Italian Elections and China Term Limits, The Real St. Patrick, Liberal Media

Tariffs, Italian Elections, and China Term Limits Guest: Quinn Mecham, PhD, Associate Professor of Political Science, Brigham Young University Every month, Quinn Mecham brings us three world events that might not be on our radar screens but are worth digging into.  Scientists Should Use Social Media More Guest: Andrew Hoffman, PhD, Professor of Environment and Sustainability, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan We talk to a lot of really smart scientists and researchers on this show, and we’ve learned that it’s a special skill for someone in a very technical field to be able to translate that work into language the rest of us can understand. Academics aren’t trained to be good storytellers. They’re busy trying to cure cancer or solve the mysteries of the universe. Who’s got time to Tweet or blog about their work for the general public?  But that needs to change if the academic world wants to save itself from losing relevance in this digital age, according to Andrew Hoffman. The Real St. Patrick Guest: Lisa Bitel, PhD, Professor of History and Religion, University of Southern California St. Valentine, St. Nicolas, St. Patrick—all historical figures whose lives have become the stuff of legends. But as with all legends, the story we pass down usually outgrows the facts. When it comes to St. Patrick, well, he wasn’t even Irish. Stories with The Apple Seed Guest: Sam Payne, Host, The Apple Seed, BYUradio Sam shares a story from Donna Washington, who gets a little help from her little friends.  Washable, Wearable, Everywhere Electronics Guest: Jonathan Claussen, PhD, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, Associate, US Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory Fitbits are just the beginning. Biosensors someday may be embedded in your workout clothes to alert you if you’re getting dehydrated – and by the way, you could send that sweaty shirt through the washing machine without damaging the sensor. Sensors embedded in food packaging could tell you if the egg-salad sandwich you’re about to eat for lunch has been contaminated.  Biosensors implanted in your body could regulate your heart beat or tell a damaged organ to regenerate. What could make this incredible future possible? Graphite. Yep, that stuff in pencils. Iowa State University nanoengineer Jonathan Claussen has figured out how to print microscopic flecks of it onto just about anything to make flexible, waterproof circuits. Liberal Media and the Civil Rights Movement Guest: David Greenberg, PhD, Professor of History, Journalism and Media Studies, Rutgers University, Author, “Republic of Spin: An Inside History of the American Presidency” Presidents and politicians have, for decades, had a beef with the press as being biased. Richard Nixon did it in secret. “The press is the enemy. The press is the enemy,” President Nixon emphasizes to his national security advisers in a recording of a White House conversation. President Donald Trump doesn’t bother with secrecy. “A few days ago I called the fake news the enemy of the people,” Trump said to a cheering crowd at the CPAC conference in February, 2017. “And they are, they are the enemy of the people. Because they have no sources. They just make ‘em up when there are none.”   Gallup polls show most Americans today believe the media favors a political party - and most of those people believe the media favors Democrats over Republicans. The “liberal media” as it’s called. But prior to the 1950s, Democrats – including FDR and Harry Truman – frequently complained the press was biased in favor of conservatives. So what changed? How did it become virtually gospel truth in the minds of so many Americans – and politicians – that the mainstream media is liberally biased?  The story is a fascinating one that’s important to understand as we all try to make wise choices in where we get our news.