Within four days of the mass shooting at Margaret Stoneman High School in Parkland, Florida that left 17 people dead, Never Again was born. In this episode, we ask whether young millennials, who grew up after 9/11 during a time of school lockdowns, will become effective advocates for lasting social and political change. Digitally savvy students-- survivors of the massacre-- turned to social media with the hashtag #NeverAgain. This activist campaign for sweeping changes in gun control laws became...
Mar 01, 2018•24 min•Ep. 142
The impressive launch of the Falcon Heavy rocket by SpaceX from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and the touchdown of two boosters back at Cape Canaveral minutes later, are the latest milestones in a thrilling comeback story. Space is becoming sexy again and the pace of innovation is remarkably fast. Not since the days of John Glenn,the Apollo moon launch, and the Space Shuttle program has spaceflight been so exciting. In this episode, technology journalist Joe Pappalardo, author of the new ...
Feb 21, 2018•27 min•Ep. 142
Wouldn't it be great if consumers could access all their personal medical records quickly and share them with doctors, family members and others they trust? This could lead to revolutionary changes in patient outcomes with less bureaucracy and fewer medical mistakes and unnecessary tests. In recent weeks, major announcements by Apple and Google, plus a new healthcare alliance by Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JP Morgan Chase are signs of accelerated change. No one is better equipped to interpret...
Feb 14, 2018•26 min•Ep. 141
It's time to put the brakes on the hype about self-driving cars. Despite industry and media forecasts, it may be more than a decade before many fully autonomous vehicles are on the road. Lawsuits and patent disputes are among the many hurdles that face auto manufacturers and tech firms. But this doesn't mean that technology is being thrown into reverse gear. Semi-autonomous cars with vehicle assist and other features are much safer than earlier generations of automobiles. Self-driving delivery t...
Feb 07, 2018•20 min•Ep. 140
The U.S. stock market has soared about 40% since the Trump election. But is it over-valued and ready for a meltdown? Shortly before the worst one-day crash in history in November 1987, the market had been charging ahead, with a 40% rise that year. The economy was on a roll, just like today. What would happen if giant investment funds bailed out of stocks at the same time? Would there be another financial crisis, even worse than the events in 2008? "We are more vulnerable to a radical readjustmen...
Feb 01, 2018•29 min•Ep. 139
From the recent government shutdown to strict partisan votes on taxes and healthcare, official Washington lurches from one fight to the next, with no end in sight. But the American public is not as polarized as the pundits say. While elected Republicans and Democrats appeal to their base, and are more divided than ever, the electorate has not changed dramatically in recent years. According to Pew Research and other pollsters, moderate independents outnumber either liberal Democrats or conservati...
Jan 25, 2018•29 min•Ep. 138
By overwhelming majorities, human beings have faith in the afterlife. While fewer Americans believe in God, as many as 80% still believe in life after death. Surprisingly, this includes one-in-three agnostics and atheists. According to the Roper Center for Public Opinion the numbers have stayed stable in recent decades. Does this human refusal to accept that all we have is the here-and-now lead to a dangerous belief in religious fantasies and utopia? Do we chase after myths while ignoring practi...
Jan 18, 2018•22 min•Ep. 137
The fight against sexual harassment was the hot topic in Hollywood at the Golden Globes Awards, with outspoken and inspiring remarks by Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and others. But allegations of bullying or inappropriate behavior by powerful men are still being made almost every day. Despite widespread outrage, little focus has been given to effective measures that can be taken by employers to reduce the number of cases and improve the workplace environment. Our guest is journalist Claire C...
Jan 10, 2018•27 min•Ep. 136
2018 is certain to bring surprises. In this episode, Jim and Richard bravely venture out onto the high diving board of ideas and plunge into the pool of predictions. We also asked listeners and "How Do We Fix It?" guests for their forecasts of the year to come. Well-known author and skeptic Michael Shermer says "2018 will be the best year in the history of humanity as measured by health, longevity, medicine, technology, science and culture." Disruptive marketer and communications designer Geoff ...
Dec 27, 2017•22 min•Ep. 135
It's time to shift the narrative about food and health from fear to facts. Popular culture promotes all sorts of anti-scientific myths, from astrology and conspiracy theories to vaccine denial and misinformation about GMOs. On this episode our guest is "Science Mom" Kavin Senapathy, one of five mothers of young children who decided to collaborate on communication and push back against a conspiratorial mindset around biotechnology. They argue that there's an epidemic of bad science and fear-based...
