Explore the hidden world of nematodes. These tiny—less than one millimeter long—organisms are everywhere in the soil, some as plant parasites, others as pest predators. With 57 billion nematodes in the soil for each human standing on it, turns out their importance in genetic research and biomedicine is immense.
Steve sits down with Imam Shoaib Din, a friend of the show, for a conversation about the Hajj, ritual, and how he ended up in Utah.
75 years ago, parents faced a deadly threat to their children which, today, most people never have to think about. Lisa and Aaron Miller dive behind the scenes of the March of Dimes, an effort fueled by ordinary people who collectively changed the world and saved millions of lives. Bethany Brady Spalding shares the movement in her community that stemmed from a conversation with her kindergartener about candy. Lisa identifies six different types of helpers (because who doesn't love a personality test) and ordinary people making an extraordinary impact in the world around them.
We’re in between episodes this week on Top of Mind. In the meantime, we’ve got a story for you from a podcast we think you’re really going to like. It’s called When the People Decide, a podcast from the McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State. The podcast traces the stories of Americans who are getting their hands dirty doing the hard work of democracy.
For our 200th episode, Steve sits down with Rev Dr John J. Thatanamil in a wide-ranging conversation of how we know what we know and why we should trust other believers to know what they know. There's holy hymning, childhood memories, and an evaluation of lint brushes...
Whether our kids are two or twenty-two, conflict is a normal part of family life. How do we make sure our relationships of love grow through these inevitable clashes, especially for kids? Lisa, Marlie, Kylie, and Brandalee explore the way conflict shows up in different stages of life, and in various scenarios-- in blended families, between spouses when kids are listening in, and with kids in the middle of those developmentally appropriate (but still awkward) transitions into higher autonomy and self-discovery.
Join us as Simon Brooks, Motoko, and Josh Goforth, from live recordings in the Apple Seed Studio, tell stories about true love, and the individual process each love story must go through.
Have you ever avoided eye contact with someone holding a cardboard sign? Or felt a twinge as you skipped a YouTube ad asking for charitable donations? Help is needed everywhere, and good people want to help. But those good intentions can quickly turn to paralysis, overwhelm, and a lingering sense of shame for not "doing more." Meanwhile, experts in helping (that's a real thing!) know that making the world a better place isn't compatible with shame.
In this podcast episode, Julie and the other members of the Top of Mind team reflect on moments from previous episodes that challenged them to stay curious and stick with uncomfortable perspectives instead of dismissing them or putting up defenses. As we put podcast episodes together, we have these “Stick With It” moments all the time – and we hope you do, too, because they’ve led us to new empathy, deeper relationships, and clarity about our own views. One of our producers grapples with the grading system she grew up with. Another reconsiders her thinking on the impact of social media use on teen mental health. We'll also explore a complicated relationship with unions, find empathy in the medication for mental health debate, and reassess the language we use when talking about homelessness.
This is the third of a three-part mini series on Passover. Eric Huntsman, author of Greater Love Hath No Man: A Latter-day Saint Guide to Celebrating the Easter Season, discusses why Passover is important for Christians in understanding the historical Jesus and symbolism throughout the New Testament. He also answers the question, should Christians be holding their own Seder meals?