State of the Union, Dietary Guide, Service-Learning, David Bowie

Guest: Steve Murdock, PhD, Sociologist at Rice University and Former Director of the US Census Bureau  In his final State of the Union Address last night, President Obama laid out the reasons why we should be optimistic about where the country is headed. The United States, right now, he said, has the strongest, most durable economy in the world.  President Obama went on to mention increased automation, global competition, stagnant wages and an increasing gap between the wealthiest Americans and the rest of the population.  In the next fifty years, the United States will grow larger and more diverse, but we’ll also become poorer and less-educated as a nation. That will make us less competitive with other countries unless we address the factors dragging us down. Do nothing and Steve Murdock says we’re on a path to “inevitable socio-economic decline.”

Guest: Edward Archer, PhD, Obesity Theorist and Public Health Expert  The U.S. Department of Department of Agriculture is out with its latest dietary guidelines, which get updated every five years. Good news for egg lovers -- the guidelines no longer say you should limit cholesterol intake. Salt limits were eased, too, but we're still supposed to avoid saturated fats—like those found in meat and dairy. Also, skipping breakfast is no longer considered a health hazard.  These updates are always a topic of heated debate among lobbying groups representing various food products and health conditions. But this year also saw unusual scrutiny of the science behind the recommendations.  Link to study here

Guest: Paul Matthews, PhD, Associate Director of the University of Georgia Office of Service-Learning  What are the most important things a college student can do to maximize the salary they’ll make in their first job? Get a high GPA? Pick a field that’s in-demand? Do an internship? All are good ideas. Some new research suggests it helps to take classes that incorporate hands-on service in the community.

Guest: Jeremy Pope, PhD, Assistant Professor of Political Science at BYU  President Barack Obama promised something different in his eighth, and final, State of the Union Address last night, “I don't want to talk just about the next year. I want to focus on the next five years, ten years, and beyond. I want to focus on our future.”

Guest: Ben Zimmer, Linguist, Language Columnist for the Wall Street Journal and Chair of the New Words Committee of the American Dialect Society  The Washington Post Style guide has already given approval to using “they” in singular situations. And now, the American Dialect Society has chosen singular “they” as its 2015 Word of the Year. It beat out popular phrases “thanks Obama” and “on fleek,” among others.

Guest: Christian Asplund, Associate Professor of Music here at BYU  Last weekend the music icon David Bowie passed away at the age of 69 after a battle with cancer. His influence on pop music is undeniable—with his dramatic stage presence and artistic music videos. His passing has also prompted an outpouring of deeply emotional response from fans and other musicians about what David Bowie meant to them, personally.