Word of Mouth Past Shows

Today on Word of Mouth, the rural brain drain. A pair of sociologists park themselves in a small Iowa town to find out where all the young people are going. Turns out, townsfolk are sending their best and brightest out to the cities, and offering little to those left behind. We’ll also hear a profile of sound artist Chris Watson. His field recordings of animals and insects transport listeners to the outer reaches of audio. Plus, schooling after midnight. A mother of five tells us why she enrolled in community college classes that run til 3 a.m. And a taste of crowdsourced meatloaf. Are ten chefs better than one, or is Wikipedia-style cooking a recipe for overthinking cuisine?

(Photo by Darin Barry via Flickr/Creative Commons)

Today on Word of Mouth, the Obama administration is scrambling to broaden sanctions against Iran for its nuclear agenda. We’ll talk to Vali Nasr, a leading Middle East scholar who advocates for using capitalism as a weapon in the war on terror. Plus, out of the hood and into study hall - a peek inside the first inner-city public boarding school in the country. And we’ll listen in as scientists try to figure out why the largest lake in Asia is shrinking. And tie down your bonnets! Racy Amish fiction is selling like shoo-fly pie.

(Photo by cindy47452 via Flickr/Creative Commons)

Today on Word of Mouth, is the placebo effect getting stronger? To win FDA approval, a new medication must be more effective than a placebo in at least two clinical trials. So why can’t drugs for everything from depression to Parkinson’s disease beat out sugar pills? And a design revolution: moving beyond sleek appliances and high-end desk chairs. We’ll find out how industrial designers are looking beyond sales to create objects for social change and environmental integrity. Think low-cost prosthetics for victims of landmines, and charcoal made out of sugarcane. And, author Nicholson Baker stops by the studio to discuss his new novel The Anthologist, a stingingly funny meditation on poetry, writer’s block, and love gone wrong.

Today on Word of Mouth, Millenials at the mall. Within a decade Gen Y will have more spending power than any other demographic. They’re tech-savvy, brand-conscious, and shop as a group activity. We’ll examine the consumption habits of teens and twenty-somethings, and how savvy marketers are capturing their interest and income and identities with tools like this teenage brand ambassador. Then, we’ll look back on Hyman Minsky, a prescient and nearly forgotten economist, and find out his predictions and solutions for the current recession. Plus, reviews of new albums from the former hip-hop band Why? and Bon Iver’s latest project: Volcano Choir.

(Photo by espiritossanto via Flickr/Creative Commons)

Today on Word of Mouth, London, Berlin, Beijing and Pittsburgh? We’ll find out why the steel city was chosen to host this week’s G-20 summit. And in Pakistan, more than thirty thousand “ghost” schools exist on paper, but not in reality. Teachers who haven’t shown up in decades still collect government paychecks. And what’s better for the earth, beer or wine? Slate.com’s Green Lantern columnist weighs the options. Plus, getting a divorce is expensive in any economy, but as couples face economic challenges, mediation can be a more affordable option. And indie rockers fool’s gold mix Ethiopian rhythms, Congolese guitar riffs, and Hebrew lyrics.

(Photo by Joey Gannon via Flickr/Creative Commons)

Today on Word of Mouth, learning surgery without a scalpel. Med students test out virtual reality training – no cadaver required. And a library without books? An elite prep school ditches its tomes as relics of the past. Plus, we’ll peer at the frontier of technology that logs memories, and puts us on the path to digital immortality. And a Supreme Court reporter attempts an exeriment she may not want to remember: writing chick-lit, with the help of her Facebook fans.

(Photo by imageining via Flickr/Creative Commons)