With Good Reason Radio

Viruses That Target Bacteria

tap2ae — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 05:01:45 +0000

Bacteriophages are everywhere you look — in the soil, in the ocean, in your backyard. They’re viruses that infect bacteria, and they could one day be used to fight off drug-resistant strains of bacteria like tuberculosis. Mark Forsyth and Kurt Williamson (College of William and Mary) lead a group of students into the field every year to find and identify new varieties of “phages.” Their phage lab is one of 12 across the country sponsored by the Howard Hughes Medical Foundation, and the samples they collect — some never before seen — are helping to create one of the largest databases of its kind in the world.

The Plot to Kidnap Lincoln

tap2ae — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 05:01:08 +0000

John Wilkes Booth shot Abraham Lincoln on Good Friday, April 14, 1865 in Ford’s Theater in Washington. But Booth had been part of a long standing conspiracy to kidnap Lincoln. Terry Alford (Northern Virginia Community College), an expert on Booth, investigates who were these conspirators, their motives at the end of the war and whether they had a chance to succeed. Also: Maynard Adams was a major intellectual figure of the second half of the 20th century and is credited with developing a comprehensive philosophy that emphasized man’s search for meaning and value in life. Glenn Blackburn (The University of Virginia’s College at Wise) is the author of a new book on Adams, “Maynard Adams, Southern Philosopher of Civilization.”

Monticello’s Jewish Hero

tap2ae — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 13:25:24 +0000

Commodore Uriah Phillips Levy, the first Jewish American to reach that rank in the United States Navy, is an unsung hero of American history. According to Melvin Urofsky (Virginia Commonwealth University), not only was Levy instrumental in the Navy, he also rescued Monticello, the Thomas Jefferson estate, from ruin. Also featured: David Metzger (Old Dominion University) discusses the “Golem,” a fictional creature of Jewish legend that was the inspiration for the Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein.

The Controversy Over International Adoptions

tap2ae — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 05:01:16 +0000

Inter-country adoptions gone awry have a way of capturing headlines. A missionary group lands in jail after trying to remove children from Haiti. An American woman puts her seven year-old adopted son on a one-way flight back to Moscow. Karen Rotabi (Virginia Commonwealth University) has studied this issue in Guatemala and beyond for decades and says that overseas adoptions, while a source of hope and love for many families, can have a dark side. Also featured: Baseball leagues for kids with disabilities have sprouted up all over the United States. Matt Lucas (Longwood University) put together a team in rural Virginia and discovered that the games were just as valuable to the parents. And also featured: The Hispanic population is the fastest growing in the U.S., but Mirta Martin, Dean of Virginia State University’s School of Business, says schools aren’t yet prepared, culturally or academically, for the influx of Hispanic students.

It’s All Greek To Me

tap2ae — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 18:02:30 +0000

Don Quixote, conqueror of windmills and readers’ hearts, was recently voted the best book of all time in a survey of 100 of the world’s best authors. It’s the tale of a Spanish knight who reads one too many chivalric romances and takes up a rusty breastplate and sword in search of adventures. Antonio Carreño-Rodríguez (George Mason University) fell in love with the book when he was 23 and admires Miguel de Cervantes, the author of the epic satire, who died on the same day as William Shakespeare. Also featured: Homer’s epic poems are the first major works of western literature. David Pollio (Christopher Newport University) says the themes of family, love, and death keep the Iliad and the Odyssey relevant for modern readers.

New Brains, Old Brains

tap2ae — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 17:26:08 +0000

Holding a student’s attention for longer than five seconds is no easy task. Despite an innate curiosity, children often find classrooms downright boring. But why? Daniel Willingham (University of Virginia), a cognitive scientist, believes the trick to keeping young brains engaged in school is to find the perfect level of challenge – not too easy and not too hard. Also featured: When does the human brain start to deteriorate? The Salthouse Cognitive Aging Lab has tested the memories of more than 1,000 people over the last eight years to answer that question. Timothy Salthouse (University of Virginia) says that even though cognitive decline may begin before you turn 30 years old, that’s no reason to be nervous.

The Courtship of Barking Frogs

tap2ae — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 05:01:06 +0000

Female tree frogs use complex information processing when listening to the mating calls of male frogs to select their mates. Kit Murphy (James Madison University) is discovering how females make their choices and may be close to answering the age old question, “Why is she with him?” Also featured: Between 33 and 50 percent of the world’s frog species are disappearing from seemingly pristine areas, and a deadly fungus is getting part of the blame. Reid Harris and Kevin Minbiole (James Madison University) are conducting pioneering research on a naturally-occurring protective bacteria on the skin of frogs that may repel the fungus.

African-American Heritage Tourism

tap2ae — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 05:01:45 +0000

Colonial Williamsburg, Monticello, and Mt. Vernon are popular destinations for American history tourism. However, smaller sites are being developed with the help of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities that focus on the contributions of African Americans to early U.S. history. Larissa Smith Fergeson (Longwood University) discusses the Thyne Institute in Mecklenburg County, Carver-Price High School in Appomattox, and other sites on the Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail in Southside Virginia. Also: Where did African Americans in the south vacation during the Jim Crow era when facilities in the many of the parks were segregated? New research by Brian Katen (Virginia Tech) is revealing a vital and widespread network of African American owned and developed recreational sites including parklands, amusement parks, mineral springs and camps.

Finding Health Care in Appalachia

tap2ae — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 05:01:35 +0000

Access to health care is still a major challenge for many Americans, even with the recent government overhaul. In Appalachia, access can be even more limited. With the nearest health specialists sometimes hundreds of miles away, many people rely on free clinics for their medical, dental, and vision needs. Thousands travel to Wise, Virginia each year for a weekend of teeth extractions, x-rays, and more. David Cattell-Gordon (University of Virginia’s College at Wise) is the director of the Healthy Appalachia Institute and thinks telemedicine could help connect people to treatment the rest of the year. Also featured: Kris Conrad (Radford University), a nurse midwife instructor, says that more and more women in the United States are opting to have a midwife see them through a natural birth experience.

Brain Painting and Music of the Mind

lew4n — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 05:00:50 +0000

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 brain music. She explains how using music to alter one’s mental state can heighten concentration and problem-solving ability. Also: Dennis Proffitt (University of Virginia) is developing technology that allows the brain to express itself artistically without the use of any muscles. He hopes to facilitate the participation of fully paralyzed or “locked-in” individuals in society through the use of “brain painting.”

Making the Invisible Cloak

lew4n — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 05:00:26 +0000

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. Pendry recently lectured at Norfolk State University where scholars are working in the new exciting field of metamaterials. Mikhail Noginov (Norfolk State University) and his colleagues have created a new metamaterial that is likely the darkest material on the planet and has tremendous implications for radar proof stealth technology. Also featured: How do we make sure that the computers are working for us, rather than the other way around? Col. Myke Gluck (Virginia Military Institute) spends time in his laboratory watching how people interact with new technologies. He says if people are having trouble with software or computers, it’s the fault of the product, not the person. As Gluck puts it, “the only intuitive interface is the nipple, everything else is learned.”

Arab Defamation in Film

lew4n — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 05:00:37 +0000

Author and media critic Jack Shaheen has watched over 1,000 films from the last century to see how Middle Eastern characters fare. Not so well. More often than not, the silver screen resorts to demeaning Arab stereotypes. Hanadi Al-Samman (University of Virginia) studies contemporary Arabic literature and culture and joins the conversation. Also featured: Iraq once had one of the most advanced higher education systems in the Middle East, but Karim Altaii (James Madison University) says that system has been destroyed by the assassination of professors, bombs, looting, and neglect. Altaii is currently in Iraq working on capacity building – especially in higher education.