The Best Of Our Knowledge

On this episode of the Best of Our Knowledge:   New York State is requiring school districts that utilize Native American imagery to change their nicknames and mascots. Jody Cowan will speak with school officials about how they're preparing for the change. Host Lucas Willard will speak with arborist Fred Breglia about finding what could be New York's largest living tree. And we'll visit a new learning lab in Troy, New York.  

On this episode, host Lucas Willard will speak with Katie Bisset, a survivor of the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting, about a tenth anniversary remembrance she recently organized at Siena College in Loudonville, New York. We'll also learn about an upcoming webinar series focused on addressing mental health in education.  

Cazenovia College, a small private institution in Cazenovia, New York, announced on December 7th, 2022 that it would close after the spring 2023 semester. As the college prepares for closure, we'll speak with Cazenovia College President David Bergh and a third-year student about their upcoming last semester at the college.  

On this episode, we'll learn more about the Hudson Mural Project, an initiative now in its third year that encourage school age children and community residents to explore the concept of self and city. In addition to speaking with a visual artist involved with the Hudson Mural Project, we'll also listen to a sound poem produced as of the 2022 project.  

On this episode, students at an upstate New York High School get a primer on international relations during a visit with U.S. and Korean officials. Host Lucas Willard with Skidmore College astrophysicist Mary Odekon NASA's Artemis program and the concept of retro-futurism. And The Best of Our Knowledge's Dave Lucas reports on the role machine learning could have in predicting the next pandemic.

On this episode, host Lucas Willard will visit the FLOCKArt mobile gallery at an upstate New York school to speak with the artists, teachers, and students that are bringing art to young learners in a new way. And The Best of Our Knowledge's Jim Levulis will speak with staff at Fort Ticonderoga about the fort's recent acquisition of thousands of historic artifacts.

On this episode, host Lucas Willard will speak with Cate Larsen, a geologist and science communicator based in upstate New York, about how social media can play a critical role in education. And The Best of Our Knowledge's Ian Pickus will speak with scientist Lija Treibergs, who is embarking on a three-month trip to Antarctica. It's all next on The Best of Our Knowledge.

On this episode of the Best of Our knowledge, we'll attend naturalization ceremonies for new Americans – to hear from some of the country's newest citizens and to speak with high school students who hosted a ceremony as part of their education on government. And a $50 million endowment will support Bard College's new Native American and Indigenous Studies program.

On this episode of The Best of Our Knowledge, host Lucas Willard will speak with Darren Reisberg, who was recently inaugurated as Hartwick College's 11th president. And The Best of Our Knowledge's Jody Cowan will report on how some institutions are looking to connect graduating students with industry to address the labor shortage.

A new anthology of creative writings by incarcerated individuals in Northern New York, and in a seasonal project, an attempt pressing apple cider at home.

On this episode of The Best of Our Knowledge, we'll learn more about a report from the Open Space Institute that examines how to make the great outdoors accessible to all. Host Lucas Willard speaks with OSI's Kathy Mosher. We'll explore New York State's definition of a sound and basic education, with a report from WMHT's Dan Clark. And we'll have a taste test with potato chip historian Alan Richer.

The Best of Our Knowledge, WAMC’s long-running program on education, research, and ideas, has a new host. On the next episode, WAMC’s Lucas Willard will explore a virtual painting and learn about a university course that examines doing…nothing!

Andrew Farnsworth is a senior research associate at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and has led a career that's focused on migration and how birds are being affected by climate change and light pollution. But dramatic improvements in technology during the past few decades have provided him with new data that's making the scale and scope of his work radically different. Photo Credit: Lindsay France, courtesy of Cornell Lab

From Amazon warehouses to the galleries of major cultural institutions, unionization has seemingly undergone a sort of revitalization during the pandemic. The National Labor Relations Board reported a 57% increase in union election petitions between July 2021 and June 2022. Regardless of whether those votes are successful, the number points to the desire workers feel to assert power in their workplaces. And at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago — the teaching arm of the Art Institute — full-time faculty voted to unionize in January. Staff at the museum did as well. It's been followed by a push by lecturers and non-tenure-track professors to work toward the same goal. Elena Ailes — assistant professor, adjunct in Contemporary Practices at SAIC and a member of the SAIC Faculty organizing committee — drops by The Best of Our Knowledge to explain the process they've undertaken, as well as what led to the unionization push. Additional reading “When the pandemic began, it became very clear the priority was nowhere near about protecting staff and giving us a living wage to survive,” Eala O'Sé, an AIC employee told Chicago-based journalist Mark Guarino. When full-time instructors and museum staff organized earlier in 2022, assistant curator Erica Warren saw it as a “watershed moment.” The uptick in unions is part of a pretty well-documented trend of culture workers organizing. In a June story from Jacobin, a labor organizer said that “Three-quarters of all [SAIC] faculty are non-tenure-track.” End notes Our theme music, this and every week, is a track called “Musical Chairs” by Los Angeles producer Omid. Keep up with his latest work on Soundcloud. Follow the show on Twitter and let us know what you think about our interviews by sending an email to knolwedge@wamc.org.

