We’ve barely just scratched the surface of space exploration. Many scientists at NASA and in the private sector have set their sights on the eventual human mission to Mars – but what lies past the red planet? Will humans one day be able to travel outside of our solar system? Physicist Dr. Daniel Whiteson joins us this week to explain the strange and beautiful intricacies of the cosmos.

We explore some of our favorite Thanksgiving-themed episodes to get you in the holiday spirit. We touch on multiple “Friends” features to classic Thanksgiving installments of “The Simpsons” that never get old.

In 2020, nearly 40 million Americans lived in food-insecure households. With food prices rising across the country, food insecurity is only set to worsen, disproportionately affecting minority populations. How can people help? What are other resources available to those in need? Two experts on food insecurity join us this week to help breakdown the modern hunger crisis.

Sharing a meal and trying something new is not only a way to expand your palate, but to learn about foreign cultures, customs and traditions. We speak with Korean cook, Joanne Molinaro about her early memories of food and family and the traditional Korean recipes and ingredients that make up the cuisine.

The popular book, “Dune” is now hitting screens in theatres and on streaming platform, HBO Max. We discuss the highly anticipated blockbuster release featuring male lead Timothee Chalamet.

Across the U.S., many teachers are simply overwhelmed. In their careers, they’re not only an educator, but a leader, listener and mentor. They play many other roles than simply teaching students the set curriculum. However, the pandemic has exacerbated these duties and some educators are perpetually stressed and leaving the field for good. We speak with two education experts about the current classroom landscape and what schools can do to fully support their teachers to make sure their needs are heard.

Poverty exists, but it’s hard to grasp what it’s really like if you’ve never experienced it firsthand. Journalist Sarah Smarsh joins Viewpoints this week to share her story of growing up poor in rural America. She shares memories from her childhood and her perspective on how modern culture stigmatizes and traps people stuck in the cycle of poverty.

We explore the long list of film franchises the seem to go on forever. Among these are the Star Wars franchise and the most recent installment in the Bond series, No Time to Die.

Today, many young people look up to the influencers they habitually watch online, whether that’s through TikTok, Instagram or YouTube. This pastime has turned into a career option for some, and today, some college students are pursuing degrees in social media to work within the industry or try their hand at becoming an influencer themselves. We discuss the state of social media education and the larger implications of this shift in modern culture.

It’s been a century and a half since the fire that reshaped the Chicago landscape took hold across the city. Chicago History museum curator Julius L. Jones joins us this week to discuss some interesting historical facts about the fire that you’ve probably never heard before.