Blogs

Tonight on WXDU News, we'll have the latest episode of The Endless Frontier, WXDU's own science show, and after that we'll hear from Making Contact and With Good Reason.

First at 6:00, The Endless Frontier will discuss senses, but not the five you might be most familiar with. Interviews will include Andrew Bellemer, Ph.D., and Josh Russell, University of Texas graduate student.

Then at 6:30: This coming Tuesday is the National Night Out Against Crime, an event meant to decrease crime rates in America. But the impact of crime extends beyond the initial incident. We join Making Contact for a documentary called "Getting Out," which looks at what happens to inmates once they are released from prison.

And next at 7:00: You've probably heard of "uptalking," a phenomenon in which someone's tone sounds like a question, even though they're making a statement. With Good Reason talks to Thomas Linneman, who studied uptalking on Jeopardy. Also on this episode, Dan Pink explains what factors really motivate us, and we learn more about children's literature and the impact of modern distractions on children's ability to experience the present.

Tonight on WXDU News, we join BackStory with the American History Guys as they explore mental illness in America. The guys talk about the "illness" that was said to cause enslaved people's desire for freedom, the changing role of asylums in American history, the reasons behind the development of diagnostic criteria for mental illness, and a test for your risk of fascist thoughts. You can find more about this episode, and other BackStory episodes at backstoryradio.org/.

WXDU has a pair of tickets to give away for the Saturday, July 26 Merge 25 Fest outdoor party from 1-10pm. For the chance to win, listen to WXDU tomorrow evening (Thursday, July 17) and also check WXDU's Facebook/Twitter posts for a more detailed giveaway time. More information about the festival can be found here.

2014 is an election year, and as in any campaign period, Americans are talking a lot about the issues. Tonight on WXDU news, we look at two important election issues: gun control and poverty.

First at 6:00, we join BackStory with the American History Guys in a rebroadcast of "Straight Shot: Guns in America," an episode that first aired after the December 2012 shootings in Newtown, Connecticut. The guys explore the history of gun ownership in America and the meaning of the Second Amendment. For more information on this and other episodes, visit backstoryradio.org.

And at 7:00, Moyers & Company discusses poverty and food insecurity on "The Faces of America's Hungry." Bill Moyers talks to one of the directors and producers of A Place at the Table, a 2012 documentary about hunger, and the director for the Center for Hunger-Free Communities. Later in the program, he learns more about poverty and hunger in America from journalist Greg Kaufmann, who researches and writes on the topic.

Tonight on WXDU News, we will explore freedom and remembrance as Americans prepare to celebrate the 4th of July on Friday.

First at 6:00, in an episode called "The Right to Vote," Humankind discusses one of America's most central freedoms--the right to vote--and the history of certain groups being denied that right. This episode examines the disenfranchisement of women and African Americans into the 20th Century, the impact of voter identification laws, and the laws that prevent convicted felons from voting after their release from prison.

Next at 7:00, Backstory with the American History Guys takes a look at national remembrance in a rebroadcast of the episode "Monumental Disagreements." The guys discuss the development of and controversies surrounding American memorials, including Confederate monuments, Mount Rushmore, the Washington Monument, and the memorial for Heyward Shepherd in Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. You can find more information about this and other episodes on the Backstory website, backstoryradio.org.

Tune in to WXDU tonight from 6:00-8:00. Tonight we'll learn about the humanities in STEM education, Boy Scout policies on homosexuality, and the growing problem of noise pollution.

First at 6:00, With Good Reason talks about the role of the humanities in STEM education, and later, takes a look at a modern invention you probably don't think much about: the zipper.

Next at 7:00, OutCasting examines the Boy Scouts of America's May 2013 decision to lift its ban on gay youth members, the history of the ban, and its impact on members.

And after that, Making Contact explores noise pollution, its causes, and its effect on wildlife and human health.

We’ve got a lot planned for WXDU News tonight from 6:00 to 8:00.

In the 6:00 hour, we’ll hear from B-Sides Radio as they explore families and fathers this Father’s Day.

At 7:00, Making Contact takes a look at gay conversion therapy and talks to people who consider themselves survivors of ex-gay therapy.

At 7:30, tune in for WXDU sports. We’ll have the latest in sports news, including what’s happening in the U.S. Open and the World Cup.

And after the sports, we’ve got more sports-related information. Lauren Ober will explore the history and controversy of the Washington Redskins’ name. Next, Nancy Klingener talks to a member of a senior bowling league, and then Crosscurrents takes a look at early surfers at a San Francisco beach.

Also:

 Tune in this afternoon (Sunday, June 15) to hear longtime local weirdo "pop" band Le Weekend perform live in the studio, in advance of their EP release party at the Pinhook this Friday the 20th. Showtime is 4:00 p.m. at 88.7 FM or right here at wxdu.org!

Tune in tonight, and the first and third Sunday of each month, at 7:00 for WXDU news.

On tonight's broadcast, we'll talk about:

• Changes coming to Ninth Street parking
• A way to eliminate automobile carbon emissions
• The potential effect of stimulant medications on smoking rates in ADHD
• The role of statin use in preventing prostate cancer
• A kind of memory loss that's between normal aging and Alzheimer's
• How to avoid a break-in while you're on vacation (http://ncdoj.com/News-and-Alerts/Alerts/Avoid-home-break-ins-while-on-va...)
• A possible new treatment for pain and itch
• How music helps the aging brain
• Mapping the genome of an intestinal parasite

And as always, we'll have the latest in sports and weather.

Also tonight:

In the 6:00 hour, hear a conversation with Maya Angelou from 1970, shortly after the release of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

And after the news at 7:30, we'll learn more about the impact of D-Day, leading up to the 70th anniversary of the turning point in World War II.

 WKNC, WXYC, WUAG, WXDU and The Pinhook are coming together to promote safety for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence in North Carolina at a benefit concert called Play it Safe. Local acts, Gross Ghost, T0W3RS and Seagulls will play at The Pinhook on Friday, May 30. Doors are at 9pm, the show is at 10pm. Donations are accepted, and there will be a soul dance party following the event from 12am-2am. All proceeds will benefit the Durham Crisis Response Center.