With Good Reason

AI technologies are really human issues. Sylvester Johnson (Virginia Tech) says we humans must decide for ourselves how to live in a world where intelligent machines and algorithmic systems are deciding issues of medicine, electricity, prison sentences and who is eligible for public assistance. Also: Google uses computer vision algorithms to filter out unwanted pornographic images from our search results. Alex Monea (George Mason University) explains how this filter is sometimes applied overbroadly, censoring LGBTQIA+ discourse and sex education.

Later in the show: When the Food and Drug Administration approved the production and sale of genetically modified salmon in 2015, some consumers were alarmed by the prospect of consuming “Frankenfish.” But are all genetically modified foods dangerous? Eric Hallerman (Virginia Tech) makes the case for accepting some of them. And: What if there was an app that worked like GoogleMaps, but for marine animals? Sara Maxwell (University of Washington-Bothell) is using satellite tracking to help fisheries avoid catching animals like whales, turtles, and sharks while they’re hunting for other fish.

The homeownership gap between whites and African Americans has exploded since the housing bust. It’s now wider than it was during the Jim Crow era. LaDale Winling (Virginia Tech) says this has its roots in the redlining and race-based denial of home loans dating back to the 1930s. Also: We’re in the midst of a generational change in where we live. Tim Murray (Virginia Military Institute) says millennials, saddled with student loans, are delaying home-buying, while baby boomers are selling their over-large houses or downsizing.

Later in the show: There’s an eviction crisis in the United States, and it’s disproportionately affecting communities of color. Kathryn Howell and Ben Teresa are part of the RVA Eviction Lab which gathers data on eviction rates. They say high eviction rates destabilize communities, cause high turnover in student populations, and reduce community engagement and access to community networks and jobs. And: People who live on or near American Indian reservations are being denied access to consumer credit. Valentina Dimitrova-Grajzl (VMI) says redlining is a factor. Dimitrova-Grajzl has been named a 2019 outstanding faculty member by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.

In recent years, ADAPT activists have made headlines for protests that helped stop the ACA repeal. Ruth Osorio (Old Dominion University) says their tactics fit into a long history of disability activism in the U.S., from the 504 occupation in 1977 to #actuallyautistic. Also: Julie DeLancey (University of Mary Washington) explains how people with different types of bodies organized and advocated for their rights hundreds of years ago, in Early Modern Italy.

Later in the show: For years, children with disabilities were taught in separate classrooms or even separate institutions, keeping them away from their peers. But more recently, experts and advocates have argued that this separation is actually a form of unjust segregation. Liz Altieri and Darren Minarik (Radford University) explain how accessible teaching methods can keep more disabled kids in the regular classroom.

In her book Real Love, Sharon Salzberg—one of the world’s leading authorities on love—shows us it isn’t just an emotion we feel when we’re in a romantic relationship. It’s an ability we can nurture and cultivate. Also: The idea of “The Pause,” where medical caregivers take a moment together at the bedside of a patient who has died, began with emergency care nurse Jonathan Bartels at the University of Virginia hospital. This quiet moment honors the life of the person who has died and the efforts made by the caretakers.

Later in the show: How do we go about creating a sense of self? Dr. Oliver Hill Jr. (Virginia State University) tells the story of his search for identity, first as a child caught up in a legal battle for school integration in the 1950s, then as a radical college student at a historically black university. After an unexpected connection at an ashram, he became a lifelong student of mindfulness and meditation practices he now brings into the lab and the classroom.

Religious scholars, neuroscientists, and psychoanalysts agree – there is a deep reservoir of activity beneath our conscious minds. Peter Vishton (William & Mary) shares how the unconscious mind may be making decisions for us, too quick for our conscious mind to realize. And: Daniel Hirshberg (University of Mary Washington) explores the subconscious with his Contemplative Studies students by wiring meditating students up to brain-imaging headsets. Plus: Graham Schweig (Christopher Newport University) has been practicing meditation for more than 50 years. He says “deepening the heart” is the real aim of many of India’s yoga traditions.

Later in the Show: Listen to what more than a thousand women have to say about finding a balance between work, family, and self-care. Beth Cabrera (George Mason University) shares what she learned through interviews with women seeking a happy balance. Plus: Researchers have found specific genetic markers in a population of Chinese Han women that predispose them to the risk for clinical depression. Kenneth Kendler (Virginia Commonwealth University) was part of the team that made the breakthrough.

Although it was once an important part of feeding families, home canning in America has never been just about necessity. Danille Christensen (Virginia Tech) says a look back at home canning reveals the pride and creativity that went into stocking a pantry. And: Lilia Fuquen (Virginia Humanities) takes us inside a community cannery and a basement storeroom to hear from people who are keeping the tradition alive.

