Innovation Hub

Means and medians might induce flashbacks to junior high math class. But in a world awash in statistics, knowing the difference between the two is super useful.

Democrats and Republicans aren’t exactly known for their ability to set aside their differences. We take a look at whether bipartisanship is alive and well, floundering, or flatlining.

Do you get nervous before every flight you take? This interview is for you.

On the surface, artificial sweeteners seem like a no-brainer for anyone trying to lose weight. But, before you reach for the Sweet’N Low, listen to the complex history, and possible negative health effects, of sugar substitutes.

On the surface, artificial sweeteners seem like a no-brainer for anyone trying to lose weight. But, before you reach for the Sweet’N Low, listen to the complex history, and possible negative health effects, of sugar substitutes.

Medical information stays between a patient and their doctor, right? Author Adam Tanner tells us that may not be the case.

TV dinners, popcorn bags, hot pockets… the story behind the invention that led to an entirely new cuisine.

Too busy to listen to this podcast? In America, your unavailability is a status symbol.

Sorry nerds, popularity matters. Psychology professor Mitch Prinstein explains why.

Turns out, being famous online doesn’t always translate into a stable income. Author Brooke Erin Duffy and Youtuber Gaby Dunn explain.

This week on Innovation Hub we’ll take a look at the science of popularity, the hard work that goes into making a living online, and the reason why we always say we’re busy.

Tree huggers might be onto something. Florence Williams explains how nature can make us healthier.

We look at when humans learned where babies come from, why a walk in the woods can lower your blood pressure, and which species are adapting well to climate change. That’s all on this week’s Innovation Hub.

Scientists estimate that we could be losing thousands of species to climate change each year. But, take heart says ecologist Chris Thomas: there are also many new species being created.

How did sea urchins help humanity figure out where babies come from? Science writer Edward Dolnick has the answer.

This week on Innovation Hub: A show on learning. First, do liberals really dominate academia? Then, if properly taught, everyone can grasp math. After that find out how reading links to health and longevity. Finally, Nancy Weiss Malkiel transports us to the moment when elite colleges finally started admitting women.

Los Angeles has spurred countless culinary concoctions, including the chili burger, Korean tacos and the Cobb salad. Listen as our host Kara Miller takes a trip to California and learns how immigrants shaped LA’s food scene.

Judy Cockerton saw a problem and decided to do something about it. At 48, she shut down her toy store and created a village of sixty homes. The catch? They were reserved for seniors and families with foster kids. We visited Cockerton's village to learn how she built it.

Space: The final frontier. Now, more and more big businesses are eyeing that frontier. We look at the what a competitive market could mean for the future of space travel.

From Delmonico's to Howard Johnson's: Yale Professor Paul Freedman walks us through 10 of the most influential restaurants in American history. What can a restaurant menu tell us about society? Turns out, a lot. Our host Kara Miller finds out while researching the Los Angeles dining scene. Judy Cockerton is building villages around the country to change foster care. We take a look at why. Next stop: Mars? A look at how private companies are taking the giant leap into space.

Hungry for information? Then learn about the history of the American restaurant.

We’re hardwired to trust people, luck matters a lot more than you think, and the lead crisis is so much bigger than Flint. That’s this week’s Innovation Hub.

The case against empathy, the case for technocrats, and a look at the birth of PR. That’s all in this week’s Innovation Hub.

America thinks of itself and its companies as exceptional. And because of that, we’ve ignored the pitfalls of globalization. For decades, blue-collar American jobs have moved to China. Why some of those same jobs are now moving to Africa. Julia Child was a chef, author, TV star... and coder? How expanding our definition of coding helps us look at the world in a whole new way.

Manufacturing jobs may have moved to China… but not all of them have stayed there.

It’s impossible to imagine the modern world without code. But according to Philip Auerswald, we might all be coders - without even realizing it.

The global economy is getting more competitive. What can the U.S. do to keep up?

