Facebook founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg added 41 billion dollars to his wealth over the past year. And that’s nothing compared to what Tesla CEO, Elon Musk raked in: 157 billion. The majority of humans on the planet can’t even fathom earning that amount of money. Yet, for many in the top .01 percent, it’s a never-ending cycle of holding onto and building their wealth for generations to come. As the rich get richer and take up a bigger piece of the pie, what’s left for the rest of us? How can leaders and laws slow this extreme wealth inequality?
21-15 Segment 2: End-Of-Life Planning: Have You Gotten Your Affairs In Order?
About 60 percent of Americans don’t yet have a written will in place. People spend a lifetime working hard, saving money, building assets, but often never think about what would happen in case they suddenly passed away. Viewpoints speaks with life planning expert, Abby Schneiderman, about the importance of organizing your life both on paper and online.
21-14 Segment 2: Alphabetical Arrangement
Organizing people or items by A to Z is a common method all over the world. It’s used in schools, businesses, libraries and more. But why is this the predominant method today? What are some other systems that people of the past used? Historian Judith Flanders joins us this week to shed some light on the fascinating study of alphabetization.
21-13 Segment 2: Modern Adulthood
Whatever age you are, there’s always certain pressures to hit life milestones by set periods. It can mean moving out, getting married, having a family or even retiring by a ‘normal’ age. We discuss why these external pressures shouldn’t feed into personal decisions and how today’s generations and the challenges they face greatly differ from those of their parents or grandparents.
21-12 Segment 2: The Mental Toll of a Full Work Inbox
On average, its estimated that the typical worker receives one email every six minutes. This constant stream of emails and instant messages throughout the day continuously pulls people away from their main tasks and leads to workout burnout. And the pandemic – with more people working from home – has only made this worse. Computer science and communication expert, Cal Newport joins us this week to break down the main issues and possible solutions.
21-11 Segment 2: The Power Of Persevering Through Life’s Challenges
Life has many challenges – but it’s how you respond to these obstacles that truly matter. Characteristics like passion, perseverance and grit can all factor into the end result and can make all the difference rather than focusing on pure talent or intelligence.
21-10 Segment 2: Working Within The Oil Sector
The oil and gas industry employs millions of workers. In 2018, 6.7 million Americans worked within the traditional energy sector. Yet, when we often hear about the industry, it’s entangled in political and environmental news. Rarely does it look at the workers themselves and the challenging and physical barriers of the job. In 2013, Michael Patrick Smith moved from Brooklyn, New York to Williston, North Dakota to work as an oil swamper. He joins us this week on Viewpoints.
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.
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.
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.
21-06 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.
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.
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.
21-03 Segment 2: Spies & Soldiers: The Women Of The Civil War
We know so much about the men of the Civil War, but the courageous women of this time and their contributions are seldom shown in history books. Historian Karen Abbott decided to change that. She tells the story of several women who helped their respective sides during the Civil War. These women were not just nurses and aides, but endearing female soldiers and spies disguised and embedded in the fight.
21-02 Segment 2: The Law Of Treason: Its Modern Use
To call someone a traitor or label an act as treasonous is a big claim. But what exactly does treason mean? What does it entail? We speak with constitutional law expert, Professor Carlton Larson about its limited use in modern courtrooms and the public’s perception of the law versus its actual scope and definition.
21-01 Segment 2: The Fascinating Science Behind Black Holes
Black holes have always intrigued and captured the imagination of millions since they were first theorized and coined by German physicist Karl Schwarzschild in 1916. For decades, scientists have worked to learn more about these mysterious objects in space. However, even today, there’s still much we have yet to learn.
20-52 Segment 2: Game Show History
Before the game shows of today, there were countless series of the past that defied our notion of showmanship. Full of grandiose props, charismatic hosts and the perfect, hand-picked contestants, these series kept viewers hooked till the very end and were (really) too good to be true. We discuss some of the most popular game shows in American history and how the industry has evolved over the last 70 years.
20-51 Segment 2: What Are You Grateful For?
Thank goodness 2020 is just about over. While this year has been full of many challenges, it’s also made more Americans realize what truly matters and the importance of being thankful for even the littlest of things. As we all look ahead to next year and the habits we hope to cultivate, we discuss the benefits of practicing gratitude through writing.
20-50 Segment 2: The Lasting Legacy Of Alex Trebek & Jeopardy!
Alex Trebek hosted Jeopardy! for 37 seasons until his passing last month from pancreatic cancer. The trivia quiz series is unlike any other show on TV – and some would argue that a big part of what made it so entertaining was Trebek’s talent for leading the game. We explore his career legacy and what’s next for Jeopardy!.
20-49 Segment 2: Liar, Liar: How To Get To The Truth
How do professionals question people to get the information they want? We talk to an expert in interrogation and lying on this subject, and how law enforcement and job interviewers use the same tactics to find out if someone may be lying to them.
