Since the beginning of the U.S. prison system, religion has been suggested as a way to help rehabilitate criminals. We talk to Tanya Erzen, a professor of religion, about why that is and what role prison ministries play in the lives on inmates.
19-04 Segment 2: Tips on Entrepreneurship
Brian Scudamore founded 1-800-GOT JUNK when he was just 18. Now, it’s one of the biggest companies in the world. He talks about the lessons he learned and what advice he has for young entrepreneurs dreaming of creating the next big startup.
Culture Crash 19-04: A New Future for Comic Book Movies
The year 2018 gave us a lot to love at the movies. Some of the absolute highlights for me were Eighth Grade, Roma, A Quiet Place, and Blindspotting. Each of those thrilled me, entertained me, and moved me. But for me, the best film of the year was Bing Liu’s incredibly personal documentary, Minding the Gap. It’s a film I saw back in August but has stuck with me more than anything I’ve seen in a long time. Minding the Gap tells the story of Liu himself, and of his closest friends from his childhood in Rockford, Illinois. Each came from something of a broken home, and turned to each other, and to skateboarding for an escape from their personal demons. What begins as a movie about kids skateboarding and hanging out becomes a searing look at childhood trauma, the bonds of friendship, and what effects our families can have on us as we age into adulthood.
19-03 Segment 1: China’s Family Policies & Their Impact on America
In America, we may have an idea of how China’s one-child and two-child policies work, but the truth is more complicated than many of us imagine. We talk to journalist and author Vanessa Hua about how these policies have rippled all the way into America.
19-03 Segment 2: Processing Unimaginable Grief
Grief is an innate part of human life, but how we process that grief varies from person to person. Tom Malmquist knows too much about grief after he lost his partner shortly after the birth of their first child. Malmquist put his experiences into his novel, In Every Moment We Are Still Alive, to help others in similar situations feel less alone.
Culture Crash 19-03: Movies to Look Forward to in 2019
With a new year always comes new things to look forward to, so let’s take a look at some of the movies people are anticipating the most in 2019. As a warning, there are a lot of them.
19-02 Segment 1: Cybercrime in Real LIfe
We’ve all seen how our fiction portrays cybercrime, but what does it really look like? Jonathan Lusthaus, the director of the Human Cybercriminal Project at the University of Oxford, joins the show to talk about the real crimes committed online and what, if anything, we can do to protect ourselves.
19-02 Segment 2: Marriage Maintenance
Maintaining a relationship or a marriage is a wonderful thing, but sometimes it can be tricky. We hear tips from an expert clinical psychologist on how couples can communicate better, understand each other more deeply, and work through some of the issues common in modern marriages.
Culture Crash 19-02: True Detective
Tonight marks the long-awaited, sometimes excitedly and sometimes with dread, but long-awaited, return of True Detective. The TV phenomenon of 2014 and possibly the biggest letdown of 2015 is back for its third season, and the early reviews suggest this should be more like the incredible first season and not like the dud of a season two.
19-01 Segment 1: Women in the United States Military
Women have served in the US military dating all the way back to the Revolutionary War. Back then, they had to lie about their sex and their names in order to get enlist, but some did. Now, combat positions are open to women. We discuss the vital role women have played in America’s military might.
19-01 Segment 2: Overcoming Anxiety and Feeling Joy
Early January has long been a time for people to hit the reset button and try to refocus their energy and attention for the year ahead. We talk to two experts about how to overcome anxiety to feel happier and more at ease, despite the chaos of our everyday life.
Culture Crash 19-01: Minding the Gap
The year 2018 gave us a lot to love at the movies. Some of the absolute highlights for me were Eighth Grade, Roma, A Quiet Place, and Blindspotting. Each of those thrilled me, entertained me, and moved me. But for me, the best film of the year was Bing Liu’s incredibly personal documentary, Minding the Gap. It’s a film I saw back in August but has stuck with me more than anything I’ve seen in a long time. Minding the Gap tells the story of Liu himself, and of his closest friends from his childhood in Rockford, Illinois. Each came from something of a broken home, and turned to each other, and to skateboarding for an escape from their personal demons. What begins as a movie about kids skateboarding and hanging out becomes a searing look at childhood trauma, the bonds of friendship, and what effects our families can have on us as we age into adulthood.
