Archives

Today on Word of Mouth, food shortages, skyrocketing prices and E. coli scares underscore the fragility of world food supplies. We talk to the author of “The End of Food” about just how vulnerable our global food system is. Also, colleges are mining student data to predict who’s most at risk of dropping out. Plus, we talk with a “seasoned traveler” who says older Americans should get off the tour bus and seek adventure now! And, scientists look to the salamander for clues for whether humans can re-grow limbs.

(Photo by Liz)

Today on Word of Mouth, some of the universal mysteries that have scientists throwing up their hands in defeat. And, just where does one fill up a car that runs on hydrogen power? We visit the first hydrogen fueling station in Massachusetts. Plus, Conor Oberst and Richie Valens point to folk music’s new directions, and a modern cowboy rides across America in search of fame.

(Photo by Marvin (PA))

Today on Word of Mouth, new takes on elder care. Dr. Denis McCullough advocates for “slow medicine,” a mix of long-term planning and justification for every drug and procedure. Plus, a new device uses sunlight to make water drinkable in a Kenyan slum. And we meet a playwright who’s adapting interviews with Iraqi refugees into a new theatrical work. Plus, bloggers write first-person accounts of the violence in Georgia.

(Photo by James Gordon)

Today on Word of Mouth: Gardening without borders! We speak to the unofficial leader of the urban Guerrilla Gardening movement. We also hear about a robotic hand in development that amputees could someday control with their brains, and we’ll meet a young soccer team made up entirely of robots. We’ll also meet Chinese pop music sensation Sa Dingding.

(Photo by Dawn Paley)

Today on Word of Mouth, simple innovations for the developing world: MIT's International Development Design Summit creates inexpensive technologies to improve life in impoverished areas. Plus, we dip into to addictive world of virtual reality. A new documentary looks at gamers who have trouble leaving the online world behind. Plus, we look at the science behind so-called "enhanced beverages" like Vitamin Water, VitaRain, and Snapple Antioxidant Water. And we visit a school in Ohio that pays students for good test scores.

Today on Word of Mouth, a modern music ensemble spent a summer in Vermont creating a musical ode to the rails connecting Brattleboro and Bellows Falls. And a new documentary follows a family doing everything possible to help a loved one who suffering a brain injury. Plus, years of antibiotic use have helped create a new generation of pathogens that are resistant to most treatments. Also, a look at the new crop of reality TV shows.

(Photo by Mark Menzies)

Today on Word of Mouth, noted neuroscientist Michael Gazzaniga looks at the uniqueness of our brains, and what sets humans apart from other animals. Also, a young reporter gets her DNA tested to calculate her risk of developing complex diseases. And, there’s a strange new phenomeon in some villages in northern Greenland: only girls are being born. Plus, singer-songwriter Tift Merritt's new album of American roots music, written in Paris.

(Photo by Mick Orlosky)

Today on Word of Mouth, who’s really paying at the pump? While ExxonMobil just reported the hiighest-ever quarterly profit by a U.S. company, independent gas station owners are shutting up shop in record numbers. We’ll also drop in on an intentional community in Peterborough for those who want sustainable living. Plus, the continuing appeal of drive-in movie theaters. We also hear about a watchdog site for health news coverage, and ideas on what to do with all that excess carbon captured in the atmosphere.

(Photo by futureatlas.com)

Today on Word of Mouth, shark attacks are on the rise, even as their numbers continue to decline. Plus Medpedia, purportedly the world’s largest collaborative online encyclopedia of medecine and health. We’ll hear from singer Sam Phillips. And 70 years after the Hindenburg disaster, zeppelins are taking to the air again. And researchers look to the most powerful atom smasher ever built, the Large Hadron Collider, to offer insights into the fundamental nature of matter.

(Photo by WIlly Volk)

Today on Word of Mouth, 300 million people worldwide endure excruciating migraines, but new understanding and treatment of the disorder could finally bring relief. Plus, how people who sweat excessively can dry up, with holistic and high-tech solutions. And, pushing interfaith dialogue beyond mere tolerance, without ignoring serious religious and cultural differences.

(Photo by Michelle Brea)