"There are genuine emotional benefits when we connect with strangers," says our guest, Kio Stark. These fleeting interactions are important interruptions in the steady routine of our lives. "They bring connectedness and belonging."Kio is the author of "When Strangers Meet: How People You Don't Know Can Transform You." Her popular TED Talk has received more than 1,450,000 views. "My own interactions with strangers resonate with meaning for me," she writes in her book. "You find questions whose an...
Oct 28, 2016•23 min
Do you believe you can make a difference? What improvements to the world have been made by nonprofit organizations? What lessons have been learnt by philanthropists about delivering services and furthering their cause? These and many more questions are answered here by our guest, Jennifer McCrea . She's a leading global expert on giving and fundraising. Jennifer works to transform the practice of philanthropy She discusses her important work with the Born Free Africa collaborative, which works f...
Oct 19, 2016•23 min
The news media have bombarded us with stories about the candidates, the contest and - to a lesser extent - the crucial issues America faces as people vote for the next President. This podcast is about the voters. We went back to four past episodes of "How Do We Fix It?" pulling extracts about how we make decisions and why the information that you and I receive from internet search engines and other sources may be radically different than the news and views our friends and neighbors are hearing. ...
Oct 12, 2016•15 min
“Vision Zero” is the highly ambitious plan put in place two years ago by New York's Mayor Bill de Blasio. The goal: no traffic deaths by 2024. America's largest city is nowhere near reducing fatal crashes to zero, but great progress has been made since 1990. "The good news is that we've gone from 701 deaths back then to an average of 245 deaths a year under the de Blasio Administration," says urban economics and transportation researcher Nicole Gelinas in this "Fix It" episode. Nicole is a senio...
Oct 05, 2016•27 min
Electile Dysfunction (is), “a terrible pun plus insightful commentary" is how TV host and wit Seth Myers describes" the new book by Professor Alan Dershowitz. Dershowitz became a professor at Harvard Law when he was 25 years old. In his long and distinguished career, Newsweek described Dershowitz as "the nation's most peripatetic civil liberties lawyer and one of its most distinguished defenders of individual rights." We recorded this episode of "How Do We Fix It?" at his Manhattan home. "Electi...
Sep 28, 2016•30 min
Too often, migrants and refugees are viewed as "other" - not like us. In recent days Donald Trump Jr. compared the Syrian refugee problem to a bowl of Skittles In this episode, Leonard Doyle of the International Organization for Migration walks us through the worldwide crisis of tens of millions of displaced people, from families fleeing from war and terrorism to young men and women who overstay their visas in search of a better life. We look at the definitions of these terms - so often glossed ...
Sep 21, 2016•30 min
Get ready for slower economic growth and de-globalization, says investor and writer Ruchir Sharma . Ruchir invited us to his New York office, where he is the head of emerging markets and chief global strategist at Morgan Stanley Investment Management. He is also the author of " The Rise and Fall of Nations: Forces of Change in the Post-Crisis World. " Our interview looks at Ruchir's rules for spotting political, economic and social change. They include: The depopulation bomb: If the working popu...
Sep 14, 2016•24 min
On New Year's Eve, journalist and former Parade Editor-in-Chief Janice Kaplan made a promise to herself to be grateful during the coming year and look on the bright side of whatever happens. As we find out in this episode, it made a big difference to her life. Janice discovered that how she feels has less to do with events than with her own attitude and perspective on life. Her recent book "The Gratitude Diaries" began after a survey she had done found that 94% of Americans thought people who ar...
Sep 07, 2016•20 min
How much do you know about money? Many of us make simple mistakes that cost us hundreds, if not thousands of dollars a year. According to a recent study by The FINRA Investor Education Foundation, only 37% of Americans have high financial literacy. 29% of 18-34 year-olds with a mortgage have been late with a monthly payment and more than one in four people use high-cost forms of borrowing like pawn shops and payday loans. And even worse, many of us think we know much more about personal finance ...
Sep 01, 2016•25 min
From "nap-time activists" and mommy bloggers to a "stroller march" on Washington, Moms Clean Air Force is using creative and highly effective ways to advance their cause to get dangerous pollutants out of the air. In this "How Do We Fix It?" episode we speak about solutions with the group's National Field Director, Gretchen Dahlkemper, a Pennsylvania mom who became an activist - fired up about the threat to her children's health. Her daughter has asthma. So for her this campaign is personal. "I ...
