Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Make a sustaining gift today to support local journalism!

2.29.16: Survival Mom, Why Doctors Use Pagers, & Leap Day

James Vaughan via Flickr CC
/
https://flic.kr/p/7bdr9A

When you picture a "prepper" you probably think survivalist - maybe wearing camouflage, with a cache of guns and canned goods for when civilization as we know it goes south. Today, the  "survival mom" just may surprise you.

Plus, we celebrate leap day with a historical look at the Gregorian calendar, and the many efforts to reform it, including a thirteen-month year that almost took off in the 20th century.

Listen to the full show. 

Survival Mom

Picture a "prepper” or survivalist. Now picture your typical mom - protective, practical, and prepared for the worst. One smacks of paranoia...the other of good common sense. 

Anne Helen Petersenis a news features writer for Buzzfeed who wrote about Lisa Bedford, who's known to a growing community as"Survival Mom"

WOM02292016A.mp3
Survival Mom

Recommended reading: "What to Expect When You're Expecting the Collapse of Society As We Know It"

Why Do Doctors Use Pagers?

From robotic surgeries to artificial organs, hospitals are one place where cutting edge technologies are pioneered and developed - except it would seem, when it comes to getting ahold of staff. 

Allison Bondis a resident at Massachusetts General Hospital, and a contributor to Slate, where she recently wrote about why hospitals still use pagers to reach physicians and nurses.

WOM02292016A2.mp3
Why Do Doctors Use Pagers?

A Leap Day Primer

In case you’ve forgotten the date, or already mixed it up, we’ll remind you: it’s February 29th, or leap day. It happens once every four years - except the 3 times every four centuries when it doesn't - and is kind of easy to forget. Unless leap day happens to be your birthday. Word of Mouth producer Molly Donahue spoke to one leap day activist for a leap day primer

WOM02292016B.mp3
A Leap Day Primer

99% Invisible: The Calendar

In this episode of 99% Invisible host Roman Mars and producer Avery Trufelman look at the birth of the Gregorian calendar, and one man's lifelong mission to make it better.

You can listen to this story again at 99PercentInvisible.org.

Malware Museum

The Internet Archiveis tasked with being the library of the internet, or as its mission statement puts it "offering permanent access to historical collections that exist in digital format."

In a new collection for the archive, they've gone back to the early days of home computers and collected computer viruses that once infected hard drives around the world. It's called the "Malware Museum" and Jason Scott is the curator.

WOM02292016D.mp3
Malware Museum

Related Content

You make NHPR possible.

NHPR is nonprofit and independent. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Your support makes this news available to everyone.

Give today. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference.