Science, Technology, and Society Scholar Robert McGinn
In the Green Room
Nexus
Are Ebola Patients America’s New Lepers?
A Century Ago, Panic over Leprosy Led to Rampant Stigma and Bizarre Quarantines
by Marcia Gaudet|
The reaction to Ebola isn’t new. Few things alarm people as much as the perceived danger of a deadly or devastating disease. History shows that responses to epidemics often lack a rational or scientific basis. Certainly this was true with leprosy.
Leprosy, or Hansen’s disease, existed in several parts of the United States in the 19th century and the early 20th century. By the late 19th century, it was endemic …
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Nexus
Are Walkable Neighborhoods and Bike Lanes Only for the Creative Class?
The “Complete Streets” concept in urban planning and design has been hailed as nothing less than a revolution. “North America is on the verge of a new paradigm,” writes Mobility magazine. “At the forefront of …
Nexus
Topanga, Cahuenga, and Tujunga—Sounds from a Rediscovered Local Language
As Los Angeles fourth graders know (because their curriculum includes the study of California Indians), the original language of Los Angeles is Tongva. This American Indian language (also called Gabrielino) used to be spoken in …
In the Green Room
Technology Forecaster Alex Soojung-Kim Pang
Alex Soojung-Kim Pang is a senior consultant at Strategic Business Insights, a visiting scholar in the history of science programs at Stanford and Berkeley, and the author of The Distraction Addiction. Before participating in a …
In the Green Room
Architect Mia Lehrer
Architect Mia Lehrer is the founder of the Los Angeles-based landscape architecture and urban design firm Mia Lehrer + Associates. Before participating in a panel on whether the digital age is killing public space, she …
Who We Were
Did the Midwest Win the Civil War?
Fort Sumter. Bull Run. Antietam. Vicksburg. Gettysburg. Appomattox Courthouse.
These are the places you usually think of when you think about the Civil War. Not Milwaukee, Detroit, Indianapolis, Chicago, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Des Moines. And yet the …
The Takeaway
When Journalists Became Scandal Mongers and Politicians Became Celebrities
Discussing how the media covers politics—and political scandals—is “one of the most important conversations we can have” about our democracy, KCRW Left, Right & Center host Matt Miller told a crowd at the Downtown Independent. …
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