September 18, 2011 – Moody’s Analytics has warned that student loans may be the next financial bubble to burst. Students in 2011 graduated with an average of around $27,000 in debt, and the cost of tuition has inflated faster than all goods, health care, housing and energy prices. Do these facts warrant major concerns for economic disaster? And if so, what can students do to prevent a student loan crisis while still being able to pay for school? [6:44]
Category Archives: Podcasts
UCLA professor lands a cameo on Entourage for his work in creating a worldwide savings campaign
September 18, 2011 – Professor of Finance at the Anderson School of Management, Bhagwan Chowdhry, landed a cameo appearance on the HBO hit series, Entourage. He plays himself in the episode, “The Big Bang.” Chowdhry discusses how he got the part and his experience acting. [6:46]
The good, the bad and the truth about drug policy
September 6, 2011 – Mark Kleiman, UCLA professor of public policy, co-authored “Drugs and Drug Policy: What Everyone Needs To Know” with Jonathan P. Caulkins and Angela Hawken.
He stresses a new way of thinking about drugs as neither good nor evil and claims that the drug prevention effort is largely a misinformation campaign. He shares ideas on how to drive down prison populations and reduce violence resulting from drug abuse while reinventing the way people think about drugs. [6:03]
Beirut treads water with The Rip Tide but falls short of brilliance
August 29, 2011 – The Rip Tide’s release comes four years after Beirut’s last full-length album, The Flying Club Cup. The band has a new, slightly more synthesized and pop-centric sound, but is this a development worth listening to? [3:07]
Diagnosis in the palm of your hand: Professor Aydogan Ozcan creates $5 cytometer
August 22, 2011 – You might be looking at Facebook on your mobile device, but Professor Aydogan Ozcan wants to use your cell phone to look at your cells. Ozcan is a bioengineer who likes to make medical equipment small and affordable. Once, he invented a lenseless microscope (pictured) you could attach to your phone.
Now he’s used mobile technology to create a flow cytometer, a device that diagnoses diseases and measures their progress. Most cytometers are enormous and expensive, but Ozcan’s machine costs $5 and it’s small enough for medical professionals in developing countries to transport to families who don’t have access to hospitals.
If you want to learn more about how the flow cytometer works, check out Ozcan’s paper. [2:20]
Kanye West’s and Jay-Z’s collaboration Watch the Throne makes its mark but fails to revive hip-hop
August 15, 2011 – Watch the Throne is the highly anticipated full-length album from hip-hop superstars Kanye West and Jay-Z. Does it dazzle above and beyond the loftiest expectations ““ the album art itself is dazzling enough ““ or does it fail to impress? Album artwork courtesy of Universal Music Group. [5:45]
Orientation counselor learns about UCLA, leadership through interaction with new students
July 25, 2011 – New Student Orientation welcomes thousands of students to UCLA over the summer. They are guided by individuals such as counselor and student coordinator Shantel Daniels, a former UCLA student who graduated in the spring. Interacting with new students has shown her what others are capable of, and it’s also helped her learn a bit more about herself. [4:27]