The Measure of Everyday Life
WNCU public radio
Interested in human behavior and how people think? The Measure of Everyday Life explores ideas about how we live and why people act as they do. Independent Weekly has called the show "unexpected" and "diverse" and says the show "brings big questions to radio." Join host Dr. Brian Southwell (@BrianSouthwell) as he explores the human condition.
Episodes air each Sunday night at 6:30 PM in the Raleigh-Durham broadcast market and a podcast of each show is available online the Wednesday following. The show is made possible by RTI International.
Episodes air each Sunday night at 6:30 PM in the Raleigh-Durham broadcast market and a podcast of each show is available online the Wednesday following. The show is made possible by RTI International.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Oct 29, 2025 • 30min
Improving Access to Medicines in Sub-Saharan Africa
Billions of people do not have access to medicines that could save their lives. The Med Aditis Foundation is a non-profit organization that builds partnerships to improve access to high-quality medicines. On this episode, we talk with Bob Blouin, President and CEO of the Med Aditis Foundation.
Oct 22, 2025 • 30min
Protecting Our Schools with Emergency Drills
In schools across the United States, active shooter drills have been common for years and yet we don't know all that we could about the effect of such drills on students and educators. On this episode, we talk with two members of a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Consensus Study focused on this phenomenon: Melissa Brymer of the UCLA–Duke National Center for Child Traumatic Stress and Sonali Rajan of Columbia University.
Oct 15, 2025 • 30min
Using Artificial Intelligence and Social Stigma
Have you ever felt any sort of shame in admitting you have used an artificial intelligence tool? On this episode, we talk with Jessica Reif of Duke University, lead author of a new paper in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that explores how people feel about co-workers using AI and what they do about it.
Oct 1, 2025 • 30min
Mindfulness in Medicine
Healthcare professionals do heroic work and so finding ways to support them can help all of us. Evidence now suggests that mindfulness techniques might help. On this episode, we talk with Misty Rae, an emergency physician with the North Mississippi Health System, about mindfulness and the future of medicine.
Sep 17, 2025 • 30min
Proteins and the Miracle of Everyday Life
When many people think about the science of life, they think of concepts such as DNA or genes. Proteins also play a vital role in our everyday existence that might surprise you. On this episode, we talk with Shahir Rizk and Maggie Fink, authors of The Color of North: The Molecular Language of Proteins and the Future of Life.
Sep 3, 2025 • 30min
Healthcare and Humanism
Our healthcare system comprises people -- including patients who need help and healthcare professionals who help them -- and yet our discussions about healthcare in the U.S. often focus on abstract concepts such as financial cost or new technologies. On this episode, we talk with the leader of an organization aiming to change that conversation: Dr. Kathleen Reeves, President and CEO of the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, a nonprofit organization that champions humanism in healthcare.
Aug 6, 2025 • 30min
Emotion as Public Opinion
We have been making progress in incorporating emotional responses into measures of public perceptions to predict behavior. On this episode, we talk with Tomas Gonsorcik, Global Chief Strategy Officer at DDB Worldwide, about innovations in considering how what we feel says something about what we tend to think and do.
Jul 30, 2025 • 30min
Personal Data and Society
Whenever we use the Internet, we potentially share personal data in exchange for information that can, in turn, shape future information presented to us. What are the implications of that arrangement for society? On this episode, we talk with Jose Marichal, professor at California Lutheran University and author of the new book, You Must Become an Algorithmic Problem: Renegotiating the Socio-Technical Contract.
Jul 2, 2025 • 30min
Communication for Suicide Prevention
How we talk about suicide matters. How we talk about prevention and support also matters. On this episode, we talk with Aurora Occa of the University of Kentucky about her work to help college students by considering how we frame opportunities for support.
Jun 18, 2025 • 29min
Kindness in Healthcare
We hear often hear about stress and burnout in healthcare. We don't hear as often about kindness. What roles could kindness play in the future of our healthcare system? On this episode, we talk with Nora Jones of the Arnold P. Gold Foundation and the Pincus Foundation about evidence that kindness matters in serving patients and promoting wellbeing.
