With Good Reason

Drink Local (August 8, 2015) In recent years, a culture has grown up around brewing beer locally and at home. Hunter Smith and Levi Duncan of Champion Brewery met in a brewing course at Piedmont Virginia Community College, where they now both teach. They say local breweries like Champion can help foster community. Plus: In early America, just about everyone drank beer—even for breakfast. We go with Susan Kern (College of William and Mary) to the site of a brew house that once existed on the campus of one of the nation’s oldest colleges. And: We all know of Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin, but few of us have heard of Robert Morris, who was also a founding father. Ryan Smith (Virginia Commonwealth University), in a new book, tells the tale of this wealthy financier of the Revolution who signed the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, but ended up in financial ruin and public disgrace. Later in the show: There is an extreme shortage of nurses in “bush” Alaska, a stunningly beautiful part of the world only reachable by plane or barge. Maria DeValpine (James Madison University) spent three years learning why nurses elect to stay in this challenging environment on the edge of the earth. And: Courses that include service learning projects can have a profound effect on college students. While teaching at the American University in Cairo, Egypt, James Curiel (Norfolk State University) had his students, who were predominately from the wealthiest Egyptian families, work with impoverished families who made their living by recycling the rubbish they collected. The lessons learned were invaluable.

When Shenandoah National Park was built, hundreds of families were forced off their land. Margaret Marangione (Blue Ridge Community College) says new information has emerged suggesting that some of them were sent to state colonies and sterilized. Plus: Veterans of the Revolutionary War collected the nation’s first pensions for wounded soldiers. But Benjamin Irvin says claiming a pension was difficult and threatened the pride of many veterans. And: Aging baby boomers are beginning to influence the funeral industry. Rhonda Pleasants (John Tyler Community College) says more are now opting for “green” burials and more personalized funerals that reflect the hobbies and passions of the person who died. Later in the show: Too many young people imagine old age as a time when we become no longer useful or interested in the world around us. But Terry Lee (Christopher Newport University) has been challenging these kinds of ageist stereotypes. He’s spent hours behind a camera, documenting the lives of elders and their caregivers. And he says older people have an important job to do. Also featured: As we age, we all experience changes in our brains that make our memories less sharp than they used to be. But some older people actually have a condition called Mild Cognitive Impairment, or MCI, which is different from Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Rosemary Blieszner (Virginia Tech) was instrumental in a study that looked at how patients and their family members cope with MCI.

Grandparents Who Parent by With Good Reason

Cochineal, a parasitic insect native to Mexico, is the source of a vibrant red dye called carmine, which Spain’s Conquistadors encountered for the first time in 1519. We talk with Amy Butler Greenfield, author of A Perfect Red: Empire, Espionage, and the Quest for the Color of Desire, about the history of this highly sought-after commodity that eluded pirates, scientists, and kings. Plus: When restoring priceless works of art, conservators often want to know the origins of the paint. Chemist Kristen Wustholz (College of William & Mary) works with art curators to trace the molecular “fingerprints” of rare paint pigments and has produced a technique that allows precise chemical analysis from a single near-microscopic particle excised from the painting. And: Nuclear physicist Gail Dodge (Old Dominion University) has taken a leading role in atom-smashing experiments. Dodge, who won an Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, is also devoted to growing the number of women in a field that is still dominated by men. Later in the show: In 2009, fewer than 2% of physical science degrees—like physics and chemistry—went to African-Americans. Considering African-Americans make up 12% of the U.S. population, these numbers are shockingly low. And they’re getting even lower. In the second episode of our ongoing series about STEM education, we ask: what does a scientist look like? Short, tall, black, brown, male or female? We talk to four young scientists about their outreach project at William and Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science. We also hear about what might be keeping American girls out of laboratories, and Laura Puaca (Christopher Newport University) explains the WWII history of Edna the Engineer.

In the late 19th century, German medical practices were considered to be the best in the world. But by the start of World War II, a number of German physicians were directly involved in the mass killings of the Holocaust. Theodore Reiff (Christopher Newport University) looks at the subversion of German doctors in the Nazi era. Also featured: The movie The Great Escape dramatizes the experience of American and European prisoners of war in Germany during World War II. But little known is that there were more than 400,000 German prisoners of war in 700 camps across America. Charles Ford (Norfolk State University) and Jeffrey Littlejohn (Sam Houston State University) look at the 4,000 German prisoners in Huntsville, Texas and efforts to “de-Nazify” them. Later in the show: More than 20 years after Germans tore down the Berlin Wall, they are still negotiating how to deal with the stigmas of a formerly divided country. Jason James (University of Mary Washington) says there are still divisions within German culture—between the “good” former West Germans and the “bad” former East Germans—and both sides struggle with a problematic past that includes Nazi and Fascist associations that persist, even in a united country. Also featured: In the years leading up to World War I, Germany joined other world powers in colonizing parts of Africa. Christian Davis (James Madison University) says there’s a relationship between the racial subjugation that occurred in Germany’s African colonies and the rise of an anti-Semitic movement back home—a movement that would later form the ideological core of Nazism.

