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
May 14, 2025 • 29min
Parenting amidst Algorithms
How to be a good parent has been a topic of conversation for decades but raising children now includes online influences as well. How is the Internet shaping how we think about parenting? On this episode, we talk with Ranjana Das of the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom. She is author of Parents Talking Algorithms: Navigating Datafication and Family Life in Digital Societies.
Apr 16, 2025 • 30min
Improving Trust in Online Interactions
Even as people use online technologies in their everyday lives, they sometimes worry about potential pitfalls, including concerns about trusting other people. On this episode, we talk with two innovators who are seeking to improve public health by improving transparency in sexual relationships through a new platform called PlumCheck: Celine Gounder of the Kaiser Family Foundation and CBS News, and Josh Karetny, CEO of the new platform.
Apr 9, 2025 • 30min
Neuroscience and Mysticism
As we seek to know ourselves, who should help us with that exploration? Many different perspectives on empirical research, philosophy, and contemplation can be helpful as we try to understand our minds and ourselves. On this episode, we talk with Vladimir Miskovic, co-author of DREAMING REALITY: How Neuroscience and Mysticism Can Unlock the Secrets of Consciousness with Steven Jay Lynn.
Apr 2, 2025 • 30min
Improving Local Public Health through New Technologies
Local public health workers help communities all over the country. Who helps them do their work? On this episode, we talk with two people who have spent time supporting public health in Western North Carolina with compelling new innovations to improve communication about local health: Adrienne Ammerman, founder of Arclet, and Brandon Romstadt of the WNC Health Network.
Mar 26, 2025 • 30min
Challenging Mental Health Stigma
How should we support people facing mental health challenges? The Ad Council -- the same organization which introduced us to Smokey Bear over 80 years ago -- has some answers with their latest evidence-based campaign: Love, Your Mind. On this episode, we talk with Catherine Chao, Vice President of Strategy and Evaluation at the Ad Council.
Mar 12, 2025 • 30min
Student Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools
Artificial intelligence tools have been in the headlines and yet we are still learning who opts to use such tools and why. On this episode, we talk with David Playfoot of Swansea University in the United Kingdom about his work on student use of AI tools.
Mar 5, 2025 • 30min
Teen Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence and Online Content
As online content evolves, you might assume teenagers are flourishing on the Internet while older Americans shake their head in confusion, but the reality might surprise you. On this episode, we talk with Amanda Lenhart of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop about adolescents and how they think about our lives online.
Feb 5, 2025 • 30min
Online Classes and Social Presence
The growth of online courses has been an important part of the story of education in the United States in the past decade, but we need more evidence of the ways our shift online may affect our sense of connection with others. On this episode, we talk with Daniela Castellanos-Reyes of North Carolina State University about her work to understand student connections online.
Jan 22, 2025 • 30min
Adults Who Reported Past Life Memories as Children
On this episode, Marieta Pehlivanova of the University of Virginia returns to the show to discuss her neurological perception research, including the adult experiences of people who as children reported memories of what some people refer to as a past life.
Jan 8, 2025 • 30min
Reducing Social Exclusion among Children
Helping children make friends with a wide range of people can benefit us all. On this episode, we talk with Melanie Killen of the University of Maryland, a psychology professor who has studied ways to reduce social exclusion and improve connections between people.
