1) Harvard Professor Meira Levinson, author of the book, "No Citizen Left Behind," discusses civics education and the achievement gap. 2) Agricultural student group, 4H, is incorporating more science and technology aspects, including robotics, into their programs to attract urban youth. 3) An Academic Minute segment about human memory.
Host Bob Barrett reexamines stories from the past year (2012). 1) A school in Brooklyn uses applied behavioral analysis to help teach children with autism. 2) Teachers find challenges trying to advance their career in the current political and economic climate. 3) A computer goes from games shows to clinical labs.
1) A report on student authors participating in an astrobiology short story contest, sponsored by NASA's Astrobiology Institute (NAI). 2) An Academic Minute segment on the evolving composition of the early atmosphere and oceans.
1) A report on the growth of virtual schools and preparation measures in Massachusetts. 2) Hilary Smith talks about her bipolar disorder and her book, "Welcome to the Jungle." 3) A report on a Mexican music school in California. 4) An Academic Minute segment about banjos.
1) A Red Cross volunteer visits Newtown, CT the day after the school shooting. 2) A group of inmates in Richmond, California prison participate in efforts to deter kids from crime and toward education. 3) A report on this year's (2012-2013) flu season. 4) An Academic Minute segment on how mathematics allows researchers to study epidemic patterns.
1) The Google Doodle contest provides students with a chance to win a scholarship for school. 2) Academic professionals at the University of Illinois in Chicago talk about how budget cuts have affected their life and careers. 3) A report on training simulations sessions for emergency room personnel. 4) An Academic Minute segment on developmental coordination disorder (DCD) in small children.
1) Author Ken Davis talks about his nonfiction book series, "Don't Know Much About " The latest title features the presidents of the United States. 2) An Academic Minute segment on the effectiveness of negative political ads.
1) A feature on non-traditional students and community colleges. 2) An Academic Minute segment on a new study that says dogs identify objects by size and texture.
1) A review of early childhood education proposals in the President's State of the Union address. 2) New York Governor Andrew Cuomo proposes to expand pre-kindergarten programs. 3) Dan Wakefield speaks about his new book, "Kurt Vonnegut: Letters," a collection of correspondences with Kurt Vonnegut.
1) The Astrobiology Series returns with students of the Exxon/Mobile, Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp, and their quest to find life on one of Saturn's moons. 2) An Academic Minute segment explores the link between wind and ocean currents.
1) Professor Lawrence A. Blum talks about a class he teaches on race. Blum is the author of, "High Schools, Race, and America's Future What Students Can Teach Us about Morality, Diversity, and Community." 2) Academic Minute explores the evolution of skin color. (Re-aired on The Best of Our Knowledge show #1189.)
1) A report on a virtual school closing in Massachusetts. 2) The Too Much Information (TMI) project in the New York Hudson Valley teaches diverse populations to create and perform their life story. 3) Academic Minute explores the memorability of micro-blogs like Facebook and Twitter.
1) Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) doctoral student Ming Ma, winner of the Lemelson-Rensselaer Student Prize, developed a new method to manufacture light-emitting diodes (LEDs). 2) Dr. Mitchell Scott discusses a decline in pathologists and the need to recruit new laboratory employees as this generation's lab directors retire. 3) An academic minute segment on regenerative capabilities of anoles lizards.
1) Ben Yagoda, author of the book, "How to Not Write Bad," talks about bogus grammar rules and the state of writing. 2) An Academic Minute segment on the causes of language development.
1) Pat Bradley reports the first of a five-part series on bullying. 2) Dr. Karl Pillemer of Cornell University talks about the Marriage Advice Project which collects hundreds of stories and lessons from elders about love and marriage. 3) Stories from the Field, a project by the Chemical Heritage Foundation, profiles Mary Shultz, professor of chemistry at Tufts University. 4) An Academic Minute segment about the physics behind the Slinky.
1) Professor Blair Hedges of Pennsylvania State University discusses the discovery of new species of bacteria that can live at high temperatures. 2) An Academic Minute segment about conditions in which organisms break the carbon cycle.
