FIFA, Stress, unPrison Project, and Female Role Models

Guest: Anita Ramasastry, J.D., Professor at University of Washington School of Law, Writer for Justia.com  Sports and Corruption are Top of Mind today. The sweeping U.S. indictments of 14 people tied to FIFA - international soccer’s governing body - continue to reverberate in the headlines. The charges include bribery, racketeering and money laundering. A separate Swiss investigation is examining the possibility of improprieties in FIFA’s awarding of the next two World Cups to Russia and Qatar.  Even so, FIFA’s long-time president Sepp Blatter managed to hang onto his post in an election held Friday. Blatter has not been directly implicated in the corruption charges, but the US and Swiss investigations are expected to widen.

Guest: Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., Health Psychologist and Lecturer at Stanford University, Author of “The Upside of Stress”  Stress relief is big business: We buy supplements, soaps and scrubs to dissipate it. We take yoga and meditation classes to get it under control. We moan about it to our friends and hear about its dangers from our doctors.  Stress is an indisputable enemy to our health and well-being.  Which is exactly what Stanford psychologist Kelly McGonigal thought and what she taught her students…until she stumbled upon some research that made her realize she had it all wrong. You probably do too, which is why McGonigal wrote her new book, “The Upside of Stress: Why Stress is Good for You and How to Get Good at It.”

Guest: Deborah Jiang-Stein, Author of “Prison Baby,” Founder of the unPrison Project  Three percent of kids in America have a parent in prison and the majority of women behind bars are also mothers. Deborah Jiang-Stein’s personal experience with these statistics has led her to develop a nonprofit she calls the “unPrison Project.” She’s partnered with the Children’s Book Council to start children’s book libraries in prisons so incarcerated mothers can read to their kids during visits.

Guest: Elizabeth Daniels, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Colorado  For all the focus on getting girls interest in science, math and technology fields, it seems they still relate most to the actresses and models who dominate magazine covers. University of Colorado psychology professor Elizabeth Daniels joins me now to discuss her findings, which appear in the Journal of Adolescent Research.

Guests: Rod Gustafson and Kerry Bennett, Parent Previews.com The big one has finally hit California. That’s the premise of the new film “San Andreas” starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as a rescue chopper pilot. Also, another new movie in theaters – “Aloha,” stars Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams and John Krasinski – all significant actors.

Guests: Matthew Linford, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry at BYU; Ray West, Director of New Business Development for Moxtek; Spencer Rogers, Associate Director at BYU’s Technology Transfer office  What’s that smell? When I’ve uttered that line, I’m really asking about the source of the smell. Where’s it coming from? Have you ever wondered what the smell itself is made of?  The answer to that question is part one of our innovation segment this week, courtesy of BYU’s Technology Transfer office, which markets and licenses inventions coming out of BYU’s laboratories.