If the academy, gallery system and museums have the power to define and promote art, the countless works that are ignored make up an entire genre of their own. Despite it being used for decades, “outsider art” as a term comes along with a potentially problematic scaffolding. It can be construed as dismissive, defining untrained practitioners as “the other.” Art historian Colin Rhodes has tried to address that idea in his writing, teaching and research. More than 20 years ago, he published “Outsider Art: Spontaneous Alternatives,” a book that worked to explore the unwieldy genre, while expanding its context and scope. A newly issued version of the book, “Outsider Art: Art Brut and its Affinities” again pushes ahead, adding information and insights from Rhodes gleaned during two decades of scholarship that have taken him across the world. Additional reading The first edition of Rhodes' “Outsider Art” book was prompted by his desire “to write a short critical history of the field, as I saw it at the time, as well as introducing and exploring some of the problematics.” Rhodes has written an array of reviews for The Burlington Magazine, an arts publication based in the UK. In his own writing, the art historian's asked some of the same questions that he responded to in this WAMC interview. End notes Our theme music, this and every week, is a track called “Musical Chairs” by Los Angeles producer Omid. Keep up with his latest work on Soundcloud. Follow the show on Twitter and let us know what you think about our interviews by sending an email to knolwedge@wamc.org.

Whatever allure trees might hold, they also have scads of data stored within their trunks. Daniel Griffin, an assistant professor of geography at the University of Minnesota, recently published “This 500-Year-Old Tree in California Has a Story to Tell.” In The New York Times piece, he explains how tree-ring research is conducted and what kind of historical climate data he's been able to uncover in his work. The droughts that Griffin and his cohort are angling to investigate, though, have also become an impediment to their regular research tactics. “Years ago, we wouldn't have hesitated to bring chainsaws to collect entire discs of tree trunks from fallen trees,” Griffin wrote in the Times. “But not last year. We would leave the fallen trees where they were. We could not chance an errant spark that could ignite a wildfire.” Additional reading On Here and Now, a show from Boston's WBUR, Griffin explains some of the mysteries he and his team are working to address while continuing their research. Others also have compared the current drought in the West to historical information — and done so by using tree-ring data. In his Times piece, Griffin pinpoints a mega drought that ran between 1572 and 1600 and contextualizes the changes scientists are currently seeing in the Southwest. Griffin and his colleagues at the University of Minnesota have created an open-source “ultra high resolution” database of digital tree-ring images. End notes Our theme music, this and every week, is a track called “Musical Chairs” by Los Angeles producer Omid. Keep up with his latest work on Soundcloud. Follow the show on Twitter and let us know what you think about our interviews by sending an email to knolwedge@wamc.org.

Jesús del Alamo, a professor in electrical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, began studying semiconductors in the 1970s. The field's obviously developed significantly during his career and now touches on almost every facet of life in the 21st century. So, the United State's manufacturing 10% of the world's microchips seems like a curious position for the country to be in. del Almo explains how we got here, why the CHIPS and Science Act could be a turning point, as well as what's next for the industry. Additional reading del Alamo recently contributed research and writing to “Reasserting U.S. Leadership in Microelectronics,” which details challenges to the microelectronics industry in the States and what steps the country might take to correct course. According to the BBC, the CHIPS act will invest $280 billion in “high tech manufacturing and scientific research amid fears the country is losing its technological edge to China.” The plan includes $52 billion “to boost [U.S.] domestic semiconductor manufacturing,” The Verge reports. Micron, a technology company, said that it'll be investing $40 billion in manufacturing while making use of the new subsidies. The Atlantic said the CHIPS Act will also impact climate science. End notes Our theme music, this and every week, is a track called “Musical Chairs” by Los Angeles producer Omid. Keep up with his latest work on Soundcloud. Follow the show on Twitter and let us know what you think about our interviews by sending an email to knolwedge@wamc.org.

Jesús del Alamo, a professor in electrical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, began studying semiconductors in the 1970s. The field's obviously developed significantly during his career and now touches on almost every facet of life in the 21st century. So, the United State's manufacturing 10% of the world's microchips seems like a curious position for the country to be in. del Almo explains how we got here, why the CHIPS and Science Act could be a turning point, as well as what's next for the industry. Additional reading del Alamo recently contributed research and writing to “Reasserting U.S. Leadership in Microelectronics,” which details challenges to the microelectronics industry in the States and what steps the country might take to correct course. According to the BBC, the CHIPS act will invest $280 billion in “high tech manufacturing and scientific research amid fears the country is losing its technological edge to China.” The plan includes $52 billion “to boost [U.S.] domestic semiconductor manufacturing,” The Verge reports. Micron, a technology company, said that it'll be investing $40 billion in manufacturing while making use of the new subsidies. The Atlantic said the CHIPS Act will also impact climate science. End notes Our theme music, this and every week, is a track called “Musical Chairs” by Los Angeles producer Omid. Keep up with his latest work on Soundcloud. Follow the show on Twitter and let us know what you think about our interviews by sending an email to knolwedge@wamc.org.

