Hold That Thought
228 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 4 years ago - ★★★★ - 12 ratingsHold That Thought brings you research and ideas from Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis. Throughout the year we select a few topics to explore and then bring together thoughtful commentary on those topics from a variety of experts and sources. Be sure to subscribe!
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Episodes
Hardwired for Love
March 01, 2013 14:52 - 12 minutes - 27.6 MB"So a fruit fly walks into a bar..." In all seriousness, finding a mate is an important part of life for almost every species. But how do animals like fruit flies determine what is attractive in a potential mate? Yehuda Ben Shahar, assistant professor of biology at Washington University in St. Louis, studies the role of genetics in courtship and mating behaviors. Join us as he describes his research and explains how biologists manipulate genes to test their theories.
What's in a Commute?
February 22, 2013 00:46 - 13 minutes - 31.4 MBWhether it takes five minutes or an hour, commuting to and from work is an essential part of most people's daily lives. But how do commuting costs, whether in time or money, influence the structure and the formation of cities? Join Marcus Berliant, professor of economics at Washington University in St. Louis, as he provides a glimpse into the questions and answers that make up the field of urban economics.
Mapping the City
February 14, 2013 23:05 - 12 minutes - 29.4 MBCities have individual identities, but many of them face similar problems, including unequal access to education, employment, and health services. Often, the solutions to these issues are as complex as their causes. Dr. William Tate, chair of the department of Education at Washington University in St. Louis, describes the Geography of Opportunity and explains how researchers are able to illustrate their work through graphics in order to better reach and inspire local citizens.
Design as a Social Act
February 08, 2013 17:08 - 14 minutes - 33.3 MBAt its construction in St. Louis in 1951, Pruitt-Igoe was hailed as a model for future public housing efforts, but within two decades the area had decayed into an impoverished, crime-ridden neighborhood. By 1976, the entire complex was demolished. What caused this housing project to fail so spectacularly, and how can contemporary architects avoid the same mistakes? Susanne Cowan, a post-doctoral fellow in architecture and history at Washington University in St. Louis, discusses the legacy of ...
The Many Lives of Apollonius
February 04, 2013 14:26 - 15 minutes - 36.2 MBFollowing his death some 2,000 years ago, the philosopher Apollonius of Tyana was known as a charlatan and magician. A century later, he was considered the embodiment of Greek culture and religion, particularly for those who opposed Christianity. Why do some people become immortalized while others fade into obscurity? Join Roshan Abraham, assistant professor of classics and religious studies at Washington University in St. Louis, as he reveals the many lives of Apollonius.
Weedy Rice and Evolution
December 28, 2012 22:18 - 14 minutes - 32.4 MBKenneth Olsen, associate professor of biology at Washington University in St. Louis, shares his research into red rice, a weedy form of cultivated rice that is a major problem for farmers in the southern United States. In this podcast, Olsen describes his research and explains why domesticated crops like rice are such a valuable tool for studying the genetics and evolution of plants.
"Reperformance" and Memory
December 17, 2012 22:13 - 13 minutes - 32 MBIs the restaging of a ballet an act of remembrance? Is a performance, by definition, something with a beginning and an end that can't be recreated? Why are works of performance art worth preserving? Join Pannill Camp and Christine Knoblauch-O'Neal, both professors within the Performing Arts department at Washington University in St. Louis, as they discuss the concept of "reperformance."
India and Biotechnology
December 10, 2012 22:54 - 13 minutes - 18.7 MBIndia has more hungry people than any other country in the world. Can biotechnology solve its problems? Glenn Stone, professor of sociocultural anthropology and environmental studies at Washington University in St. Louis, describes the controversies and debates surrounding the role of genetically modified crops in the developing world. Stone writes about food, farming, and biotechnology on his blog, www.fieldquestions.com. Music courtesy of Shamil Elvenheim: http://homepage.internet.lu/Shami...
India and Biotechnology
December 10, 2012 22:54India has more hungry people than any other country in the world. Can biotechnology solve its problems? Glenn Stone, professor of sociocultural anthropology and environmental studies at Washington University in St. Louis, describes the controversies and debates surrounding the role of genetically modified crops in the developing world. Stone writes about food, farming, and biotechnology on his blog, www.fieldquestions.com. Music courtesy of Shamil Elvenheim: http://homepage.internet.lu/Shami...
Antarctica
December 03, 2012 14:28 - 12 minutes - 28.6 MBJoin Doug Wiens, professor and chairman of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, as he describes his explorations of Antarctica. Dr. Wiens has been using seismographs to study Antarctica for some fifteen years. He and his colleagues study the physics behind ice movement and explore questions about where and how ice in the the western Antarctic ice sheet is melting.
Exploring Alzheimer's
November 26, 2012 18:42 - 14 minutes - 34.1 MBAccording to the National Institute on Aging, experts estimate that more than five million people in the United States have Alzheimer's disease, a condition that damages memory and cognitive function. Dr. David Holtzman - Professor and Chairman of the neurology department at the Washington University School of Medicine and associate director of the Charles F. and Joanne Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center - explains what is happening in the brain of someone with Alzheimer's. He also de...
Food and American Culture
November 19, 2012 18:16 - 8 minutes - 20.6 MBFor activists such as Anne Moody in the Civil Rights Movement, the simple act of ordering food at a restaurant was a dangerous act of protest. Professor Rafia Zafar explores this moment in time and discusses the ways in which food relates to ethnic, personal, and class identity. Zafar serves within African and African American Studies, American Culture Studies, and the English Department at Washington University in St. Louis. She writes and teaches about the role of food in American literatur...