Deirdre Enright is perhaps best known to fans of the super-popular podcast Serial as the legal sleuth questioning the guilt of convicted murderer Adnan Syed. As director of the University of Virginia's Innocence Project, Enright has a front row view of failures in our judicial system, from underpaid and inept lawyers to over-eager and biased police officers. Plus: Steve Helvin was a district court judge for 21 years. He says that incorrect rulings probably happen more than you might expect and the court system should be ready to reverse bad decisions. Later in the show: When it comes to love, jealousy is sometimes thought of as “natural” or even desirable. But a recent survey led by Mindy Erchull (University of Mary Washington) suggests that women who see jealousy as a positive thing may be more likely to find themselves in abusive relationships. Also: Tragedies like the Newtown shootings dominate the debate over gun ownership. But in an average year, suicides outnumber homicides by 3 to 1 and most are by firearm. Alex Tabarrok (George Mason University) and Justin Briggs say a causal relationship is clear: more gun ownership means more suicides.

From Marian Anderson’s 1939 concert at the Lincoln Memorial to Marvin Gaye’s singing of the National Anthem at the NBA Finals, the theme of patriotism can be heard throughout African American music. Benjamin Ross offers selections from this rich musical heritage. Also: Published in 1946, The Street by Ann Petry was the first million-selling novel by an African American author. Keith Clark (George Mason University) says Petry deserves to be in the pantheon of other great American writers like James Baldwin and Toni Morrison. Later in the show: In 1862, Poet Walt Whitman went to Fredericksburg, Virginia, searching for his brother George who had been wounded in a Civil War battle. Mara Scanlon and Brady Earnhart (University of Mary Washington) say Whitman was so moved by the carnage he found that he worked as a nurse for the rest of the war. Also featured: 19th-century poet and author Edgar Allan Poe is still considered the master of the macabre. Jerome McGann (University of Virginia) says Poe, whose influence is probably unmatched by any American author, was more charming and humorous than his famous dark fiction suggests.

f you swipe a stranger’s car and nobody sees, what do you do? Do you leave a note? Do you track the owner down? Bill Hawk and Erica Lewis (James Madison University) give coping strategies for deciding what to do when faced with an ethical dilemma. Plus: Zooplankton are microscopic animals in the ocean that are critical to both the food chain and the recycling of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Deborah Steinberg (William and Mary Virginia Institute of Marine Science) says that due to climate change there’s been a change in the distribution and variation of zooplankton. mushiLater in the show: In Japan, insects are pets, medicine, and even vehicles for spirits. Mary Knighton researches Japan’s special relationship with insects. And: One of the most unpopular insects in the U.S. is the tick, which can be a carrier of Lyme disease. David Livingston, Jay Sullivan, and Jim Squire (Virginia Military Institute) have invented a tick-removal robot that rolls over a lawn, attracting and killing these unwanted insects. Tick expert Holly Gaff (Old Dominion University) has tested the “tick rover” with surprising results. Plus: Between errands and dishes and kids, it sometimes feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day. Louisa Igloria (Old Dominion University) has managed to make time to write one poem every day—for 1,270 days!

Plantations in America’s South are physical testaments to the great wealth accrued through slave labor. Yet, Stephen Hanna (University of Mary Washington) has found that plantation museums often gloss over that economic history in favor of more romanticized depictions of plantation life. Plus: There’s little historical evidence that African Americans supported the Confederate cause by becoming soldiers. Yet this myth of the “black Confederate” remains in circulation. Gabriel Reich (Virginia Commonwealth University) studies the way collective memories of the Civil War are shaped and offers ways school curricula could address these problematic narratives. Later in the show: Mom’s home cooking, wives’ infidelities, and slaves dining with white families—Jonathan White (Christopher Newport University) says you can write a whole history of the Civil War through the dreams of people who lived through it. Also featured: Jesse James was a thief and a cold-blooded killer who gunned down unarmed civilians. So why did newspapers at that time portray him as a folk hero? Cathy Jackson (Norfolk State University) looks at the myth and the reality of one of America’s most notorious outlaws.

hat if you could change not just how much you know, but your actual intelligence? Psychologist Oliver Hill (Virginia State University) says special cognitive training can rewire the way brains work and help kids succeed in math and science. And: Stereotypes affect the way others see us and how we see ourselves. They can also lead to lower test scores. Claude Steele (Stanford University) and Margaret Shih (University of California, Los Angeles) explain that stereotypes about math and science can self-handicap. Plus: Cheryl Talley (Virginia State University) is helping students overcome self-handicapping through things like journaling and text-messages. Later in the show: A tornado that devastated Fayetteville, Tennessee the week author Clint McCown (Virginia Commonwealth University) was born is the setting for his award-winning novel, Haints. The real-life tornado reached wind speeds up to 260 miles per hour and damaged or destroyed 1,820 buildings. Also: Biologist Wally Smith (University of Virginia College at Wise) fell in love with hiking when he was in high school. Now he and his biology students have created online trail guides for others to explore the beauty of the Appalachian foothills.

