With Good Reason

You know what it’s like to have a song stuck in your head. But what if your brain was constantly making music of its own without your knowledge? “Brainwave Chick” Paras Kaul (George Mason University) has found a way to tap into the natural melodies of her mind, convert them to digital sound, and make [...]

Before Harry Potter had a cloak that made him invisible, the Romulans had a cloaking device that made their space ships invisible to crew of the Enterprise on the TV series Star Trek.  Sir John Pendry says the power of invisibility could soon become a reality thanks to the use of materials which bend light.   [...]

In the 18th century it was hard cider, not beer, that was the alcoholic beverage of choice. Even children often drank hard cider with breakfast and dinner because it was safer than the water.  So how did this preference for hard cider disappear from the American palate?  David Williams (George Mason University) investigates the demise [...]

Historians have long held that children of 17 th and 18 th century Europe were thought of as incomplete adults who were not yet worthy of love or compassion. However, historian Michael Galgano (James Madison University) says actually children were understood to be in a different stage of life, and they were celebrated and loved.  [...]

In her new book “Bible Babel: Making Sense of the Most Talked About Book of All Time”, Kristin Swenson (Virginia Commonwealth University) explains what the Bible is, where it comes from, and shows how people use the Bible to argue today’s most controversial issues.   She also speaks about the Bible’s universality and relevance in our [...]

Last month 29 miners were killed in West Virginia in the worst mining disaster to strike America in four decades.   In an effort to prevent future mining tragedies, Col. Jim Squire, Lt. Col. Jay Sullivan, and Maj. Elizabeth Baker (Virginia Military Institute) have developed a device that uses seismic waves to communicate with miners [...]

Back pain is the leading cause of disability among Americans who are less than forty-five years of age. A new therapy offers what could be the answer to the prayers of many suffering from the pain of degenerating discs. Micheal Depalma (Virginia Commonwealth University Spine Center) is participating in cutting edge research involving the use [...]

Philosophers from Epicurus to Charlotte Joko Beck offer insights that may change how we view the world and our place in it. In How Philosophy Can Save Your Life, Marietta McCarty (Piedmont Virginia Community College) introduces ideas from the world’s greatest minds, weaving together the various strands as a tapestry for good living.  Also featured: [...]

With Good Reason invites you to a traditional Thanksgiving meal, but nearly everything on the table is grown, made, or brewed, within 100 miles of Charlottesville, Virginia.  The dinner host, Tim Beatley (University of Virginia),  introduced the 100-mile Thanksgiving idea to his students after reading The 100-mile Diet: A Year of Local Eating.  About 95 [...]

Rod Serling may have gotten it right when he said, “There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man.”  Physics professor John Simonetti (Virginia Tech) is exploring the possibility of an extra dimension beyond the three dimensions of space and one of time.  Also featured: Andres Sousa-Poza (Old Dominion University) and his [...]