State of the Union, Avoiding Everyday Disasters, Kyle Van Noy Returns to Super Bowl

Guest: Adam Dynes, PhD, Professor of Political Science, Brigham Young University The Constitution states that the President, “shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union.” President Trump delivered his State of the Union address to Congress Tuesday night. Did he succeed in efforts to unify the country? How did he define his first year in office?

Guest: Aviva Patz, Deputy Editor, Reader’s Digest Online Some of us can't resist those stories on our social media feeds offering simple tricks to make everyday life better. If you love a good “life hack,” the new Reader’s Digest book of tricks for “Avoiding Everyday Disasters” is for you. How not to go blind from staring at a computer screen. How to reheat leftovers so they actually taste good. How to score a good parking spot in a crowded lot. How to wash a window without leaving streaks. How to chop an onion without tears.

Guest: Spencer Linton, Play-By-Play Sportscaster, BYUtv, Host, BYU Sports Nation When the New England Patriots face the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII, a former BYU football player will be on the field. It’ll be the second Super Bowl for Patriots linebacker Kyle Van Noy. We don’t talk sports an awful lot on Top of Mind, but this is BYUradio, and Van Noy’s got an interesting story, so we’ve asked Spencer Linton into the studio to tell it.

Guest: Sam Payne, Host, The Apple Seed, BYUradio In honor of Groundhog Day, Sam shares a story told by Megan Hicks, "Three Groundhogs Gruff"

Guest: Peter Guest, PhD, Senior Lecturer in Roman Archaeology, Director of Postgraduate School of History, Archaeology and Religion, Cardiff University, Wales Decades ago, in a village called Hoxne, near Suffolk, England, a man set out with a metal detector to find his lost hammer in a field. He eventually found it, but first, he stumbled on the largest Roman treasure cache ever discovered in Britain. Archaeologists have been puzzling over the “Hoxne Hoard” ever since.

Guest: Daniel Willingham, PhD, Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, Psychology, University of Virginia It is so fun to see that switch click in a child’s mind when they realize they can actually look at a word, sound it out and read. And then they can’t stop reading. Riding in a car with a new reader is a kick--reading words on street signs and businesses and just so pleased with this new comprehension of the world they’ve acquired. Reading feels magical. And also a little mysterious. What makes that switch flip? Why does it flip faster in some kids? And what drives actual comprehension of the words we read on a page?