The Difference Between Consent and Compliance is Key in Weinstein Trial (0:34)

Guest:  Vanessa K. Bohns, Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior, Cornell University

Former film producer Harvey Weinstein is currently on trial in New York. Numerous women have accused him of sexually assaulting them. Weinstein pleaded not guilty and says the encounters were consensual.But what does consent mean in cases like this? Prosecutors have no physical evidence of the assaults, so the case will turn on whether jurors believe the women’s testimony. Weinstein’s defense attorneys are trying to cast doubt on that testimony so jurors may find themselves wondering why the women didn’t resist more. “If she knew he had a reputation with women, why did she agree to meet him in his hotel room?” “If Weinstein really did rape her, why did she continue to email or text him?” But consent and compliance are not the same thing.

 

When Adults Are Required to Report Suspected Abuse, It Can Be Hard for Kids to Know Who to Trust (19:11)

Guest: Max A. Greenberg, Lecturer of Sociology, Boston University

People who work in some professions –like teachers, doctors and social workers –are required by law to report child abuse when they suspect it. These “mandatory reporting” laws are meant to protect kids. But sometimes they can leave a young person unsure who to trust, so they might just keep quiet about the abuse. Do mandatory reporting laws do more harm than good?

 

Messy, Mixed-Up English (29:07)

Guest: David Eddington, PhD, Spanish Philology and Linguistics, Brigham Young University.

English doesn’t even crack the top 10 list of most difficult languages to learn. It has its quirks, though, making it hard for non-English speakers to master. But there is a really good reason why English has so many strange spellings. (Originally aired 10/10/2018)

 

How Effective is Outrage Online? (38:32)

Guest: William Brady, PhD, Postdoctoral fellow in psychology, Yale University

There is a lot of outrage on social media, I’m sure you’ve noticed. Maybe you’ve participated. It can be cathartic to vent online or share someone else’s indignant post. Why does outrage flourish online–and is it doing us any good?

 

Why Are We so Fascinated by Crows? (50:43)

Guest: Kaeli Swift, Lecturer, University Of Washington.

One winter when I was a kid, this was what our neighborhood sounded like. A huge flock of crows decided to camp in the large trees on our street. They turned the trees black, there were so many of them, and with the cawing all day long, it was terrifying. None of us kids would play outside and even the adults were afraid, because they’d seen that Hitchcock movie, The Birds. Was there anything to be afraid of? 

 

When Robots Take Our Jobs, Humans Might Become Less Prejudiced Toward Others (1:11:21)

Guest:  Joshua Conrad Jackson, PhD student, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

In industrial nations around the world–like the US and UK–immigrants are often blamed for stealing the low-wage jobs from native-born citizens. That’s been the refrain for much of the last century. In this next 100 years, though, it’ll be robots taking our jobs. Will having a common robotic enemy make us less inclined to discriminate against people we used to see our main threat? That’s one vision of the future, at least.

 

Caldecott and Newbery Winners Announced (1:24:50)

Guest: Rachel Wadham, Host, Worlds Awaiting, BYUradio