Americans spend a lot of time, money and energy filing taxes every year, and yet our tax system is both less fair and less efficient than other systems around the world. Author T.R. Reid says the U.S. government should look to other countries’ tax models to fix our own.

The Walking Dead. The Hunger Games. The Handmaid’s Tale. Why is so much of our most popular science-fiction bleak and depressing?

Big philanthropists like Bill Gates and the Koch Brothers are reshaping our society. But, we don’t really have much of a say as to how. We look at the rise of big philanthropy.

Is it a completely good thing when a billionaire gives away their money? David Callahan walks us through the new world of philanthropy. Why does so much of our most popular science-fiction feature bleak, depressing futures? We talk to a science-fiction writer to find out. Our tax system is inefficient, unfair, and infuriating. TR Reid tells us how to fix it.

Dark money, microbes, oppressive ads, and overconfidence. It’s this week’s Innovation Hub.

There’s a health epidemic that doctors have been ignoring for decades. We talk with Dr. Vincent Felitti about how childhood trauma can affect adults’ health.

Human rights are hotly-debated, but when did that debate begin? UCLA’s Lynn Hunt talks about what might have been the formative moment for human rights - and how we’re constantly changing our definition of equality.

Science gave us penicillin, the moon landing, and the theory of evolution. But scientists also make mistakes. NPR’s Richard Harris tells us why, and what the consequences are.

When did the fight for human rights begin? According to Lynn Hunt, the 18th century. And why? One answer is rather unexpected: the rise of the novel. Childhood experiences can drastically affect a person’s health for the rest of their life. We talk to a doctor about what that means for medicine. Science gave us penicillin, the moon landing, and the theory of evolution. But scientists can also make really big mistakes.

Our kids are our future, so what happens when we start having fewer of them? Dowell Myers and Fariborz Ghadar explain.

Parents won’t shut up about their kids being precious. And with American birth rates declining, they’re actually right. Geckos can help us perform surgery, and kingfishers can help us design trains. We dive into the world of biologically-inspired design. Being lonely isn’t just bad for your emotional health, it’s bad for your physical health. We talk about why Americans are lonelier than ever and what can be done about it.

Loneliness is a drag. But it’s also bad for your health. We find out why feeling lonely is as dangerous as obesity.

The key to advancing medicine might be found right in your backyard. Harvard’s Jeff Karp finds inspiration in nature to create medical solutions for humans.

As America celebrates the Fourth with fireworks and barbeques, we take a closer look at the ideals that have shaped our country.

Camilla Benbow and David Lubinski spent their lives studying child geniuses. Their advice on how to create a baby Einstein? Do nothing. Then, conspiracy theories have gotten a lot of attention in the last year, but psychologist Rob Brotherton says they've been around for a long time. And finally, Thomas Gilovich thinks he can make you wise... or at least, the wisest person in the room.

The wealth gap between white and black families has grown since the 1960s. But one man thinks he might have an entrepreneurial solution.

Millennials are known for being liberal. But new research might upend that assumption.

Millennials are feminist, progressive, and care a lot about gender equity. Right? According to Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg and Dan Cassino, it’s actually more complicated than that. It’s relatively simple to organize a massive protest using Twitter and Facebook. And Zeynep Tufekci says that can make resistance movements weaker. The average white family has 13 times the wealth of the average African-American family. Henry Rock explains how we can use entrepreneurship to lessen that divide.

What’s the difference between the 2017 Women’s March, and the 1963 March on Washington? Zeynep Tufekci explores protests in an internet age.

The decline of experts, why interviews are awful, and how healthy lunches help kids. That's all this week, on Innovation Hub.

When America has a problem, we no longer turn to the experts. And that’s a problem, too. At least, according to Tom Nichols and Susan Jacoby.

Job interviews are stressful, time-consuming, and not even a good way to decide who to hire. So why do we use them? Yale professor Jason Dana explains.

Healthy school lunches might not affect child obesity rates. But they do make a difference. Professor Justin Gallagher explains.