VPs for President, Uncensored Library, Funny Business

When VPs Run for America’s Top Office (0:35) Guest: Joel K. Goldstein, Professor of Law, Saint Louis University, Author of “The Modern American Vice Presidency: The Transformation of a Political Institution” and “The White House Vice Presidency: The Path to Significance, Mondale to Biden”  Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is still in the 2020 presidential race, but former Vice President Joe Biden is winning in the primaries and looks likely to be the Democratic nominee. It’s not unusual for vice presidents to run for the top job. It is unusual for them to do it after being out of office for a while. In fact, only one other former vice president has successfully run for president after taking a break from office. The Science Behind Tuvan Throat Singing (22:02) Guest: Brad Story, Professor of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Arizona The throat singers of Tuva and Mongolia have long puzzled scientists. But some clever scientists solved the puzzle by putting a Tuvan throat singer into an MRI and recording a video of what’s going on inside his mouth and throat as he sings. The Uncensored Library Lets Journalists Escape Censorship In…Minecraft? (34:30) Guest: Guest: Kristin Bässe, Media and Public Relations Officer, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) The video game Minecraft is proving popular – and useful – during the pandemic. Poland launched a public server so kids can hang out and build things with their friends in a virtual space – while keep at a safe social distance. Some Japanese elementary students missing out on their graduation, held one for themselves in Minecraft. The company that makes Minecraft is extending its educational options for teachers and students to use during the pandemic, too. On a very serious note, the international nonprofit Reporters Without Borders has just launched a public library inside Minecraft where people can go to read the work of journalists who’ve been censored, persecuted and, and in the case of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, killed for speaking agai