On this episode on The Best of Our Knowledge:



A series of winter nature walks is aimed at bringing upstate New York residents closer to native plants and animals.  



We’ll learn about the importance of ants in the agricultural economy.  



And Jody Cowan will speak with an artist who is drawing attention to the student debt crisis with a unique exhibit in western Massachusetts.

#1688: Student Debt and Backyard Ecology| The Best of Our Knowledge

Every day, faculty members at schools and universities throughout the world are making discoveries that shape our ways of thinking and redefine our understanding of today's knowledge-driven society. Since 1990, The Best of Our Knowledge has highlighted breakthroughs across disciplines and across the globe, putting you in touch with the men and women at the forefront of their fields. Each week this program examines some of the issues unique to college campuses, looks at the latest research, and invites commentary from experts and administrators from all levels of education.

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On this episode of The Best of Our Knowledge: 



Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's bicentennial commencement will feature a special guest, brought to life with artificial intelligence technology.



Students at Union College blend traditional fine art with advanced technology.



And an indigenous student graduating from a South Dakota high school shares his ideas with an international audience.

An AI-assisted commencement and blending art with tech

The 2019 documentary Fantastic Fungi continues to mesmerize audiences with its time-lapse photography and perspectives on perhaps the most misunderstood kingdom of life. The film has been remastered and is now showing in theaters. We’ll speak with director Louie Schwartzberg.



And new research shows frogs are evolving faster than we thought.

Fantastic Fungi and evolving frogs

The College of Saint Rose, a private four-year institution in Albany, New York, will close at the end of the spring semester. We’ll hear from students and faculty who are facing important decisions on their education and employment.

The closing of Saint Rose

The documentary “Common Ground,” a follow-up to 2020’s “Kiss the Ground,” examines the U.S. agricultural system and the industrial threats to the nation’s farmland. On this episode of The Best of Our Knowledge, we’ll speak with film co-director Josh Tickell.



And advanced 3D imaging is letting scientists examine and share museum specimens in a new way.

Protecting soil and scanning collections

Hairy bodies. Compound eyes. Feather-like antenna. The perhaps misunderstood moth is in the limelight in the experimental documentary film, “The Night Visitors.” The movie provides a glimpse into a world many of us overlook. We’ll speak with filmmaker Michael Gitlin.

#1688: Student Debt and Backyard Ecology| The Best of Our Knowledge

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