All Sides with Ann Fisher Podcast

In the age of artificial intelligence, some wonder how we will teach robots to act ethically and with human morals. One philosopher equates teaching machines how to make moral decisions to parenting, but one day if machines advance beyond humans they could be the ones to teach us better ethics. Join us today as we discuss this, Facebook's technology innovations and Google's idea to be able to paste text on devices without copying first.

The Rover Pipeline, which when completed will run from Washington County in southeast Ohio to Defiance in the northwest, was the source of a major spill. More than 2 million gallons of drilling mud was dumped into two Ohio wetlands. While the mud is naturally occurring, experts say the spill could be detrimental to the ecosystems of the already depleted wetland ecosystems. Wetlands are crucial to the health of the environment, serving as natural incubators and purifiers, but over 90 percent of

Coming out is a difficult experience for anyone who has to do it, but it can be especially challenging for those who have been in the closet for decades. Many LGBTQ individuals feel pressure to adhere to established gender roles and experience difficulty letting go of a familiar lifestyle, especially when they've kept their sexual identity secret for so long . This hour we talk with two authors who have written about living in the closet and coming out later in life.

Ohio is slated to receive $26 million to fight the ongoing heroin epidemic from Health and Human Services. The money will be used for medication-assisted treatment, prevention, and screening. Join us today as we discuss this and the latest in state and national news with a panel of guests.

" Dorothy Day: The World Will be Saved by Beauty " is a new biography by Day's youngest grandchild, Kate Hennessy . I spoke to Hennessy recently from her home in Vermont. Here's what she has to say about her grandmother, who may become the newest saint in the Catholic church.

Join us today with guest host Christopher Purdy to discuss the latest in book news around Columbus with a panel of guests.

With the declining price of electricity, nuclear power plants are struggling to stay afloat. Ohio lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow one nuclear energy company to charge their customers more because of the growing costs for nuclear plants. Proponents of the bill argue it's about saving jobs, while others feel that customers shouldn't have to front the bill. Today we'll discuss this and the state of nuclear energy in Ohio with a panel of guests.

Arbor Day is an annual day of observance for the promotion of tree planting, care and preservation. Unfortunately, many tree species in the Midwest and across the country are facing rapid decreases in numbers due to disease and pest invasions. Today we'll discuss the best ways to care for trees and how to choose and plant them with a panel of guests.

Scientists across the country are taking to the streets this weekend to march for science. The march was inspired by the success of the Women's March in January and is meant to be a response to political policies that are at odds with scientific findings and principals. However, some scientists argue that science should remain unpolitical, and that a march undermines the credibility of the field. Join us today as we discuss the March for Science and the intersection of science and politics with

New Mexico recently passed a bill that prohibits "lunch shaming" in public schools. Lunch shaming happens when a child can't pay a school lunch bill and is denied food. Across the country, children are often punished in some way for not being able to afford lunch. In Alabama, a child who could not afford lunch was stamped with the phrase "I Need Lunch Money." In some schools, kids are required to clean cafeteria tables or their food is simply thrown away if they are short on funds. Join us today

Many of today's major American cities are sprawling metropolises that cater to the extremely wealthy while also housing the very poor. Author Richard Florida describes the growth of inequality and segregation in cities as "the new urban crisis." Join us today as we discuss this phenomenon and what can be done to fix it.

Intros longer than 10 seconds in pop songs are a thing of the past, with vocals kicking in about 5 seconds into most songs released today. A new study suggests the shortening of intros and song titles has to do with the shortening of attentions spans due to streaming services like Spotify. Join us today as we discuss this and other tech news.

The epidemic of fake news is relatively new but has already largely impacted the way people consume and disseminate information online. Facebook recently began displaying ways to avoid fake news on its news feeds, but this puts the responsibility on the consumer to avoid fake news, rather than on Facebook to eliminate it from news feeds. Today we'll discuss what fake news is, where it comes from and how it can be avoided.

Emotions are commonly believed to be something automatic, uncontrollable and expressed in similar ways in every person. New neuroscience research suggests that this is not the case, and emotions are more learned than naturally occurring. Today we'll discuss the science of emotions with a neuroscientist and author of the book "How Emotions are Made: the Secret Life of the Brain."

Ohio lawmakers have come up with a plan to address the projected $615 million revenue shortfall by restraining the growth in the budget by $400 million each fiscal year. County leaders across the state are already decrying proposed budget cuts that could cost some counties millions of dollars. Join us today to discuss this and the latest in state and national news with a panel of reporters.