Episodes

COVID and the Costs of Partisanship

Political scientist Marc Hetherington returns to the podcast to discuss his ongoing research on people’s views on the pandemic and the ways in which their political views are tied. Hetherington is the Raymond Dawson Distinguished Bicentennial Professor of Political Science … Read more

Race, COVID and the Fine Arts

World-renowned opera singer Karen Slack talks about the intersection of performing arts, the coronavirus and race. Slack also talks about the importance of using her own voice as a Black woman. Slack, a soprano, has recently performed in Verdi’s AIDA with … Read more

Black Communities and Pandemics

Anthropologist Karla Slocum joins hosts Jonathan Weiler and Matthew Andrews to discuss the impact of the coronavirus on Black communities. With her research in Black towns and communities, Slocum notes the intersections of these communities, structural racism, and access to … Read more

Infectious Diseases from AIDS to COVID-19

Infectious disease expert Myron Cohen discusses the beginnings of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease with hosts Jonathan Weiler and Matthew Andrews. Cohen has studied infectious diseases, including AIDS for 40 years, and also discusses the ways communities … Read more

When Does Social Distancing Become Social Isolation?

Psychology and neuroscience professor Mitch Prinstein discusses the impact of the pandemic and social distancing efforts on mental health.

Youth Caregivers and the Hidden Defenders of Vulnerable Families

Geography professor Elizabeth Olson discusses the challenges that youth caregivers face in the United States and around the world, and how their situations may be more exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Transcript Jonathan Weiler: Welcome to another episode of “COVID … Read more

Italian Plague Stories and the Meaning of Pandemics

Maggie Fritz-Morkin, assistant professor of Romance studies, discusses the themes of Giovanni Boccaccio’s The Decameron, which is set in Italy during the bubonic plague.

Essential and Exposed: Gig workers in the lockdown economy

Alexandrea Ravenelle is an expert on the gig and sharing economy, which is made up of independent contract workers such as Uber drivers and Instacart workers.

Your Season is Canceled: Will sports lose their relevance on campus in the wake of COVID-19?

Matthew Andrews, whose work looks at the links between sports and American history and culture, talks with Jonathan Weiler about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on sports. Andrews is a teaching associate professor in the history department and has … Read more

Politics, Polarization and the Pandemic: How a crisis tests beliefs

Marc Hetherington, Raymond Dawson Distinguished Bicentennial Professor of Political Science at UNC-Chapel Hill, is an expert in polarization in American politics. With hosts Jonathan Weiler and Matthew Andrews, Hetherington talks about a recent poll about attitudes of government policies in … Read more

Urban Pandemic: Why have cities had such different experiences?

Hosts Jonathan Weiler and Matthew Andrews welcome Yan Song, professor of city and regional planning and director of UNC’s Program on Chinese Cities; and Noreen McDonald, chair of the department of city and regional planning and director of the Carolina Transportation Program.

Herd Immunity: What does it take for a vaccine to protect a population?

Medical geographer Paul Delamater, assistant professor in the department of geography and a fellow at the Carolina Population Center, discusses his research.