With Good Reason

Blue zones are areas of the world that have been identified as having the longest expected lifespans. Reuben Rainey and Asa Eslocker (University of Virginia) explain the factors that create these “landscapes of longevity.” Plus: Today, most computers have more than one tiny silicon brain that makes them tick—this is called parallel computing. And yet, kids are still learning to program for only one “brain.” Wu-chun Feng (Virginia Tech) is working on an interface that makes parallel computing much less intimidating. He is also accelerating cancer research using Microsoft Cloud.

Later in the show: Sometimes all it takes to get kids excited about science is a bag full of eyeballs. Robert Tai (University of Virginia) has spent years studying when and why kids fall in love with science. Henry Alan Rowe (Norfolk State University) uses fire and static electricity to draw students into chemistry. Plus: Science class matters even for kids who grow up to be writers or bankers. Tina Grotzer explains how science can help kids understand the causes of what’s going on around them. And: Students who don’t love science class, might find their way via…math? Eric Pyle (James Madison University) says combining math class with earth sciences can make both subjects better.

Blue zones are areas of the world that have been identified as having the longest expected lifespans. Reuben Rainey and Asa Eslocker (University of Virginia) explain the factors that create these “landscapes of longevity.” Plus: Today, most computers have more than one tiny silicon brain that makes them tick—this is called parallel computing. And yet, kids are still learning to program for only one “brain.” Wu-chun Feng (Virginia Tech) is working on an interface that makes parallel computing much less intimidating. He is also accelerating cancer research using Microsoft Cloud.

Later in the show: Sometimes all it takes to get kids excited about science is a bag full of eyeballs. Robert Tai (University of Virginia) has spent years studying when and why kids fall in love with science. Henry Alan Rowe (Norfolk State University) uses fire and static electricity to draw students into chemistry. Plus: Science class matters even for kids who grow up to be writers or bankers. Tina Grotzer explains how science can help kids understand the causes of what’s going on around them. And: Students who don’t love science class, might find their way via…math? Eric Pyle (James Madison University) says combining math class with earth sciences can make both subjects better.

Sharply different reactions to the verdict in the George Zimmerman trial reveal the racial divide that persists in America. The author of a book about race and cultural bias, Allen Lewis (James Madison University), looks at race in light of the Obama presidency and the George Zimmerman and Michael Dunn court cases. Also: The Geography of Slavery website catalogues more than 4,000 advertisements offering rewards for runaway slaves (including one written by Thomas Jefferson) placed in newspapers in the later part of the 18th century. Tom Costa (University of Virginia’s College at Wise) says these advertisements humanize the stories of the runaway men and women and will also be used in the classroom to teach American history. And: Bridgett Robertson (Virginia State University) says three-fourths of all African-Americans use Twitter and are using it to discuss political and social issues of importance to the black community.

Later in the show: Civil rights activist Bob Moses famously helped organize a voter registration drive in Mississippi that changed the political landscape for the black community. He also believed that something else was necessary for full citizenship in society: math literacy. Oliver Hill (Virginia State University) agrees that learning algebra is a civil right. Also featured: John Nunnery (Old Dominion University) has caught the attention of the White House with his classroom collaboration model that gets children excited about math. And: Rose Asera tells the remarkable story of how Uri Treisman transformed Berkeley’s math program. Plus: Sometimes all it takes to grab kids’ attention is one really good teacher. Dan Meyer uses video to make math problems real.

Sharply different reactions to the verdict in the George Zimmerman trial reveal the racial divide that persists in America. The author of a book about race and cultural bias, Allen Lewis (James Madison University), looks at race in light of the Obama presidency and the George Zimmerman and Michael Dunn court cases. Also: The Geography of Slavery website catalogues more than 4,000 advertisements offering rewards for runaway slaves (including one written by Thomas Jefferson) placed in newspapers in the later part of the 18th century. Tom Costa (University of Virginia’s College at Wise) says these advertisements humanize the stories of the runaway men and women and will also be used in the classroom to teach American history. And: Bridgett Robertson (Virginia State University) says three-fourths of all African-Americans use Twitter and are using it to discuss political and social issues of importance to the black community.

Later in the show: Civil rights activist Bob Moses famously helped organize a voter registration drive in Mississippi that changed the political landscape for the black community. He also believed that something else was necessary for full citizenship in society: math literacy. Oliver Hill (Virginia State University) agrees that learning algebra is a civil right. Also featured: John Nunnery (Old Dominion University) has caught the attention of the White House with his classroom collaboration model that gets children excited about math. And: Rose Asera tells the remarkable story of how Uri Treisman transformed Berkeley’s math program. Plus: Sometimes all it takes to grab kids’ attention is one really good teacher. Dan Meyer uses video to make math problems real.

Sonali Gulati’s (Virginia Commonwealth University) film, I Am, chronicles her personal journey to Delhi, India, where she confronts the loss of her mother whom she never came out to as gay. And: For parents who are gay or transgendered, the act of coming out to their adult children can be scary. Jennifer Apperson and Sarai Blincoe (Longwood University) conducted a survey that found adult children are more accepting than their parents might think.

Later in the show: In their book, Waking up Together: Intimate Partnership on the Spiritual Path, Ellen and Charles Birx (Radford University) explore how a spiritual practice can enhance intimacy and partnership. As they say in the first chapter: “In one sense we journey alone, but in another we wake up together.” Also: On the flip side of Valentine’s Day, Nina Brown (Old Dominion University) has written a book of advice called Coping with Infuriating, Mean, Critical People. These people might include colleagues, bosses, friends, parents, and lovers who boast and brag constantly, take credit for other people’s work, expect favors, and never listen.

Sonali Gulati’s (Virginia Commonwealth University) film, I Am, chronicles her personal journey to Delhi, India, where she confronts the loss of her mother whom she never came out to as gay. And: For parents who are gay or transgendered, the act of coming out to their adult children can be scary. Jennifer Apperson and Sarai Blincoe (Longwood University) conducted a survey that found adult children are more accepting than their parents might think.

Later in the show: In their book, Waking up Together: Intimate Partnership on the Spiritual Path, Ellen and Charles Birx (Radford University) explore how a spiritual practice can enhance intimacy and partnership. As they say in the first chapter: “In one sense we journey alone, but in another we wake up together.” Also: On the flip side of Valentine’s Day, Nina Brown (Old Dominion University) has written a book of advice called Coping with Infuriating, Mean, Critical People. These people might include colleagues, bosses, friends, parents, and lovers who boast and brag constantly, take credit for other people’s work, expect favors, and never listen.

Throughout 2014, Shakespeare’s 450th birthday inspired festivals and performances around the world. As the year of his birth comes to a close, we take a look back at how the Bard’s plays would have been performed in their day. David Crystal is a linguist and author who has researched Original Pronunciation, or OP, the accent with which actors in Shakespeare’s day would have spoken their lines. And Daniel Fromson tells the modern-day story of a man who set sail for an island on which it’s rumored OP still exists. Plus: Getting the accent right is a challenge, but there’s a whole different challenge in uncovering what Shakespeare’s words actually meant. Paul D’Andrea (George Mason University) has spent years trying to pull the big ideas out of Shakespeare’s plays.

Later in the show: With seven unpublished novels wasting away on his hard drive, Tony Vanderwarker was astonished when world-renowned author John Grisham offered to take him under his wing and mentor Tony on the art of thriller writing. Plus: Novelist Carrie Brown (Hollins University) draws inspiration from her years as a small-town America journalist, and from the mysteries of the cosmos. Her new book The Stargazer’s Sister tells the story of two remarkable sibling astronomers whose work led to the discovery of the planet Uranus.

Throughout 2014, Shakespeare’s 450th birthday inspired festivals and performances around the world. As the year of his birth comes to a close, we take a look back at how the Bard’s plays would have been performed in their day. David Crystal is a linguist and author who has researched Original Pronunciation, or OP, the accent with which actors in Shakespeare’s day would have spoken their lines. And Daniel Fromson tells the modern-day story of a man who set sail for an island on which it’s rumored OP still exists. Plus: Getting the accent right is a challenge, but there’s a whole different challenge in uncovering what Shakespeare’s words actually meant. Paul D’Andrea (George Mason University) has spent years trying to pull the big ideas out of Shakespeare’s plays.

Later in the show: With seven unpublished novels wasting away on his hard drive, Tony Vanderwarker was astonished when world-renowned author John Grisham offered to take him under his wing and mentor Tony on the art of thriller writing. Plus: Novelist Carrie Brown (Hollins University) draws inspiration from her years as a small-town America journalist, and from the mysteries of the cosmos. Her new book The Stargazer’s Sister tells the story of two remarkable sibling astronomers whose work led to the discovery of the planet Uranus.

“Where Did You Come From?” is the title of the first track on Suz Slezak’s upcoming collection of lullabies Watching the Nighttime Come. Slezak and David Wax, both members of Mexo-Americana band David Wax Museum, perform live in the studio—and share some challenges and triumphs of taking their baby on the road. And: In their new book Balancing the Big Stuff: Finding Happiness in Work, Family and Life, Miriam Liss and Holly Schiffrin find that “having it all” isn’t a matter of having more, but achieving a balance in life. They dissect the myths of helicopter parenting and gender issues to give concrete steps toward reaching harmony among our roles in life.

Later in the show: With the success of TV shows like Modern Family and Parenthood, it’s clear that the way Americans think of family is starting to change. Yet Linda Seligmann says for trans-racial and trans-national adoptions there are still many cultural barriers. And: Carmen Balogh talks about what it was like growing up in a blended family. Plus: Forgiving others is hard, but forgiving ourselves is harder. Everett Worthington learned this painful lesson after his brother committed suicide in 2005. One of the country’s foremost experts in the study of forgiveness, Worthington tackles the subject in his upcoming book Moving Forward: Six Steps to Forgiving Yourself and Breaking Free from the Past.

“Where Did You Come From?” is the title of the first track on Suz Slezak’s upcoming collection of lullabies Watching the Nighttime Come. Slezak and David Wax, both members of Mexo-Americana band David Wax Museum, perform live in the studio—and share some challenges and triumphs of taking their baby on the road. And: In their new book Balancing the Big Stuff: Finding Happiness in Work, Family and Life, Miriam Liss and Holly Schiffrin find that “having it all” isn’t a matter of having more, but achieving a balance in life. They dissect the myths of helicopter parenting and gender issues to give concrete steps toward reaching harmony among our roles in life.

Later in the show: With the success of TV shows like Modern Family and Parenthood, it’s clear that the way Americans think of family is starting to change. Yet Linda Seligmann says for trans-racial and trans-national adoptions there are still many cultural barriers. And: Carmen Balogh talks about what it was like growing up in a blended family. Plus: Forgiving others is hard, but forgiving ourselves is harder. Everett Worthington learned this painful lesson after his brother committed suicide in 2005. One of the country’s foremost experts in the study of forgiveness, Worthington tackles the subject in his upcoming book Moving Forward: Six Steps to Forgiving Yourself and Breaking Free from the Past.