Stories tagged "society"

If you know anything about Macintosh computers, you know that the annual Macworld trade show that kicks off today in San Francisco is one of the biggest events for the Apple community. But in December, Apple stunned its followers when it announced that Apple CEO Steve Jobs would not giving his traditional keynote speech. Not only that, Apple announced that after 2009, they will no longer be part of the expo. Questions abound: Why is Apple going AWOL? And is Jobs sick, again? WIRED magazine journalist Steven Levy joins The Takeaway from Macworld to discuss.

Steve Jobs' 2008 keynote address in 60 seconds

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These days it seems that economists are the go-to people to explain many of the world’s ills, from sub-prime lending to credit default swaps to Ponzi schemes to the bad, emotionally charged decisions that we make with our own money. Dan Ariely, a behavioral economist, has some first-hand insight into how one self-destructive financial decision can thrust us into a downward spiral of many bad decisions. Dan Ariely is the James B. Duke Professor of Behavioral Economics at Duke University and author of Predictably Irrational.

What bad economic decisions have you made? Tell us!

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In 2003, the Columbia space shuttle disintegrated in the skies above Texas. All seven astronauts were lost. A 400-page NASA report released yesterday investigates the equipment failures during the final moments aboard the shuttle. New York Times science journalist John Schwartz joins The Takeaway to discuss.

For more John Schwartz, read his article in today's New York Times. He also has an article covering the future of NASA.

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Most pharmaceutical drugs only work for about half the people who take them. Why? Because our DNA can inhibit them from functioning in our bodies. But personalized medicine -- in which each person's individual genes are matched with appropriate pharmaceuticals -- might offer a solution. Joining The Takeaway to explain more is Andrew Pollack, a reporter for the New York Times and author of today's front page story on the topic.

For more on this fascinating subject, read Andrew Pollack's article.

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Researchers at Georgia Tech have developed technology that uses tracks movements of fish in a tank by corresponding their movement with musical notes The end result is a polyphonic pleasure that will allow visually impaired people to enjoy aquariums, zoos, and other places of informative learning. What would you call this new instrument and what does it sound like? Bruce Walker of the Georgia Tech Sonification lab joins John and Adaora.

Watch video of the Accessible Aquarium Project (the Associated Press via ajc.com) »

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With a fixed amount of water on earth, a growing population means the competition for water is increasing.

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You can dance, you can jive, and the UK is having the time of its life with Mamma Mia! The movie has blown British box office records away surpassing Titanic and the Harry Potter series. A bemused Paddy O'Connell feels the beat of the tambourine with John and Adaora from London.

What musical, movie, or song do you listen to or watch when you need a little shot of sunshine on these dark winter recessionary days?

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Psychiatry's number one diagnostic manual is being re-written -- and it's making everyone crazy. Gender identification disorder may be in, while sleepwalking disorder is on the outs. By 2012, the American Psychiatric Association hopes to have published a new edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) -- the diagnostic manual used to determine if a patient has a mental disorder. Proposed changes are already being challenged by patients, insurance companies, and the pharmaceutical industry. The New York Times science journalist Benedict Carey explains.

For more information, read Benedict Carey's article in today's New York Times.

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But will the economic slowdown hamper environmental progress?

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Not since 1974 have so many jobs disappeared in a single month. 1974 was the year John graduated from high school.

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Hurricane Ike tore through the city of Galveston two-and-a-half months ago, devastating homes, schools and infrastructure. Hurricane season ended on Sunday and the nation's attention has shifted elsewhere. But Galveston residents are still grappling with the remnants of Ike. The Takeaway talks with Harvey Rice, a Galveston-based reporter for the Houston Chronicle, and his wife veterinarian Jackie Cole.

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They’re called many things in today’s job market: the part-time worker, the contingent worker, temporaries, distressed, discouraged, fill-ins, per diems, freelancers, permalancers and contractors. These workers make up a gray area in the labor market and many of them would like full time work, and the benefits that go with it, but can’t find those jobs. As the first installment of a new series at The Takeaway, hosts John Hockenberry and Adaora Udoji take a look at the underemployed and how they fit into a labor market squeezed by a deepening recession.

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As India still reels from a series of terrorist attacks that led to standoffs in Mumbai, both authorities and the public are looking for where to point the blame. The former Pakistani ambassador to the U.N. joins The Takeaway to talk about internal turmoil in India, and why it's politically convenient to look for a Pakistani connection. M. J. Gohel, executive director of the Asia-Pacific Foundation, offers his analysis from London.

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European Pilgrims and Native Americans breaking bread together is an easy image to conjure up on Thanksgiving, but it belies the struggle and marginalization that American Indians continue to face. During his campaign, President-elect Barack Obama received strong support from tribal nations — but can he deliver on his promise to improve life for members of America’s 562 Indian tribes? Former Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colo.) joins us.

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There may be measurable, scientific benefits to the American tradition of giving thanks. Jeffrey Froh, Assistant Psychology Professor at Hofstra University, talks with us about the measurable physical benefits of being grateful.

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In 1978 Harvey Milk made history as the first openly gay man elected to office in San Francisco. Months later, disgruntled former city employee Dan White made history when he assassinated Milk and San Francisco mayor George Moscone. Thirty years have passed and Hollywood is marking Milk’s legacy with a movie about his life. The Takeaway takes stock of Milk’s enduring influence with attorney Carol Ruth Silver, who served on San Francisco’s Board of supervisors with Harvey Milk. We are also joined by New York State Senator Tom Duane. Duane was the first openly gay and HIV-positive member of the New York state senate and city council.

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There are now over 800,000 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. Of those, roughly 300,000 have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, but only half of these veterans have been professionally treated for their trauma. Traditional "exposure therapy" treatments help veterans get a handle on their experiences by having them relive them, using methods like talk therapy, guided visualizations, and others. Modern technology has recently begun making strides as effective treatment for 21st century combat. Software known as "Virtual Iraq" allows soldiers, through simulation, to become desensitized to deep-rooted traumatic experiences.

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At this moment in time, we’re going to interface with someone who will hopefully tell us why words adversely impact so many people. Are we annoying you yet? Jeremy Butterfield might know why. He’s the author of a new book called "A Damp Squid: The English Language Laid Bare," which features the most annoying words and phrases in the English language

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Now that it's possible to program unmanned combat vehicles to make decisions about where (and who) to strike in war situations, new questions of ethics have risen: In which situations can we allow robots to make their own decisions? Can we program robots to follow the Geneva Conventions? There is a more basic question, too: Do we even want robot soldiers?

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