Xin Lan's work at the University of Colorado and as a research associate with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration focuses on methane. Her research is interwoven with dozens of others as NOAA's Global Greenhouse Gas Reference Network tracks levels of the main culprits in climate change — carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide. And while Lan's work is centered on tracking methane in the atmosphere, she said to “avoid the worst impact of global warming, we should definitely do something on CO2, reduce the CO2 emissions. … . [Doing] things on methane is not going to help as much.” Additional reading NOAA's The Global Monitoring Laboratory tracks the levels of atmospheric methane, as well as other greenhouse gasses. In April, the organization announced that “[a]tmospheric methane levels averaged … around 162% greater than pre-industrial levels.” It means that current levels are about “15% higher than the 1984-2006 period.” The Annual Greenhouse Gas Index, another metric NOAA uses to gauge various gasses in the atmosphere, indicated that pollution trapped “49% more heat in the atmosphere in 2021 than [it] did in 1990, when the data first was collected." Among the issues to consider when examining methods to combat climate change are leaky pipes. End notes Our theme music, this and every week, is a track called “Musical Chairs” by Los Angeles producer Omid. Keep up with his latest work on Soundcloud. Follow the show on Twitter and let us know what you think about our interviews by sending an email to knolwedge@wamc.org.

Next Gen Personal Finance, a nonprofit cofounded by Tim Ranzetta and Jessica Endlich, aims to help enlighten students around financial literacy — everything from budgeting to investing. Currently, about 8 states have guaranteed at least some sort of financial literacy classes in their public school curriculum. But Ranzetta sees an opportunity to expand that further, a goal he said Next Gen can help fully realize with the curriculum it's developed. Additional reading Ranzetta and his organization see the proliferation of personal finance classes in schools on the horizon. And in an April interview with CNBC, the organization's cofounder said, “When you start seeing Ohio and Florida as states that've already crossed the finish line, it's shown other large states that this is possible.” He's also realized that “attitudes to money are shaped by your unique experiences.” And to create curriculum that addresses those individual issues, Next Gen Personal Finance takes into account the vast array of experiences that make up the public school population. Twenty-six percent of Americans in a 2018 survey answered a question correctly regarding the correlation of interest rates and bond prices. That points toward, Ranzetta said, a financial literacy problem in the U.S. He's also got opinions on Gamestop, Robinhood and meme stocks. End notes Follow the show on Twitter and let us know what you think about our interviews by sending an email to knolwedge@wamc.org. Our theme music, this and every week, is a track called “Musical Chairs” by Los Angeles producer Omid. Keep up with his latest work on Soundcloud.

Peanuts led journalist and essayist Jori Lewis to a larger story about Senegal, slavery, commerce and religion. “Slaves for Peanuts: A Story of Conquest, Liberation and a Crop That Changed History,” her first book, follows the legume's history in the West African nation from it's initial importation from South America to the peanut's place in defining the agricultural landscape for several hundred years. The same kind of longtail historical perspective, though, has found Lewis writing other kinds of nonfiction on topics as diverse as the baobab tree and building in and around Dakar. Additional reading A review of Lewis' book, "How the peanut trade prolonged slavery," lauds the writer's work in tracking down elders who continue to pass along oral histories. Another review, "'Slaves for Peanuts' gets to the troubling roots of a beloved snack," points out that the trading of commodities and people “didn't just coexist; they were intertwined.” In “The Future of Mud,” a recently published story in The Atlantic, Lewis takes a look at the building boom in Senegal, examining historical modes of construction that offer advantages over concrete buildings that can point to an owner's financial success. "The Eternal Tree," an essay in Emergence Magazine, is Lewis' meditation on the baobab tree, both a signifier of change and beauty to the writer, as well as an inspiration for a range of other culture makers, including Orchestra Baobab. End notes Our theme music, this and every week, is a track called “Musical Chairs” by Los Angeles producer Omid. Keep up with his latest work on Soundcloud. Follow the show on Twitter and let us know what you think about our interviews by sending an email to knolwedge@wamc.org.

Science, politics and the natural world all collide in the writing of Ryan Tucker Jones. “Red Leviathan: The Secret History of Soviet Whaling,” his latest book, delves into the Soviet Union's problematic industry to explain how it functioned internally and what its repercussions were internationally. It somehow leads to Greenpeace, a better scientific understanding of whales and the moment when humans realized we could make an entire species disappear. The book might even explain how Jones' upbringing on the west coast resulted in a life in academia and his connection to this curious oceanic saga around whales. Additional reading Slate published an excerpt of “Red Leviathan” in June and titled it “The Soviet Union Killed an Appalling Number of Whales. I Wanted to Know Why.” The University of Oregon history professor touches on this a bit with “Red Leviathan,” but he's written a few times on hippies and their impact on the public understanding of nature. And here's a bit of info on Jones' earlier book, “Empire of Extinction Russians and the North Pacific's Strange Beasts of the Sea, 1741-1867.” It's something of a precursor to “Red Leviathan.” End notes Our theme music, this and every week, is a track called “Musical Chairs” by Los Angeles producer Omid. Keep up with his latest work on Soundcloud. Follow the show on Twitter and let us know what you think about our interviews by sending an email to knolwedge@wamc.org.

The past few years have resulted in seismic disruptions of society, from economic and political schisms to changes in interpersonal relationships. Teaching has changed, too. Madeline Will, an Education Week reporter, has been covering everything from teacher satisfaction to staff shortages and the racial makeup of teachers in public schools. Some of those pieces have been pretty somber, but the work documenting a profession in flux is endlessly important. Additional reading “Teachers are caught in the crossfire of a political and cultural conflict In the Culture Wars,” Will writes in “Teachers Are Being Treated Like ‘Enemies'” There aren't a bunch of positive findings in a recent survey of educators, according to a story where Will summarizes the results. Regardless of some of the disparaging news around teaching, “I think that the pandemic has shown us the critical importance of teachers,” said Heather Peske, who as of March became president of The National Council on Teacher Quality. Will also recently has reported on educators' wages, job satisfaction and teacher shortages, among a variety of other topics. End notes Our theme music, this and every week, is a track called “Musical Chairs” by Los Angeles producer Omid. Follow his latest work on Soundcloud. Follow the show on Twitter and let us know what you think about our interviews by sending an email to knolwedge@wamc.org.