1) Paul Tuthill reports the second part of a five-part series on bullying, which features cyberbullying on social networks. 2) Students talk about their opinions of high school. 3) McGill University in Montreal, Canada takes its hospitality students to Russia. 4) An Academic Minute segment on language development and sign language.
1) Joe Donahue speaks with author Jon Meacham about his biography, "Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power." 2) An Academic Minute segment about the historic events in Victor Hugo's Les Misérables.
1) Lucas Willard reports the third part of a five-part series on bullying. 2) An Asian American woman reflects on her "nerdy" behavior. 3) Sheryl Hill, founder of the ClearCause Foundation, reports on student safety abroad. 4) An Academic Minute segment on how social media may affect users' self-control.
1) Dr. Kevin Stevenson talks about exoplanets as a part of the Astrobiology Series. 2) An Academic Minute segment about human health in future space missions.
1) Patrick Donges reports the fourth part of a five-part series on bullying. 2) An NIH study says scientists can predict psychological illness in up to 80% of high-risk youth. 3) Students at the University at Albany, State University New York, were caught in an academic cheating scandal. 4) An Academic Minute segment about altruistic behavior.
1) Joe Donahue speaks with art critic Jonathan Jones about his book, "The Lost Battles: Leonardo, Michelangelo, and the Artistic Duel that Defined the Renaissance." 2) An Academic Minute segment on Dr. Who.
1) Dave Lucas reports on New York's Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) in the final segment of a five-part series on bullying. 2) Judith Warner discusses overmedication of children in her book, "We've Got Issues: Children and Parents in the Age of Medication." 3) An Academic Minute segment exploring the higher education gender gap.
1) Joe Donahue speaks with Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen about their book, "The New Digital Age: Reshaping the Future of People, Nations and Business." 2) An Academic Minute segment about wearable technology that assists researchers studying people with autism.
1) The Astrobiology Series returns with the discussion of the importance of water in the solar system and to the origins of life. 2) An Academic Minute segment explores why humidity makes it harder to keep drinks cold.
1) A school system in New Jersey is closing the achievement gap using proven methods like quality early education strategies. 2) A commentary on fun and storytelling. 3) A profile of an instrument repairman for a school system. 3) An Academic Minute segment on how nature records climate change in the Hudson River Valley.
1) Professor Lawrence A. Blum talks about a class he teaches on race. Blum is the author of, "High Schools, Race, and America's Future What Students Can Teach Us about Morality, Diversity, and Community." 2) Academic Minute explores the evolution of skin color. (Originally aired on The Best of Our Knowledge show #1172.)
1) Champlain College in Burlington, VT now mandates courses in financial literacy for all students. 2) An Academic Minute segment on finding financial sense in the cost of health care in the US.
1) The Astrobiology Series returns with Dr. Laurie Leshin former NASA scientist and Dean of the School of Science and Professor of Earth & Environmental Science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She talks about female scientists and her long distance search for life on Mars. 2) An Academic Minute segment on a new species of arapaima, a giant freshwater fish discovered in Brazil.
1) John Sack and Nader Rifai discuss the state of scientific information sharing in the digital age and the slow evolution of scientific journals. 2) Yovel Badash, author of the book, "No Child Held Back," speaks about the state of summer school and education standards. 3) Audrey Summers comments on the freedom of summer. 4) An Academic Minute segment on weeds and butterflies.
1) Academic standards for physical therapists are becoming more rigorous, requiring a doctorate to practice. 2) Paul A. Offit, M.D., offers an exposé of alternative medicine in his book, "Do You Believe in Magic." 3) Lauren Ober reports on a metal casting course at the University of Maryland's art department. 4) An Academic Minute segment on the Milky Way galactic core.
1) Chris Arp, coauthor of the book, "Up Your Score ACT," talks about the differences between the SAT and ACT and shares tips for test taking happiness. 2) A high school senior confronts the SAT. 3) A Georgetown University study on race and college admission. 4) An Academic Minute segment about gender discrimination at conception in patriarchal cultures and societies.
