Blockbuster and outsmarted Hollywood in streaming not be raking in profits hand over fist?

New Technique to Diagnose Alzheimer’s Disease Using a Blood Test (1:15:01)

Guest: Sebastian Palmqvist, Associate Professor, Clinical Memory Research, Lund University in Sweden

Doctors can almost definitively diagnose Alzheimer’s disease by looking at the brain or spinal fluid. But these methods can be invasive and expensive, so most patients forego them and just go off of symptoms. Now researchers are one step closer to making an Alzheimer’s diagnosis as easy as a blood test.

In a Pandemic, Every Restaurant’s a Ghost Kitchen. Is the Trend Here to Stay? (1:23:04)

Guest: Christopher Muller, Former Dean and Retired Professor, School of Hospitality Administration, Boston University

Many restaurants will not survive the pandemic. And when this is all over, it may still be a while before we’re comfortable eating in crowded restaurants again. Is food-to-go the future of restaurants? If the answer is yes, ghost kitchens are likely to be part of the solution.