The Fantastical Worlds of Brandon Sanderson

Guest: Kate Konschnik, Director, Climate and Energy Program, Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, Duke University The Trump Administration has proposed a new vision for how quickly the United States should shift away from coal as a source of energy. Coal currently accounts for nearly a third of all electricity generated in the country. But utilities have been using less of it because natural gas has been cheaper to burn and federal policies have pushed to reduce CO2 emissions. The new rule proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency this week will give states more control over how aggressively they reduce their carbon emissions and what role they want coal to play in that mix.

Guest: Allison Marsh, PhD, Associate Professor of History, University of South Carolina Inventors are always looking for the “next big thing” in technology. These days, that could be artificial intelligence or 3D printing. In the late 1800s, the most exciting technology was electricity itself. Here in America, it didn’t catch on as quickly as you might think, but thanks to a series of events, involving a curious king, a trip to Paris, and a meeting with Thomas Edison—the islands of Hawaii got electricity before most of the world. To put this in perspective, the White House in Washington, DC wasn’t electrified until 1891. By that time, over 800 homes in Honolulu and the King’s palace had electric lights. How did a tiny island Kingdom in the middle of the Pacific get on the cutting edge of this revolution?

Guest: David Molitor, PhD, Assistant Professor of Finance, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Nearly half of workers in America have access to some sort of wellness program. It could be free fitness and nutrition classes or health screenings offered by the employer. Companies spend a lot of money and time on this stuff hoping to make their workers healthier and happier. Do they work? David Molitor says no.

(Originally Aired: 2/27/2018) Guest: Marc Edwards, Ph.D, Professor of Civil Engineering, Virginia Tech A judge in Flint, Michigan ruled that there is enough evidence for the head of Michigan’s health department, Nick Lyon, to stand trial. The charges are for involuntary manslaughter related to this year’s lead-contaminated water crisis in Flint. Marc Edwards first exposed the truth about Flint's bad water quality, and conducts similar tests in cities around the country. If something like Flint could happen, can any of us ever have confidence in the safety of our drinking water?

(Originally Aired: 2/27/2018) Guest: Mary Denise Dowd, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, Attending Physician, Emergency Department of The Children's Mercy Hospital and Chief, Section of Injury Prevention Last Spring, a viral photo of a Florida four-year-old sparked renewed attention to “dry drowning.” The girl had accidentally inhaled some pool water and vomited, but seemed fine. Days later, though, she was rushed to the emergency room with a fever, accelerated heart rate, and face turning purple. She survived, thankfully, and her mother took to social media to share her story. These dry drowning stories are scary for parents, but many medical experts caution that it’s not a true medical condition