Health and Science - RSS/Podcast

Faith Middleton Show: Drunk Tank Pink

Thu, 16 May 2013 17:43:06 EST

Today: The way the thoughts we have and the decisions we make are influenced by forces that aren't always in our control.

Why are people named Kim, Kelly, and Ken more likely to donate to Hurricane Katrina victims than to Hurricane Rita victims? Are you really more likely to solve puzzles if you watch a light bulb illuminate? How did installing blue lights along a Japanese railway line halt...

Get To Know Your Bike Helmet & Ride To Work!

Thu, 16 May 2013 13:27:03 EST

This weekend -- and maybe sooner -- a lot of us will buckle on bike helmets which, we hope, will protect if we topple. One the show today, we'll look a little closer at that plastic and polystryrene bubble on your noggin. The truth about it may be more complicated that you dreamed.

But that's no reason not to bike. In fact, the more people ride bicycles, the safer bicycling gets. There rea...

Labeling GMOs and Toxic Chemicals in Connecticut

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:03:10 EST

Vegetables that are genetically modified to resist pests have become a part of our daily diet, whether we like it or not. Several states have been considering legislation that would require the labeling of GMO products, but Connecticut could be the first to pass such a law. Opponents of the bill say there’s no health risk, and a law like this would pass on higher prices to consumers.

Other...

Connecticut Farms Are Thriving

Tue, 14 May 2013 14:07:55 EST

Got an email today from a farmer we know down in Gales Ferry.

He writes: "We use new technologies on a daily basis, from our UCONN weather station with computer modeling to predict disease and insect emergence, to UV processing of our sweet cider as an alternative to pasteurization. In the orchard, we are planting new, high density orchards to make use of emerging technologies f...

Faith Middleton Show: Play

Mon, 13 May 2013 13:48:07 EST

Teaching to the test. Homework in kindergarten. What price are we paying for eliminating play in school? While parents and educators want the best for kids, what is the best? What if countries with high education success rates start those kids on a diet of free play in school? We never hear about that part, but we will in this hour. Edward Miller, an expert in the value of play in child develop...

Faith Middleton Show: Agelessness

Mon, 13 May 2013 11:46:47 EST

What does it mean to be ageless, no matter how young or old you are? Do you have parents or grandparents who want to be independent even in old age? Don't miss our story on the village-to-village network spreading across our region and the country. How to help your family age in place, and how to volunteer from village to village. Bruce Clements also talks about whether being ageless is a goal...

Suicide and Mental Health

Thu, 09 May 2013 12:52:04 EST

Suicide rates have risen dramatically for middle-aged Americans in the last 10 years - the highest jump is for men aged 50-54.

In a report released last week, the CDC says that more people aged 35-64 die from suicide than from car accidents, and they have been since 2009.

Today, we’ll look at what might be behind this trend - and what resources are available for Connecticut reside...

Advocates Look to Increase Foster Care Age from 18 to 21

Thu, 09 May 2013 13:37:40 EST

May is Foster Care Awareness Month, and as WNPR's Ray Hardman reports, advocates are pushing to extend foster care from 18 to 21 years old.

There are currently close to 4,000 foster care children in Connecticut. And when they turn 18, they begin a sometimes rocky transition into the real world.

"At 18, they're put on their own, and without support, without a community around them...

Living With Food Allergies

Mon, 06 May 2013 13:58:56 EST

No one can escape the issue of extreme food allergies. Maybe it's you who is allergic to peanuts, dairy, shellfish, citrus. Maybe it's your little son or daughter. Or maybe you don't have any allergies, but because you eat food, you find that other people's allergies affect your life. Are you ever asked to keep peanuts out of the snack you're bringing to school? Or to keep dairy out of the cake...

Dr. Lloyd Sederer on Mental Health Care

Fri, 03 May 2013 10:29:41 EST

Advocates for mental health have been expressing concern about the conversation in American following the Newtown shootings. While we still don’t know the details of whatever mental illness Adam Lanza may have suffered from, and we don’t know the particulars of his treatment or medication, lawmakers from all sides of the debate over guns have drawn mental health care into the discussion....