How Do We Fix It?

Neil deGrasse Tyson became passionate about astrophysics when he was a teenager. Best-selling science journalist Mary Roach is well-known for her humor and curiosity as she explores the science of keeping human beings intact, sane and awake during the extreme circumstances of war.This "Fix It" episode is about passion and is inspired by our many guests. They bring their wisdom, emotion and enthusiasm with them as they describe what turns them on about their work and expertise. Obstetrician-gynocologist Rose Gowen, born and raised in Brownsville, Texas, speaks about her mission to get her small city with a large obesity problem to exercise more and eat better food. "Pretty much all of my father's side of our family has diabetes," she says. Emily Esfahani Smith's passion for learning from strangers prompted her to write the book "The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters. She talks about the roots of her discoveries.Author, investment expert and asset manager Karen Firestone has spent her professional life studying financial risk. She explains why risk "applies to other aspects of life beyond investing."  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Far too often refugees are thought of as "the other"-- a mass of people who are victims of war, persecution or natural disasters. President Trump has added to the problem, making negative, harsh comments about immigrants.This episode with 19 year-old Iraqi-American refugee Ahmed Badr, looks at how to fix the way we view refugees and migrants. We look at their personal stories and what they bring to enrich the lives of the communities where they now live.Through writing about his own life, Ahmed, now a student at Wesleyan University, realized that his blog helped others see him in a more personal light. Today, he is empowering others to do the same. His art and poetry site, Narratio, is a growing platform where young people from around the world use creative expression to share their unique experiences. Ahmed is also the host of "Together", a soon-to-be released podcast about refugees and migrants."I've learned other people tell their story versus just telling my own," says Ahmed. "A global citizen is someone who is willing to entertain the other side, no matter how much the other side hurts us to listen to or witness."Ahmed was 7 when his family's home in Baghdad was bombed during the violent aftermath of the invasion of Iraq. The family was uninjured and moved to Syria. In 2008, they came as refugees to the U.S. through a resettlement program run by IOM -- the U.N. migration agency. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When do fashion designers make the difference between comfort and misery for active soldiers? Why does the military need a radically different kind of crash test dummy? What role could maggots play in healing open wounds? These questions and more are answered by best-selling science journalist, Mary Roach, author of "Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War." In this audio tour of duty we go beyond war's battlefields, bombs and bands of brothers to hear why scientists, doctors, researchers and designers do vital work tackling the armed force's most persistent adversaries: heat, disease, exhaustion and noise.The heroes Mary Roach writes about do their work quietly behind-the-scenes, improving the odds that troops who go to war come back alive.Mary has been called "America's funniest science writer" by the Washington Post. In the words of a British reviewer, she "has specialized in tackling the uncomfortable, and at the heart of every book is her desire to explore the places from which we recoil." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here's a paradox. While the U.S. unemployment rate is near a 16-year low, the percentage of all American adults in the workforce remains stuck at well below pre-recession levels.Men are much more likely than women to drop out of work. In the 1960's 95% of adult men between 25 and 54 were employed. Today, after 7 years of an improving job market, only 80% are in the workforce.People who don't look for a job are not counted in the official unemployment statistics compiled by the Labor Department. Harvard University Professor Edward Glaeser says "there's a war on work." Taxation, housing, regulatory and social policies aimed at improving the lives of low income Americans, he says, often remove incentives for people to get a job. We based our episode on the findings and solutions suggested in Ed's article for City Journal-- "The War on Work and How to End It." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"It's back to square one" says the Wall Street Journal after the collapse of Republican proposals to repeal and replace The Affordable Care Act. President Trump says his plan is to "let Obamacare fail." This episode looks at how any reform of America's healthcare system - whether by Republicans or Democrats - is so difficult. Whether it's controlling costs, rationing care or extending coverage to all, there are no easy answers. Today, the future of healthcare is uncertain and coverage for many millions of people hangs in the balance.Our guest, Megan McArdle, a columnist at Bloomberg View explains why The Affordable Care Act is flawed and that many consumers have misconceptions about the true costs of health insurance. "What people are doing is they're gaming the system," she says about those who have moved in and out of healthcare marketplaces. When an illness or medical emergency strikes, many people without employer-based health coverage are "signing up for a few months, using a ton of services and then dropping it again."Jim and Richard debate the future of healthcare from different perspectives. While Jim argues for a more free-market approach, Richard says the only way that a system of universal coverage can work is if everyone has to sign up for coverage, however unpopular that may be. "The penalties for not having insurance should be greater than they were under the Obama Administration," he says.Megan McArdle is the author of "The Upside of Down: Why Failing Well Is The Key To Success." