Despite the pandemic, carbon emissions are at an all-time high, topping records over the past 3.6 million years. For years, scientists have warned of humans approaching a critical tipping point of global warming – and it’s here. Sustainability scientist Dr. Kimberly Nicholas joins Viewpoints this week to break down the current climate landscape and explain why turning things around requires a collective effort.
21-15 Segment 1: Managing Mental Health In The Medical Field During A Pandemic
Physician burnout is still a very real problem in the U.S. – and the pandemic has only exacerbated these feelings in some of the hardest hit hospitals across the country. We speak with Dr. Greg Hammer at Stanford University about the pandemic’s lasting effects on mental health and systems that have been created to better support people working in medicine or in medical school.
21-14 Segment 1: Entrepreneurship In The Adult-Use Cannabis Market
New York is the latest to legalize recreational marijuana. This move will create thousands of new jobs and is expected to generate billions of dollars in revenue after a lackluster year in tourism, real estate and business. And New York isn’t alone. Each year, more states are voting to allow both adult-use and medical marijuana sales. But, with this, comes challenges. In a fast-growing industry, how do you ensure that smaller entrepreneurs aren’t left behind? Or those who’ve been systemically affected by the war on cannabis are given greater opportunity?
21-13 Segment 1: Siri, Self-Driving Cars and Disinformation on Social Media: The Ups & Downs of Artificial Intelligence
AI software is everywhere these days. It’s built into cars, tech, robotics and used in numerous fields from stock portfolio management to pharmaceuticals. But, what does the future of artificial intelligence hold as this technology expands? How will current problems be exacerbated? AI expert and New York Times journalist, Cade Metz joins Viewpoints this week.
21-12 Segment 1: The Deadly Texas Freeze: Does It Point To Larger Problems?
The wintry storm that crippled the entire state of Texas last month is estimated to cost 195 billion dollars in damages and has already been linked to dozens of deaths due to prolonged exposure of extreme cold. For several days, millions of Texans were left without heat in their homes, no running or clean water and food shortages. What factors fed into this statewide failure? Is this a weather pattern that will happen more frequently as the climate shifts?
21-11 Segment 1: Dealing with Conflict
Conflict is part of life, but it doesn’t have to be a completely negative experience; it can be an opportunity for personal growth and forging deeper relationships. We speak with two experts who specializing in studying conflict to better understand how to resolve disagreements with a spouse, family member, or with colleagues in the workplace.
21-10 Segment 1: What May Lie Ahead: The Pandemic’s Effect On The Economy
How has a year-long pandemic affected the U.S. economy? Will it bounce back as more people get vaccinated or will there be long-term ramifications? Economist James Rickards joins Viewpoints this week to share his insights on the post-pandemic economy.
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.
21-08 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.
21-07 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.
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.
21-05 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.
21-04 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.
21-03 Segment 1: The Pandemic’s Push On E-Commerce
While many small, neighborhood stores are fighting to keep their doors open, e-commerce giants like Amazon are seeing staggering growth. In fact, 2020 was the most successful year-to-date for the company. The pandemic has forced millions to buy more items online or through curbside pick-up. So, how has this shift in shopping habits changed the retail game for good? Business journalist Lawrence Ingrassia joins Viewpoints this week to break down the evolving e-commerce landscape.
21-02 Segment 1: The Sketch That Solves The Crime
You’ve probably seen a black and white portrait of a suspect displayed online, broadcasted on TV or even printed in a newspaper back in the day. But how exactly does a forensic sketch artist create such a detailed and accurate profile based off a single, hour-long witness interview? Lois Gibson, a longtime police sketch artist in Houston, joins Viewpoints this week.
21-01 Segment 1: The Psychopath Inside
Who do you think of when you read or hear the word, psychopath? Rarely does anyone think of the mild-mannered neuroscientist next door. We speak to two experts about what the term actually means in the medical world, how it’s tested for in various people and why many people who have psychopathic tendencies are able to function in a non-violent, productive manner.
20-52 Segment 1: The On- And Off-Stage Benefits Of Practicing Improv
Getting on a stage in front of a crowd can be extremely daunting. But, taking a risk and trying something new may not only lead you to a new hobby but a renewed perspective on life. Improv comedy forces you to connect on a deeper level with others, as well as yourself through the collaboration, communication and confidence the performance art requires.
20-51 Segment 1: The Unending Toll Of Discrimination
Segregation not only divides cities but leads to divided people as well. It fuels biases against people who may look or act different than us, leading to generations of inequity and discrimination. Viewpoints speaks with social justice activist, Tonika Johnson about the many impacts’ segregation has had on the city of Chicago.
20-50 Segment 1: The Modern Diamond Business
The northwestern coast of South Africa & Namibia has been a mining hub for diamonds since the 1900’s. Local workers labor through long shifts and hazardous working conditions in order to feed their families. The pay? Roughly five cents per carat of rough diamonds found. While some may argue that the industry stimulates the local economy, once a company deems an area to be over-mined, it pulls out, leaving behind nothing for locals except ravaged land.
20-49 Segment 1: Becoming Steve Jobs
Apple co-founder, Steve Jobs, was hailed as a genius and master innovator during his lifetime, but his career wasn’t always a smooth, upward trajectory. He failed many times and was eventually sidelined at Apple. We speak with one of his biographers about how Jobs changed his ways during this turbulent time, and how his experiences working with NeXt Computer and Pixar helped develop him into a savvier, more understanding leader.