Almost two million people are incarcerated in United States' prisons and jails, according to a March report by the Prison Policy Initiative. And while there are issues to examine about why that many individuals are incarcerated, programs to offer educational opportunities to people in prison are gaining attention. Malika Kidd is program director of workforce development with Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry in Cleveland. And one of her programs, Chopping for Change, has connected scores of women with educational opportunities that have helped prepare them to find meaningful employment after being released from prison. The program's been successful to the point that a parallel men's tract is being started, according to Kidd. Additional media In “Second Chances are Real — Let's Make Sure More Students Get Them,” an essay by Kidd, the program director her own experience in the carceral system, as well as the success of Chopping for Change. A Cleveland TV station profiles Tye Delisle, a woman who engaged with the Chopping for Change program while incarcerated. Another station speaks to Natasha Bell, who also went through the Chopping for change program. End notes Our theme music, this and every week, is a track called “Musical Chairs” by Los Angeles producer Omid. Follow his latest work on Soundcloud. Follow the show on Twitter and let us know what you think about our interviews by sending an email to knolwedge@wamc.org.

Matt Richtel is an author and reporter at The New York Times, who's been pretty busy of late. “The Inner Pandemic,” an examination of American teens' mental health spread across a series of articles reported with pathos and a stunning depth, has been rolling out during the past few months at the Times. It covers a range of social and physical changes this generation's currently dealing with. But Richtel's also recently published a book called “Inspired: Understanding Creativity (A Journey Through Art, Science, and the Soul” where he interrogates the spark of creation. Additional reading on teens' mental health The numbers cited in “Hundreds of Suicidal Teens Sleep in Emergency Rooms. Every Night.” do a lot of work in explaining how unprepared doctors and professionals have been in navigating changes to teen mental health during the past decade.The story of a town in Kentucky's detailed in a piece by Richtel called “Teens in Distress Are Swamping Pediatricians.” It's a snapshot of a doctor's life who has shifted their focus to better serve children in their area. As a supplement to “The Inner Pandemic” series, Richtel put together “How to Help Teens Struggling With Mental Health,” which details resources around finding help, care and how to talk to teens who might need assistance. If you or someone you know is or could be contemplating suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255; for Spanish speakers, call (888) 628-9454; and for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, call (800) 799-4889. The Crisis Text Line can be reached by texting "HOME" to 741741. End notes Follow the show on Twitter at @TBOOKnowledge and let us know what you think about our interviews by sending an email to knolwedge@wamc.org.Our theme music, this and every week, is a track called “Musical Chairs” by Los Angeles producer Omid. Follow his latest work on Soundcloud.

Jason Korb, the principal architect and namesake of Korb + Associates Architects, makes an interesting distinction about mass timber buildings, structures that largely eschew concrete and steel in lieu of wooden workarounds. It's not that mass timber buildings are a new discovery; we're just rediscovering them. For Ascent, a 25-story apartment complex slated for completion in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in August, it took “1,150 vertical timber columns, 1,320 horizontal beams and 1,273 horizontal deck pieces … held together by 645,000 metal fasteners” to realize the project. And in just a few weeks, it's set to be the tallest mass timber building in the world. At a time when it's become increasingly difficult to deny climate change, almost every facet of human life is being scrutinized to help position the world for the least amount of damage from a changing planet. There's still steel and concrete used as a base in these newest mass timber buildings, but the rate, cost and focus on renewable building materials could help make the approach a piece of the climate-solution puzzle. The 25-story building, when it's completed at 700 E. Kilbourn Ave., could serve as an accelerator, building off the almost-realized projects in Portland and Chicago that just didn't quite make it. Korb joins The Best of Our Knowledge to chat about the trajectory of his work, Ascent's construction, changing building codes and Mjøstårnet — an 18-story mass timber building in Norway. Pertinent links Korb + Associates homepage World's tallest wooden building might soon join Milwaukee skyline Wooden Skyscrapers Are on the Rise The race to build wooden skyscrapers Transforming trees into skyscrapers

PEN America, a nonprofit focused on free speech and expression through the written word that was founded in 1922, has been at the forefront of the debate over censorship through decades and shifting public sentiment. Some well-known and highly regarded books ran up on trouble during the 20th century, including works like Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. But a more recent debate around what should be present in public school libraries has turned from protecting students from questionable language and moved to shielding readers from the realities around them. It’s fair to question how old a student should be before accessing information on some topics. But there are school districts — according to Jonathan Friedman, PEN’s director of free expression and education — that have dispensed with processes to review books in libraries. Among other issues with this most recent spate of book challenges, Friedman sees attention focused upon authors from marginalized communities. And he joins The Best of Our Knowledge to explain how this all might impact not just free speech, but public education as a whole. Our theme music, this and every week, is a track called “Musical Chairs” by Los Angeles producer Omid. Follow his latest work on Soundcloud. Pertinent links Banned in the USA: Rising school book bans threaten free expression and student’s First Amendment rights These are books school systems don’t want you to read, and why The next book ban: States aim to limit titles students can search for Nashville debuts limited-edition ‘I read banned books’ library card How the age-appropriate debate is altering curriculum in Tennessee and nationwide