Dec 20, 2017•23 min•Ep. 134
Billions of people use Facebook and YouTube. But do social media platforms threaten our privacy and our freedom? The problem goes well beyond hate messages and other forms of inappropriate content, or fake news and "dark posts"— targeted ads not visible to the public. "The crucial problem here is we have no protections about the data that's collected," says our guest, Professor Zeynep Tufekci. "We have no protections about how that data is used and we have a business model where we are the produ...
Dec 13, 2017•30 min•Ep. 133
Once again the alarm bells are ringing. A new study by the McKinsey Global Institutes estimates that within 12 years, up to 800 million of today's workers may be replaced by robots or some other form of automation. Other recent research reports on the impact of technology are even more disturbing. A survey by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, the professional services company, claims 38% of U.S. jobs are at high risk of being replaced by robots and artificial intelligence over the next 15 years. But what ...
Dec 06, 2017•26 min•Ep. 132
What do you think of when you hear the word “refugee” or “migrant”? If over-crowded rafts or vast tent encampments come to mind, you are not alone. But there’s a very different— and much more positive side to migration. Across the world, record numbers of people are on the move in search of new opportunities and a better life. One solution to the vast increase in global migration is to gain a deeper understanding of the opportunities and challenges resulting from a more deeply connected world. F...
Nov 30, 2017•19 min•Ep. 131
We discuss the American Revolution through six different pairs of eyes with acclaimed historian and journalist, Russell Shorto, author of the new book, "Revolution Song." This episode examines the meaning of freedom in a fresh new light and has special resonance during the week of Thanksgiving. As he did with "The Island at the Center of the World," which looked at the Dutch impact on Manhattan and the founding of the nation, this book examines American values, drawing deeply on diaries, letters...
Nov 21, 2017•30 min•Ep. 130
This week we dismantle the myth that American manufacturing is in a death spiral. It’s not. Our guest is MIT-trained engineer and tech entrepreneur Krisztina “Z” Holly, host of the podcast, “The Art of Manufacturing." Even as factory jobs have declined, manufacturing growth has surged during the past three decades. Manufacturing production grew 2.9% in October compared to 2016, according to the Federal Reserve. From construction equipment to food products and semiconductors, manufacturers are ri...
Nov 16, 2017•23 min•Ep. 129
America’s opioid epidemic is an addiction crisis like no other the country has ever faced. Deaths outnumber car crash fatalities. Since 1999, 200,000 people have died from overdoses related to Oxycontin and other prescription painkillers. The scourge is the result of a terrible double whammy: The relentless marketing of pain pills and the ruthless efficiency of drug pushers from one small Mexican town, who deliver heroin like takeout pizza. Our guest, Sam Quinones, author of the highly praised b...
Nov 08, 2017•26 min
One year after the election of Donald Trump, American democracy is under threat. Our civic life is in a shambles. Our guest, Reed Galen, says America is a “dual-civilization society,” with each side viewing the other with suspicion, disgust and disdain. The guardrails of democracy are banged up. Some dents were made years ago — the result of dysfunction In Washington D.C. Others are the result of the President’s sustained attacks on Congress, the judiciary and a free press. In this episode we lo...
Nov 02, 2017•27 min
Can data be used to prevent mass shootings, dramatically reduce opioid addiction and tell elderly people that they about to fall? Our guest, Rebecca Costa, says it can. In this episode we look at why predictive analytics may be the most profound technological change in the past 15 years-- even more important than smartphones. In her new book, “On The Verge,” and on this podcast, Rebecca says we now have the power to predict the future, adapting in advance to changing conditions. She also tells u...
Oct 26, 2017•28 min
The public downfall of film boss, Harvey Weinstein raises deep questions about the culture of Hollywood and its longstanding tolerance of sexual misbehavior by powerful men. Rumors about Weinstein's outrageous behavior had been an open secret in Hollywood for years. But Weinstein, a king of independent film, was able to cow the media, and had the power to break the careers of any women who dared go public with complaints. All that changed recently when a New York Times investigation uncovered do...
Oct 18, 2017•28 min
How should the U.S. and other Western nations deal with Vladimir Putin and well-documented threats to democracy from the Russian government? What are the most effective ways to push back against hacking and other attacks? Ever since Vladimir Putin came to power, his critics have turned up dead on a regular basis. According to our guest, Amy Knight, this is no coincidence. In her book "Orders to Kill" and during this episode of "How Do We Fix It?", she exposes a campaign of political murder durin...
