It seems like every day there’s a new documentary released on a streaming platform that hooks viewers. The content ranges from true crime, sports and many other subjects. But with this constant cycle of releases, is quantity or quality the real goal here?
21-09 Segment 1: A Shifting Suburbia: The Impact Of Covid-19
Congested roads. Crumbling parking lots. Vacant strip malls. These are some of the challenges that suburbs across the country are facing today. What to do with the vacant retail and office space? How do you make people less dependent on cars and more active? Architect June Williamson is a proponent of mixed-use developments that create more efficient suburbia. This vision creates a 15-minute suburb where basic amenities and activities are walkable, and spaces bring people together rather than dividing them with large, empty lawns, lots and physical structures.
21-09 Segment 2: The Arctic Then vs. Now
Over the last two decades, Arctic melt has increased by about 60 percent. It’s estimated that if all of the glaciers and ice caps were to disappear into the ocean, sea level would rise by 230 feet, wiping out all of the coastal cities and town around the globe. Journalist and author, Andrea Pitzer shares the history of Arctic exploration and how the landscape has changed over time – but not for the better.
Culture Crash 21-09: Watching Performance Art From Your Sofa
Before the pandemic there weren’t so many concerts, theatre performances and other arts available to watch from your living room TV. While the last eleven months have been tough on the industry, it’s allowed more people to gain access to shows that they otherwise couldn’t afford or travel to. Take Hamilton for instance. We discuss some of our favorite picks available to stream now.
21-08 Segment 1: The Tulsa Race Massacre
In the early 1900’s, the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma was commonly referred to as the ‘Black Wall Street’. It was a predominantly African American town that was booming due to the nearby discovery of oil. It was a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family – but that all changed on May 31, 1921. In a matter of hours, the town was burnt to ashes and its estimated that up to 300 people were murdered. Historian Scott Ellsworth tells the largely untold story of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
21-08 Segment 2: A Newsfeed Overload
How often do you skim a headline and feel like that’s all you need to know? Or gather your daily news from a Twitter or Facebook feed? Economist & journalist Tim Harford joins Viewpoints this week to share the impacts of sensationalized or one-sided information and how we can all become more inquisitive consumers of content.
Culture Crash 21-08: Framing Britney Spears
We discuss the new Hulu release, Framing Britney Spears, which follows Spears’ rise to pop stardom, the ups and downs of her life in the spotlight and the controversial conversatorship that she’s reportedly been under since 2008.
21-07 Segment 2: The Joys Of Being Back In The Classroom
As some schools return back to in-person learning, we take a look at a few of the ways teaching has changed this year, including new safety precautions and the use of continued e-learning technology. Kelly Rigg is an eighth-grade teacher in Ephrata, Pennsylvania and shares what’s it’s been like to be back teaching in the classroom full-time during a pandemic.
21-07 Segment 1: The Path To Europa
The Jupiter moon, Europa is 390 million miles away from Earth. In 2025, the NASA Europa Clipper mission launches and is estimated to arrive in Jupiter’s orbit by 2031. Why Europa? Underneath its radiated surface, the icy moon is believed to host a vast ocean similar to Earth’s that has ample conditions for complex life. Author David W. Brown joins Viewpoints this week to shed some light on the Jovian moon and some of the challenges that came with the lengthy approval of this deep space mission.
Culture Crash 21-07: Easy-to-Watch TV
Sometimes a tense, high stakes show isn’t the relaxing break we all need. We discuss our favorite lighthearted, easy-to-consume series that are entertaining and great to watch time and time again.
21-06 Segment 1: Forced Behavioral Treatment Programs
Each year, thousands of young adults are sent to long-term, in-patient behavioral centers that are seen as the last resort for troubled teens. Their parents often sign off on this treatment because they believe that this ‘tough love’ route is the only answer to turning things around. Journalist and author, Kenneth R. Rosen joins Viewpoints this week to share his own adolescent experience at three of these centers and the long-term damage this type of treatment can wreak on young minds.
21-06 Segment 2: The Birth Of Criminal Science In The U.S.
Today, the field of forensic science is one of the most important tools that investigators have in cracking a case. From forensic geology to DNA analysis to ballistics, analyzing the science behind each crime is crucial. To better understand its beginnings, we go back to the twentieth century to shed a light on Edward Oscar Heinrich – an innovative man who made many contributions to early forensic science in the U.S.
Culture Crash 21-06: The Tumultuous Legacy Of Tiger Woods
HBO’s new release, Tiger chronicles the ups and downs of Tiger Wood’s golf career and personal life. We discuss if the new documentary is overhyped or worth the watch.
21-05 Segment 1: How to Make Your Money Work For You
Between the internet, radio, podcasts and books, there’s a wide breadth of information out there on how to get your finances in order. But sometimes the mixed advice and confusing explanations can lead to complete inaction. This week, we speak to a personal finance expert about the starting key steps you can take to build your financial future and prepare for any unforeseen emergencies.
21-05 Segment 2: What Is Attribution Science?
The field of attribution science studies extreme weather events in order to uncover what role man-made climate change plays in the severity or likelihood of each disaster. We speak to renowned climatologist Dr. Friederike Otto to better understand the reasonings behind attribution science and the implications this research has on science, global politics and climate litigation.
Culture Crash 21-05: A Simpler Era Of Superheroes
Today’s superhero storylines can sometimes feel a bit too involved if you’re looking for something more laidback to watch. We rewind back to the 90’s to offer a few entertaining selections that don’t require much backstory and are available to stream now.
21-04 Segment 1: A Pandemic Education: It Continues On Into 2021
It’s been ten months since many schools across the nation shifted to online learning. Students, parents and everyone working within education have braved the many challenges of learning within a pandemic. With vaccine distribution underway, many within the field are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and the eventual return to classrooms hopefully later this year. We speak with two education experts about the changes happening in the field as technology plays a bigger role.
21-04 Segment 2: The Competitive Nature of Today’s Youth Sports
The world of youth sports can be incredibly stressful. Long practices, hefty investments and increasingly selective teams can add up to parents pushing their kids to the brink. We speak with Rich Cohen, a hockey dad, about the modern pressures of the competitive sport and why some parents end up caring more about the sport than their own kid does.
Culture Crash 21-04: An Abundance of Mediocre Media on Streaming Platforms
When scrolling through streaming sites like Netflix, Disney+ Amazon Prime or Hulu, the number of movies and shows can feel endless. But, how many of these originals are really worth the watch? Shouldn’t the focus be more on quality rather than quantity?
Culture Crash 21-03: Is HBO’s Show “Euphoria” Really Euphoric?
Whether you’re a young adult or not, the teen-focused show, “Euphoria” is a refreshing take on this period of life and all the struggles that come along with it. The full series is now streaming on HBO and HBO Max.
