You Must Remember This: Advertising and Memory
Advertisers will spend millions of dollars on this year’s Super Bowl to get us want to wear their jeans, drink their sodas, and drive their cars. When we’re happy, their …
As a Matter of Fat: American’s Obession with Weight
Part I: For the first time in history, overweight Americans outnumber “normal-sized” ones. University of Virginia exercise physiologist Glenn Gaesser, author of Big Fat Lies, says dieting almost always promotes the very thing …
Put to the Test: The Controversy over Standards of Learning
Racial and ethnic divisiveness made the creation of statewide standards for history in Virginia a lengthy and controversial process. Now some educators are calling for national standards. Are we up …
It’s a Small World: The Threat of Unchecked Population Growth
The world’s population is expected to double between 1990 and 2050, the shortest doubling rate in man’s history. The pressures on food and water supplies will be unprecedented. George Mason …
The Sky’s the Limit: The Role of the Heavens Across Cultures
From astrology to Zen, the heavens have been revered in every culture under the sun. Have Martian bacteria and multiple moon walks demystified the skies for modern man? University of …
Holy City, Holy Wars: Jerusalem and the Rise of Fundamentalism
Jerusalem is a city of unmatched importance to Christians, Muslims, and Jews alike. Throughout history, the City of David has triggered fierce reverence and fanatic revenge. Virginia Tech historian William Ochsenwald and …
Tis the Season: The Pleasures and Pitfalls of Gift-Giving
Part I: It may be the thought that counts, but often its the gift that gets sparks flying between the sexes. Virginia Commonwealth University marketing professor Pam Kiecker and Mary Washington College English …
Searching for the Promised Land: History of Jews in Virginia
Jews were among the earliest settlers in Virginia, and they have played a pivotal role in Virginia history. Oddly, their history is seldom told. In this Hanukkah special, Myron Berman, author of Richmond’s …
The First Thanksgiving and Virginia’s Native American Tribes
William and Mary historian James Axtell joins Old Dominion University anthropologist Helen Rountree for a lively look at early colonist-Indian relations in the towns of Plymouth, Mass., and Jamestown, Va. Find the segment audio …
So Sue Me: The Demise of Common-Sense Law
Clogged court dockets and multi-million dollar settlements are just two troubling signs of our litigious society. George Mason University law professor David Bertsein says we need more-focused laws that specifically spell out …
Humbling Empires: U.S. Efforts to Defeat the Axis Powers
Part I: Old Dominion University historian Carl Boyd, author of Hitler’s Japanese Confident, discusses how the U.S. cracked the Japanese diplomatic code and intercepted critical communications about Nazi activities and attitudes sent from Berlin to …
Political Literacy: What Americans Should Know Before Voting
On Tuesday this week, millions of Americans will cast their votes to elect our nations’ leader. Yet many Americans know little about politics, and the blurring of lines between party …
Dark Passages: The Role of Evil in Literature
From ancient Greek epics to the latest best seller, depictions of evil have remained a staple of human literacy output. Why are we fascinated by what we fear? English professors Roy …
Mineral Fights: The Role of Geology in Civil War Battles
Virginia was the most populous Southern state and the most agriculturally and industrially developed. But it wasn’t Virginia’s cities, farms or factories that set the stage for some of the …
