Presidential Politics, Paragliding, In-Body Wireless Sensor

Presidential Politics, Paragliding, In-Body Wireless Sensor

Top of Mind with Julie Rose

  • Sep 13, 2016 11:00 pm
  • 1:42:32 mins

Presidential Politics Guests: Chris Karpowitz, PhD, Professor of Political Science at BYU and Co-director of the Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy; Grant Madsen, PhD, Professor of 20th Century US History at BYU Eight weeks until election day and many voters in America are just now tuning into the choice they’ll have. As they do, the race seems to be narrowing: Democrat Hillary Clinton is about 3 percentage points ahead of Republican Donald Trump in polls of likely voters. Perhaps three televised debates in the coming weeks will give voters more clarity. Maybe not. Paragliding Pioneer Guest: Ken Hudonjorgensen, Founder of Two-Can Fly Paragliding Just up the road from our studios here in Utah is one of the top paragliding sites in the country. If the wind is right, you’ll be driving along I-15 and see them soaring and spiraling like a flock of giant colorful birds, graceful and carefree. Ken Hudonjorgensen is probably up there. He’s one of the first and most experienced paraglider pilots in the US. Wireless Sensor Planted in Body Guest: Michel Maharbiz, PhD, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley It’s the stuff of science fiction, but scientists have recently invented tiny sensors, the size of grain of sand, that can be implanted in the body to both monitor and ultimately control muscle and nerve function. The invention could lead to non-invasive treatments for inflammation or epilepsy or even to help patients control their prosthetic limbs. Bias Towards Interracial Marriage Guest: Allison Skinner, PhD, Psychology Post-doctoral Researcher for the University of Washington Nearly fifty years ago, the US Supreme Court said laws banning interracial marriage unconstitutional. The landmark case Loving Vs. Virginia is now dramatized in a new film called “Loving.” Today, the vast majority of Americans – 87 percent according to a Pew Research poll – are fine with interracial couples marrying and many say such unions are good for society. But researchers at the University of Washington looked at the brain activity of people who say they’re fine with interracial romance and found evidence of bias buried beneath the surface. “Michael Vey” and Richard Paul Evans Guest: Richard Paul Evans, New York Times Best-selling Author for “The Christmas Box” and the “Michael Vey” Series The sixth and latest installment of the popular young adult series by Richard Paul Evans is out today. The books center on a teenager named Michael Vey who is a superhero in the X-Men vein who struggles to keep his power in check. But Michael’s amazing ability to channel electricity isn’t the only thing he wrestles with – he also has Tourette Syndrome – and that battle may just be larger than the rest.