After the Fact

Stat: 40%—Across Africa, the number of giraffes has declined by 40 percent since 1979. Story: Giraffes are dying, and experts are trying to figure out why. Host Dan LeDuc speaks to two giraffe experts, ecologist David O’Connor and researcher Jenna Stacy-Dawes of the San Diego Zoo, who are trying to learn more about these mysterious animals and help giraffes rebound.

Stat: 1919—the year President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill establishing the Grand Canyon as a national park. Story: The Grand Canyon was dedicated as a national park 100 years ago. This anniversary commemorates the canyon’s legacy, but it has been around longer than that—at least 6 million years. Our host explores the beauty of this natural wonder with Wayne Ranney, a geologist who has spent his career studying the canyon. Listen in for a historical journey through this iconic landscape.

Stat: 100. More than half of children born in developed countries today will reach the age of 100. Story: If you knew you would live to 100, what would you do differently? Increasing longevity will expand and shift the traditional phases of life, according to London Business School professor Andrew Scott. In his conversation with host Dan LeDuc, he describes the challenges and opportunities facing individuals and society as life expectancy continues to rise.

Stat: 57 percent of social media news consumers expect what they see there to be largely inaccurate. Story: The rise of deepfakes—realistic fake videos made with artificial intelligence software—is beginning to make sorting fact from fiction even harder. In an interview with Dartmouth Professor Hany Farid, a digital forensics expert who advises governments and the media on how to meet this growing threat, we discuss the implications for people and societies when we can’t necessarily believe what we see.

Stat: 50. The percentage of American children today who will grow up to earn more than their parents did. Story: That’s down from over 90 percent for children born in the 1940s and its says a lot about the current state of the American Dream. John Friedman, who’s a leader of Opportunity Insights which is working to help people get out of poverty, says the opportunity to move up the economic ladder depends a lot on where you live and even who your kindergarten teacher was. He speaks with host Dan LeDuc about what factors can improve kids’ chances of success.

Stat: Four in 10 Americans say technology has improved their lives most in the past 50 years. Story: To end 2018, we look ahead at the promise of new technologies, which also bring challenges for societies. To understand the issues, we speak to Arati Prabhakar, former director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. From artificial intelligence to neurotechnology, she notes the “dazzling” new capabilities emerging and the thorny considerations they bring.

Stat: 21. The number of African countries where manatees live. Story: If you’ve ever seen a manatee, chances are you were in Florida, where these aquatic relatives of the elephant may have poked their faces above the water’s surface to get a look at you. But this episode’s guest studies manatees few have ever seen—the African species that live in remote, murky waters. Host Dan LeDuc talks to 2017 Pew marine fellow Lucy Keith-Diagne about what makes these creatures so fascinating—and the threats facing them.

Stat: 39 percent. That’s how many Americans say they are highly religious. Story: When asked about their religion, most Americans identify with a traditional faith: Christianity, Judaism, Islam. But the Pew Research Center recently looked beyond familiar classifications and analyzed patterns of American beliefs and behaviors across many faiths. Host Dan LeDuc talks with one of the authors of this analysis, Rich Morin, about how the researchers created this religious typology and what each of the seven types means.

Stat: $764 billion. That’s how much the arts contribute to the U.S. economy each year. Story: The creative process for artists can seem mysterious—what sparks an artist’s initial idea and how does that idea become reality? Host Dan LeDuc talks to Pew Arts Fellow, and Pulitzer Prize- and Grammy Award-winning classical composer Jennifer Higdon about her creative process, and also interviews Paula Marincola from the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage about supporting the arts.

Stat: 61 percent. That’s how many voters say they’re enthusiastic about voting in November. Story: Traditionally, voters don’t flock to the polls for the midterm elections. But this year, the Pew Research Center has found that voters are more enthusiastic about voting than at any point during midterms in the past two decades. Why is that and what’s on voters’ minds? In this episode, Dan LeDuc talks with the center’s director of political research, Carroll Doherty, who will share his insights from the polling data.