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 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.
21-10 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.
21-08 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 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.
21-04 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.
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.
20-47 Segment 2: Relationships: The Human Experience In 2020
Technology has shaped the way we stay in touch, fall in love and even have kids. Dr. Debora Spar joins Viewpoints this week to share how innovation affects several different aspects of our lives and what the future holds in this space.
20-46 Segment 2: The State of Science
Before the pandemic, roughly 4 in 10 people across the world believed that if science didn’t exist their lives would be no different, according to a global survey conducted by 3M Corporation. We dig into this staggering statistic and how COVID-19 has altered people’s perception of the field.
Culture Crash 20-46: Re-Exploring Old Sitcoms
It’s a good time to tuck in and explore some of our favorite, most comforting shows. We discuss a few recommendations now available to stream.
20-44 Segment 2: Good Morning Zoom
You may be familiar with the classic children’s book, Goodnight Moon, but what about Good Morning Zoom? One mom living in New York City wanted to help her children better understand the pandemic, so wrote a parody based off of one of their favorite bedtime stories. The result? A funny, yet realistic look at parenting and getting through this period.
20-41 Segment 1: The Life Of A Modern Private Eye
The field of private investigation is rapidly changing. And not entirely for the good. We speak with Tyler Maroney – a journalist turned private eye about the evolution of the industry and the role tech-savvy investigators play in influencing and providing transparency to governments, corporate entities, criminal justice lawyers and other sectors.
20-40 Segment 1: Covid Testing On College Campuses
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has developed a quick and affordable saliva-based test that makes it possible for students, faculty and staff to get checked twice a week for COVID-19. We speak with one of its creators, Dr. Martin Burke about the largescale implementation of this method and the upcoming challenges with flu season quickly approaching.
20-39 Segment 2: Young Learners & Their Development During Covid
The 2020 school year feels a bit different for the millions of students ‘back to school’ in whatever form that may be. We speak with two child development experts, Dr. Irene Koolwijk and Lindsay Jones, about some of the available resources and methods that parents can use to keep their young ones on track.
20-38 Segment 1: Back To School 2020: Learning Through Tech
Navigating back to school this year has been challenging to say the least. With switching policies and protocols, everyone is just trying to get through the fall one day at a time. Viewpoints speaks with two education experts about the biggest barriers to learning and what online education technology can really offer students.
20-38 Segment 2: The Hidden Gems Across Chicago & In Every U.S. Town
Suffering from a travel bug that can’t be quenched this year? Chicago writer, Jessica Mlinaric believes that if you look hard enough you don’t have to leave your town or city to experience something new. We cover some of the interesting, historical sights around Chicago and how you can explore your own area.
20-37 Segment 2: Fueling Creativity: Funding Modern, Independent Invention
Without inventors like Benjamin Franklin or visionaries like Elon Musk, the world would look a bit different. Both of these people and countless others followed their passion, but sometimes it can be hard to slow down and take a risk. Do you enjoy writing? Tinkering with tech? Creating music? Art? It’s never too late to forge a different career path or side hobby. We speak with Kickstarter co-founder, Yancey Strickler about some of the barriers to entry creatives face today and how to find support within a community.
20-36 Segment 2: The Current Scope Of Surveillance In The U.S.
Today, ex-government employee, Edward Snowden is recognized around the world for his role in leaking highly classified information about government mass surveillance. We explore the benefits and consequences of modern surveillance and how both private business entities and governments are acquiring information from millions of Americans.
20-35 Segment 2: Sleeping Soundly: The Interconnected Benefits of Getting Good Rest
All humans need some amount of rest – whether that’s five hours or eight. But how we sleep and the quality of that slumber can vary widely. We speak with sleep expert, Matthew Walker, a professor at California-Berkeley, who says getting restful sleep is the single biggest thing we can do to vastly improve our mental and physical health.
