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 24, 2023 • 30min
Giving Voice to Air and Water Quality Concerns
We are fortunate to be able to breathe air and drink water. Everyone doesn’t enjoy the same air and water quality, though. How can we know whether what we consume is safe? What do people think about the air and water in their area? On this episode, we talk with Dr. Courtney Woods of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill about her work to elevate resident voices.
May 17, 2023 • 30min
Parenting Practices and Child Wellbeing
The last few years have been challenging for many families. How should we be raising children amidst a changing world? What can we learn from various contexts around the world? On this episode, we talk with Katherine King, director of early childhood development programs at RTI International.
May 10, 2023 • 30min
Social Media as a Research Tool
Any single social media post does not necessarily reflect public opinion, and yet researchers also have found creative ways to use social media tools to assist their work. On this episode, we talk with Stephanie McInnis and Jessica Sobolewski of RTI International about how they are using social media to answer key questions about public health.
May 3, 2023 • 29min
The Future of Our Shorelines
Recently, news headlines have highlighted challenges that homeowners are facing as the Atlantic Ocean rises and changes the shape of our coastline. On this episode, we talk with Kiera O’Donnell of Duke University about the preferences that residents of coastal communities have expressed about future development.
Apr 26, 2023 • 30min
Climate Change and Baseball
Over the course of a century, baseball has entertained fans throughout the United States and in various parts of the world. The experience today is not quite the same as it used to be, though. In this episode, we talk with Christopher Callahan of Dartmouth College, lead author of a new paper which looks at how climate change may already have affected the game of baseball.
Mar 15, 2023 • 29min
Stories of Police Reform
In recent years, our news headlines have spotlighted challenges in the relationships between local police departments and the communities they serve. On this episode, we talk with Neil Gross and Leon Nixon about their new audiobook, Walk the Walk: How Three Police Chiefs Defied the Odds and Changed Cop Culture.
Mar 8, 2023 • 30min
A History of Patriarchy
Authors sometimes can illuminate aspects of our everyday lives which we sometimes take for granted. Angela Saini does that with her new book, The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule. On this episode, she joins to discuss her historical analysis and assessment of our present condition.
Mar 1, 2023 • 29min
Saving Snakes
We often hear about snakes as a symbol of ill intention in popular culture and yet that characterization is at odds with what conservation scientists understand to be the nature of the animals. On this episode, we talk with Nicolette Cagle of the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University. She is author of a new book called “Saving Snakes.”
Feb 22, 2023 • 30min
Bullying of Public Health Workers
Public health workers have faced serious challenges recently, including not only emergent infectious diseases but also human behavior and harassment and complaints. On this episode, we talk with Timothy McCall and Aaron Alford of the National Association of County and City Health Officials about their recent national survey of public health professionals.
Feb 1, 2023 • 30min
Conserving Hawaii
Many animals live on this same Earth as human beings and often can tell us about environmental changes or dangers if we only know how to listen and observe. On this episode, we talk with filmmaker and researcher Chris Johns of RTI International about why we should care about land snails in Hawaii.
