Press Play with Madeleine Brand
California "Geniuses," Music Discovery, and a Kombucha Crackdown
Two California scientists were among the 24 winners of the MacArthur Genius Grants announced yesterday. We hear about their work. Also, is kombucha tea a health friend or foe?
By Madeleine Brand • • 51m ListenTwo California scientists were among the winners of the MacArthur Genius Grants announced yesterday.
Then, a two-part look at California’s recent criminal justice reforms: what’s it like for a person when his or her felony conviction is downgraded later to a misdemeanor? And what happens to DNA collected from felons after their crimes have been downgraded?
Next, KCRW D.J. Chris Douridas tells the unusual story of how he helped popularize a foreign band.
And finally, is kombucha tea a health friend or foe?
Banner Image: A glass of kombucha; Credit: Michael Coté
In this episode
6 storiesCalifornia MacArthur Geniuses
Two Northern California scientists were among the 24 winners of the the prestigious MacArthur Genius Grant. Christopher Ré, a computer scientist at Stanford, got the award for his work on DeepDive, a system to tackle so-called dark data.
Read the story5 minA Deeper Dive into DeepDive
The other Californian who won a Genius Grant today is Christopher Ré, a computer scientist at Stanford. Madeleine speaks to one of his collaborators. Together they created DeepDive, a data platform.
Read the story7 minThe Effect of Downgrading Felonies
A new report from the Public Policy Institute of California finds that realignment and Prop 47 have not, so far, resulted in an increase in crime in California. Realignment is the big shift of inmates convicted of nonviolent crimes from state prisons to county jails.
Read the story10 minDiscarding DNA?
Prop 47 may also have an impact on the state’s DNA database. Anyone convicted of a felony has his or her DNA added to California’s DNA Databank. But what happens with the DNA information of the hundreds of thousands of Californians eligible to have old felonies reduced to misdemeanors?
Read the story7 minA Music Discovery
We all find the music we love in all kinds of different ways. Friends, siblings, Spotify. This summer, KCRW D.J. Chris Douridas took a big European road trip with his son and they listened to all kinds of music from around the world. Chris brought some of it back to play on his show here at KCRW and got a very unexpected reaction.
Read the story10 minKombucha: Friend or Foe?
Kombucha -- the cold, fizzy tea that claims to have all kinds of health benefits -- has come under government scrutiny. Because it’s fermented, kombucha usually has some trace amount of alcohol in it. In the past month, the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau has been cracking down on kombucha makers.
Read the story6 min
