Extreme Weather, Lazy Eye, EpiPen Prices, Culture of Running

The Big Weather Question: Is Climate Change to Blame? Guest: David Eaterling, PhD, Top Climate, Flood Expert at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Environmental Information Looking at the record heat July brought to the globe, the severe flooding that caused so much trauma in Louisiana and the raging fire season in California shaping up to be one of the state’s worst ever, you have to wonder, don’t you, if climate change is driving this? And are we humans adding to the problem?  Combatting Lazy Eye Through Video Games Guest: Ahmed Alsaleem, Doctoral Student in Game Engineering at the University of Utah Lazy eye is the leading cause of vision loss in kids. It’s treatable if it’s caught early enough, but it can be difficult to diagnose in very young children, particularly if it’s a mild case. So some graduate students at the University of Utah have designed video games that can both diagnose and treat lazy eye in kids.  Patents and FDA Approval Allow for EpiPen Price Increases Guest: Timothy Holbrook, JD, Professor of Law at Emory University The EpiPen price gouging controversy is just the latest instance in which a company has caught flak for dramatically hiking the cost of a prescription drug. In the case of the EpiPen, which is a life-saving treatment for someone having a severe allergic reaction, the company Mylan acquired it about a decade ago and proceeded to steadily boost the price to about six times its original sticker. Today, two EpiPens will run you $600, if you pay out of pocket. Thanks to all the bad PR, Mylan has announced it’ll soon begin selling a generic version of the EpiPen for half price. Why a company would sell a generic to compete with its own name brand is mysterious to me. But the entire system of drug pricing is rather mysterious and hinges in large part on two regulator systems: Patents and FDA approval.  The Apple Seed Guest: Sam Payne, Host of BYUradio’s “The Apple Seed” Sam Payne joins us in stories to share tales of tellers and stories. Kenya’s Culture of Running Guest: Andy Arnold, Young Explorer Conducting Research Funded by the National Geographic Society At the 2016 Summer Olympics, Kenya took home 13 medals, most for distance running. They’re legendary for their marathon prowess. And you’ve likely heard the explanation that their bodies have adapted to the high altitude of their country in a way that’s perfect for running.  Cornell University track and field captain Andrew Arnold wasn’t satisfied with that explanation, so he headed to Kenya for six months to see what’s really behind the nation’s success with distance running. What he found was a training culture that, in some ways, is akin to running as a religion for young Kenyans.  40 Years Behind the Lens Guest: Mark Philbrick, BYU’s Official Photographer for 40 Years Eight times in his 40-year career at BYU, Mark Philbrick has been named the best University photographer in the country. Which begs the question, what does a University Photographer do? Check out a retrospective look of his career here.