From the consternation over books in public school libraries — which will be the focus of next week’s episode of The Best of Our Knowledge — to claims of censorship in academia, debate over free speech has begun cropping up everywhere in American life. During March 2021, the Academic Freedom Alliance was founded to “defend faculty members’ freedom of thought and expression in their work as researchers and writers or in their lives as citizens, within established ethical and legal bounds,” as well as to “raise funds to support litigation for faculty whose academic freedom is threatened.” Dr. Lucas Morel, the John K. Boardman Jr. professor of politics and head of the department at Washington & Lee University, joined AFA as a member of its academic committee when the group was founded. Though Morel’s publishing largely has been focused on Abraham Lincoln and Ralph Ellison, he offers a close reading of founding documents and the Revolutionary period. He also holds some strong opinions about the veracity of The 1619 Project. More than anything, though, Morel voices a specific point of view when it comes to any sort of discussion: “When you form an opinion, make it a fair fight,” he said. This week, Morel joins The Best of Our Knowledge to chat about AFA and its work, as well as the lens through which history is being taught today. A few clarifications ahead of the show. Morel notes that during 2020, a statue of abolitionist Frederick Douglass in Rochester, New York, was pulled down, while pointing toward the hypocrisy of uprisings around the country that summer. There’s an assumption made that the people or group of people responsible for the monument’s destruction are tied to left-wing politics and were spurred to action following the killing of George Floyd. The Douglass statue actually had been vandalized several times; the first incident was back in 2018. To date, no one’s taken credit for the 2020 defacement, and Rochester police haven’t made arrests. There’s also a moment when Morel, while discussing divisions among Americans, mentions abortions and a recently leaked Supreme Court draft opinion touching on the subject. He said that until recently, the medical procedure was accessible “up until the actual birth.” Most states where abortion is still accessible have a cut-off point based on fetal viability, which doesn’t actually have a strict definition. But in most cases — apart from situations where the mother’s health is in danger — abortion restrictions begin at or near the beginning of the third trimester. Pertinent links Lucas Morel at Washington & Lee University Academic Freedom Foundation “Why Lee should remain a namesake of my university” Fighting for Free Speech on Campus: A Conversation with Lucas Morel “America wasn’

The history of psychedelics, and mind and mood altering substances in the United States is a complicated one, rife with bizarre turns and at least a dash of bigotry. Though psychedelics have been intertwined with hippie culture and, to some degree, perceived to be largely focused on recreational uses, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies aims to set the science of these substances firmly in the medical arena. Rick Doblin, who founded the nonprofit organization back in 1986, perceived opportunities around these substances for therapeutic use and spiritual growth. And while psychedelics — psilocybin, an active ingredient in “magic mushrooms,” and MDMA, a substance used in ecstasy, specifically — have been touted as treatments for depression and other mental-health ailments, FDA trials seemingly still are a few years away from completion. That leaves a lot of questions to be answered in the interim: Is access going to be equitable?; who benefits from the commodification of these substances?; and what does the coexistence of the medical and underground marketplace look like? Ismail Ali, the director of policy and advocacy for MAPS, joins The Best of Our Knowledge to explain the legal and regulatory framework that psychedelic research is working within, and how that applies not just to the medical profession, but to people seeking care. Pertinent links "Announcing MAPS' values and principles" “The legal landscape of the psychedelic ecosystem” “Practical and ethical considerations for psychedelic therapy and integration practices” “Ethical concerns about psilocybin intellectual property” “UC Berkeley launches new center for psychedelic science and education”

The history of psychedelics, and mind and mood altering substances in the United States is a complicated one, rife with bizarre turns and at least a dash of bigotry. Though psychedelics have been intertwined with hippie culture and, to some degree, perceived to be largely focused on recreational uses, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies aims to set the science of these substances firmly in the medical arena. Rick Doblin, who founded the nonprofit organization back in 1986, perceived opportunities around these substances for therapeutic use and spiritual growth. And while psychedelics — psilocybin, an active ingredient in “magic mushrooms,” and MDMA, a substance used in ecstasy, specifically — have been touted as treatments for depression and other mental-health ailments, FDA trials seemingly still are a few years away from completion. That leaves a lot of questions to be answered in the interim: Is access going to be equitable?; who benefits from the commodification of these substances?; and what does the coexistence of the medical and underground marketplace look like? Ismail Ali, the director of policy and advocacy for MAPS, joins The Best of Our Knowledge to explain the legal and regulatory framework that psychedelic research is working within, and how that applies not just to the medical profession, but to people seeking care. Pertinent links "Announcing MAPS’ values and principles" “The legal landscape of the psychedelic ecosystem” “Practical and ethical considerations for psychedelic therapy and integration practices” “Ethical concerns about psilocybin intellectual property” “UC Berkeley launches new center for psychedelic science and education”