1) Mark Edmundson, author of the book, "Why Teach," makes a case for real education on the college level. 2) Joe Donahue speaks with Kristine Barnett author of, "The Spark: A Mother's Story of Nurturing Genius," about her gifted 14-year-old autistic son. 3) An Academic Minute segment on imaging an emotional brain.
1) The Astrobiology Series returns with Pauline Schwartz discussing the chemical evolution of life and earth. 2) An Academic Minute segment about box jelly fish venom.
1) Amanda Ripley, author of the book, "The Smartest Kids in the World," compares global education systems through the perspective of American students studying internationally. 2) Four foreign exchange students from large urban cities spend a year in small town, Judith Gap, MT. 3) An Academic Minute segment on teacher evaluations.
1) Dr. Anthony Butch and Dr. Larry Bowers explain drug testing programs for colleges and professional sports leagues. 2) An Academic Minute segment report on the cost of hiring a smoker.
1) Jason Lane, author of the book, "Universities and Colleges as Economic Drivers," discusses the economic potential and impact of higher education institutions. 2) Galileo Vieira, Windows marketing manager, discusses the latest types of education apps for the classroom. 3) An Academic Minute segment on how flowing lava interacts with its environment.
1) Janisse Ray, author of the book, "The Seed Underground," talks about saving different varieties of seeds to preserve diversity. 2) A report on the maker movement, including DIY (Do-It-Yourself) clubs and Hacker Scouts, where students explore STEAM and STEM fields by making things. 3) An Academic Minute segment on the world of farms and bees.
1) Joe Donahue speaks with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Scott A. Berg about, "Wilson," a biography on President Woodrow Wilson. 2) An Academic Minute segment on why some mammals have evolved so large.
1) The Astrobiology Series returns with the building blocks and formation of planets. 2) An Academic Minute segment about the evolutionary characteristics of tetrapods.
1) Jim Ziolkowski talks about buildOn, an organization that creates educational opportunities for children in developing countries. 2) An Academic Minute segment on the influence of family on cigarette smoking.
1) Gregory Stock talks about the revised edition of his book, "The Book of Questions." 2) A report about American nuns under investigation by the Vatican for liberal and feminist beliefs. 3) An Academic Minute segment about sexual selection and the mating behavior of female fruit flies.
1) Angie Kalman, a pediatric occupational therapist, talks about cursive handwriting in curriculum. 2) A report on the disappearing language of the Passamaquoddy tribe and methods of preservation. 3) A commentary about a distracted audience member. 4) An Academic Minute segment on the geological process and materials involved in cell phone production.
1) The Astrobiology Series returns with the search for exoplanets and possible life forms they could host. 2) An Academic Minute segment about tropical forests and climate change.
1) Jill Powlick, patent attorney, speaks about some of the most prominent intellectual property patent cases in recent years, including the Prometheus case. 2) WBEZ radio explores the first controlled nuclear chain reaction at the University of Chicago. 3) An Academic Minute segment on how Shakespeare's writing reflects early modern ideas about property and ownership in 16th-century England.
1) Joe Donahue speaks with M. Night Shyamalan about his book, "I Got Schooled." The book explores public education reform and closing the achievement gap. 2) An Academic Minute segment on the history of municipal drinking water.
1) On the topic of heart disease, Bob Barrett reruns a conversation from last February with Dr. Steven Nissen and Dr. Marc Gillinov, heart specialists from the Cleveland Clinic and authors of a complete guide to heart health. 2) Author Judan Leblang shares his personal heart history.
1) Two brothers discuss organ transplantations and their own heart transplants. 2) Actress Hogan Gorman turns a life altering accident into a one woman show and book, "Hot Cripple." 3) Sandy Daigler discusses weight loss.
1) Dr. Deborah Wagner, author of the book, "The Fifth Decade," talks about the stages of perimenopause and menopause. 2) A Midwestern farming family solves financial and health problems by going organic. 3) Dr. Patrick Bossuyt discusses medical practice guidelines.
