- Sep 16, 2021 8:00 pm
- 15:21
Many pop songs these days are so catchy they can be torture—stuck in your head on a constant loop. It’s annoying, sure, but it can also mess with your sleep. Earworms affect your brain. Michael Scullin has been studying how memorable music affects sleep. He’s a professor of psychology and neuroscience and directs the Sleep Neuroscience and Cognition Laboratory at Baylor University. (Segment produced by Lynsey Call)
Abortion Politics
The Biden Administration is suing to stop Texas from implementing a new law that bans all abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detectable—which is around six weeks of pregnancy. That’s a stricter standard than the US Supreme Court established as the minimum constitutional right in Roe v. Wade. And so, once again, the issue of abortion is front and center in the talking points and campaign fundraising appeals of politicians across the political spectrum. Why is abortion such an emotional and important issue in American politics? Top of Mind regulars Chris Karpowitz and Grant Madsen discuss. Karpowitz is a professor of political science, and Madsen is a professor of history at Brigham Young University.
The Biden Administration is suing to stop Texas from implementing a new law that bans all abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detectable—which is around six weeks of pregnancy. That’s a stricter standard than the US Supreme Court established as the minimum constitutional right in Roe v. Wade. And so, once again, the issue of abortion is front and center in the talking points and campaign fundraising appeals of politicians across the political spectrum. Why is abortion such an emotional and important issue in American politics? Top of Mind regulars Chris Karpowitz and Grant Madsen discuss. Karpowitz is a professor of political science, and Madsen is a professor of history at Brigham Young University.
Reporting Hate Crimes
The FBI received several hundred more reports of hate crimes last year, compared to the year before. Of the 7,500 incidents reported to police in 2020, more than half involved race or ethnicity, with sexual orientation a close second. Northeastern University criminologist Jack McDevitt says the FBI statistics continue to undercount the actual incidents of hate crimes in the country. (Segment produced by Olivia Young)
The FBI received several hundred more reports of hate crimes last year, compared to the year before. Of the 7,500 incidents reported to police in 2020, more than half involved race or ethnicity, with sexual orientation a close second. Northeastern University criminologist Jack McDevitt says the FBI statistics continue to undercount the actual incidents of hate crimes in the country. (Segment produced by Olivia Young)
Earworms
Many pop songs these days are so catchy they can be torture—stuck in your head on a constant loop. It’s annoying, sure, but it can also mess with your sleep. Earworms affect your brain. Michael Scullin has been studying how memorable music affects sleep. He’s a professor of psychology and neuroscience and directs the Sleep Neuroscience and Cognition Laboratory at Baylor University. (Segment produced by Lynsey Call)
Many pop songs these days are so catchy they can be torture—stuck in your head on a constant loop. It’s annoying, sure, but it can also mess with your sleep. Earworms affect your brain. Michael Scullin has been studying how memorable music affects sleep. He’s a professor of psychology and neuroscience and directs the Sleep Neuroscience and Cognition Laboratory at Baylor University. (Segment produced by Lynsey Call)
Hyper Education
Private tutoring centers are a booming business across the country. But it’s not kids struggling in school who are driving the growth in these services. It’s kids who are already excelling. Amherst College professor Pawan Dhingra says there’s an education arms race in the US with families feeling pressured to ensure their kids are always ahead of their peers. Dhingra’s new book is “Hyper Education: Why Good Schools, Good Grades, and Good Behavior Are Not Enough.”
Private tutoring centers are a booming business across the country. But it’s not kids struggling in school who are driving the growth in these services. It’s kids who are already excelling. Amherst College professor Pawan Dhingra says there’s an education arms race in the US with families feeling pressured to ensure their kids are always ahead of their peers. Dhingra’s new book is “Hyper Education: Why Good Schools, Good Grades, and Good Behavior Are Not Enough.”
Family Meals
Family therapist Anne Fishel’s top piece of advice for families is this: eat a meal together regularly. It could be dinner or breakfast, takeout or home-cooked. If your family’s been eating together more during the pandemic, Fishel’s hope is that you keep it up. She’s a clinical professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School and co-founder of The Family Dinner Project. (Originally aired May 18th, 2021)
Family therapist Anne Fishel’s top piece of advice for families is this: eat a meal together regularly. It could be dinner or breakfast, takeout or home-cooked. If your family’s been eating together more during the pandemic, Fishel’s hope is that you keep it up. She’s a clinical professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School and co-founder of The Family Dinner Project. (Originally aired May 18th, 2021)