Terri Lyne Carrington has been playing and recording music in the company of rarified jazz talent for more than 40 years. A part of that career has been working in education, and beginning in 2005, the drummer began teaching private lessons at Berklee College of Music in Boston. In 2017, Carrington founded the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice, a program at the distinguished school premised on dismantling a patriarchal system that’s disenfranchised female and nonbinary performers. The first instructor hired was pianist Kris Davis, who became associate program director of creative development. At the time, Davis, an innovative improviser and bandleader, already had been at work providing a platform for unique performers through her nonprofit Pyroclastic Records. Both players have maintained rigorous touring and recording schedules, despite increasing academic duties. The drummer released Waiting Game alongside her ensemble Social Science in 2019, and earned a Grammy nomination for the effort. That same year, Davis released Diatom Ribbons through her own imprint; the album featured contributions by Carrington, as well as a wide swath of top-tier talent that otherwise might not have been gathered together on a single recording. In their discussion with The Best of Our Knowledge, both performers acknowledge inroads to some sort of parity in jazz and note that their students seem more open minded than members of previous generations. That said, there’s still work to be done. Pertinent links Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice homepage Terri Lyne Carrintgon’s homepage Kris Davis’ homepage Pyroclastic Records

Terri Lyne Carrington has been playing and recording music in the company of rarified jazz talent for more than 40 years. A part of that career has been working in education, and beginning in 2005, the drummer began teaching private lessons at Berklee College of Music in Boston. In 2017, Carrington founded the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice, a program at the distinguished school premised on dismantling a patriarchal system that's disenfranchised female and nonbinary performers. The first instructor hired was pianist Kris Davis, who became associate program director of creative development. At the time, Davis, an innovative improviser and bandleader, already had been at work providing a platform for unique performers through her nonprofit Pyroclastic Records. Both players have maintained rigorous touring and recording schedules, despite increasing academic duties. The drummer released Waiting Game alongside her ensemble Social Science in 2019, and earned a Grammy nomination for the effort. That same year, Davis released Diatom Ribbons through her own imprint; the album featured contributions by Carrington, as well as a wide swath of top-tier talent that otherwise might not have been gathered together on a single recording. In their discussion with The Best of Our Knowledge, both performers acknowledge inroads to some sort of parity in jazz and note that their students seem more open minded than members of previous generations. That said, there's still work to be done. Pertinent links Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice homepage Terri Lyne Carrintgon's homepage Kris Davis' homepage Pyroclastic Records

There’s a spot atop California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains where research on snowpack and drought began more than 70 years ago. At one point, there were several labs up and running in the area. Now, just one associated with the University of California Berkeley and helmed by Dr. Andrew Schwartz is collecting information on the intertwined topics. And recently, the researcher penned an essay titled “I’m a Scientist in California. Here’s What Worries Me Most About Drought.,” which ran in the New York Times. In the piece, Schwartz deciphers data from the past winter and spring, while laying out various futures for the West. There are connections to be made between snowpack and the increasingly devastating fire season in California. But also a knotty relationship among flooding, changes in the landscape and inhabitability. “Land surfaces, snow melt patterns and the climate have all changed since many of these models were developed, which means they’re missing crucial pieces of today’s water puzzle,” Schwartz wrote in the Times piece, while discussing how assessments and planning today could be falling short. He advocates for large-scale investment in research, so that population centers in “water-scarce” areas remain inhabitable. But Schwartz also figures that at this point, “[r]ather than investing in body armor, we’ve been hoping that the trigger won’t be pulled.” It’s a perspective he discusses on this episode of The Best of Our Knowledge. Pertinent links “I’m a Scientist in California. Here’s What Worries Me Most About Drought.” Central Sierra Snow Lab homepage “New era of research at snow lab reveals similarities to an unlikely place” “California's Sierra Nevada sees record snowfall. It needs even more” “Sierra snowpack worsens, falls to lowest level in 7 years”

There's a spot atop California's Sierra Nevada Mountains where research on snowpack and drought began more than 70 years ago. At one point, there were several labs up and running in the area. Now, just one associated with the University of California Berkeley and helmed by Dr. Andrew Schwartz is collecting information on the intertwined topics. And recently, the researcher penned an essay titled “I'm a Scientist in California. Here's What Worries Me Most About Drought.,” which ran in the New York Times. In the piece, Schwartz deciphers data from the past winter and spring, while laying out various futures for the West. There are connections to be made between snowpack and the increasingly devastating fire season in California. But also a knotty relationship among flooding, changes in the landscape and inhabitability. “Land surfaces, snow melt patterns and the climate have all changed since many of these models were developed, which means they're missing crucial pieces of today's water puzzle,” Schwartz wrote in the Times piece, while discussing how assessments and planning today could be falling short. He advocates for large-scale investment in research, so that population centers in “water-scarce” areas remain inhabitable. But Schwartz also figures that at this point, “[r]ather than investing in body armor, we've been hoping that the trigger won't be pulled.” It's a perspective he discusses on this episode of The Best of Our Knowledge. Pertinent links “I'm a Scientist in California. Here's What Worries Me Most About Drought.” Central Sierra Snow Lab homepage “New era of research at snow lab reveals similarities to an unlikely place” “California's Sierra Nevada sees record snowfall. It needs even more” “Sierra snowpack worsens, falls to lowest level in 7 years”

