The Apple Seed

Guest: Ajit Pai, Chairman of the Federal Communication Commission You've surely heard of net neutrality–the set of rules put in place by the Federal Communications Commission in 2015 to prevent internet service providers from giving preference to certain websites or content. Everything on the web had to be treated neutrally by the people who own the pipes that deliver it to you. But earlier this summer the FCC overturned those rules – it was a hugely controversial decision that even provoked death threats to the FCC’s chairman. Now 22 states and a bunch of internet content companies like Etsy and Vimeo are suing to get the net neutrality rules put back in place. In this interview, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai defends his policies and explains his vision for the future of the Internet.

Guest: Pelin Gul, PhD, Social Psychologist and Postdoctoral Researcher, Iowa State University Some women like when a man opens doors and insists on paying for dinner on a date. Some women find it insulting. But multiple studies have found that even women who object in theory to men treating them a certain way just because they’re women, actually find men who do it to be attractive.

Guest: Colin Morris, Pop Music Appreciator, Computer Scientist, Data Visualizer When a new pop song comes on the radio, you likely know what to expect. Something catchy, with a good beat, and maybe a little repetitive. Modern music might be getting more repetitive, but is that repetition the secret sauce? See how repetitive your favorite pop artist is here.

Guest: Shannon Hovey, IMCA Saturation Diver, DMT, Ranger Offshore Inc. Nearly a third of the oil currently being pumped out of the earth comes from wells drilled into the ocean floor. When the machinery hundreds of feet underwater needs repairing or removing, there are actual people, if you can believe it, who go down there and do the work. But they’re so deep underwater that they can’t just pop down for the day and go home at night. They have to live in pressurized chambers for weeks at a time – like astronauts in a space station, all so you can I can have gas to power our cars. These folks are called “aquanauts.” You can visit the GoFundMe for Shannon Hovey's cancer treatment at https://www.gofundme.com/shannonhoveysbandp  .

Guest: Abe Peck, Professor Emeritus-in-Service of Journalism, Northwestern University This week marks the 50th anniversary of the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, when violent clashes between police and young anti-Vietnam war protesters led to hundreds of injuries and arrests. The whole thing played out on the TV screens of families across America. At center-stage in the conflict were the Yippies – or the Youth International Party. They were known for theatrical demonstrations and pranks. They’d come to Chicago to protest the war and provoke “the man.” And in the minds of many Americans, the Yippies represented all that was wrong with the counterculture movement.