A New Emotion: Elevation (July 3 through July 9)
Have you ever felt a sudden feeling of warmth in your chest, or a quick tearing of the eyes? If so, you might have experienced something called “elevation.” Psychologist Jon Haidt (UVA), who studies moral emotions, says “elevation” helps explain why we feel uplifted and inspired when we observe others doing good deeds. In fact, he says, this emotion actually makes us feel like a better person. “Elevation” is an emotion Thomas Jefferson observed, but Jon Haidt is the first to label and study it.

Living Donor Transplants (July 10 through July 16)
Thousands of Americans who suffer from liver disease die each year while waiting for a transplant. It has been the case that these patients must wait for an organ donor to die first. But surgeons at the University of Virginia are trying to make it safer for volunteers to donate half of their liver to those in need. Dr. Carl Berg (UVA) is the director of hepatology and Dr. Tim Pruett (UVA) is the director of the medical center’s transplant department.

The Birth of the Modern Olympics (July 17 through July 23)
With the Olympic Games set to return to Athens this summer for the first time since 1896, perhaps this is a good time to revisit why the games came back to life. The Olympics were the brain child of Pierre de Coubertin, a French aristocrat who wanted to usher in a new age of masculinity. French scholar Wade Edwards (LU) explains this seminal figure in modern sports. Also featured: What are the Olympics all about these days? Many would say that the games are too commercial, and that corruption has eroded the Olympic spirit. Robert Case (ODU) outlines the case for reform of how host cities are selected.

Hawaiian Shirts on Parade (July 24 through July 30) Elvis Presley, Harry Truman, Hawkeye Pearce, and Magnum, P.I. all shared an affection for the wild patterns of the Hawaiian shirt. English professor Tim Trask (Germanna Community College) discusses the history and changing appeal of the shirt—from rich man’s vacation purchase to counter-culture fashion statement. Also featured: Do clothes make the man? “Absolutely,” according to textiles professor Isabel Jones (VSU) who says fashion has evolved from a strictly utilitarian piece of fur to a powerful form of self-expression.

Everyone’s a Critic…or Can Learn to Be (July 31 through Aug. 6)
When Clive Barnes wrote drama criticism for the New York Times, it was rumored he could shut down a Broadway show with a bad review. Knowledgeable criticism can lure people to the movies or send them to bookstores in search of obscure novels. Theatre professor Rick Davis (GMU) offers a few lessons to help all of us look at art more discriminately to determine if it’s good or bad or somewhere in-between. Also featured: Composer-in-residence John Hilliard (JMU). He received an enthusiastic “two thumbs up” for his recent work “Mozart Rounded-Off,” in which he completed an unfinished 1782 composition by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.