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Going outdoors and taking on new challenges makes you healthier, happier and smarter. Spending time in nature away from cities and suburbs can also bring spiritual and emotional benefits. Co-host Jim Meigs tells us why he's a big outdoor guy, who loves to hike, bike and head for the hills. In this episode we look at ways to add adventure to your life and embrace the excitement of leaving your comfort zone. Kio Stark, author of "When Strangers Meet: How People You Don't Know Can Transform You," explains why meeting people you don't know can have genuine emotional benefits. Even brief chance encounters, she says, can make a difference to how you view the world. We also discuss cycling in cities with Nicole Gelinas of The Manhattan Institute. She tells us about ways to improve urban safety for bikers, pedestrians and motorists. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lenore Skenazy of Free Range Kids makes the case for carefree summer activities and unstructured play time-- arguing against those who put safety fears ahead of a child's need to explore, be curious and grow."If You're a Kid, the Experts Want You to Have a Fun-Free Summer" is the title of a recent article by Lenore.Summer is a time to "dig in the sand, gulp from the hose, play at the park, and leap with joy," writes Lenore. "Unless you're a kid-- in which case, find yourself a comfy sofa in a dark, quiet room and settle in."Parents are bombarded with safety messages from the American Academy of Pediatrics, Parenting Magazine and other well-intentioned sites, which give urgent warnings about the hazards of summer. Their advice, says Lenore, is "don't have fun, it's too dangerous."Find out why being safety obsessed comes at a heavy price. Worried parents risk robbing their children of curiosity about the world and pride in their own achievements. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are you too attached to your stuff? Do you have a big move coming up?Long-haul trucker, Finn Murphy has covered more than a million miles of packing, loading and hauling people's material possessions all across the country. In this episode he shares his insights into the moving business, truckers, his many customers and how American households have changed in recent years.Finn is the author of "The Long Haul: A Trucker's Tales of Life on the Road," a wise, vivid and charming account of his years in the business. His book gives a penetrating look into the lives of big-rig drivers and the people they move.More than 35 million Americans move house every year.  Finn has intelligent advice on how to avoid moving scams, the best way to pick a mover and when finding a new place to live might not bad a smart move.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our age of big data Liberal Arts smarts are undervalued. Our guest, Scott Hartley, argues that the most valuable jobs skills in the future will belong to people who can think creatively, using emotional intelligence and adaptability. Scott is a venture capitalist and author of "The Fuzzy and the Techie: Why the Liberal Arts Will Rule the Digital World." At Stanford University, where he studied political science, fuzzies majored in the humanities or social sciences. Techies took computer science or STEM courses. Many in the business world still believe that it's the techies who drive innovation.  In his contrarian book (we love contrarians!) Scott reveals the counterintuitive reality today: it's actually the fuzzies - not the techies - who are playing key roles developing the most successful new business ideas. Corporate leaders, educators and thinkers are starting to realize that to tackle some of the world's biggest technological challenges, we need people who understand human emotions and behavior. We unpack Scott’s argument, looking at examples of innovative fuzzy thinking, from Steve Jobs to Mark Zuckerberg and beyond. Our solutions look at new ideas for business, universities, government and parents. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Journalism is in crisis. Our trust in the news media has fallen to an all-time low. One recent poll found that two thirds of Americans believe mainstream news organizations often publish fake news. The business model at many newspapers, magazines, radio stations and websites is failing. Declining revenues have forced layoffs and other cutbacks at news organizations across the country. Professor Aron Pilhofer of Temple University, one of the world's most respected experts in digital innovation for journalists, is our guest. Before joining Temple, Aron was Executive Editor of Digital journalism at the Guardian in London and was a former senior executive at the New York Times."It's impossible to overemphasize what a vast change there is now in the way people get their information," Aron tells us. For his young students at Temple, the news "finds them" through their feeds at Facebook, Twitter and other social sites. The news is not handed down from high. Instead, it's part of a conversation. 
Aron says regaining readers' trust is essential to the future of journalism. Covering "what now" of news - solutions - is one answer. Greater transparency in how stories are covered and a much deeper commitment to diversity in newsrooms are among the fixes we discuss. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.