Drone war proponents say that unmanned aircraft save American lives -- but what's life like for drone operators? On today's show, a look at drone fatigue. Then, brain fitness. Does taking fish oil, and playing brain fitness video games actually help with memory loss? And finally, a forensic turn! Autopsies are pretty cool, but Hollywood may have them all wrong.
Listen to the full show.
Drone Fatigue
The United States Air Force is facing a steady drop in the number of pilots trained to fly drone missions, part of a trend that some have called "drone fatigue." Pratap Chatterjee from Corpwatch joined us to talk about drone fatigue. You can read his op-ed for the New York Times here, and check out his new graphic novel, Verax.
RC Planes
In 2013, a bill drafted in the New Hampshire House proposed restrictions on drone use to protect people's privacy. Among those objecting were the original drone enthusiasts: members of remote control airplane clubs. Former Word Of Mouth Producer Zach Nugent spoke with members of the New Hampshire Flying Tigers RC Club in Windham.
Domestic Drones
North Carolina is the birthplace of powered flights. And now, they're hoping to lead the way in regulating the use of domestic drones. Jay Price reports on the state of unmanned flight. You can listen to the story again at prx.org.
Let's Be Less Stupid
Americans spend more than a billion dollars per year on cognitive classes, games that increase brain fitness, and things like fish oil. Do they really work? Patricia Marx is a staff writer for The New Yorker, and a former writer for Saturday Night Live, and she joined us to chat about her book, "Let's Be Less Stupid." Here, you can also read her hilarious piece for The New Yorker.
Autopsies Aren't All Bad
Television viewers have likely seen dozens of autopsies, but they're not as realistic as they might seem. Rachel Wilkinson attended an autopsy at the University of Pittsburg Medical Center, and wrote about the real thing for The Atlantic.