Aug 24, 2016•24 min
Following on from our recent episodes about high schools and playdates, this week we explore children's learning, technology and play with three "How DO We Fix It?" guests. Science evangelist Ainissa Ramirez explains why all young kids are fascinated by science. But school often gets in the way of exploration and curiosity. Ainissa explains how parents and other caregivers can spark interest in science. Psychology professor Abigail Baird shares insights and tips for parents about a healthy balan...
Aug 17, 2016•14 min
The obesity rate is 52% in Brownsville, Texas - far higher than the national average. Nearly one in three residents has diabetes - three times the rate elsewhere. Brownsville also has a very high rate of poverty where more half the residents are not covered by health insurance. This city and other largely hispanic communities along the U.S. - Mexico border are facing a health emergency. Brownsville decided to tackle the crisis head on, with an innovative mix of public initiatives - including a n...
Aug 10, 2016•21 min
Remember when kids were allowed to play, usually without supervision, when did that change? When did play turn into a playdate? Today many parents organize playdates. Play is arranged, supervised and has the parental seal of approval. "I think we could add more diversity into how our children play with other children,"says our guest, Tamara Mose, Associate Professor of Sociology at Brooklyn College. Tamara is the author of the new book "The Playdate: Parents, Children and the New Expectations of...
Aug 03, 2016•23 min
The release of nearly 19,000 e-mails from the Democratic National Committee rocked party leaders and forced the resignation of DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz. We look at how this happened, why Russia was probably involved and how many other organizations, businesses and government agencies are at risk of cyber break-ins. Adam Levin, co-founder of Credit.com and the online security firm IDT911 says the power grid and financial system are at risk. He warns of a possible "Cyber-geddon." In this...
Jul 27, 2016•12 min
Improving America's high schools is an exceptionally complex and difficult task. But all across the country the most enlightened educators are working to narrow the gap between student achievement and the needs of an evolving workplace. Our guest, Liz Willen, is editor-in-chief of the groundbreaking Hechinger Report. Using solutions journalism, data, stories and research from classrooms and campuses, Hechinger looks at how education can be improved and why it matters. "The best high schools, whe...
Jul 20, 2016•26 min
When is the last time that you called a big company or government agency and a human being answered the phone? From big data, complex algorithms and giant corporations to massive government bureaucracy, the everyday life can seem increasingly impersonal. Our guest, Steve Hilton, argues for radical change. The former senior policy advisor to ex-British Prime Minister David Cameron has written " More Human: Designing a World Where People Come First ." The book is a clarion call for reform of gover...
Jul 13, 2016•26 min
Are opinion polls accurate? Did they miss the rise of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders? Do they properly measure America's increasingly sharp political and cultural divisions? What's the difference between a well-designed poll conducted with careful methodology and a sloppy opt-in online survey? Our guest is Gary Langer , an internationally recognized opinion researcher and longtime director of polling at ABC News. He has overseen and analyzed more than 750 surveys on a broad range of topics. Gar...
Jul 06, 2016•24 min
This show may very well save you money, boost your career and help you make smarter decisions. It's about risk. Our guest is Karen Firestone - author of the new book “ Even The Odds - Sensible Risk Taking in Business Investing and Life." She is President and CEO, of Aureus Asset Management, an asset management firm she cofounded after 22 years as a fund manager and research analyst at Fidelity Investments. Karen is a contributor to the Harvard Business Review blog. "I think that sensible risk ta...
Jun 29, 2016•24 min
Would Britain face lasting economic and political harm if it votes to quit the European Union in June 23rd's referendum? Our show looks at the case for Brexit . Steve Hilton , one of David Cameron's closest friends and a former senior political advisor to the Prime Minister, is a leading member of the Vote Leave campaign. He tells us in this episode that a bureaucratic, over-centralized EU has become far too entangled in British life and is incapable of reform. Richard and Jim disagree on the be...
Jun 17, 2016•12 min
How many times have heard somebody say that the political campaign has reached a new low? How much worse is the 2016 race compared to previous elections?We asked Princeton University Professor, Sean Wilentz, to give us a history lesson. In his latest book, "The Politicians and the Egalitarians" Sean makes the case for pragmatism, arguing that politicians serve the country best through the art of compromise.On this episode, he tells us that "nasty, slimy stuff" is nothing new in Presidential camp...
