Race and Self-Defense, Immigration, Antibiotics, and Creativity

Race and Self-Defense Killings (1:05) Guest: Addie Rolnick, Ph. D., Professor of Criminal Law and Race Theory at University of Nevada, Las Vegas Boyd School of Law  Self Defense Laws are Top of Mind today. Across the nation, states are reviewing – and in many cases expanding – laws that allow people to use deadly force to protect themselves and their property. Sometimes known as “Stand Your Ground” laws – they’re at issue in recent high-profile cases in Nevada, Montana and Utah where people have killed trespassers and would-be attackers.  At the heart of these laws lies is the question of whether or not the person doing the killing was reasonable to feel threatened. That question is also wrapped up in the national debate over police shootings of civilians.  “The only time we want to say ‘killing is right’ is when there is no other option,” says Rolnick. “Stand your Ground” laws allow someone to claim self-defense even when retreat was an option.   Rolnick argues that race is always a factor, no matter how much someone may claim it wasn’t. “None of this requires intentional targeting of someone because of their race… it’s just something that operates on a subconscious level.”  Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (25:56) Guest: Gabrielle Kardon, Ph. D., Associate Professor of Human Genetics at the University of Utah  Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia occurs in 1 out of every 2,500 births.  Which puts it up there with muscular dystrophy and cystic fibrosis by prevalence – but CDH, as it’s called, is less-well known. Its causes are also more mysterious to doctors. Geneticist Gabrielle Kardon at the University of Utah has recently uncovered some answers about the condition  An infant born with CDH has a weakness in the diaphragm, that can no longer act as a barrier for the stomach and impedes the development of the lungs. The mortality rate of babies born with the condition is about 50%.  Cultivate Creativity (37:55) Guest: Arthur B. Markman, Ph. D., Professor of Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin