Robots Taking Jobs, Musical Medication, Virtual Reality

Guest: J.P. Gownder, Vice President and Principal Analyst at Forrester Research By some estimates, up to half of all jobs in the US will be replaced by automation over the next few decades - and not just manual labor. Doctors, therapists and even journalists could be supplanted by smart computers capable of learning and improving over time.   But Forrester Research analyst J.P. Gownder thinks those estimates are way overblown. He and his team estimate only a fraction of Americans will be completely out of a job because of automation. The majority of us will have to learn how to work side-by-side with the robots.

Guest: Kali Thomas, PhD, Assistant Professor of Health Services, Policy and Practice, Brown University, Research Health Science Specialist, Providence VA Medical Center Within the next decade, an estimated 7 million Americans will be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and related dementias, so the need for innovative ways to treat the illness is crucial. Maybe you’ve seen the viral video online of an elderly man with dementia slumped and staring blankly until a nurse puts some headphones on him and a favorite song begins to play. Suddenly, he comes alive.  Anecdotally, music seems like a powerful tool for people with dementia. Brown University researchers now have the data to prove it. Kali Thomas worked on the study, appearing in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

Guest: Eric Schadt, PhD, Professor and Chair of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, CEO of Sema4  Cancer’s defeat might just come at the mechanical hand of computers and data. If enough genetic data can be collected, scientists could find patterns that could lead to personalized treatments for all types of cancers. The problem is just how much data will be required to get there, and whether doctors, hospitals, and patients will be willing to share it.

Guest: Diane Gromala, PhD, Professor and Canada Research Chair in the School of Interactive Arts and Technology, Simon Fraser University Overdose deaths due to opioids, including prescription pain killers and heroin, have more than doubled in the US over the last ten years. Meanwhile, those who suffer from chronic pain have a tough choice: is it worth the risk of opioid addiction to relieve constant pain? Some patients don’t even have the choice anymore, as doctors stop prescribing opiate painkillers so readily. A new alternative is emerging with the help of tech companies and game designers. Some pain patients say the virtual-reality treatment works even better than drugs.

Guest: Gene Nelson, Director of Provo City Library, Member of the 2017 Newbery Committee, Adjunct Professor of Elementary Education, BYU The 2017 Newbery Medal Award Winner for the best children’s book is “The Girl Who Drank the Moon” by Kelly Barnhill. The Newbery Award has been given to just under 100 books since its inception in 1922, and today we’re going to find out what it takes to win that prestigious award.

Guest: Gabrielle Schonder, producer of PBS Frontline documentary “Bannon’s War” The man credited with shaping President Donald Trump's policies and appeal with people is the subject of a new Frontline documentary airing on PBS Tuesday night. Stephen Bannon is Trump's chief strategist, but his influence has at times led political pundits to call him a sort of shadow president, pulling the strings behind the scenes, though rarely in the spotlight. In this new Frontline documentary, Bannon is squarely in the spotlight.