Random Acts of Knowledge

We all love a quick fix. The popularity of fad diets is one example of our desire to see an easy and rapid solution to the perceived problem of weight.

Studies show, however, that most diets don't work in the long run.

A dietitian weighs in on how to ditch the diet and still be healthy. One surprising suggestion: don't always avoid junk food.

View the transcript here.

The workplace is not always a harmonious environment.

Not all employees get along. Some issues can be disruptive to individual projects or the whole.

Showing up late. Incomplete work. Body odor.

From misunderstandings that come from well-meaning co-workers, to recurring performance issues, managers often have to deal with some touchy subjects.

How does a manager approach a difficult conversation tactfully and effectively?

An HR and management professional provides some tips.

View the transcript here.

Heartland Community College professor Chris Miller discusses the College’s renewable energy program and the STEM Educator Renewable Energy Institute.

The National Science Foundation asked Miller to run a workshop for local and state teachers to help develop materials on renewable energy for the high school classroom. 

View the transcript here.

The history shared by humans and dogs goes back thousands of years. But not all cultures think of dogs as their best friends. 

Central Illinois dog trainer Tina Zimmerman has been helping vanilla farmers in Uganda train dogs to guard their crop.

Zimmerman found major challenges when she learned that the animals she was to train didn’t come from friendly litters or breeders, but instead were feral and wild; recently captured by community members who had never even petted a dog.

Zimmerman discusses how, even in cultures where pets aren’t common, some canine companionship can go a long way.

View the transcript here.

Juggling a busy day at work and a busy night at home can leave us exhausted in both places.

It doesn’t help that in today’s interconnected world work emails are coming in on our smartphones at any hour of the day or night. We might be worried about how available we should be beyond an 8 hour work day. 

Find the right balance between work demands and the rest of your life takes a little strategy but it is possible. Trainer and wellness coach Lisa Summers discusses how become "CEO of your own life."

View the transcript here.

From the song and dance style of Fred Astaire, to Technicolor adaptations of Broadway stage hits, to the soaring scores of romance and adventure films, music plays a key role in the history of cinema.  

Film history buff John LeGear discusses movies that incorporate music as a key ingredient in transporting the audience to another world.

View the transcript here.

The Heartland Academy for Learning Opportunities (HALO) is celebrating ten years of providing students with developmental disabilities a pathway to independence.

Oumaima Boulhna speaks with Student Access and Accommodation Services Program Coordinator Barb Glover about the history of the HALO program and what students are doing now to reach their academic, professional and personal goals.

View the transcript here.

Folklore –and horror movies– would have us believe that the Moon has supernatural power over some creatures on Earth.

The reality is a bit different, yet no less interesting.

Scientists have studied some strange phenomena where the Moon seemingly transforms some life on Earth.

View the transcript here.

We don’t always think of cemeteries as places of learning. Yet, some students of history go to local graveyards to fill in gaps of information not found in court records or newspaper archives.

Countless stories are told by the monuments in today’s cemeteries: in the dates, names, sometimes esoteric symbols and even the materials from which grave markers are made.

View the transcript here.

Bats might spook some people. Scary or not, these flying mammals play an important role in the ecosystem. 

An unintended threat to bats has been wind turbine farms that have been populating the Midwest.

Two researchers discuss a study aimed at protecting bat populations from the spinning blades of wind turbines.

View transcript here.