11.24.14: The Empathy Deficit, Mountain Dew Gambles on Oculus Rift, & The Password As Keepsake

Empathy, the ability to share in the emotions of another, has been on the decline since the 1980s, with the steepest drop occurring in the past ten years. So what’s the big deal?

On today’s show, how to become a more empathetic human being. 

Then, from birth dates as ATM pins to jokey answers to security questions, a look at the surprisingly deep tales our passwords tell.

Listen to the full show and click Read more for individual segments.

Why Empathy Matters, and How to Get It

• Roman Krznarik is a writer, philosopher, and founding faculty member of The School Of Life in London. His latest book is: Empathy: Why It Matters, and How to Get It.

Blind Dinner

• When you sit down to eat, you probably don’t think much about hand-eye coordination, but try eating without being able to see, and that changes. NHPR's North Country reporter Sean Hurley recently ate a meal blindfolded at an event held by the NH Association for the Blind at Giuseppe’s restaurant in Meredith.
• You can find photos from the evening and a transcript of the audio at this link: Dinner in the Dark Serves up a Taste of Living with Blindness.

The Password As Keepsake

• Ian Urbina is an investigative reporter for the New York Times - his article for the New York Times Magazine, called “The Secret Life of Passwords”, is an intimate portrait of our human need to attach meaning to even the most meaningless aspects of our lives.
• Ian is still collecting keepsake stories, if you have one you'd like to share you can email Ian at urbina@nytimes.com. For the sake of your security, please do not send him passwords you are currently using.

A Thanksgiving to Remember

• Most Thanksgiving dinner tables are where we hear fun family stories, some involving memorable holiday meals of the past. But for graphic designer and writer Jeffery Rudell one Thanksgiving in particular stands out in his mind. He shared this story at a Moth Story Slam.
• You can listen to this story again at PRX.org.

Mountain Dew's Takes A Gamble On Oculus Rift

• Michelle Castillo is digital media and web video reporter for Adweek. She recently looked at Mountain Dew’s bid to create an authentic brand experience using the virtual reality technology, Oculus Rift. "Can Oculus Rift Make Mountain Dew a Content Machine Like GoPro or Red Bull"?