Bob Barrett

The baseball season has been under way for about 6 weeks now, but one of the most popular games in the country is on tap for next weekend in Cooperstown. New York.  The annual hall of fame classic attracts a large number of fans and former players alike. Here to talk about that game and a whole lot of other activities is Jeff Idelson, president of the national baseball hall of fame and museum.

I’ve often said to colleagues that if I want to get a lot of mail...and usually nasty mail...I need to a story on either vaccines or Lyme disease.  So today let’s go for broke.  You may not remember this, but there is a vaccine for Lyme disease.  The catch: no one makes it anymore.  On today’s Health Show the story of the vaccine your dog can get...but you can’t.

We’ll also hear about a report on drug laws in New York State...and how getting treatment for offenders continues to be a problem...and we’ll talk to a man who bid a melancholy farewell to his prostate.

As more attention is being given to the problem of bullying in school, more attention is being focused on the bullies themselves.  What is it that causes a bully to be a bully?  Today on The Best Of Our Knowledge, we’ll look into the minds of bullies, and then hear from the NIH about predicting psychological illness.

We’ll also hear about a cheating scandal at a New York State university that is causing concern throughout the region.  And we’ll spend an academic minute feeling good about ourselves.

Assemblyman Brian Kavanagh represents the 74th Assembly District on Manhattan's East Side in New York City.  He spoke with WAMC's Bob Barrett about the need for Fair Elections in New York...and also about New York State's recent gun control legislation. 

Advances in medical technology have made it possible to screen children for a huge number of conditions by the time they are two.  That’s two DAYS.  On today’s Health Show we’ll talk to a clinical geneticist about the advances in newborn screening for disease.

We’ll also hear from the N-I-H about screening for cancer in children and adults...and how they must balance the pros and cons of these tests.  And we’ll hear commentary from a young woman about a brave young member of her family with terminal cancer.

Since the 16th century, scientists have speculated about exo-planets.  Which are, quite simply, planets that exist outside our solar system and orbit other stars in the galaxy.  However it wasn’t until the 1980s that the first confirmed discovery of an exo-planet was documented. Today on The Best Of Our Knowledge, our Astrobiology Series returns featuring a fascinating conservation with a University of Chicago researcher about exo-planets.

Plus we’ll spend an academic minute finding out how some tiny stowaways in space could cause big problems for future space missions.

They used to describe comic books as “all in color...all for a dime”.

Sakeenah Francis was living a comfortable, successful life. A college graduate with a career and a young family...until schizophrenia tore that life and that family apart.  On today’s Health Show, we’ll talk to Sakeenah and her daughter about life with her illness, the letter to her daughter...and the book they’ve written together.

We’ll also hear from a veteran national reporter about the state of parental leave opportunities for new parents in the US.  Here’s a hint: they’re not good.

As efforts to end bullying in schools continues, a lot of time and study is being put into trying to find out who may be the most likely targets of bullies...and why. Today on The Best Of Our Knowledge, part three of our five part series on bullying.

We’ll also talk about another student safety issue...the safety of students who travel abroad and what can be done to make sure your child is safe while studying in a foreign land.  We’ll meet a young lady who is proud to be a nerd...and we’ll spend an academic minute finding out how social media is affecting our behavior.