Infotrak

New research has found that a person's credit score can predict when they will die. Matthew Harding, PhD, Professor of Economics and Statistics, University of California, Irvine, UCI Faculty Innovation Fellow is thee study's author, and he will explain the two major connections between mortality and credit scores.

Invasive insects such as the emerald ash borer are killing a shocking number of trees nationwide. We'll talk with Emma J. Hudgins, PhD, FRQNT Postdoctoral fellow, Bennett Lab in the Department of Biology at Carleton University, who predicts over 1.4 million street trees will be killed in the next few decades, plus another 87 million on private property.

A recent poll of found that a quarter of American parents said their adolescent-age child had recently seen a mental health specialist. Most said those visits were within the past year, reportedly due to the emotional trauma and isolation surrounding the pandemic. We'll get details from the poll's co-director, Gary L. Freed, MD, MPH, from the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children's Hospital.

Andrew Gray, PhD, Assistant Professor of Watershed Hydrology in the Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of California, Riverside, led a recent study that found that most items in roadside litter typically originate less than two miles from where they’re found, and unless humans remove them, most of these items will never leave the environment. He hopes the research will help cities to develop strategies to prevent plastic litter that eventually taints water and air.

Americans are living in a time of unprecedented access to high-reward, high-dopamine stimuli: drugs, food, news, gambling, shopping, gaming, texting, sexting, Facebooking, tweeting and more. Anna Lembke, MD, psychiatrist, Medical Director of Stanford University Addiction Medicine, Chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic, author of “Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in The Age of Indulgence” outlines new scientific discoveries that explain why the relentless pursuit of pleasure leads to pain, and what to do about it.

A surprising new study found that the vast majority of carbon stored in trees before large wildfires was still there after the fires. Mark Harmon, PhD, Professor Emeritus in the Oregon State University College of Forestry says the research has profound implications for future policies relating to forest management and climate change.

A shocking percentage of Americans who used alcohol and cannabis in the past year drove under the influence of one or both of the intoxicants. We'll learn the details from Priscila Dib Gonçalves, PhD, post-doctoral research fellow in the Department of Epidemiology at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health

Whether it’s a drunken airline passenger having a violent meltdown, a student disrupting a classroom, or abusive tweets aimed at someone with different political beliefs, signs of a meaner, angrier, and more violent America are everywhere. Bonnie J. Kaplan, PhD, co-author of ”The Better Brain: How to Overcome Anxiety, Combat Depression, and Reduce ADHD and Stress with Nutrition,” says part of the answer lies in today’s typical American diet. She says more than half of Americans’ food intake consists of ultra-processed ‘products’ with virtually no micronutrient content, creating a lack of nourishment in our brains.

Fewer than 1 in 5 Americans have created an online "my SocialSecurity" account to get a personalized estimate of their future retirement benefits. We'll talk with Lila Rabinovich, qualitative social science analyst, Director of Policy and Development at Center for Economic and Social Research at the University of Southern California, to learn why working Americans of all ages should care.

In the wake of the pandemic, poison control centers across the country have been flooded with calls relating to children ingesting cleaning products and hand sanitizers. Cassandra Herring, Technical Advisor at Safe Kids Worldwide, shares three tips to help parents keep kids safe from these products.

Then, you already know that walking is good for your health. But you may not know the latest research on how to maximize the physical and psychological benefits of walking. Annabel Streets, author of “52 Ways To Walk: The Surprising Science of Walking for Wellness and Joy” discusses the latest research.

Today's technology has dramatically altered how young women think of themselves, learn about the world, develop social skills and communicate with others. Licensed clinical psychologist Roni Cohen-Sandler, PhD, , author of "Anything But My Phone, Mom! Raising Emotionally Resilient Daughters in the Digital Age," says it's up to parents to help their young daughters navigate the brave new world of digital media.

According to the U.S. Census, 1 in 4 men who are becoming a parent didn't have a father figure themselves growing up. Kendall Smith, wrote "Rookie Father: A Playbook for Men Experiencing Fatherhood for the First Time" to help men entering the often intimidating new “Dad” stage of their lives.

When most Americans ponder retirement planning, they typically think of accumulating money. But retirement planner Gary Sirak, author of "How to Retire and Not Die: The Three Ps That Will Keep You Young," says that wise planning about what to do with one's time after retirement is equally important.

We've all heard the sales pitches: "buy now and pay later," sometimes with zero interest. While these types of deals may seem attractive, Chuck Bell from Consumer Reports explains why these loans can turn into spending traps.

Prof. Wendy M. Troxel, PhD, from the University of Pittsburgh led a state-by-state analysis of the economic implications of a shift in school start times in the US. She'll explain why her study found that a nationwide move to 8.30 a.m. could contribute $83 billion to the U.S. economy within a decade.

America has a major long-term shortage of truck drivers, but women make up only ten percent of the trucking industry. Ellen Voie, CEO & President of a non-profit organization called Women in Trucking, says women are better suited to be truck drivers than men!

Ever dream of starting your own business? There are lessons to learn from small business owners who have faced obstacles. We'll hear from Sarah Y. Tse, author of "7 Years on the Front Line: True Stories and Tough Lessons about a Small Business that You Won't Learn in a Classroom." She's an Asian-American immigrant who overcame her initial struggles to achieve success.

And, at the end of the day, is your to-do list mostly not done? We'll talk with Madeleine Dore, author of "I Didn't Do the Thing Today: Letting Go of Productivity Guilt," who explained how to not feel guilty or disappointed.

Then, it's estimated that 20 million Americans with substance abuse problems are going without treatment, in a crisis that claimed more than 100,000 American lives last year. Carl Erik Fisher, MD, addiction physician, bioethicist, and Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry in the Division of Law, Ethics, and Psychiatry at Columbia University, and author of "The Urge: Our History of Addiction,” says it often doesn't help to refer to addiction as a disease.