Oct 11, 2017•29 min
Are free speech rights threatened at universities? Is Attorney General Jeff Sessions correct when he says political correctness has run amok on college campuses? Conservatives point to the angry scenes at Middlebury College, where Charles Murray was shouted down, and demonstrations at University of California, Berkeley, which led to the cancelation of Free Speech Week, as alarming examples of intolerance. Liberals push back, saying that protests against neo-Nazis, racism, and those who denigrate...
Oct 04, 2017•28 min
Days ago, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos scrapped Obama-era Title IX rules on campus sexual assault, plunging herself into a furious controversy. This episode goes beyond name-calling and looks at how colleges and universities could improve their policies. "This harmful step in the wrong direction may cause survivors of sexual assault to go back into the shadows, Democratic Senator Patty Murray said of the DeVos guidance. The co-founder of the group, End Rape on Campus, Sofie Karasek, went furt...
Sep 27, 2017•25 min
Love him or loathe him, Donald Trump told a more compelling story about himself than his opponents. The 2016 election was, for his critics, a jarring reminder of the limits of limiting political rhetoric to detailed policies and programs. In this episode of "How Do We Fix It?", we explore the power of myths and legends: Why they are essential in making sense of life. Harvard Humanities professor Stephen Greenblatt is our guest. Using the origin story in the Bible, we discuss the enormous power o...
Sep 20, 2017•20 min
So many of us are furious at President Trump, Congress, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, The Democrats or the news media-- name your poison.Two thirds of Americans say they are dissatisfied with how things are going in this country today, compared with fewer than three-in-ten who are satisfied. This is a dramatic change from the 1990's, when most people had a positive view of national conditions.This show is an empowering response to anger and disgust. Eric Liu, founder and CEO of Citizen Univers...
Sep 13, 2017•24 min
Climate scientists warn that Hurricanes Irma and Harvey are examples of extreme weather that will become much more common in the years to come. But Trump Administration officials ridicule any link between this month's devastating storms and global warming.Without a change of heart, most conservatives will continue to resist an overwhelming body of scientific evidence on climate change. Congress will fail to pass needed reforms.Enter former GOP Congressman Bob Inglis. He argues that while Republi...
Sep 07, 2017•27 min
Is climate change to blame for Hurricane Harvey and the devastating floods around Houston? Even though we can't be certain about the cause of a single storm, Harvey's epic rainfall and surprisingly long duration remind us of the need for urgent action. In this edition of our solutions podcast, economist Gernot Wagner, executive director of Harvard University's Solar Geoengineeering Research Program, makes the case for market-based climate insurance: A fix that even skeptical conservatives could ...
Aug 30, 2017•21 min
Can vets walk off the devastating impacts of PTSD? Do long-distance hiking, biking and river paddling journeys offer far better treatment for the emotional and psychological damage of war than pills or therapy offered by the VA? Sean Gobin is a United States Marine Corps veteran who served 12 years as an Infantry Rifleman and Armor Officer. He tells us his own personal story. After returning home from several deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, Sean hiked the 2,181-mile Appalachian Trail. In 20...
Aug 23, 2017•37 min
Neil deGrasse Tyson became passionate about astrophysics when he was a teenager. Best-selling science journalist Mary Roach is well-known for her humor and curiosity as she explores the science of keeping human beings intact, sane and awake during the extreme circumstances of war. This "Fix It" episode is about passion and is inspired by our many guests. They bring their wisdom, emotion and enthusiasm with them as they describe what turns them on about their work and expertise. Obstetrician-gyno...
Aug 17, 2017•23 min
Far too often refugees are thought of as "the other"-- a mass of people who are victims of war, persecution or natural disasters. President Trump has added to the problem, making negative, harsh comments about immigrants.This episode with 19 year-old Iraqi-American refugee Ahmed Badr, looks at how to fix the way we view refugees and migrants. We look at their personal stories and what they bring to enrich the lives of the communities where they now live.Through writing about his own life, Ahmed,...
Aug 09, 2017•28 min
When do fashion designers make the difference between comfort and misery for active soldiers? Why does the military need a radically different kind of crash test dummy? What role could maggots play in healing open wounds? These questions and more are answered by best-selling science journalist, Mary Roach, author of "Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War." In this audio tour of duty we go beyond war's battlefields, bombs and bands of brothers to hear why scientists, doctors, researchers an...
Aug 03, 2017•31 min
