Police, Posture, Movement, Simple Rules, and Virtual Reality

Militarized Policing (1:04) Guest: Peter Kraska, Ph. D., Professor of the School of Justice Studies at Eastern Kentucky University  Law enforcement is Top of Mind today. As part of an effort to re-establish trust between police and civilians in communities across the country, the Obama Administration recently announced that local departments will be banned from acquiring some types of military-style equipment from the federal government. Federal grant money can’t be spent on the equipment either. The list includes: grenade launchers, tracked armored vehicles, armed aircraft, bayonets, and guns and ammunition of .50 caliber or higher.  And if you’re like many Americans, you may be wondering, “Why on earth does the police department in my city even need a grenade launcher or a tank?”  Pete Kraska has spent years documenting a shift toward military gear and tactics in US law enforcement and he joined us to speak about it.  “Our research also found that a lot of these teams formed in an ad-hoc way,” says Kraska—not the highly-trained, disciplined units we think of. “We absolutely need SWAT teams, but does every jurisdiction need one?”  Posture and Emotions (22:10) Guest:  Erik Peper, Ph. D., Professor of Psychology at San Francisco State University  Proper posture is important for how you might be perceived—but it also enhances self-esteem and can improve your mood. We spoke with San Francisco State University psychologist Erik Peper on his research on how sitting up straight can help improve your life.  “We have underestimated the power of our bodies,” says Peper. Keeping your body in an upright position dramatically improves your mood. When your body is collapsed, “your health is compromised.”  Get Up and Move (36:36) Guest:  Srinivasan Beddhu, Ph. D., Professor of Medicine at the University of Utah; Robin Marcus, Ph. D., Professor of Sports Science and Interim Dean of the College of Health at the University of Utah  Moving around a little isn’t just good for your state of mind – it could actually extend your life, according to some new research out of the University of Utah. Results of a study by Internal medicine doctor Srinavasan Beddhu and sports scientist Robin Marcus say you don’t have to hit the gym for an hour or work up a sweat to get the benefit of exercise. Even just a casual walk or some gardening has important health benefits. Their findings appear in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.   Simple Rules (52:28) Guest: Kathleen Eisenhardt, Stanford W. Ascherman M.D. Professor in the School of Engineering at Stanford University  How do you feel about rules? Are they limiting and annoying to you? Something to be broken? Or do you thrive under them – and even create them for yourself? The new book “Simple Rules: How to Survive in a Complex World” makes the case for rules to promote progress and productivity. But – as the title suggests – the rules have to be simple.  Kathleen Eisenhardt is the co-author of the book and director of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program. She joined us to discuss how these simple rules can help your life.  Investing in Sleep (1:12:19) Guest: Michael Scullin, Ph. D., Director of the Sleep Neuroscience and Cognition Laboratory at Baylor University  People who burn the candle at both ends will sometimes say, “I’ll sleep when I’m old” – or even, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” There’s a persistent notion in America that time spent sleeping is time lost. Increasing research shows that sleep is important to health and brain function – particularly when we’re young. That link doesn’t appear to be so strong once we hit old age – which is probably lucky, since older people tend to sleep a lot less. The question on neuroscientist Michael Scullin’s is whether or not getting more sleep when we’re younger has carryover effects on brain function in old age?  Virtual Reality (1:24:17) Guest: Jeremy Bailenson, Ph. D, Director of Stanford University’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab, author of book Infinite Reality  Former college quarterbacks who made the draft are getting an introduction to life in the pros this week. NFL teams are holding their first on-the-field activities of the off season. Nothing beats time spent on the field for a quarterback honing his skills. But, suppose that turf is virtual?   Football coaches around the country are taking note of a new virtual reality sports trainer developed in Stanford University’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab. The lab’s director Jeremy Bailenson joins me now by phone. He’s a renowned expert on virtual reality and author of the book Infinite Reality. Welcome.