http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-543286.mp3
Albany, NY – COMMISSION ON THE FUTURE OF HIGHER EDUCATION, Pt. 1 of 2 -
A year ago, Education Secretary, Margaret Spellings, formed a bipartisan Commission on the Future of Higher Education in the U.S. The
Commission's long awaited final report is finally in. And its findings
have provided Secretary Spellings with the launching pad she needs
to address what she describes as the vital issues of accessibility,
affordability, and accountability. In several recent public appearances,
Spellings has discussed her multi-step action plan for higher education.
Glenn Busby reports. (8:09)
**(Attention Program Directors. For those who are interested in reading
the entire Commission Report, listeners are advised to go to: www.ed.gov
and click on Boards and Commissions.)**
GUEST COMMENTARY: WHAT IS SPIN? -
There's been a great deal of talk lately about spin. Critics of NCLB
might say what we just heard from the Secretary of Education in our
first story was spin. Many professors have been under fire recently
over public statements they've made. Critics charge the professors
with spinning their remarks either to the left or to the right. An
Academic Bill of Rights is even being pushed in several states to force
teachers to present both sides of issues. And of course there's the
No Spin Zone every night on cable television. So Princeton University's
Online The Princeton Report On Knowledge , acronym P-ROK, decided
recently to take on the subject of spin...to try and develop a general understanding of what it is, how it works, and how to counter it.
TBOOK asked P-ROK to provide us a radio commentary version of
their website article. It's delivered by Dr. John Borneman, a Professor
of Anthropology at Princeton University in New Jersey.
Dr. John Borneman comments. (3:37)
**(Attention Program Directors. For the complete text of the above
comments, listeners are advised to go to the following website: http://prok.princeton.edu.)**
ORIGINS OF LIFE - SCIENCE RESEARCH IN EDUCATION SERIES
EXPLORING HOT SPRINGS ECOSYSTEMS AT YELLOWSTONE ,
Pt. 1 of 2 - When we talk about origins of life on earth, we often talk
about rocks that are billions of years old. Or we discuss what's been
found on other planets or other moons. Today, we explore new territory, Yellowstone National Park. It turns out that the hot springs at Yellowstone sustain organisms that can be traced way back on the tree of life.
The energy at Yellowstone supports extreme genetic diversity at
individual hot springs, and there are more than a thousand of them
to investigate. Dr. Everett Shock carries out regular research at
Yellowstone. He's a Professor in the Department of Geological
Sciences and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Arizona
State University in Tempe, Arizona. Dr. Shock is also Director of
the Keck Foundation Lab for Environmental Biogeochemistry.
This week TBOOK talks with him about Old Faithful. Why do his
research at Yellowstone? And similarities to hot springs in other
parts of the world and deep ocean hydrothermal vents.
Glenn Busby reports. (5:29)
The preceding material is supported by the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration.
**(Attention Program Directors. For listeners interest in more information
about this story, or any of the other more than 130 stories featured in this exclusive radio series, or would like to hear them again via their computer,
the website mentioned at the conclusion of the above story is www.origins.rpi.edu, then click on Seminar Program.)**