Democracy Protests in Thailand Appear Headed for Another Coup (0:30)

Guest: Joel Selway, Professor of Political Science, Brigham Young University

In Thailand, you can be jailed for openly criticizing the king, but that’s what scores of protesters have been doing for weeks in the streets of Thai cities. They say they’ve been living under a dictatorship since a military coup in 2014. They want a new prime minister. They want the king investigated. They’re getting advice from pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong.

Emerging Field of Wind Energy Technicians (17:32)

Guest: Jay Johnson, Professor of Wind Energy, Director of Wind Energy Technician Program, Lake Region State College

Oil and gas extracting jobs have fallen off significantly this year–partly because of the pandemic, but especially because big oil producing countries like Saudi Arabia have driven oil prices so low. Some of the thousands of oil and gas workers now out of a job are jumping to the renewable energy sector and learning to become windmill technicians.

Tracking a Mass Murderer of Mussels (34:12)

Guest: Jordan Richard, Biologist, US Fish and Wildlife Service, PhD Student, University of Wisconsin-Madison

What is killing America’s freshwater mussels? Periodically, their carcasses are found floating in stretches of river from Virginia to Oregon. These are mass die-offs affecting thousands of mussels at a time. The cause is a mystery ecologists are anxious to solve because freshwater mussels are really important to rivers and water quality. A collaboration of scientists calling themselves the Unionid Mussel Strike Force has recently identified a virus that could be the mass murderer of mussels.

Toxic Algae is Making Sea Lions Sick (52:42)

Guest: Claire Simeone, Marine Mammal Veterinarian, Founder, Sea Change Health

Every year, hundreds of marine mammals along the West Coast–including sea lions and otters-get sick from ingesting toxins in algae blooms that are becoming more common due to climate change. The poison can cause brain damage and severe epilepsy. Earlier this month a sea lion named Cronutt got an experimental surgery to treat epilepsy that involved implanting brain cells from embryonic pigs in Cronutt’s brain. It’s still too early to know if the surgery worked, but his veterinarian is hopeful.

Archiving the Black Lives Matter Movement (1:10:28)

Guest: Tracy Drake, Archivist, Reed College

Decades from now, how will the stories of this summer’s Black Lives Matter protests be told? A group of Black archivists are consulting with protesters across the country about how to preserve the artifacts of the movement... posters, street art, ticket stubs, Twitter posts. Archivists in the group call themselves the Blackivists.

Mysteries for Your Family Halloween Movie Night (1:23:26)

Guest: Kirsten Hawkes, ParentPreviews.com

Halloween will look different for a lot of us this year. The CDC has recommended people steer clear of trick-or-treating and indoor costume parties, to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Maybe a family movie night is in order?