COVID Democracy, Local Farms, Underwater Parks

Why Some Well-Off Democracies Have Done Better Than Others in Pandemic Response (0:31) Guest: Joel Selway, Associate Professor of Political Science, Brigham Young University, Author of “Coalitions of the Wellbeing: How Electoral Rules and Ethnic Politics Shape Health Policy” Why have some well-off democracies like the United States, the UK, France had much higher per-capita cases of COVID-19 and higher rates of death among people infected, compared to other well-off democracies like South Korea, Germany and New Zealand? Better Understanding Cancer Risk Could Save Lives (19:48) Guest: Deborah Himes, Professor of Nursing, Brigham Young University Early detection has been the watchword in cancer prevention for decades, which is why mammograms, prostate exams and colonoscopies are a regular part of healthcare in middle age.  Genetic testing offers an even more targeted way to detect cancer risk – and not just for the patient getting the test. If a member of your family has had genetic screening for a specific cancer, it’d be good for you to know the results because cancer runs in the genes of some families. That information is not often communicated though – so family members and their doctors don’t benefit from the results of a relative’s genetic test. Community Supported Agriculture (38:56) Guest: Evan Wiig, Director of Communications at the Community Alliance with Family Farmers Americans are doing a lot less dining out because of the pandemic. As a result, farmers that normally sold their produce to restaurants have had to scramble for new customers. Some hope farmer’s markets can bridge the gap, but with social distancing and smaller crowds, that’s a risk. Others have turned to community support agriculture arrangements, or CSAs. An organization in California called the Community Alliance with Family Farmers has been helping farmers connect with new customers and set up CSAs to stay afloat during the pandemic. Afternoon Doctor Appointments (52:48) Guest: Dr. Mara Gordon, Family Physician and Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, Cooper Medical School, Rowan University The next time you schedule a doctor’s appointment, you might want to make it for the morning. Turns out that if you go see a physician in the afternoon, you could get worse healthcare. The Divers Who Watch Over the Underwater Resources at National Parks (1:09:32) Guest: Dave Conlin, Chief of the Submerged Resources Center, National Park Service The most iconic images of America’s National Parks – the ones on the posters and license plates - are aboveground. Well, okay, there are some caves in the mix. But the National Park Service also has a team dedicated to caring for resources that are underwater – kelp forests, coral reefs, sunken ships like the USS Arizona in Pearl Harbor. Measuring the Effect of Social Media on Body Image (1:29:50) Guest: Sophia Choukas-Bradley, Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of Delaware  I cannot take a flattering selfie. Whatever the tricks are to get the right angle, lighting, facial expression, they escape me. But I see these other women online – young women especially – who look great in every picture. I wonder, is it because they’ve basically been posting photos to social media all of their lives? Or that they just put a lot more effort into making sure they look good in those photos?