False Memory
November 12, 2012 21:20 - 15 minutes - 34.9 MBHow trustworthy is human memory? Henry Roediger, James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of Psychology at Washington University in St. Louis, describes his research into how and why errors in memory occur. As Roediger's research reveals, suggestive questioning, repetition, and false inferences all can cause people to remember details incorrectly, or even to remember whole events that never happened. The implications of this research are far-reaching, especially in the justice sy...
Creating a Federal Government
November 02, 2012 18:01 - 13 minutes - 30.7 MBIn the tumultuous early years of the United States, how did the federal government operate on a day-to-day basis? Who worked for the government, and what responsibilities did these people take on? What types of crises did the country face, and how do those crises relate to the challenges we face today? Professor Peter Kastor from Washington University in St. Louis shares his research into the early decades of federal government the United States.
Creating a Federal Government
November 02, 2012 18:01In the tumultuous early years of the United States, how did the federal government operate on a day-to-day basis? Who worked for the government, and what responsibilities did these people take on? What types of crises did the country face, and how do those crises relate to the challenges we face today? Professor Peter Kastor from Washington University in St. Louis shares his research into the early decades of federal government the United States.
Ancient Crops of the Midwest
October 29, 2012 15:42 - 10 minutes - 14.3 MBDr. Gayle Fritz decribes the Eastern Agricultural Complex, a group of crops grown thousands of years ago in what is now the eastern and midwestern U.S. These foods, which included a domesticated relative of quinoa no longer in existence, were grown before the arrival of corn and beans to North America.
Transnational Approaches to Postmemory
October 24, 2012 21:10 - 1 hour - 84.3 MBThe idea of "postmemory" cuts across academic disciplines and affects many cultures. To further explore the concepts that Erin McGlothlin introduced earlier this week, listen in to this hour-long meeting of Washington University's Transnational Approaches to Postmemory Reading Group. In this recording, an interdisciplinary team of scholars discuss the novel Austerlitz, by W.G. Sebald.
"Postmemory" and the Second Generation
October 22, 2012 14:43 - 10 minutes - 15 MBHow do the memories of one group affect future generations? Erin McGlothlin, associate professor of German and Jewish Studies, explores Second Generation Holocaust Literature and discusses the concept of "postmemory."
The Donkey Story
October 17, 2012 14:11 - 8 minutes - 19.9 MBDr. Fiona Marshall from Washington University in St. Louis shares her research into the African wild ass, the ancestor of donkeys, and explains why understanding more about domesticated animal species is so important to farmers around the world. Marshall studies the African wild ass in partnership with the St. Louis Zoo.
Back to the Beginning
October 15, 2012 15:16 - 11 minutes - 16.5 MBDr. Fiona Marshall from Washington University in St. Louis explains how knowledge of early food production, especially in Africa, has changed over the last twenty years. For starters, Marshall's research has shed light on how changes in climate led to the domestication of animals in Africa long before the domestication of crops.
Prospective Memory and the Forgotten Lunch
October 11, 2012 14:33 - 11 minutes - 16.6 MBIn order to carry out daily tasks like taking medication, attending meetings, and bringing lunch to work, we need to remember to do those things. Professor Mark McDaniel describes his research on prospective memory.
Amnesia and Identity
October 05, 2012 19:07Philosophy professor Carl Craver from Washington University in St. Louis tackles some fundamental questions about the importance of memory. Is it our personal memories that make us distinctly human? Does our capacity for memory make us morally accountable for our actions? How does our ability to remember the past relate to how we think about the future? And where do all these questions leave people with amnesia?
Amnesia and Identity
October 05, 2012 19:07 - 13 minutes - 18.9 MBPhilosophy professor Carl Craver from Washington University in St. Louis tackles some fundamental questions about the importance of memory. Is it our personal memories that make us distinctly human? Does our capacity for memory make us morally accountable for our actions? How does our ability to remember the past relate to how we think about the future? And where do all these questions leave people with amnesia?
Agriculture as Industry
September 27, 2012 20:10 - 11 minutes - 15.6 MBProfessor Glenn Stone from Washington University in St. Louis provides a brief history of industrial agriculture in the U.S., from the first era of hyper-industrialization shortly after World War II to the use of antibiotics in today's factory farms. Listen in to find out how the ongoing debates over food production got started, and consider why these debates continue to be so important.
Agriculture as Industry
September 27, 2012 20:10Professor Glenn Stone from Washington University in St. Louis provides a brief history of industrial agriculture in the U.S., from the first era of hyper-industrialization shortly after World War II to the use of antibiotics in today's factory farms. Listen in to find out how the ongoing debates over food production got started, and consider why these debates continue to be so important.
Exploring Sustainability
September 27, 2012 19:59 - 13 minutes - 18.6 MBProfessor Glenn Stone discusses the multiple meanings of 'sustainability' and describes his research into agricultural practices in Nigeria, India, and the U.S. Stone is a professor of sociocultural anthropology and environmental studies at Washington University in St. Louis. His blog, www.fieldquestions.com, covers issues relating to food, farming, and biotechnology.
A Man of Faith and Science: Pope Benedict XIV
May 18, 2012 20:44 - 17 minutes - 24.1 MBLearn about this compelling and startlingly modern Pope of the Italian Enlightenment. Created by Tim Lloyd for Hold That Thought, a production of Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis.
The Future of Energy
April 30, 2012 18:54 - 1 hour - 85.7 MBAs the human race continues to flourish, where will our energy come from? Hold That Thought talks to three scientists who think that algae hold an important answer to this question, as well as an economist who helps us navigate the numbers. Listen to their thoughts in this hour-long podcast.