World Events, Weekend Warriors, Punching the Clock

2017 World Event Predictions Guest: Quinn Mecham, Professor of Political Science, BYU Regular Top of Mind contributor Quinn Mecham is back in the studio with some predictions for what 2017 may hold on the international stage.  Why Customers Google a Brand Guest: Jeff Dotson, PhD, Associate Professor of Marketing, BYU Ever since the internet changed how we shop, marketers have been collecting data about consumers through cookies and clicks, trying to predict when we’re ready to buy and the best way to get us to that point. Recent research from a partnership between Google, Drexel University and BYU reveals that when someone searches for a certain brand on online, they aren’t necessarily looking to buy that brand. But companies can still capitalize on those searches.  Weekend Warriors  Guest: I-Min Lee, MD, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Professor of Epidemiology, T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard Three weeks into the new year, how are you doing on that resolution to get more exercise? If you’re already falling behind your goal, don’t be too hard on yourself. New research shows that weekend warriors—people who cram all their workouts into the weekend—get about the same protection from some deadly diseases as those who spread their exercise out over the week.  How Timekeeping Software Can Short Worker Pay Guest: Elizabeth Tippett, JD, Professor of Law, University of Oregon  Around 60 percent of U.S. employees punch a timecard. Well, they don’t actually “punch” a “timecard” anymore, but they do track their hours digitally and get paid accordingly. In theory. An analysis of a dozen commonly used timekeeping software programs in the Yale Journal of Law and Technology finds it wouldn’t be hard for employers to intentionally – or accidentally - short the pay of their workers. Check out her article here. Split and Monster Trucks Guest: Rod Gustafson A young teen named Tripp (Lucas Till) gets some extra help on a project from a mysterious creature that takes refuge under the hood of his car. The movie is full of animation and action and is titled "Monster Trucks." Targeted Cancer Treatment Guest: Mike Alder, Director of the Technology Transfer Office, BYU; Scott Weber, Professor of Molecular Biology, BYU Immunotherapy is the exciting new frontier in cancer treatment right now. It entails finding ways to get the body to attack the cancer itself, instead of using the blunter weapons of chemotherapy and radiation, which kill healthy cells right along with the cancer and leave devastation in their wake.