During the past few years, comedians seemingly have become cultural avatars, their performances garnering coverage in news outlets and their perspectives becoming political sign posts. But before anyone ends up headlining a tour or hosting a late-night show, they’ve likely done time on much smaller stages, playing to single-digit crowds. There are endless avenues through which performers attain some sort of cultural relevance, but in Chicago, an educational system’s been set up that encompasses a handful of theaters and colleges. Among those teaching the craft of comedy is Jeff Griggs, a theater and improv veteran, who’s worked at Second City and Improv Olympic (two of the most venerated improv and sketch theaters in the country). His place on staff at both Depaul University and Columbia College also makes his perspective a unique one, spanning higher education and stages that dot the Windy City. On this episode of The Best of Our Knowledge, Griggs helps explain some important concepts that underpin improv comedy, as well as how different teachers might offer unique approaches to the craft. But this all begs the question: Can you teach comedy? Pertinent links Life's a Funny Scene interview "Guru: My Days with Del Close" Columbia College Chicago Comedy Studies website Jeff Griggs at Second City Jeff Griggs on Instagram Jeff Griggs on Twitter

During the past few years, comedians seemingly have become cultural avatars, their performances garnering coverage in news outlets and their perspectives becoming political sign posts. But before anyone ends up headlining a tour or hosting a late-night show, they've likely done time on much smaller stages, playing to single-digit crowds. There are endless avenues through which performers attain some sort of cultural relevance, but in Chicago, an educational system's been set up that encompasses a handful of theaters and colleges. Among those teaching the craft of comedy is Jeff Griggs, a theater and improv veteran, who's worked at Second City and Improv Olympic (two of the most venerated improv and sketch theaters in the country). His place on staff at both Depaul University and Columbia College also makes his perspective a unique one, spanning higher education and stages that dot the Windy City. On this episode of The Best of Our Knowledge, Griggs helps explain some important concepts that underpin improv comedy, as well as how different teachers might offer unique approaches to the craft. But this all begs the question: Can you teach comedy? Pertinent links Life's a Funny Scene interview "Guru: My Days with Del Close" Columbia College Chicago Comedy Studies website Jeff Griggs at Second City Jeff Griggs on Instagram Jeff Griggs on Twitter

During his 2020 campaign, President Joe Biden had an eye on student-loan debt relief. While there hasn’t been large-scale forgiveness, Biden has continued the pause on repayments that the Trump administration began at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic; it’s latest iteration is set to expire on Aug. 31. But as 45 million Americans carry more than $1.7 billion in debt, calls for wiping out a portion of it have grown more regular, with Sen. Elizabeth Warren advocating for $50,000 per person to be cleared. Biden, during his campaign, cited $10,000 as a possible number. Further complicating the discussion are forgiveness programs that borrowers have been enrolled in for decades. An NPR story reported by Cory Turner indicated that loan servicers “weren't uniformly tracking borrowers’ progress toward loan cancellation, and some weren't tracking their progress at all.” Mike Pierce worked on the student debt issue while at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and now serves as executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center. The nonprofit organization aims to conduct research on the issue that leads to fair and transparent conduct on the part of the loan industry. He joins The Best of Our Knowledge to discuss the economic impact of student loans, what Turner’s reporting might mean for reforms of the loan system and why he first became interested in the topic. Pertinent links The Student Borrower Protection Center homepage “Student loan borrowers will get help after an NPR report and years of complaints” “Biden administration gives more borrowers chance of debt cancellation” “U.S. forgives 40,000 student loans, provides aid to 3.6 million more”

During his 2020 campaign, President Joe Biden had an eye on student-loan debt relief. While there hasn't been large-scale forgiveness, Biden has continued the pause on repayments that the Trump administration began at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic; it's latest iteration is set to expire on Aug. 31. But as 45 million Americans carry more than $1.7 billion in debt, calls for wiping out a portion of it have grown more regular, with Sen. Elizabeth Warren advocating for $50,000 per person to be cleared. Biden, during his campaign, cited $10,000 as a possible number. Further complicating the discussion are forgiveness programs that borrowers have been enrolled in for decades. An NPR story reported by Cory Turner indicated that loan servicers “weren't uniformly tracking borrowers' progress toward loan cancellation, and some weren't tracking their progress at all.” Mike Pierce worked on the student debt issue while at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and now serves as executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center. The nonprofit organization aims to conduct research on the issue that leads to fair and transparent conduct on the part of the loan industry. He joins The Best of Our Knowledge to discuss the economic impact of student loans, what Turner's reporting might mean for reforms of the loan system and why he first became interested in the topic. Pertinent links The Student Borrower Protection Center homepage “Student loan borrowers will get help after an NPR report and years of complaints” “Biden administration gives more borrowers chance of debt cancellation” “U.S. forgives 40,000 student loans, provides aid to 3.6 million more”

Climate change, shrinking wildlife habitats, rising sea levels, and vanishing species. These are big, important ideas that deserve a proper exploration—just the type of revealing journey you will experience in "The Atlas of a Changing Climate." It’s the work of Brian Buma, an assistant professor of Quantitative Biology at the University of Colorado. Dr. Buma is also an affiliate professor at the University of Alaska. His explorations and wanderings around the globe have been featured in National Geographic. We’ll also spend an Academic Minute with life in a warming sea. Photo: Timber Press.

Climate change, shrinking wildlife habitats, rising sea levels, and vanishing species. These are big, important ideas that deserve a proper exploration—just the type of revealing journey you will experience in "The Atlas of a Changing Climate." It's the work of Brian Buma, an assistant professor of Quantitative Biology at the University of Colorado. Dr. Buma is also an affiliate professor at the University of Alaska. His explorations and wanderings around the globe have been featured in National Geographic. We'll also spend an Academic Minute with life in a warming sea. Photo: Timber Press.