When Frances Mayes moved to Tuscany, she left behind her family and roots in Fitzgerald, Georgia. In her new memoir Under Magnolia, the renowned author of Under the Tuscan Sun returns to her hometown to explore her coming of age in the Deep South. And: Since 2000, furniture imports from China have increased dramatically and offshoring has cost American furniture makers thousands of jobs. In her new book Factory Man, Beth Macy tells the remarkable story of John Basssett III’s battle to keep his family’s furniture business in southwest Virginia open. Later in the show: In central Mexico, the work of preparing elaborate meals for fiestas involves many women working together. Maria Elisa Christie (Virginia Tech), author of Kitchenspace: Women, Fiestas, and Everyday Life in Central Mexico, says this work gives women status in their communities, as well as a way to share traditions and beliefs with younger generations. And: Residents of northern China prize individualism, while southerners value their sense of community. Thomas Talhelm (University of Virginia) has developed what he calls a “rice theory” to explain the cultural differences. Also: There’s no silver bullet for battling obesity, but Jamie Zoellner (Virginia Tech) says studying different communities and their specific food and exercise resources can help jumpstart a solution.

The first 24 hours after a city declares bankruptcy, there’s a reckoning: what gets to stay and what has to go. Frank Shafroth (George Mason University) walks us through what it’s like when a major city goes bankrupt and gives insight into the future of Detroit. And: While some people see social media as a waste of time, Lori Underwood (Christopher Newport University) believes that it could be our best bet to end the war on terror. Later in the show: In his novel Tomorrow City, Kirk Kjeldsen (Virginia Commonwealth University) tells the story of an ex-con who is trying to reinvent himself in a new place. The backdrop for the story is Shanghai, a city that has perhaps reinvented itself more than any other city in history. Kjeldsen recently moved to Shanghai, a city he describes as “more American than America.” And: Everyone in America—from consumers to businesspeople—should understand what’s happening in China. That’s the message from economist and former Reagan advisor Deborah Hewitt (College of William and Mary). Hewitt says the changes taking place in China will affect the choices Americans make in managing their businesses and households.

Before the Korean War, the bodies of American soldiers killed in conflicts abroad were buried in overseas cemeteries. But the nature of the conflict in Korea changed that. Brad Coleman (Virginia Military Institute) says the Korean War brought about other changes, too, including the development of forensic anthropology. And: For U.S. military veterans, the benefits claims process can be daunting. The Lewis B. Puller Jr. Veterans Benefits Clinic at the William & Mary Law School is making that process faster and has been touted as a model for the solution to the nation’s backlog of claims. Plus: Bootcamp can be funny. Comedy Bootcamp at the William & Mary Center for Veterans Engagement is a stand-up comedy class exclusively for veterans and servicemen, and it serves as an outlet for veterans with PTSD, TBI, and combat-related injuries. Later in the show: With its rolling green hills and its nearly 400,000 graves, Arlington National Cemetery is one of our nation’s most impressive military tributes. Also impressive is the work that goes on behind the scenes to create a meaningful experience for visitors. Debra Lattanzi Shutika (George Mason University) and Kerry Kaleba spent a month observing the inner workings of Arlington as part of the Field School for Cultural Documentation. Also featured: There are countless books on gardening and tree care. Joe Murray (Blue Ridge Community College) says some of the advice does more harm than good. Plus: From international competitions like the Van Cliburn to battles of high school marching bands, competition in music has become a way of life for aspiring musicians. Wayne Gallops (Radford University) says too much of it can stifle a young musician’s growth.

A new course is teaching veterans the art of stand-up comedy. “Veterans Comedy Bootcamp” is designed for vets with PTSD and combat-related injuries. Lilia Fuquen reports that the innovative program was launched by students at the College of William and Mary.

Yoko Ono is best known for her marriage to John Lennon and was vilified by the press in the 1960s for her perceived role in the breakup of the Beatles. Kevin Concannon (Virginia Tech), an expert on Ono’s work, notes she was an accomplished and innovative artist long before she met Lennon. Plus: A novel by Fred D’Aguiar (Virginia Tech) tells the story of a mother and daughter caught up in the tragic Jonestown mass suicide of 1978. Later in the show: Americans have been getting their kicks from Route 66 since John Steinbeck labeled it “The Mother Road” in The Grapes of Wrath. Michael Lund (Longwood University) is fascinated by the nostalgic small town life found along “America’s Main Street.” Lund is the author of a series of Route 66 novels. And: Jack Kerouac wrote about his travels along Route 66 in On the Road, the novel that made him a literary success. Gordon Ball (Virginia Military Institute) says Kerouac’s novel about the Beat Generation is as relevant today as it was in the 195