Jun 15, 2016•14 min
This podcast is all about how to have better habits and use them to be more productive in our projects, careers and everyday lives. We talk about to-do lists, email, mental models and making the most of our time with best-selling author, Charles Duhigg . His latest book is "Smarter, Faster, Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and In Business." Charles is also the author of "The Power of Habit." "Keeping your eye on that thing that matters most to you is the secret to success," Charle...
Jun 08, 2016•27 min
Medical errors are America's third largest cause of death. Only heart disease and cancer have a higher body count. A new report estimates that about 250,000 Americans die each year because of screw-ups in hospitals, doctors' offices and other medical settings. In 2013, research by NASA's chief toxicologist put the number at as many as 440,000. In this episode of "How Do We Fix It?", Pittsburgh-based lawyer James Lieber brings a passion for practical solutions to a widespread problem. James has s...
Jun 01, 2016•26 min
It's the biggest issue of the Presidential campaign that the candidates are not talking about: bloated government and the poor delivery of services. From very long TSA airport security lines to the dysfunction at your local DMV, our interactions with government can be extremely frustrating. Exceedingly complex rules and laws make things even worse. For decades, Philip K. Howard has been a leading voice on how to streamline government and make it work for all of us. His latest book is " The Rule ...
May 25, 2016•12 min
With technology in overdrive, self-driving cars are no longer a fantasy. The first autonomous cars and trucks made by major auto manufacturers could be on the road within several years. But "Fix It" guest Eddie Alterman, Editor-in-Chief of Car and Driver magazine says not so fast. "It's a scary concept anyway you look at it," he tells us. "The autonomous car is a very inelegant, very complex and a very fraught solution to the problem of texting while driving... and of information coming into the...
May 18, 2016•25 min
The numbers are alarming. A 2015 Gallup poll found nearly 70% of U.S. employers say they're either bored or disengaged at work. The cost to employers has been put at more than $500 billion in lost productivity. The cost to workers is incalculable - in human misery, unnecessary stress and lost opportunity. Workplace psychologist Ron Friedman is the author of "The Best Place to Work: The Art and Science of Creating an Extraordinary Workplace." Ron says there's an astonishing gap between the latest...
May 11, 2016•26 min
"Stuff happens," says homeland security expert and mom of three, Juliette Kayyem. The government has got to find a better way to talk about the threat of terrorism and natural disasters. Most of us need to have a better plan to prepare. "We talked in a way when people would either tune out or freak out," says Juliette of her time as a top official at The Department of Homeland of Homeland Security. "We are all in this together," she tells on this episode of "How Do We Fix It?" Her new book is "S...
May 04, 2016•20 min
"At the end of the day everybody is biased," says our guest,John Gable, founder CEO of AllSides. "You're biased by what youknow. You're biased by what you know and you're biased by yourentire human existence before then." AllSides is unique in how it covers the news - displayingstories on its front page - from different points of view. It urgesreaders to "engage in civil dialog and discover a deeperunderstanding of the issues." The left-hand column at AllSides has stories fromliberal-leaning sit...
Apr 26, 2016•27 min
Too often, news coverage is all about clashes, controversies andcontests. The way the media cover major events can have aprofound impact on our view of the world. In this episode, Jim and Richard - both journaliststhemselves - are joined by DavidBornstein , who writes for theFixes blog of The New York Times and is co-founder of SolutionsJournalismNetwork.org . "The news tends to focus far more on what's wrong than onthe credible efforts around the world of people who are trying tofix things, whe...
Apr 20, 2016•25 min
With the approach of Earth Day, this show looks at the cleanair, carbon-free case for nuclear power. And it challenges the viewheld by many environmentalists that the only way to save the planetis for all of us to get by with less. Guest Michael Shellenberger is is coauthor of AnEcomodernist Manifesto , a which argues that human prosperityand an ecologically vibrant planet go hand-in-hand. In 2007,Michael received the Green Book Award and Time magazine's" Heroof the Environment. " His recent TED...
Apr 13, 2016•25 min
You can't have too much of a really good thing. That's why we decided to invite Lenore Skenazy, founder of Free Range Kids, to make a welcome return to "How Do We Fix It?" She was a guest on an earlier show. Lenore is the passionate and playful campaigner, who says most American kids don't have nearly enough unstructured free time, when they can be curious and engage the world on their own terms. "Free time is unsupervised time," Lenore tells us. "It's not a parent sitting there saying 'oh, that...
Apr 06, 2016•28 min