When Bill Schutt writes a book, it tends to get messy, at least his non-fiction books. His first was called “Dark Banquet” which dealt with vampire bats and other creatures who feed on blood. To follow that up he wrote “Cannibalism – A Perfectly Natural History” which dealt with…well I think you know what that dealt with. Now he is back with a volume that every living creature can identify with. It’s called “Pump – A Natural History of the Heart." Bill Schutt is a zoologist, Emeritus Professor of Biology at LIU Post, and a research associate at the American Museum of Natural History. We’ll also spend an Academic Minute about a foot and a half higher with the brain. Photo: Workman Publishing.

When Bill Schutt writes a book, it tends to get messy, at least his non-fiction books. His first was called “Dark Banquet” which dealt with vampire bats and other creatures who feed on blood. To follow that up he wrote “Cannibalism – A Perfectly Natural History” which dealt with…well I think you know what that dealt with. Now he is back with a volume that every living creature can identify with. It's called “Pump – A Natural History of the Heart." Bill Schutt is a zoologist, Emeritus Professor of Biology at LIU Post, and a research associate at the American Museum of Natural History. We'll also spend an Academic Minute about a foot and a half higher with the brain. Photo: Workman Publishing.

The Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum, education, and research complex. It is a beloved part of American culture. But its founder, a British scientist named James Smithson, never once set foot on American soil. So, who would do that? Steven Turner tried to find out. Turner is the author of the book “The Science of James Smithson – Discoveries from the Smithsonian Founder." While researching Smithon’s science he also learned a lot about Smithson’s personality. Steven Turner is a historian of science and curator emeritus of physical sciences at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Also, we’ll also meet an unlikely scholar and spend an Academic Minute on brain-based learning. Photo courtesy of Smithsonian Books.

The Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum, education, and research complex. It is a beloved part of American culture. But its founder, a British scientist named James Smithson, never once set foot on American soil. So, who would do that? Steven Turner tried to find out. Turner is the author of the book “The Science of James Smithson – Discoveries from the Smithsonian Founder." While researching Smithon's science he also learned a lot about Smithson's personality. Steven Turner is a historian of science and curator emeritus of physical sciences at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Also, we'll also meet an unlikely scholar and spend an Academic Minute on brain-based learning. Photo courtesy of Smithsonian Books.

Even families that have great communication skills sometimes need a little help. Today on the Best of Our Knowledge, it’s time to talk puberty. We’ll also take another look at finding your dream job, and spend an Academic Minute with George Washington, manly man. https://www.wamc.org/show/the-best-of-our-knowledge/2022-04-14/1647-you-berty

Even families that have great communication skills sometimes need a little help. Today on the Best of Our Knowledge, it's time to talk puberty. We'll also take another look at finding your dream job, and spend an Academic Minute with George Washington, manly man. https://www.wamc.org/show/the-best-of-our-knowledge/2022-04-14/1647-you-berty

Pregnancy means big changes for a woman and her health. Pregnancy during a pandemic threw out all the rules. Today on the Best of Our Knowledge, what science knows and is still learning about COVID and maternity. We’ll also take another look at caring for trans students health, and spend an Academic Minute with your brain on Zoom. https://www.wamc.org/show/the-best-of-our-knowledge/2022-04-07/1646-the-science-of-pregnancy-during-covid

Pregnancy means big changes for a woman and her health. Pregnancy during a pandemic threw out all the rules. Today on the Best of Our Knowledge, what science knows and is still learning about COVID and maternity. We'll also take another look at caring for trans students health, and spend an Academic Minute with your brain on Zoom. https://www.wamc.org/show/the-best-of-our-knowledge/2022-04-07/1646-the-science-of-pregnancy-during-covid

Springtime means the weather gets warmer, the birds start singing a bit louder, and high school seniors around the U.S. are getting their college acceptance, or non-acceptance letters. Each year around this time, The Princeton Review releases its survey of incoming college students. Today on the Best of Our Knowledge, we’ll hear about the hopes and fears of new college students and their families. https://www.wamc.org/show/the-best-of-our-knowledge/2022-03-31/1645-college-hopes-and-college-fears

Springtime means the weather gets warmer, the birds start singing a bit louder, and high school seniors around the U.S. are getting their college acceptance, or non-acceptance letters. Each year around this time, The Princeton Review releases its survey of incoming college students. Today on the Best of Our Knowledge, we'll hear about the hopes and fears of new college students and their families. https://www.wamc.org/show/the-best-of-our-knowledge/2022-03-31/1645-college-hopes-and-college-fears

For many people getting back to nature means planting a garden, and that’s actually a really good place to start. Today on the Best of Our Knowledge, saving the planet, one garden at a time. Learn more by visiting: https://passthepistil.com/ Then, more than two-million American students live with a wounded or ill veteran. Many help with the veteran's care. And those young caregivers often suffer with stress, social isolation, and less parental involvement with their lives. A new study is trying to understand their experiences. This story was produced by the American Homefront Project, a public media collaboration that reports on American military life and veterans. Funding comes from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. We’ll also spend an Academic Minute with LGBTQ mental health. The Best Of Our Knowledge