Why is How We Vote Such an Issue in 2020 Election? (0:31)

Guests: Chris Karpowitz, Professor of Political Science, Co-Director of the Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy, Brigham Young University; Grant Madsen, Professor of History, Brigham Young University

A week ago, President Trump quipped that people who vote by mail in November should also go vote in-person on Election Day, just to be sure. That’s illegal. The White House says President Trump was only encouraging people to verify their mailed ballots are counted. Why has the way we vote become such a central part of the 2020 Election story?

 

Does that Fake Crowd Noise Make a Difference for Pros Playing During the Pandemic? (22:19)

Guest: Catherine Sabiston, Professor, Research Chair, Physical Activity and Mental Health, University of Toronto

If you’re just flipping channels and happen to catch a glimpse of an NBA playoff game right now, you might not notice that the arena is completely empty of fans. The crowd chanting “DEFENSE!” is just a recording. Professional baseball, soccer and hockey leagues are also using canned crowd audio–kind of like the laugh track in old-fashioned TV sitcoms. Why not just skip the charade? Does hearing fans cheer and jeer affect the way athletes play–even if it’s just a recording?

 

How a Single Spray Can Stop a Suicide (38:03)

Guest: Gerard Sanacora, Professor of Psychiatry, Yale University

Medication to treat depression takes weeks to start working in a patient. That wait time can be agonizing–if not deadly–for a person in crisis. The FDA has just approved a fast-acting emergency treatment for people at high risk of suicide. The drug is a nasal spray that’s been shown to ease depressive symptoms within 24 hours.

 

The First Hip-Hop Ambassador for the US State Department (52:50)

Guest: Toni Blackman, Rapper and Writer, First Hip-Hop Ambassador for the US State Department

Did you know that the US State Department has an official hip-hop ambassador to the world? The US actually has representatives from all different music genres: jazz, gospel, bluegrass. They perform and do workshops around the world as part of their diplomacy efforts. Toni Blackman was the first hip-hop ambassador for our country.

 

Searching for the Most Remote Places in America (1:14:01)

Guests: Rebecca Means, Wildlife Ecologist and Co-Creator of Project Remote; Ryan Means, Conservation Ecologist and Co-Creator of Project Remote

It’s tough to find places that are totally remote in the United States today. There is trash on even the least traveled hiking trails and some form of road to almost anywhere you would like to go. A couple of scientists and their young daughter have spent the last decade trying to find the most isolated place in every single state and the go visit it.

 

Antarctic Insects Tell the Future of Climate Change (1:29:05)

Guest: Byron Adams, Professor of Biology, Brigham Young University

Scientists have been trying for decades to piece together the history of the ice sheets in Antarctica. The patterns of melting and freezing are vital for us to understand the future of climate change. Problem is, researchers haven’t been able to confirm just how accurate the history they’ve put together is. Now there’s a tiny ghost creature that can corroborate–it’s lived through more than 30 ice ages.