How Can We Best Prepare for Emerging Infectious Diseases?

As of mid-February, there had been more than 73,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 coronavirus infections worldwide, leading to some 1,800-plus deaths. This novel coronavirus is the latest infectious agent that, seemingly, came out of nowhere to cause panic across the globe, joining diseases such as Ebola, Zika, and SARS. Whether it's a disease that causes a pandemic or a particularly difficult strain of influenza, how are researchers more fully understanding these evolving pathogens to be better equipped to contain them  in the future? Joining Curiosity Unplugged today are Senior Lecturer of Biology Katie Spink and IITRI Virologist and Study Director David Boltz.

Some 40 years ago, the People’s Republic of China was described as being “an impoverished backwater.” The nation has achieved remarkable growth in its real annual gross domestic product, which  averaged nearly 10 percent through 2018. With the recent signing of the “Phase One” trade pact between China and the U.S., how can our two nations continue to cultivate its relationship as allies?  Joining Curiosity Unplugged are Ron Henderson, professor and director of Illinois Tech’s Landscape Architecture + Urbanism Program; Nasrin Khalili, associate professor of environmental management at Illinois Tech’s Stuart School of Business, and director of Stuart’s Sustainable Business Innovation Clinic; and Associate Professor of Political Science Matthew Shapiro.   

As more information becomes available on the causes of climate change and how to reverse its effect, one thing is clear: cities and buildings play a big role in both. Cities contribute 70 to 75 percent of worldwide emissions, with nearly 40 percent of carbon emissions coming from their buildings. The World Resources Institute recently released a report that said that while one of the Paris Agreement's goals is to have every building reach net zero carbon by 2050, not even 1 percent of buildings are currently. How can we reach that goal? Joining Curiosity Unplugged today is Henry R. Linden Professor of Engineering Hamid Arastoopour, Associate Professor of Architectural Engineering Brent Stephens, and Assistant Professor of Architecture Rahman Azari.

The high holiday season that began with Thanksgiving is now in full swing. For many individuals, it’s a time of living large and letting go—of cash, of a sensible eating and drinking regimen, or of a positive attitude. What can we do to ensure that for most of the rest of the year, our behavior is aligned with our best physical and psychological health interests? Joining Curiosity Unplugged are Professor of Food Science and Nutrition Britt Burton-Freeman, Associate Professor of Psychology Gregory Chasson, and Assistant Professor of Psychology Alissa Haedt-Matt.   

The vulnerability of the electronic systems that support most elections became widely publicized during the 2016 United States presidential election following the news of Russian government attempts to compromise voter registration systems. Despite the heightened attention to the integrity of elections, are we moving fast enough to ensure that the issues from 2016 are not repeated next year? Joining Curiosity Unplugged are two Illinois Tech alumni, Adjunct Industry Professor Shawn Davis and Louis F. McHugh IV, adjunct industry professor and director of information technology at the School of Applied Technology.     

The members of the Supreme Court of the United States first assembled in New York City’s Merchants Exchange Building in 1790 and in 1869 the court’s present total of nine judges was established. Amid recent accusations of being too political, too partisan, or too polarized, the Supreme Court is facing as much scrutiny, if not more, than ever before. The courts are now being utilized as a political resource, with politicians focused on stacking the federal circuit, district, and appeals courts with judges that see the law from their perspective. In a country that is sharply divided along political and ideological lines, this brings into question the neutrality of the court, raising doubts that even the Supreme Court is no longer immune. Joining Curiosity Unplugged are Professor of Law Christopher Schmidt and Professor of Law Nancy Marder.

Founded in 1919 in Weimar, Germany, by architect Walter Gropius, the Bauhaus existed for 14 years before being shut down. Cited as the “most influential design school in history” by Nature: The International Journal of Science, the Bauhaus has direct links to Illinois Tech’s own architecture and design schools. The university will honor Germany’s Bauhaus this September during its inaugural Shapeshift festival. The event aims to celebrate Illinois Tech’s “legendary, yet largely unknown, Bauhaus heritage.” Why does the Bauhaus matter, especially now, at its 100th anniversary? Joining Curiosity Unplugged are Professor Emeritus of Architecture History Kevin Harrington, Institute of Design Dean Denis Weil, and the John and Jeanne Rowe Endowed Professor in Architecture John Ronan.

Stories in the popular media on the value of a college education tend to head in opposite directions. One business publication covers why a notable CEO says that a college degree is not necessary for success while the latest report from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics states that usual median weekly earnings in 2017 for workers who earned a bachelor’s degree was $1,173 as compared with $712 for workers having only a high school diploma. Besides potential economic advancement, what else can prospective students gain by participating in the college experience and ultimately attaining a degree?    Joining Curiosity Unplugged are Senior Lecturer of Biomedical Engineering Bonnie Haferkamp; Joe Hakes, Illinois Tech’s director of athletics; and Katherine Stetz, vice provost for student affairs and dean of students.  

Believed to be of such importance to its new country that it was included in the Bill of Rights, the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution reads: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” That 27-word sentence had a specific, vital meaning to the Founding Fathers as they went about setting the foundation for their new home country, one free from the tyranny they fought to leave behind. Yet, as we near 250 years since the birth of this nation, those words now present a gray area when it comes to gun regulation. Has our determination to protect the Second Amendment made us numb to the all-too-routine tragedies of gun violence in this country? Joining Curiosity Unplugged is Visiting Assistant Professor of Law Cody Jacobs, Associate Professor of Psychology Arlen Moller, and Senior Lecturer of Design and IPRO Director Jeremy Alexis.

The core tenet of higher education in the United States has been that students who attend these institutions will be given a diverse, encompassing experience that offers all viewpoints, no matter how offensive some may be deemed. Yet, in an era where seemingly everything has become a lightning rod for controversy, freedom of expression on college campuses is no different. This leads to a complex question: Are college campuses limiting the right every student has to express their opinion—or is this another area where a divided nation is showing its fissures?   Joining Curiosity Unplugged is University Distinguished Professor Emeritus and Professor of Law Emeritus Sheldon H. Nahmod and Professor of Philosophy Michael Davis.