Daily Life in Venezuela: Power Outages, Water Shortages and Uncertainty

Guest: Laura Gamboa-Gutierrez, Professor of Political Science, Utah State University

With periodic power outages, and very little food, water, or medicine, there’s a mass exodus from the country. About three million Venezuelans have left in the past four years. We'll ask one man currently living Caracas, Venezula why he hasn't left yet. And we'll get an update on the politcial future of embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro

 

How to Forget Something Unpleasant

Guest: Jarrod Lewis-Peacock, Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin

Passwords, appointments, where you left the keys...we all have a long list of things we’re trying desperately to remember. But then there are things we don’t want to remember –like an embarrassing moment or a traumatic event. Wiping those from your memory can be really hard.

 

50 Ironmans in 50 States in 50 Days

Guest: James Lawrence, Motivational Speaker, Triathlete, Author of “Iron Cowboy: Redefine Impossible”

When you reach a point in life where you just aren’t sure you can go a step further, what do you do? If it’s a physical challenge, maybe you stop and catch your breath. If it’s a mental or emotional challenge, well that’s what sleep, chocolate and Netflix are for, right? Well, when James Lawrence hit a personal rough patch in 2015, he decided to push his body beyond what anyone thought was possible. He did 50 Ironman triathlons and 50 consecutive days. He did it. And then he wrote a book about it called “Iron Cowboy: Redefine Impossible”

 

The Mystery of Wombat Poop (Originally aired December 3, 2018)

Guest: David Hu, Professor of Fluid Mechanics at Georgia Tech University

Cubes occur very rarely in nature. There are some minerals –like iron pyrite, aka fool’s gold –that naturally form in cubic crystals. Another notable exception is the Australian marsupial called a wombat –it’s shaped like a fuzzy, overstuffed football, but its droppings have flat edges. Wombats poop cubes. And until recently, nobody really knew why.

 

Hunting Ancient Life Frozen in Burmese Amber (Originally aired August 1, 2018)

Guest: Paul Selden, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Invertebrate Paleontology, Director of the Paleontological Institute, University of Kansas

In a remote corner of Myanmar –also known as Burma -gem collectors and paleontologists sift through golden dollops of fossilized tree sap. Some of the amber is rough, uncut lumps. Some is polished and set into pendants or bracelets. The most prized pieces have bits of the ancient world trapped inside: insects, plants, even birds and reptiles dating back to the days when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

 

Throwing Axes for Fun (Originally aired November 28, 2018)

Guest: Brayden Floyd, Owner of Social Axe Throwing in Utah

A new hobby takes dartboards to a whole new level: axe throwing. More and more recreational axe throwing establishments are popping up around the country. With a couple of axes and a panel of wood with a target on it, people are simultaneously blowing off steam and having a great time with their friends.