Putin Stays in Power, Brain Training Apps, Undercover Uber Economist

Guest: Fred White, PhD, Professor of Russian Literature, Film and Culture, Utah Valley University, Associate Vice President, Engaged Learning  Vladmir Putin won Russia’s presidential election over the weekend by a huge margin, which was entirely as expected given that he controls the state media and his primary opponent was barred from running. What can the world expect from six more years of President Putin in Russia?

Guest: Charles Branas, PhD, Professor and Chair of Epidemiology, Columbia University If you were in the market for a new home for your family, and your realtor took you to a neighborhood that had an overgrown vacant lot on the street, would that be a red flag for you? In some neighborhoods, maybe it’s no big deal. But in many urban communities, overgrown, trash-strewn abandoned lots can attract drugs and gun violence. Epidemiologist Charles Branas has found that simply landscaping those plots of land can make a real difference for a neighborhood.

Guest: Walter Boot, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology, Florida State University Most of us in middle age are nagged by a fear of dementia. Or at the very least, memory loss. An increase in “senior” moments. Trouble remembering names or dates or where we put the keys.  A couple years ago, the brain-training game company Lumosity was fined two million dollars for false claims to improve cognitive function through its app. If brain games are suspect, is there anything that does work to ward off decline as we age?

Guest: Paul Oyer, PhD, Fred H. Merrill Professor of Economics, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Senior Fellow at Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research Let’s take an undercover journey into the gig economy with labor economist Paul Oyer. Well, economists crunch numbers and develop theories, but they're not trained to go undercover, right? But Oyer pulled it off, driving for Uber on the streets of Palo Alto, California where he’s a professor at Stanford.

Guest: Rod Gustafson, Parent Previews Bart Millard reveals the story behind the hit single "I Can Only Imagine" by the Christian band MercyMe. His journey of faith, forgiveness and healing may be as inspirational as the song.

Guest: John Chaston, PhD, Assistant Professor of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University We heard earlier in the show what works and what doesn’t to keep your brain sharp as you age. Diet, of course, is also important for living a long and healthy life, and our fast-food culture is like a minefield of temptations. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could take a supplement that turns an unhealthy food into something harmless in the body?