The Measure of Everyday Life - WNCU

04/10/2025

Are you a human being reading this note? If you are, you carry with you a brain. You also live with and through a mind. Where is the you who is reading this note, though? Would someone with a brain scanner be able to see that self?

Scientists operate in a physical world and yet they observe and think about dimensions of life which may not be easily apparent. What counts as science? Can scientists explore unseen dimensions of existence as part of their work?

Recently, we had an opportunity to sit down with Vladimir Miskovic, a scientist who has contemplated those questions in his own career as a neuroscientist, technology adviser, and resident at a monastery. With Steven Jay Lynn, he has written Dreaming Reality: How Neuroscience and Mysticism Can Unlock the Secrets of Consciousness for Harvard University Press. You can listen to our wide-ranging discussion, which invites us to think about how we can know who we are, where have been, and where we are going. Link in comments.

12/23/2024

We have now completed 10 years of our public radio show, having just released our last new episode of 2024. What a wonderful opportunity we have had to share stories from, by, and about researchers and practitioners who are trying to improve the wellbeing of the world.

Have you ever wondered how healthy the people of the United States are overall? On our latest episode, we talked with Dr. Tony Nguyen of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about a massive and ongoing effort to assess just how well people living in the U.S. are doing. You can listen to the conversation here: https://measureradio.libsyn.com/measuring-the-health-and-diet-of-americans.

As we enter a new year, let's all stay curious together.

11/13/2024

For more than three decades, the U.S. federal government has recognized National Native American Heritage Month each November. The histories of Native American communities across the continent we now call North America have included tragedy and turmoil but also stories of community support, celebration of nature, and contributions to the United States and the rest of the world. That complicated journey is especially evident in the health and wellbeing of Native American people over time....

For more than three decades, the U.S. federal government has recognized National Native American Heritage Month each November. The histories of Native American communities across the continent we n…

10/16/2024

When Hurricane Helene first made landfall in the southern United States late on September 26th, 2024, it arrived with fierce winds and rain but it was not entirely clear how much chaos eventually would unfold in the days that followed as it carved a path north. Western North Carolina and the surrounding region would absorb earth shattering damage as flood waters rose and rose....

When Hurricane Helene first made landfall in the southern United States late on September 26th, 2024, it arrived with fierce winds and rain but it was not entirely clear how much chaos eventually w…

10/02/2024

Guest post by Ella Winslow, Davidson College Communication through language has been integral to all human societies. But how does language develop and how do our minds influence language development? Dr. Molly Flaherty, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Davidson College, seeks to understand the development of the mind through early language acquisition and works to help shed new light on the importance of sign language accessibility for deaf individuals....

Guest post by Ella Winslow, Davidson College Communication through language has been integral to all human societies. But how does language develop and how do our minds influence language developme…

09/24/2024

https://www.elon.edu/u/news/2024/09/23/raj-ghoshal-discusses-racial-appraisals-on-the-measure-of-everyday-life-podcast/

The associate professor of sociology's research was the focus of a new episode of The Measure of Everyday Life.

09/19/2024

We have seen recent innovations in our efforts to detect medical conditions in infants through genetic screening, including a program called Early Check based in North Carolina. The service now provides parents in North Carolina a free scan and review of a baby’s entire genetic blueprint to look f...

09/05/2024

Each of us has a sense of our own identity. Sometimes, though, people make judgements about what another person’s racial or ethnic identity is. How do people make those appraisals? On this episode, we talk with Raj Ghoshal of Elon University about his nationwide survey research.

Each of us has a sense of our own identity. Sometimes, though, people make judgements about what another person’s racial or ethnic identity is. How do people make those appraisals? On this episode, we talk with Raj Ghoshal of Elon University about his nationwide survey research.  

07/18/2024

Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison of Johns Hopkins Medicine has had a remarkable life and a remarkable career as a healer. We had the honor of interviewing her to discuss her new Penguin Random House book, Fire in the Dark: Healing the Unquiet Mind, and our discussion offered insights and lessons relevant for all of us during these turbulent and stressful times. You can listen to the conversation here:

How can we improve our mental wellbeing by supporting our caregivers and healers? Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine has many ideas which have come to her in part from her own remarkable life. Time magazine has called her a "Hero of Medicine." She's also an award...

07/03/2024

As the nation pauses to celebrate this 4th of July, many of us will spend time with friends. As you travel to a barbeque, beach, or backyard party, you might want to listen to what psychologists are finding about the value of friendships for our health:

Most people generally understand what friendship is and yet the roles it plays in our wellbeing have yet to be fully explored. On this episode, we talk with psychology researcher William Chopik of Michigan State University about new work on the value of friendship for health and what we can to do en...