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Hunter Smith and Levi Duncan (Piedmont Virginia Community College and Champion Brewing Company) explain how a culture has grown up around brewing beer locally and at home. And: Susan Kern (College of William & Mary) says that just about everyone drank beer in early America—even for breakfast. We go to the site of a brewhouse that once existed on the campus of one of our nation’s oldest colleges. Plus: Paula Pando and Jesse Miller (Reynolds Community College) explain how a new culinary school aims to transform a food desert into a local food hub.

Politicians from John F. Kennedy to Ronald Reagan have called gerrymandering a “cancer on our democracy.” It's not a new issue, but everything from the way we draw lines to what's considered legal has changed a lot in recent years. Michael Gilbert (University of Virginia) shares the latest on gerrymandering. And: Since 2016, states like Michigan and Ohio have made news for a turn to the Republican party. Democrats, meanwhile, see hope in traditionally red Southern states that have been turning blue. Quentin Kidd (Christopher Newport University) talks about what this process has looked like in Virginia and what’s spurring it on.

Later in the show: Fake news wasn't invented by the Internet. It has long been used as a way to demonize political opponents. Elizabeth Losh (William & Mary) says there are fake news stories that appeal to both the left and the right. Plus: Stephen Farnsworth (University of Mary Washington) traces the evolution of White House news management over the two decades from Bill Clinton and cable TV to Donald Trump and twitter. Farnsworth was named Outstanding Faculty by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.

Be warned: everything you say on Facebook can and will be used against you in a court of law! Jeff Bellin (William & Mary) studies how courts handle digital evidence like social media posts and text messages. Bellin was named Outstanding Faculty by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. And: There’s a lot of talk about cybersecurity, but what about cybercrime? What qualifies as cybercrime and what’s being done to stop it? Rod Graham (Old Dominion University) and ‘Shawn Smith (Radford University) tell us what it’s like for these uniquely 21st century victims.

Later in the show: Robots built by Toyota will serve as guides during the 2020 Olympics in Japan. They’ll carry food, show visitors to their seats, and aid people in wheelchairs. As robots become ubiquitous, will humans trust or fear them? James Bliss (Old Dominion University) is studying how people might interact with robots that act as military peacekeepers. And: The near-Earth edge of space, where astronauts and low-orbiting spacecraft fly, is far from empty. Scott England (Virginia Tech) is part of a team that won an award for discoveries on Mars. Now he’s leading a new NASA mission to explore this lesser known upper atmosphere.

There’s a lot to learn in science class: the periodic table, the stages of a butterfly, but also how to be an American citizen. Alix Fink (Longwood University) says learning science is also learning how to participate in our democracy. And: Ben Casteel (Virginia Highlands Community College) grew up with a passion for the Appalachian landscape all around him. He believes in the value of native plants and promoting biodiversity. Plus: After the 2011 earthquake in Japan, nematodes traveled all the way from Japan to California. Ashleigh Smythe (Virginia Military Institute) is studying the tiny worms and learning about their miraculous migration.

Later in the show: If you’re poor in Botswana, lions and elephants aren’t cool wildlife—they’re threats to your crops, your herds, and your family. But protecting a robust wildlife population is a high priority for a country whose wealthy and middle classes rely on tourism. Kathleen Alexander (Virginia Tech) is working in Botswana to bridge the gap between conserving wildlife and helping impoverished communities. Plus: Could creating an imbalance between the sexes in a mosquito population help solve the Zika problem? Zhijan Tu (Virginia Tech) says it might be possible to slow the spread of Zika and other viruses like Dengue and Chikungunya by making female mosquitos scarce.

For many, the Thanksgiving holidays are a time to gather with your biological relatives. But what if you don’t have the traditional, Norman-Rockwell family? April Few-Demo (Virginia Tech) studies how queer families of color, especially Black lesbians, navigate biological and chosen family. She says that dialogue about identity and acceptance might happen in subtle ways during the holidays. And: Shannon Davis (George Mason University) argues that we should remember those families who can’t get together during the holidays at all, because time off work is too high a price to pay. Plus: Laura Heston (Oxford University Press) shares how they and their LGBTQ chosen family celebrate a “Friendsgiving,” complete with drama and drag.

Later in the show: Some scholars argue that what we call non-traditional families aren’t so non-traditional after all. Alicia Andrzejewski (William and Mary) has found chosen families and alternative bonds throughout the works of William Shakespeare. And: Before she became an instructor, Rosalyn Durham (Norfolk State) was a social worker helping families in crisis. She shares her strategies for supporting families experiencing trauma, including how families can stay connected when a child is placed into foster care.